Things New and Old

Ancient truths revealed in the Scriptures are often forgotten, disbelieved or distorted, and therefore lost in the passage of time. Such ancient truths when rediscovered and relearned are 'new' additions to the treasury of ancient truths.

Christ showed many new things to the disciples, things prophesied by the prophets of old but hijacked and perverted by the elders and their traditions, but which Christ reclaimed and returned to His people.

Many things taught by the Apostles of Christ have been perverted or substituted over the centuries. Such fundamental doctrines like salvation by grace and justification have been hijacked and perverted and repudiated by sincere Christians. These doctrines need to be reclaimed and restored to God's people.

There are things both new and old here. "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things"
2Ti 2:7.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

The faith of God... the faith of Christ... your faith in Them





The faith of God... the faith of Christ... your faith in them.

Rom 3:3
For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
Rom 3:22
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

God has faith in Jesus, His only begotten Son. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased... be hearing him."

For thousands of years, God had freely justified multitudes of His elect, and gave them eternal life based on what the promised seed of the woman would accomplish when the eternal Word was made flesh in time and begotten the Son of God.

How could God justly forgive the sins of His people prior to Christ making the actual payment for them on the cross?

Ro 3:24-25
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God..."

In the above text...
- Through whose faith in Christ blood?
- What do 'sins that are past' refer to? Whose sins? 'Past' with reference to what?
- Is 'his righteousness' referring to God's attribute of righteousness, or to God's provision of righteousness?
- To what is the forbearance of God related? What would have happened if there was no such divine forbearance?

Joe
I'll give you my view of the passage.
I believe Paul is referring to all the sins of God's elect that were committed prior to Calvary. God didn't save His people in the Old Testament era one way and now in the New Testament era another way. He saves all of His chosen ones alike.

If this be the case, God relied on the finished work of Christ for the salvation of His Old Testament people just as He does for us. From a human, temporal perspective, Paul could describe this work as the Father's faith in His Son's blood long before the Son came and shed His blood.

"Faith" in this sense certainly does not carry the notion of hope, or of trusting what we do not know. It rather carries the idea of perfect reliance. The Father applied the finished work of Christ to His elect in regeneration, fully relying on the work, although it was yet future. Hope this helps.

Dav
Q. Through whose faith in Christ blood?
A. God the Father’s – Knowing that the Son would be faithful to die for the sins of many.
Q. What do 'sins that are past' refer to? 'Past' with reference to what?
A. Sins of God’s children prior to the coming of Christ.
Q. Is 'his righteousness' God's attribute of righteousness, or God's provision of righteousness?
A. Christ’s righteousness as the only acceptable sacrifice.
Q. To what is the forbearance of God related?
A. God tolerated the sins of His people and considered them as already forgiven, even though the actual act of redemption had not been accomplished.

Bernie
Br. Joe, you have exactly expressed my understanding of Paul's language in these precise verses (Rom. 3:24-25).

People err when they attempt to define the Father's faith in His Son by applying Paul's faith definition that is labelled in Hebrews 11:1. This particular verse (11:1) describes the faith of the regenerated elect, not the faith God had in His Son. God's faith is that confidence and reliance had in His Son by reason of God's perfect, absolute knowledge.

Man's faith is variable (neither consistent nor absolute); whereas, God's faith is constant and is with the absolute perfection of certainty. Brother Joe's post is with such clarity of truth. Many thanks for it.

I appreciate this needed discussion

Wells
Thanks for your post, Bro. Sing. Just today I saw someone post this verse and then go on to say that "past sins" refers only to the sins of believers prior to regeneration. I appreciate your explanation.

========
This illustration will help...

When I was growing up in a little village, my late father had to go away for works, often for weeks on ends. He would make the arrangement with the local grocery store, to ensure that the shop should supply whatever his household would need in his absence. Dad would leave the family with a notebook; we would bring along that notebook to the shop to get whatever supplies the household required, and the shopkeeper who had faith in my father would gladly supply us everything we had need of in the Dad's absence, recording every item in the notebook.

When Dad returned, we would bring the notebook along and settled all the debts incurred. The grocer man had faith in Dad and supplied us the groceries on credit.

God had faith in the Word, the second person of the Godhead, absolutely confident that the eternal Word would be made flesh and be begotten the Son of God in order to execute the work of redemption for all those given to Him in the eternal covenant of redemption.