Initially posted here on 25 May, 2011.
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/1755187914982
https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/1755187914982
Your faith in Christ, and the faith of Christ
- are they just semantics, or do they touch the very heart of the gospel of
Jesus Christ? Some reformed men dismiss them as just mere semantics! And worst
still, they start kicking KJV like they kick a can on the road because KJV
distinguishes the two.
Have your say - but please put on your mind
first before you start. Go!
Sing F Lau
Oh them arrogant and haughty brethren, oh
yes, they are brethren, but they are brethren ignorant of the stake involved!
First, let us look at the passages where these
important phrases occur:
Ro 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:
Ga 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,
and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be
justified.
Ga 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all
under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them
that believe.
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine
own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
The modern translations (NKJV, NASV, NIV, ESV)
have replaced all the "faith of" with "faith in" in the
above passages. And modern bible students, both of the reformed group and those
whom they considered as deformed insist that "faith in" and
"faith of" are just semantic!
Doesn't common sense and plain meaning of
words tell you that your faith in Jesus Christ is a whole world of difference
from the faith of Jesus Christ? The former is your act of believing; the latter
is something remotely related to your believing!
Modern theology has completely lost the
precious truth embodies in those few words, "the faith OF - OF - OF Jesus
Christ."
Modern theology is completely obsessed with
their act of believing in Christ as the instrumental means of their salvation! Anything
archaic can easily be accustomed to and mastered with sufficient usage. Just a
lame excuse to hide that itchy hot lust for fables!
Let us consider the first passage, Rom 3:22
What is the passage saying in its context?
Rom 3
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of
sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without
the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
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:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Let’s lay down some basic and self-evident
truth:
1. Sin is the transgression of the law.
- Sins bring condemnation of death, Rom 5:12.
- Righteousness brings justification of life,
Rom 5:18.
2. Justification is the reversal of
condemnation.
- Justification in God's sight requires
righteousness.
- This righteousness is either by a man's own
obedience to the whole law, OR by Christ's obedience to the whole law.
- No man can obtain the needed righteousness
through his own obedience to the law, " by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight."
3. God provided this righteousness that is
needed for the justification of His people in His sight.
- This righteousness of God's own provision
is by the faithfulness of Christ's obedience to the whole law.
- Righteousness is needed in the
justification of a man in his native state of condemnation. Sins bring
condemnation of death, Rom 5:12. Righteousness brings justification of life,
Rom 5:18.
- This righteousness is provided by God ALONE
by the faithfulness of Christ ALONE in keeping the whole law perfectly.
That is the exact meaning of: "EVEN the
righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ." The righteousness
of God's provision for a condemned man's justification is NOT NOT NOT by his
faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ is NOT the righteousness that is
needed in the justification of a condemned man before God.
It is Christ's faithfulness in rendering
perfect obedience to the law that is needed and this righteousness is by God's
own provision, by the faith of Christ.
Therefore 'the faith of Christ' and 'your
faith in Christ' is very different. One is the good news of God providing
righteousness by Christ's faithfulness in rendering perfect obedience to the
whole law for your justification by His free grace, the other is your
justification by your act of believing in Christ!
They are two different gospels. No mere semantics!
Man's faith is NOT in the equation of his
justification in the sight of God - " Being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Man's faith MANIFESTS that God has FREELY
justified him - "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."
"All have sinned... and fell under the
condemnation of death. Such has no possibility of believing UNTIL justification
of life by the faith of Christ has been applied freely by God's grace.
"All them that believe" - all the
believing ones DO SO because the righteousness of God's own provision by the
faith of Christ has been applied to them personally.
It is that elementary... but the wise and
prudent in their own eyes are blinded to it.
It is treacherous and scandalous - the
mildest adjective I can think of - to replace the "faith OF Christ"
with "man's faith in Christ" as the means/instrument of justification in that
Rom 3 passage!
Apostle Paul solemnly pronounced such
teachers are accursed!
Yes, let such be accursed! Amen.