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'Justified by the faith OF Jesus Christ' Gal 2:16 |
October
17, 2011
https://web.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/pfbid026sKQvx1UQApvVrAaUXCcRC95oK2YFsEvM9EXp4XN2o9WiY9JfX19xArEaYRFGfyal
'Justified by the faith OF Jesus Christ... Gal 2:16
'Justified
by His blood...' Rom 5:9
'Justified
freely by his grace...' Rom 3:24.
'That being justified by his grace...' Tit
3:7
'Justified
by faith (in Christ) ...' Rom 5:1
These
speak of THREE DISTINCT aspects/phases of justification. So many are oblivious
of this basic and fundamental truth. They confuse all three into one,
making them to same the same thing.
'Justified
by His blood' and 'justified by the faith of Jesus Christ' speak of the LEGAL justification, the ground of the
imputation of righteousness. 'His blood' speaks of His substitutionary death in the stead of His people. The 'faith of Jesus Christ' speaks of His
faithfulness in securing the righteousness needful for the legal justification. Together, they speak of the righteousness and blood of Christ; Christ in His work of redemption.
'Justified freely by his grace' and 'that being justified by his grace' speak of the VITAL justification, what is LEGAL is now applied to an elect personally. What was IMPUTED legally is now APPLIED personally. It is applied by God's free grace... not conditioned upon any believing act on the part of the un-justified (i.e. in the state of condemnation and death).
'Justified
by faith in Jesus...' speaks of the EXPERIENTIAL justification by believing in
Christ. This is what we read in Gen 15:1-6.
Abraham was ALREADY a justified man by God's free grace since God called
him out of Ur of the Chaldeans in Genesis 11. Abraham experienced the blessedness of his justified state
by believing in the promised seed.
Salvation
is the gift of God; faith is evidence of that salvation by God's free
grace. Faith is a fruit of salvation.
Faith is not to instrument to obtain salvation. A fruit of salvation can't
possibly be the means to obtain that salvation.
-----------
Joseph
Theodore Nettles
I
believe that the Galatians 2:16 passage is teaching the same as the Romans 5:1
passage. IMHO, I believe both are referring to being justified by our faith in
Christ. I don't deny that there are passages that teach the faith of God in the
blood of his Son, I just don't believe Galatians 2:16 is one of them.
Charles
Page
Joseph,
that interpretation is essential for decisional regeneration.
Convenient!
Joseph
Theodore Nettles
No,
I don't find it to be so. I certainly abhor "decisional
regeneration", unless it's the Lord making the decision. 😉 Why so?
Sing
CONTEXT
determines which aspect of justification is spoken of.
Rom
5:1 is clearly experiential... 'Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God.'
'we
have peace... and rejoice in hope of the glory of God' - this is clearly experiential.
Gal
2:16 is parallel to Rom 3:22, dealing with the ground of justification, even
the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
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:
By
faith OF Jesus Christ - it is the faithfulness of Jesus Christ that secured
the righteousness for the justification of His people. By faith of Jesus Christ
in v22 is the equivalent of 'through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus' in
v24.
Take
a look here, at the three distinct sets of contrasts in the biblical doctrine of
justification.
https://things-new-and-old.blogspot.com/2011/05/three-distinct-sets-of-contrast-in.html
Charles
Page
Justification
by faith is the decisional regenerationist cliche!
Joseph
Theodore Nettles
I
believe that the "of Jesus Christ" in Gal 2:22 is teaching an
experience synonymous with the expression in the passage above from Romans 5. I
interpret them both as teaching that the experience of the righteousness of
Jesus Christ which covers your sins comes through gospel belief.
Sing
The
JUST (those already justified by the free grace of God based on the
righteousness of Jesus Christ) shall live by faith.
This
statement - the just shall live by faith - is plain and bright as the noonday sun that living by faith is an
effect of the PRIOR justified state... and Abraham was the paramount example. It's the justified ones who shall live by faith
His act of believing in Gen 15;1-6 is proof of his justified state prior to that occasion.
Apostle
Paul marshalled Abraham as the example to demonstrate to the regenerate Jews
that the way to EXPERIENCE the blessedness of one's justified state is NOT NOT
NOT by observing the ceremonial laws like circumcision (as insisted upon by the Judaizers!), but simply by believing in Jesus
Christ, just as Abraham believed in the promised seed.
Joseph
Theodore Nettles
The
reason any can experience what is in v. 22, they must already be in the
standing of v. 24: "BEING justified freely...."
Sing
V22
gives the ground of legal justification - righteousness of Jesus Christ, versus
man's own righteousness.
v24
states the manner righteousness is applied to the elect personally - free grace
versus man's own good work.
The means to experience the blessedness of the justified state is NOT dealt with until Romans 4. Go read it again!
Joseph
Theodore Nettles
I'm
afraid we'll have to amiably agree to disagree, brother. We agree on the same
truths, we just have to disagree on what the passage in Galatians 2 is actually
teaching. Lord bless
Sing
No problem
whatsoever. I am only stating what I understand the Bible to teach. And so are
you.
