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.
Note a few things:
1. “the righteousness of God”
This is the righteousness of God’s own
provision; it’s not His attribute of righteousness.
2. “by faith of Jesus Christ”
This is the faithfulness of Jesus Christ in
His work of redeeming His people; IT IS the means by which God provided the
righteousness needed for the justification of condemned sinners because of
their sins, i.e. “Being justified freely by his grace.”
3. “upon all them that believe”
The righteousness of God's own provision has
been freely bestowed/applied to all the believing ones; that is, all the believing ones HAVE BEEN
accounted the righteousness of God’s own provision in Jesus.
Believing is AN EFFECT of justification; i.e.
"the just shall live by faith".
Believing is NOT A CONDITION of justification
by God; this is a popular fable spawned by the Protestant reformation.
4. Perfect and complete obedience to the
commandments of God, i.e. perfect righteousness is the condition for
justification by God.
- Christ Jesus ALONE met those conditions.
THUS, “Being justified freely by his grace THROUGH the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus.
5. Note the SENSE closely.
- "justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
Your justification is FREELY BY God's grace;
it's NOT by your faith!.
Your justification is THROUGH the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus; it's NOT THROUGH your faith!.
It's blasphemous to insist otherwise.
Lord, have mercy upon the usurpers.
