Therein the righteousness of God is revealed... Romans 1:17

This is a great passage, declaring a glorious truth. Sadly, it is not only hardly understood by many; worse, it is twisted and perverted by the wise and prudent. But the Lord is pleased to reveal it to babes

Let's draw out what it declares.

1. For therein...

- that is, in the gospel mentioned in verse 16, of which Apostle Paul is not ashamed, i.e. of which he is not only not ashamed to embrace but also has bold confidence in proclaiming it. Why?

2. ... the righteousness of God...

- in the gospel, the righteousness of God's own provision in and through Jesus Christ is proclaimed.

- this righteousness of God's own provision is at the heart of the gospel. It is based solely on the righteousness that Christ had secured that God freely justifies justly condemned sinners

- Sins, the transgressions of God's laws, bring condemnation and death; righteousness, the obedience to God's law, secures justification and life.

- The wages of sin is condemnation and death; the reward of righteousness is justification and life. Adam through his sin brought the former to all represented by him; Christ, the second and last Adam secured the latter for all represented by Him.

3. ... is revealed...

- the ministry of the word is appointed to reveal - i.e. to uncover, lay open what has been veiled or covered up, disclose, to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown.

- the gospel is the good news, the glad tidings God having provided righteousness in and through His only begotten Son for the redemption of His people.

- no gospel, no knowledge of this righteousness of God in and through Jesus Christ.

- The gospel "give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins" in Jesus Christ; To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1:77,79.

4. ... from faith to faith...

- in the context of the gospel ministry and of Apostle Paul being not ashamed in proclaiming the gospel, it is from the faith of the one who has great confidence in the gospel and boldly preaches it;

- it is to faith; to those whom God has regenerated and the indwelling Spirit has worked the grace of faith, thus enabling them to receive the gospel as the good news declaring the power of God in Jesus Christ in their salvation.

- put simply, the gospel is intended to inform and instruct those in whom the Spirit had worked faith. There will always be such who will hear and believe the gospel.

5. ... as it is written...

-  this is confirmed by what has been written in the law, see Hab 2:4. This is ancient truth. It was first exemplified by Adam, after he had been clothed with the garment of skin by God (God's gracious act of justifying Adam) calling the woman Eve, the mother of all living, upon hearing the gospel concerning the Seed of the Woman. It was the same in Abraham; the justified Abraham (He was ALREADY a justified man in Gen 12-14, it is just stupidity to say otherwise!) believed when heard God's promise about the seed. 

6. The just shall live by faith.

- this simple statement of truth has been perverted and twisted to promote a popular error, i.e. "justification by faith alone."

- "The just shall live by faith" is as far from "justification by faith alone" as the east is from the west. 

- "The just shall live by faith alone" is a statement concerning the just, those already justified free by the grace of God. It is a declaration concerning the character of those justified by the grace of God - such shall live by faith. It is like saying, the living shall live by breath.

- "The just shall live by faith" has been twisted and made to mean sola fidei, I.e. "the unjustified by faith alone shall be justified!"

- "the just shall live by faith alone" saying nothing on how they are justified. How condemned sinners (only such need justification before the Judge!) are justified is stated plainly for all to read.

- Romans 3:23 "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."

A sinner who needs justification before God is a man still in his native state of condemnation and death; a man in such native state is incapable of faith in order to be justified by God. Justification by faith alone, popularly understood by the "wise and prudent" is just pure nonsense, a fable.

2Ti 4

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Scriptures whisper',

24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Men scream,

I'm justified on condition of my faith alone in Jesus Christ.

Let God be true but every man a LIAR.

"... faith is a poor, imperfect act of man."

"... faith is a poor, imperfect act of man."
(meme copied from Protestant Reformation page.)

https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/10212820287357480

"... faith is a poor, imperfect act of man."

That is a truthful statement by Mr. Bonar.

And yet multitudes are intoxicated to the fable "justification by faith alone"!

Justification by faith alone is really just "justification by a poor,  imperfect act of man alone."

Confusion reigns among the reformed as well as the deformed!

(meme copied from Protestant Reformation page.)

There are several distinct aspects of justification:

1. The ground and basis of justification: the righteousness of Christ, the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

- Romans 5:9 KJV — Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

2. The manner justification is applied:

- Romans 3:24 KJV — Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

3. The means justification is evidenced:

Romans 1:17 KJV — For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The first speaks of the legal imputation of the righteousness Christ to all the elect at the death and resurrection of Christ.

The second speaks of the application of the righteousness of Christ to each elect personally when in the spiritual state of condemnation and death.

The third speaks of the practical manifestation of the justified state through the poor, imperfect act of man (already freely justified by God.) Faith evidences the justified state by the free grace of God.

The three are distinct. Don't confuse them.

"False children of God"?

The pleasant looking normal bananas

The  ugly looking split bananas

"False children of God" - a term some elitist folks love throwing around.

Look at the pictures; they are pisang merah from the same plant. There were eight combs - each comb with about 15-20 bananas.

Because of the rainy weather, the excessive moisture caused not a few of the bananas to split; they look sickly and ugly. The sight of them may even cause some to lose their appetite for this delicious and nutritious fruit. In their madness, they will brand them as FALSE bananas. But what are false bananas? Is a false banana a banana or is it not? If it is still a banana no less, in what sense is it false then?

In the spiritual realm, God's children come in all varying degrees of spiritual maturity - in all shapes and sizes.

- some are well formed, others still have deformities;

- some are well-instructed, others are still in their ignorance;

- some are learning and coming to the truth, others are always learning but never able to come to the truth;

- some are hearing and bearing fruit, others are hearing but remain barren;

- some have attained unto maturity, others remain babes;

- some are teachable, others are stiffnecked and stubborn...

Heb 5

12 ¶For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Aren't your parents worried to their graves if you remain childish, stunted and unfruitful?

To Seek and To Save the Lost

SAS - Seek and Save

Let's consider this great text. Let me state a few self-evident facts.

Luke 19:10

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

1. "that which was lost" presupposes an owner.

- the lost sheep, the lost silver coin, and the lost son, each of them belongs to an owner.

- Jesus came to seek and to save that which belongs to Him, the lost are His. They are His possession

- that which was lost consists of all that God has elected unto eternal salvation. They are His. He had given them to Christ to redeem.

- John 17:10 "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them."

2. "that which was lost" has become separated from its owner.

- The lost sheep, the lost silver, coin and the lost son have all become separated from their respective owners.

- all those whom God has elected and given to Jesus had become separated from God because of sin.

- Sin has alienated the elect from God. Christ came to seek and to save them, to reconcile and restore them to their Owner.

3. "that which was lost" is completely impotent to deliver themselves from their lost estate. The Owner must actively seek for them and to save them. There is no other hope.

- of the lost, "none seekest after God."

- the lost is in enmity against the Owner

- the lost is dead in trespasses and sins

- the lost is under helpless captivity.

The lost are as lost as could be. Their only hope lies in the Son of Man coming to seek for them and to save them.

4. The Son of Man did seek and did save all that belongs to Him. He declared triumphantly, "It is finished." The grand mission of seeking and saving the lost is fully accomplished.

- He rendered complete and perfect obedience to all the laws of God on behalf of His own, thus securing the righteousness needed for their acceptance with the thrice Holy God.

- He suffered and endured the curse of death when He bore the sins of all His people; He paid the wages of the sins of His people.

-He was separated and forsaken by God on their behalf; He secured the full pardon for all the sins of all His people.

5. Based solely on His righteousness and blood, the Spirit of God regenerates each one of Christ's redeemed, thus perfectly fitting them for eternal glory.

- The glorified Son of God has ordained the gospel ministry to declare the glorious news of what God has done in and through Him to save all those who God the Father has chosen and given to Him, calling them to believe the truth of their salvation by the free and sovereign grace of God.

What the Father had purposed, the Son executed and accomplished; what the Son accomplished, the Spirit of God applies to each of Christ's redeemed at God's appointed time, turning the lost into the children of God.

That's the gospel.

God has great faith in Jesus

This is My Beloved Son, Hear Him.

Copied from this Facebook post here

https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/132043863521027

sing
God had great 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.

Hill

 I hate to hear Preachers say that God has faith in US......NO he doesn't! Jesus is God's EVERYTHING & Christians are blessed if they know that. God had one answer for the world......Jesus Christ!! Brother Sing.....well said....again!

Sing F Lau

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

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 propiti...ation 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?

- what is the Divine forbearance related to? What would have happened if there was no such divine forbearance?

Uncle 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,

Dave

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. what is the Divine forbearance related to?

A. God tolerated the sins of His as though they were already forgiven, even though the actual act of redemption had not been accomplished.

Bernie-dad

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 great clarity of truth. Many thanks for it.

I appreciate this needed discussion

Adam 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.

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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, he 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.