Justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.

[savedbygrace57]

Saving Faith or the believing unto the saving of the soul as Per Heb 10:39, is not the duty of or the command of God too all men without exception; Because Jesus states, that some believe not because they are not of His Sheep Jn 10:26, which cannot but mean that those which are of His Sheep do Believe, because they are His Sheep, they believe because they had been chosen to Salvation [experientially] by Sanctification of the Spirit [New Birth] and belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2:13, and so those who believe not because they were not of His Sheep, is because they were not chosen to believe, so it would be inconsistent for believing in Christ for salvation of the soul to be commanded of them or even expected, but only to the Sheep !

 

[savedbygrace57]

More about Faith !


Phil 3:9

9And 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:

Now Faith Heb 11:1

1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith which is the Fruit of the Spirit along with other graces as love, joy, and peace and etc Gal 5:22 that Spirit which the New Creation is born of, It makes known or reveals to each member of Christ's Body that He gave Himself for, and has become the Saviour of Eph 5:23-25

23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body.

24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

God through this Faith makes known their Righteousness and Legal Justification, and every other Spiritual Blessing they have in Him, and has made them complete in Him !

 

[savedbygrace57]

To the Faithful in Christ Jesus !


Eph 1:1

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

How does one become the Faithful in Christ Jesus ? The word here is the greek word pistos: an adjective:

trusty, faithful

a) of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties

b) one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust

c) that can be relied on

2) easily persuaded

a) believing, confiding, trusting

b) in the NT one who trusts in God's promises

1) one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead

2) one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation

It is simply meant believers as in 1 Tim 4:12

12Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

It can mean simply believing as in Jn 20:27 and 1 Tim 6:2

2And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.

To be be faithful is a Covenant Blessing. It is said of those who are Called and Chosen Rev 17:14

14These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

For the Ephesian believers had been called as are All Saints 1 Cor 1:2

2Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both their's and our's:

Rom 8:28

And they were Chosen Eph 1:4

4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

To become one of the Faithful in Christ, one must have been Chosen in Him before the foundation, and in time, they will be made manifest as one of the Faithful In Christ Jesus !

The shall be called to be Saints ! They will be given Faith !

 

[HisSheep]

Bravo Savedbygrace57!

Don't forget this verse too, which tells us that our faith is actually God's faith...

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? (Romans 3:3)

Christ's righteousness is imputed and His faith is gifted.

It is HIS righteousness.

It is HIS faith.

Modern translations that get this wrong (beginning with the ASV) replace the phrase "faith of Christ" with "faith in Christ". Both phrases are present in the Greek. Removing the distinction between our faith and Christ's faith is just like removing the distinction between our righteousness and Christ's righteousness.

Gal 2:16 is the most obvious example. Compare the KJV with a newer version to see how the verse has been gutted.

-HisSheep

 

[savedbygrace57]

New Birth before Faith !

They shall declare His Righteousness Rom 1:17 to a generation that shall be born ! Rom 1:16-17

16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

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

Ps 22:30-31

30A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

31They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

This Teaches New Birth before Faith, for the Generation or Seed must first be Born to Hear the Declared Righteousness !

That Righteousness which is Declared is Christ's Rigorousness Imputed, and it is what God has Done through Christ for His People !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Scriptures that indicate New Birth before Faith !


The Teaching of a New Birth before Faith is taught in scripture, but it is rejected by many. Here are some scriptures and or passages that indicate the Truth of New Birth before and in order to Believe. Lets look at Jn 6. Jesus here speaking spiritually says Jn 6:51

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Now as the Living Bread, He comes down from Heaven, for He is Identifying Himself as Spiritual 1 Cor 15:46-47

46Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

47The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

His Words were Spiritual Jn 6:63

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Now what does Jesus mean in Vs 51 that if any man eat of this bread [Living Bread] He shall live forever ?

What does Eat mean ? The word itself means to consume or to absorb, and it also means to believe in Him, Just like it says if any believes in Him , he shall live forever Jn 6:47

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

Now I hope that this gives us to understand that this Bread to eat is Spiritual, Heavenly, Living and From above ! Now Jesus states in Jn 6:53

53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Now Jesus saying what He said here, and how He says it, eating His Flesh and drinking His Blood both aorist subjunctives, are not options unless unless you have have Life in you ! What kind of Life ? Well where is the Bread from heaven from ? Jn 6:51

51I am the living bread which came down from heaven: Its from above:He that cometh from above is above all:

So what type of Life must be in One to consume Bread from above ? Life from above Jn 3:3

3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Or except a man be born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God ! In Essence, the same thing said in Jn 6:53.

Folks how can anything but Life from above have a desire to consume , hunger to eat Bread from above ? it is only those Born from above, who life in them, that eats of the His flesh and drinks of His Blood. A Fleshly Natural Man cannot believe into a Heavenly and Spiritual Being Like Christ. Even though Christ was born out of Flesh and Blood by means of the Virgin Mary, Yet He was still 100% from Above, the Bread from above, A heavenly and Spiritual Man !

 

[Elijah674]

I sometimes think I was born to disagree, but we are not justified by faith. Saved by faith? Yes. Justified by faith? No...

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

Justified by faith in what His shed blood did for us. It paid the debt...

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

handwriting of ordinances - cheirografon tois dogmasin = the penalty which a lawbreaker had to pay.

You might just as well speak to a brain DEAD robot! :robot Why not start up a thread with what you believe True FAITH IS??
It sure is not a FAITH of WORKLESS DISOBEDIENCE!

James 2
[26] For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

And even these DEAD ones in the verse, have no knowledge as to the first REQUIRED TRUTH that one has to agree to for SALVATION! There is NO other way to be Born Again!
Acts 5
[32] And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, [[whom God hath given to them that obey him]]. No surrender?? No Born Again life to begin with! But what these ones want to dump is the Lord's Required 4th 7th Day Sabbath Commandment! Dan. 7:25! Eccl. 3:15.

--Elijah

 

[savedbygrace57]

Scriptures that indicate New Birth before Faith !

1 Cor 12:3

3Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

No Man can say Jesus is Lord [genuinely] except by the Holy Ghost, which means except by New Birth or being Born of the Spirit or by Revelation, as was Peters confession Matt 16:16-17

16And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

This would also indicate that Peter was Born Again by the Spirit of God !

But notice Paul writes in 1 Cor 12:3 " No one can say Jesus is Lord " but by the Holy Ghost. This could read, No Man can say Jesus is Lord except in or by the Holy Ghost !

So this gives the Key to Paul's statement here Rom 10:9

9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The word confess here means :

to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent

2) to concede

Now who is it to agree with ? To say the same thing with ? To concede with ? Its the Holy Ghost whom By is Preached the Word 1 Pet 1:12

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

This is so because Paul knew such a confession of Christ being Lord [Jehovah] by a ethnic jew in His Day, it was evident they had been saved by the Holy Ghost's renewing and changing their mind to agree with Truth Titus 3:5

5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

So Only a saved[converted] jew would confess[genuinely] Jesus is Lord

And only a saved gentile can say Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost as well 1 Cor 12:3 !

This Post proves that New Birth before Faith !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Even Our Faith !

1 Jn 5:4-5

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Now if Faith is not the product and a effect of the merits of Christ, and born out of His Spirit, and it is something generated out of man , his flesh or man's freewill, then the flesh of man, his freewill, gives himself the Victory that overcomes the world, to say the least this is Idolatry !

Thats why many religious people like to view Faith as their response to God's Offer, and this response of theirs gives them the Victory, bragging rights so to speak, reason to boast !

 

[childeye]

Even Our Faith !

1 Jn 5:4-5

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Now if Faith is not the product and a effect of the merits of Christ, and born out of His Spirit, and it is something generated out of man , his flesh or man's freewill, then the flesh of man, his freewill, gives himself the Victory that overcomes the world, to say the least this is Idolatry !

Thats why many religious people like to view Faith as their response to God's Offer, and this response of theirs gives them the Victory, bragging rights so to speak, reason to boast !

I am not implying you are this way, but will God measure also those who then Lord their ability to see, according to His grace, over those who are still lost in such idolatry?

 

[savedbygrace57]

Saving Faith or converting Faith is a Faith that is only given to God's Elect so Paul calls it the Faith of God's Elect Tit 1:1-2

1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

And it is this Faith that John refers to in 1 Jn 5:4-5

4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

[savedbygrace57]

Saving Faith is not only an mental assent in the spiritual mind, but also an affection with the Heart for the object of Faith. The Regenerated Man believes with His Heart Rom 10:9 the word heart is the greek word kardia and means:


denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life

1) the vigour and sense of physical life

2) the centre and seat of spiritual life

a) the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours

b) of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence

A unregenerate man has no spiritual life or affections for the things of God !

So Spiritually believing in Christ also means to spiritually Love Him at the same time, there is no believing in Christ with the Heart without loving Him also. Paul when testifying of His Sovereign Conversion experience by Grace, states that His Unbelief was overcome by Faith and Love 1 Tim 1:14

And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. And Paul's conversion was an example or pattern of all that should believe unto everlasting Life 1 Tim 1:16

16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Jesus told some jews this Jn 8:42

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Regeneration begets a Faith and Love for a Unseen Jesus 1 Pet 1:8

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

So Believing in Christ and Love towards Him go hand and hand, those things which accompany salvation, and folks it is impossible for the Natural man to Love God ! And Christ is God Man !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Saving or Converting Faith is not generated out of the flesh of man or his so called freewill, but it is born of God Lets look at 1 Jn 5:4

4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Notice the Holy Spirit inspired John to write here not whosoever, but whatsover born of God and in the neuter gender, so John in my opinion is talking about Faith , that Our overcoming Faith was born of God ! It's a gift of God's Grace and comes out of being born out of that incorruptible seed, which is the Logos of God, the Lord Jesus Christ who in fact overcame the world, hear Him say Jn 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

And this overcoming of the World was not just for His Benefit, but for the benefit of all for whom He became a sin offering for, His Body the Church, so in actuality, sense the Head was an overcomer, so were the Members ! Thats why He told them to be of good cheer. He being the Author and finisher of our Faith ! An overcoming Faith as 1 Jn 5:4 describes is a Gift from a Overcoming Saviour, that makes much spiritual sense !

 

[savedbygrace57]

A faith that is overcoming the World is a Gift of God's Grace by the New Birth of the Spirit ! Eph 2:8-9 teaches that Faith is a Gift that accompanies Salvation by Grace, therefore we who are True believers Believe because of Grace Acts 18:27

27And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

The word through here is the greek prep dia which means:

through

a) the ground or reason by which something is or is not done

1) by reason of

2) on account of

3) because of for this reason

4) therefore

5) on this account

The reason why they believed was because of Grace, pretty simple ! Not freewill, not because of anything the flesh can do, but because of Sovereign grace !

In addition Heb 12:2 states who is the Author of Faith. Then we have Peter's Testimony in 2 Pet 1:1

1Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

 

[savedbygrace57]

2 Pet 1:1

1Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

This statement by the inspired Apostle condemns 99.999% of all false religions of our day who teach that Faith is of man, or his own freewill !

Faith is provided[ to supply with] by God Our Saviour, and so it is said to be obtained "like precious" !

Now the english word for obtained means:

to come into possession of

And the greek word means:

to obtain by lot

a) to receive by divine allotment, obtain

2) to cast lots, determine by lot

The word allotment means:

to appropriate for a special purpose

to assign as a portion

And the word Lot means :

allotted share or portion: to receive one's lot of an inheritance.

Folks this is not a natural faith Peter is here referencing, we are not born with it by nature, This is a Saving Faith or Converting Faith and it is obtained by Lot, and comes from God's portioning out one's Inheritance. 1 Pet 1:3-4

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

The word Inheritance is the greek word klēronomia:


an inheritance, property received (or to be received) by inheritance

2) what is given to one as a possession

a) the eternal blessedness of the consummated kingdom of God which is to be expected after the visible return of Christ

b) the share which an individual will have in that eternal blessedness

Its from the root word klēronomos:


one who receives by lot, an heir

a) an heir

So Faith is alloted to all those who share in the Inheritance of Christ, which is all for whom He died and rose again in behalf of !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Faith is Sovereignly Given !


So Faith is alloted to all those who share in the Inheritance of Christ, which is all for whom He died and rose again in behalf of !

The Idea is like that of casting Lots as Per Prov 16:33

The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

John Gill comments on this verse:

Quote:
The lot is cast into the lap…
Of a man's garment, or into his bosom, or into a hat, cap, urn, or whatsoever he has in his lap, and from whence it is taken out; which used to be done in choosing officers, civil or ecclesiastical; in dividing inheritances, and determining doubtful cases; and making up differences, and putting an end to strife and contentions, which otherwise could not be done: and this ought not to be used in trivial cases, or to gratify curiosity, or for the sake of gain, or rashly and superstitiously; but seriously and religiously, with prayer, and in faith, and with a view to the divine direction, and submission to it; for a lot has the nature of an oath, and is an appeal to the omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent Being; but the whole disposing thereof [is] of the Lord;
or "the judgment" F21 of it; the judgment that is to be made by it concerning persons or things; it being so directed and ordered by him as to fall upon the person it should; or to make known the thing in doubt and debate according to his will, in which all parties concerned should acquiesce. This is to be ascribed, not to blind chance and fortune, to the influence of the stars, or to any invisible created being, angel or devil, but to the Lord only; there is no such thing as chance, or events by chance; those events which seem most fortuitous or contingent are all disposed, ordered, and governed, by the sovereign will of God.
So Faith , precious Faith, cannot be something within man, but it comes from God, the LORD; And He gives it freely to all for whom He gave His Son Jesus Christ in behalf of Rom 8:32

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Cp 2 Pet 1:3

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Yet its a Sovereign disposal Prov 16:33 ! So Peter is Teaching that Faith is given by the Sovereignty of God and in accordance with His Purpose; It is obtained as God orders and directs, by lot, which is by Sovereignty, and also similar as to how the winds blow in the Birth of the Spirit, for the winds course is controlled and directed by the sovereign will of God, and that is the source of Saving Precious Faith !

BTW True Faith is Life from the Dead

 

[savedbygrace57]

Faith is from God and the Lord Jesus Christ !

Eph 6:23


23Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I don't think it can be more plainer said than this ! Faith is not of ourselves, converting Faith, but its from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and as I have stated before, its always accompanied with Love, for Jesus Christ and the those born of God.

Paul when converted by Grace out of His Unbelief and hatred for the Church, faith and Love was given to Him by the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim 1:13-15

13Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Thats why Paul could say in Eph 6:23

23Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why is it Paul Thanks God when hears about some having Faith as per Rom 1:8

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

You know why Paul Thanked God through Jesus Christ ? Because He knew if their faith was genuine that it was from God and the Lord Jesus Christ, it was not because of their freewill, that is Blasphemy !

Notice Paul's statement at the end of 1 Tim 1:14

14And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Faith and Love is found only in Christ Jesus , it is a by product of His Redeeming Death, to give to all whom He saves, that they may be delivered from Unbelief experimentally, and He does not save you if He does not deliver you from Unbelief, for right after His Testimony in Vs 14, He immediately states what ? 1 Tim 1:15

15This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

His experimental Salvation consisted in receiving from God's Grace Faith and Love ! None of us can call Christ Our Saviour, without experiencing being delivered from unbelief and given Faith and Love, Like Paul !

And though Paul's conversion experience was here very out in the open and graphic, that aspect may not be duplicated, but as for the effectual bringing Him to Faith and Love by Grace, His conversion served as pattern for those who would also Believe on Christ converting unto Everlasting Life 1 Tim 1:16

16Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Folks, everyone Christ died for, receive by Grace abundantly communicated unto them by the Spirit, both Faith and Love from Christ ! If you reject this Truth, you are still in unbelief !

 

[savedbygrace57]

What Faith is in regards to Justification !


Contrary to the prevalent false teachings that faith is an condition one must meet in order to get saved, Faith is the manifestation of and ratification of God's Free Gracious Justification of His Elect, hence, it is the Faith of God's Elect Titus 1:1

1Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

 

[savedbygrace57]

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is given to all for whom He died, and in His Behalf, hence they do believe through His Saving Grace Phil 1:29

29For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

This verse is very important, because in essence it tells us that everyone Christ died for, that in His behalf they are given to believe in Him for Salvation, that is, no one Christ shed His Blood for shall live by Faith, that is why it is in His Behalf !

For one to believe in Christ is for His Sake, not theirs !

So they always do believe through Grace Acts 18:27

27And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:

Or who Believed for His Sake by means of His Grace ! Note: It is an effectual work of God's Grace in a man that causes or gives them Faith in Christ !

 

[Ernest T. Bass]

I've noticed there seems to be some confusion about whether we're justified before God by our faith or the faith of Christ. The translators of many Bibles took the liberty of changing the words "faith of Jesus Christ" to "faith in Jesus Christ" sometime in the early 19th Century. Even though the Greek confirms this, as I will show later, and was used correctly in other instances, such as the "hand of God" and the "faith of Abraham", the references to the faith of Christ was changed in many translations to faith in Christ. Tyndales, the Great Bible, Young's, and the KJV, all kept it in it's correct form, but most of the new translations adopted this practice of changing the "of" to "in". I submit it greatly affects the truth of what the Word says about how we're justified. I'll post on the Greek translations in a bit, but I'd be interested in hearing your views on this very important point of doctrine.

So, let's look first at some verses that aren't affected by a difference in translations.

We see that Jesus is the author and finisher (or perfecter) of our faith.


Some may wonder why Jesus needs faith to begin with, or if He even has faith of His own, since being justified by the faith of Christ would require that He did.


The just shall live by faith...and notice, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.
What does that mean, exactly? From what faith? From whose faith? Keep this in mind because it's critical to how the righteousness of God is revealed. If the righteousness of God is not "revealed" to us, how can we have faith in God?

Jesus is called the Just One.

Think about this one...I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. Christ lives in us, do we live by His faith, or the faith we have in Him? Here are the two translations side by side and you decide. If we no longer live to ourselves, but Christ lives in us, how do we live by our faith.

Gal 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."

I do not think there is anything wrong with the way the KJV has translated this verse. As I see it, there is two possible meanings of a man being justified by the faith of Christ;

1) "the faith" the article "the" refers to a specific faith as in Gal 1:23 where Paul is said to preach "the faith" or in where Jude said to contend for "the faith", Jude 1:3. In this way "the faith" refers to the gospel system of faith that is found trhought the NT from Matthew to Revelation, Therefore man is justified by this gospel system of faith.

or

2) "The faith of Christ" could be referencing Christ's personal faith. Christ was the only person to ever live that was perfectly sinless, perfectly righteous. This is an important point for me a sinner. For a person like me who is not perfectly sinless, I need to be "in Christ" where I would then be covered by His perfect righteousness/perfect sinlessness. If Christ did not have a perfect, sinless faith then it would not avail me anything to be in Christ and I would be lost without any hope.

But either #1 or #2 scenario does not negate the necessity of man having his personal faith for Gal 2:16 says "even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ," So man's belief is still necessary to be justified by the faith of Christ.