Justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.

[savedbygrace57]

That one must first be in Christ and Christ in them by New Birth before they can believe in Him is seen in Jesus analogous words here Jn 6:53-57

53 Then 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.

54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

Now what Jesus is doing is using the analogy of eating and drinking as to mean believing in Him, ,the appropriating of Him by Faith, and what He is saying, if one is not believing in Him or appropriating Him by Faith, it is because they have no life [spiritually] in them !

 

[savedbygrace57]

The Faith of Christ !

Many times in the scriptures, Faith does not refer to man's act of believing, but to Christ's Faithfulness, that means His Faithfulness to the Covenant engagements He entered into with the Father on behalf of the Sheep before the World began, and that Faithfulness is called the Faith of Christ, its giving Him due Credit to being faithful to His House. Heb 3:1-2

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

That Christ has a House is seen here Heb 3:6

6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

BTW Christ here is the same Christ that is Head over His own Church, or Body, so this House is the same as them !

However when focusing on His Faithfulness to His House or Church, we see the phrase of this Nature

Rom 3:22

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:

Gal 2:16,20

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.

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Phil 3:9

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:

This is just Paul giving credit to Christ for His Faith, given from Christ, the Author and Finisher of it, and He provides it unto those He died for that they shall believe in Him !

 

[savedbygrace57]

We know that Faith in Christ for Salvation is from God, and not man's so called freewill as the antichrist followers would tell us, because we always read of the Apostles, the writers of scripture Thanking God for it !

Rom 1:8

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

2 Thess 1:3

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

Col 1:3-4

3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

Paul understood that their Faith in Christ was the Gift of God bestowed upon them ! Eph 2:8-9

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

[savedbygrace57]

God giveth the Increase !

1 Cor 3:7

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

This means that God is the One that gives Faith to believe the Gospel Ministers of God, the increase here is Faith or Believeth !

This is what Jesus means by the Word falling upon good ground, it bears fruit Matt 13:23

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

And so it is, one believes because of Grace Acts 18:27

27 And 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:

 

[savedbygrace57]

About Faith !

Whether one believes a fact or not believe it, neither way is the act causative of what may exist before it, so it is with the Nature of Faith, when God reveals through the Gospel ones Justification and Righteousness and Remission of sins based solely upon the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, His Blood, that which is being revealed is an already established fact or truth, and the Spirit in us bears Witness to it! So that those Christ has died for, and satisfied God's Law and Justice on their behalf, are Justified, made Righteous and forgiven before they believe it. It is an error to believe that the God given Faith for us to believe, is the cause of those Blessings, but its the means that God gives for us to receive the Spiritual Knowledge of those things, and the Peace and Joy in Knowing ! Rom 15:13

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

 

[savedbygrace57]

A Note Worthy Quote about Faith in Salvation !


Here is an Noteworthy Quote by John Gill on Faith in Salvation:
Quote:

Faith





Faith is the evidence and manifestation of justification, and therefore
justification must be before it; “Faith is the evidence of things not seenâ€, (Heb.
11:1
) but it is not the evidence of that which as yet is not; what it
is an evidence of, must be, and it must exist before it. The “righteousness of
Godâ€, of the God-man and mediator Jesus Christ, “is revealed from faith to
faithâ€, in the everlasting gospel, (Rom. 1:17) and therefore must
be before it is revealed, and before faith, to which it is revealed: faith is
that grace whereby a soul, having seen its guilt, and its want of righteousness,
beholds, in the light of the divine Spirit, a complete righteousness in Christ,
renounces its own, lays hold off that, puts it on as a garment, rejoices in it,
and glories of it; the Spirit of God witnessing to his spirit, that he is a
justified person; and so he is evidently and declaratively “justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God†(1 Cor. 6:11). John Gill {Body
of Divinity}

 

[savedbygrace57]

The Faith of God's Elect !


Titus 1:1-2

Paul, 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;

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

Folks,none but the Elect will ever become True Believers in the True Christ, for in some appointed time in their life, by the Power of the Holy Spirit and His Grace they shall hear and Believe, for it is written, Acts 13:48

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

For they have been Chosen to Salvation [experientially] through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth 2 Thess 2:13

13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Salvation here is Conversion, they have been Chosen to conversion to the Truth, to the Acknowledging of it ! This is the Work of the Spirit unto each Chosen vessel of Mercy that Christ hath died for, who He himself is the Truth Jn 14:6

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

And the Truth of Gospel is about Him and His accomplished Salvation for God's Elect. His Person and Work, and God hath so ordained that the Chosen or the Sheep come to or obtain Salvation through this means, So Faith is given to them in consequence of God's Choice and so its termed ": The Faith of God's Elect" Titus 1:1 or believing the Truth because of His Choice 2 Thess 2:13 ! For all whom Christ died, His Sheep, or His Church or His Body are by His Resurrection begotten again to a lively hope or faith 1 Pet 1:3

3 Blessed 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,

And so scripture confirms that whosoever believes that Jesus is the Son of God or the Christ is born of God 1 Jn 5:1, so Believers in Him is an evidence of New Birth so is receiving Him, which is the same as Believing, and is the evidence of being born of God Jn 1:12-13 !

 

[Jack Straw]

We are not saved because we believe, we believe because we are saved!

 

[savedbygrace57]

We are not saved because we believe, we believe because we are saved!

That I agree with, and so those who die in unbelief were never saved, or these either Rev 21:8

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

 

[John O]

That I agree with, and so those who die in unbelief were never saved, or these either Rev 21:8

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Those die in unbelief clearly are not saved, did they always have unbelief, for many (even most ) yes but for some the consequences of living in an evil world, their own failures and guilt and even injustices done to them led them to reject Christ because to accept Him in those situations meant that they could not be the judges of either themselves or others and the gospel clearly demanded them to operate in the spirit of forgiveness. Their pain would not allow them to forgive and it cost them everything.

 

[savedbygrace57]

Those die in unbelief clearly are not saved, did they always have unbelief, for many (even most ) yes but for some the consequences of living in an evil world, their own failures and guilt and even injustices done to them led them to reject Christ because to accept Him in those situations meant that they could not be the judges of either themselves or others and the gospel clearly demanded them to operate in the spirit of forgiveness. Their pain would not allow them to forgive and it cost them everything.

Those Christ died for cannot die in unbelief, for His Death saves them out of their unbelief !

For by the Obedience of One, that One being Jesus Christ, many shall be made Righteous, which means they will become Believers and Live by Faith Rom 5:19

19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

 

[savedbygrace57]

Faith is important in Salvation !

Faith is important in Salvation because its by Holy Spirit given Faith, and then the act of believing, that we come to Know experientially, that reconciliation and peace that Christ made with God for us by His Cross ! Col 1:20

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Rom 5:10

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Actually to be reconciled also means to be Justified, to make Right !

The english word reconcile means or has many synonyms:

rectify:

to make, put, or set right


in accordance with what is good, proper, or just: right conduct.

2.
in conformity with fact, reason, truth, or some standard or principle; correct: the right solution; the right answer.

Now, it is said in Rom 5:19 that by the obedience of One, many shall be made Righteous.

That word Righteous is the greek word dikaios and means:

righteous, observing divine laws

a) in a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God

1) of those who seem to themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves in their virtues, whether real or imagined

2) innocent, faultless, guiltless

3) used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, and who therefore needs no rectification in the heart or life

approved of or acceptable of God

The word reconciled in Rom 5:10 is katallassō:


to change, exchange, as coins for others of equivalent value

a) to reconcile (those who are at variance)

b) return to favour with, be reconciled to one

c) to receive one into favour

To be accepted of God and in His favour are the same thing, So those Christ died for are reconciled, Justified , by Christ's Death even while being enemies, and so in due time, God will show us our favoured state by giving us faith to embrace it ! That is why Faith is extremely important in the matter of Salvation and or Justification, to receive the Good News of one's Justification !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Faith is God's Spiritual witness of the Reality of His Truth !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Shall live by Me


Jn 6:57

As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

All for whom Christ died shall live by or because of him, for as it is written, the Just [ made so by Christ's obedience unto death Rom 5:19] shall live by Faith Rom 1:17

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

Faith here in Rom 1:17 can very well be Christ, who is called Faith else where Gal 3:23, So the Righteousness of God is Revealed from Christ[Faith] to God given Faith of the born again one ! And so because of Christ, His Finished work, they shall by Him Live by Faith !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Faith cometh by Hearing [Spiritually]


Rom 10:17

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Now all men are deaf by nature to spiritual hearing; So lets apply that to the natural, some are born deaf naturally, how could such a one ever come to hear ? Does he or she have the ability in themselves to cause themselves to hear ? The same is True of that Hearing from which Faith is from by hearing the Word of God !

The Truth is, Faith or hearing accompanies Christ's Voice to His Sheep Jn 10:3,16

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

How do the dead hear His Voice Jn 5:25,28 ? Now ask yourself, did these dead have the ability to hear in and of themselves ? How about Lazarus, how did Hear the Voice of Christ ? Jn 11:43

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

It is Christ's Will and Power that determines whom hears His voice unto Faith !

 

[savedbygrace57]

Faith is a Work !

God has not been without witness that a misunderstanding of Justification by Faith can be fatal when we consider Faith or Believing in Christ as a condition or requirement that man must perform to get saved ! Here is a piece by Samuel Richardson:

Some hold the act of faith is that which God accepts to Justification, but
this is a mistake, because it makes Christ inferior to faith, and in ascribing
such an honor to faith, they dishonor Christ, for although they do not exclude
Christ wholly, yet in the act of Justification, it gives all to faith. They say,
‘as the act of Adam’s sin condemned him, so our act of faith justifies us.’
Adam’s sin was enough to condemn him and us, but our faith cannot save others,
nor ourselves. They reply, ‘but we are justified by faith.’ Christ is called
faith. “Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith
which should afterwards be revealed.” {Gal.3:23} “Before faith came;”
which must be understood of Christ. We are justified before God in His sight
only by Christ. {Rom.3:24} “My righteous servant
(Christ) shall justify many.”{Is.53:11} We are not justified
before God by faith which is in us, but by Christ, by his blood; justified by
his blood. {Rom.5:9} That which saves us is the blood of Christ;
Jesus Christ hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood. {Rev.1:5} Also we are said to be
justified by faith, because it is the instrument whereby we apprehend and apply
Christ our Righteousness; by faith we know ourselves to be justified. {Rom.5:1} Though faith be a
grace of God, yet as it is an act, it is a work, and to be justified by it, is
to be justified by a work of our own; for with the heart {man} believes. {Rom.10:9-10}
That which justifies us, must be perfect, and so it is no act of ours; for all
our Righteousness are as filthy rags, &c. {Is.64:6} Not of works, least
any man should boast. {Eph.2:9} Samuel Richardson {Saint’s Desire, 1647}

 

[savedbygrace57]

Faith or Believing in Christ is but the fruit of one's new birth, which is the fruit of our adoption, which is the fruit of our election and predestination Eph 1:3-5

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4 According 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:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

And so when one trusts Christ or believes on Him unto Salvation, it is but our Eternal Election in Him being manifested !

 

[Deborah13]

Glorydaz, thank you for this thread. It's always nice to find like minded people.

 

[Deborah13]

Faith without obedience is dead faith and it will not save you.

Abraham's faith was made effective by his actions.


Abraham's actions were made effective by his faith. Faith comes before action. It is by faith that we can do the works of faith as Abraham did.
The question is, who's faith is it really.
Salvation is a gift, righteousness is a gift, faith is a gift. All the faith we will ever need is already in our spirit. That's why the Word says, "I can do all things through Christ..." Phil 4:13 We have no room to boast of anything.

 

[Deborah13]

Throughout, MAN is told to follow God. God is not told to MAKE man to follow God!!! According to YOU, God demands something that men cannot POSSIBLY do!!! That is a just God????



Yes, when God gave the law He knew man was not capable of fulfilling the law even in his own life let alone others. The law was given for exactly that reason to show us we couldn't be righteous. We would always stumble (even crash and burn). If this is not true then the Christ died for nothing. We wouldn't need Him at all.
It appears that you are angry? Why?
I think we do have to be in perfect righteous, as you put it.
How would you know what things you can get away with and still go to heaven? ALL sin is the same. Jesus said if they broken one of the some 613 laws they had broken them all. That doesn't even leave room to wiggle.