DAVID DECLARES IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS Devotion 5 of 28 In our text, the Holy Spirit is fortifying our assurance and confidence. He is doing this because the rigors of the faith-life require the strong, and even dominating, presence of assurance. The person who runs "uncertainly" is not likely to finish the race that has been set before him (1 Cor 9:26; Heb 12:1). These days, with the promotion of Christian apologetics, some are being taught that "doubt" is all right. Some have even dared to say that God understands why we are prone to doubt, and things nothing of it. But no such statements or allusions are found in the Word of God! When Peter began to sink in the stormy wave, and cried out for the Lord to save him, Jesus plucked him from the jaws of death saying, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matt 14:31). The Spirit links "doubting" with fleshly "wrath," stating that it is not to be found when approaching the Lord (1 Tim 2:8). – Tomorrow:
"But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." (Romans 4:5-8, NKJV)
Even in the normality's of spiritual life, doubt is out of order for the believer. In fact, "doubt" is actually the antithesis of believing. It is the opposite of persuasion, which is a chief characteristic of faith (Rom 4:21). What I am speaking about here relates to the salvation of God, and to His unwavering commitments concerning our reception of it. Through the Gospel, God announces that Jesus appeared to "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb 9:26). In His death He "destroyed him that had the power of death, that is the devil" (Heb 2:14). He spoiled, or plundered, principalities and powers, triumphing over them in His cross (Col 2:15). God Himself is satisfied with the accomplishments of His Son in our behalf (Isa 53:11), and is "ready to forgive" all who will believe "the record" He has given of His Son (1 John 5:10-11).
What we are asked to do puts the salvation of God well within our reach. Jesus put it simply: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Although men choose to haggle about baptism, no person in Scripture ever did. The Lord did say the Pharisees rejected the counsel of God against themselves by NOT being baptized by John (Luke 7:30) – and baptism into Christ (Gal 3:27) is greater than John's baptism, with greater benefits (Acts 19:2-5). I have never known a person who submitted to these things who did not rise from the water with some measure of assurance and confidence. They were happy, and had no doubt whatsoever about their sins being "washed away" (Acts 22:16).
Why then, are churches filled with people who are plagued with doubts – people who are not sure if they will dwell forever with the Lord, and even become angry with those who affirm they are sure? Somewhere between their induction into Christ and now, their faith diminished. It was probably because it was not fed the proper diet of the Gospel. At any rate, the purpose of this series is to kindle that assurance once again, and to show there is good reason to expect it to flourish if we can get our minds on the right thing.
We will read some strong statements in our text. They are affirmations that have spawned debates among men, but that is not their purpose. Those who read these statements, then dash through the Word of God, combining them with other texts in order to build a convenient theological system, are in serious error. They have missed the purpose of the words, and their miserable theology confirms this to be the case. Think of the power of the wording in this text! Let me give it to you from Darby's Translation. It will serve to underscore the power of the thought, and agrees perfectly with standard translations. "But to him who DOES NOT WORK, but believes on him who JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY, his faith is RECKONED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Even as David also declares the blessedness of the man to whom God RECKONS RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT WORKS: Blessed {they} whose lawlessnesses have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered: blessed {the} man to whom {the} Lord SHALL NOT AT ALL RECKON SIN."
Even if you choose to dispute with this expression, you must acknowledge that it has a good sound to it. Believe me when I tell you, it is not too good to believe. It is the unvarnished truth. If it does not handily fit into cleverly developed belief systems, then simply throw those systems in the garbage can for corrupt thoughts.
Our text is showing the BASIS of our acceptance by God, and the REASON for Jesus receiving us to the glory of God (Rom 15:7). This passage is not defining the various aspects of obedience, nor is it intended to outline every facet of our acceptance of Christ Jesus. The wording of the text should confirm to your heart that this is not the presentation of a facet of our salvation, but its foundation. We are dealing with the root of redemption, not its branches or fruit.
In this matter, the Spirit will separate believing from working. It is folly to attempt to unite the two when dealing with the BASIS of our acceptance. Who would be so presumptuous as to attempt to unite what God has divided! If He says "without works," that is precisely what He means.
While it is true that faith and works go together, it is NOT at the primary, or foundational, level. It is essential that we understand this critical distinction. Your confidence can never rest in what you have done, even when it is absolutely correct and has been driven by faith. Confidence, like faith, must reside in the Lord of glory Himself. The teaching of this passage is designed to produce and sustain that kind of confidence.
PRAYER POINT: Father, through Jesus Christ I thank You for a message so grand, and so powerful, that it can make me welcome and in joyful peace before Your throne.