DAVID DECLARES IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS Devotion 9 of 28 Remember, the Spirit is bolstering the confidence of believers. He is giving them a reason to fight the good fight of faith (1 Tim 6:12), resist the devil (James 4:7), and go on their way rejoicing (Phil 4:4). This IS a word addressed to believers, not unbelievers, about WHY God has accepted them. SOME EXAMPLES There are examples in Scripture of being justified "without works." They will assist us in taking hold of this word without thinking we will contradict other words of the Spirit regarding works. PETER SAVED FROM THE DEEP On one occasion, when the disciples were in the midst of a threatening storm, Jesus came to them "walking on the water." When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they were "troubled," saying "It is a spirit." Although they were experienced boatmen, they "cried out for fear." Immediately Jesus called out to them saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." Knowing the implications of that utterance, Peter replied, "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water." The answer came back immediately, "Come." Without delay, Peter came "down out of the ship," and "he walked on the water, to go to Jesus." THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD En route to the house of Jairus, Jesus passed within the hearing of a woman who had been suffering from a bloody issue for twelve long years. A crowd of people thronged around Jesus, seeming to make Him inaccessible to the needy. Yet, this suffering woman began making her way toward Jesus, going through the crowd. She reasoned within herself, "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole." The Scriptures tell us she made it to the Master, and touched "the border of His garment." Instantly "the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague." When the Savior confronted her, He informed her "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague" (Mk 5:25-34). THE HEALING OF THE BLIND MAN On yet another occasion, Jesus confronted a man who was "blind from his birth." His disciples took the occasion to ask about WHY such things happened. They could only think of sin producing such conditions, but Jesus announced this occasion was in order "that the works of God should be made manifest" in the blind man. Then Jesus "spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam." – 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)
You remember the incident. In making his way to Jesus, the attention of Peter was diverted from the Master. When he "saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me." Immediately, "Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Peter then accompanied Jesus on the water back to the ship. When they stepped back into the boat, "the wind ceased" (Matt 14:24-32).
Who would imagine that Peter was saved because of his work? Did Peter depend upon his own activity, whether walking on or swimming in the water? Indeed not, he was saved "without works" in a very real and effective way.
Before Jesus lifted Peter out of the raging sea, Peter did something. He asked the Lord to bid him to come. He came down out of the boat. He walked on the water to go to Jesus. When he sank, he called out to the Lord. But who would dare to call that activity "works" by which Peter was saved from the stormy sea? In every way, Peter knew it was the Lord who saved him.
It is in this way that we are justified. We have been active in asking, seeking, and coming to the Lord. We were active in calling upon His name. But our faith did not rest in any of those things. We did not rely on our activity, but on the Lord's. Thus, in the sense of our text, we were justified "without works."
Who will dare to imagine this woman would point to her own works to account for her healing? She did do something. She heard Jesus was in her vicinity and determined to reach Him. He reasoned about His effectiveness, and inconvenienced herself to touch His clothes, convinced she would be healed as a result. All of that took intense effort, particularly for a woman weakened from such a disease.
But when Jesus accounted for her healing, He did not point to her effort, but to her faith. He did not commend her for expending energy to come through the crowd, but for her faith. According to our text, she was delivered from her plague "without works." She knew everyone who touched Jesus' clothes were not healed. It was not that touching the hem of Christ's garment fulfilled a Divine demand, and thus was honored of God. It was her faith that was honored. That is precisely the sense of our text: "who does not work."
We are simply told the blind man "went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." When asked by professional religious men to account for his healing, he could only say, "A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight." Later, when Jesus again confronted him, we find the blind man did not even know Jesus was "the Son of God." When Jesus told Him who He was, the blind man said, "Lord, I believe. And he worshiped Him" (John 9:1-38).
Here is an example of someone whom Jesus found. The man was not seeking Jesus, but found Him whom he sought not (Rom10:20). Do you suppose he would account for his marvelous healing upon the basis of his works? He DID do something. In obedience, he made his way to the pool of Siloam and washed the clay from his eyes. But that is not what healed him. He could have put clay on his own eyes, or had another put it there for him, and wash it off in Siloam. But he would not have come away seeing. In the sense of our text, he was healed "without works." He was not saved by a procedure, but by the interposition of the Son of God. Take Jesus out of the equation, and this man would have remained blind until the day he died!
It is in this precise way that we are justified "without works." If Jesus was not personally in the matter, or if He had not provided a firm ground for justification that God would honor, it would make little difference we did, or how fervently we did it. Further, if we outwardly did every single thing we were commanded, yet did not have faith, it would all be to avail. Why? Because a man is justified "without works," and because of faith.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for a glorious Gospel that encourages and empowers be to believe!