PUTTING ON CHRIST "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." (Romans 13:11-14, NKJV) Devotion 4 of 33 Justification is "by faith." That is the consistent proclamation of Scripture. It is a message that God intends for the churches to hear again and again. There is a dreadful tendency among those professing to know Christ to diminish the value of faith in favor of an emphasis upon doing. While the Spirit has considerable to say about doing, obeying, walking uprightly, and working, it is never at the expense of faith. – Tomorrow:
Never does a person moved by the Spirit of God treat faith as though an emphasis upon it jeopardized the well being of those in Christ Jesus – NEVER! I come from a background of religious thought that did not emphasize faith. In fact, it was commonly understood that a person placing stress upon faith was out of harmony with James in particular, and the Scriptures in general. In order to buttress the position that faith was not to be the emphasis, people who held to that view were often called "Calvinists," or some other seemingly derogatory appellative.
Since this series has already affirmed the necessity of response to God, it might appear as though our attention is being turned away from faith. But that is not the case at all. It is "by faith" that legitimate response to God is rendered. Therefore, it is essential to firmly establish the priority of faith – that there are things faith does that nothing else can do.
The Divine postulate is that we are "justified by faith." Thrice the Spirit affirms this to be the case. "Therefore we conclude that a man is JUSTIFIED BY FAITH without the deeds of the law" (Rom 3:24). "Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus" Christ" (Rom 5:1). "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH " (Galatians 3:24). Further, Divine reasoning is employed to confirm this to be the truth: "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN CHRIST and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16). Scripture is said to have foreseen that "God would JUSTIFY THE HEATHEN BY FAITH" (Gal 3:8).
Additionally, the justified ones "shall live by faith." That is, the life that is given to us in justification is MAINTAINED by faith, for "the just shall live by faith" (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38). Paul confessed the life he lived was "by faith" (Gal 2:20).
It is also true that we "stand by faith" (Rom 11:20; 2 Cor 1:24). Remove faith from the equation, and there is no justification, no maintenance of spiritual life, and no standing firm. In fact, faith is itself the victory that "overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4).
Add to that the following. Hearts are "purified by faith" (Acts 15:9). We are "sanctified by faith" (Acts 26:18). We have access to grace "by faith" (Rom 5:2). We "walk by faith" (2 Cor 5:7). Through the Spirit we "wait for the hope of righteousness by faith" (Rom 5:5). It is "by faith" that we understand the "worlds were framed by the Word of God" (Heb 11:3). The great eleventh chapter of Hebrews places a firm accent upon faith. In fact, the words "work" and "works" are not even mentioned in it.
What is more, even though faith comes from God (Eph 6:23), it becomes active in the one receiving it. They are the ones who believe. They are the ones who trust. God gives them faith, but does not believe for them. All of the things with which faith is associated relate to being justified. Without justification, there would be absolutely no significance to any of them. We are, indeed, "justified by faith."
The contention is raised that this conflicts with the plain statement of James. Twice he speaks of being "justified by works." The first is in reference to Abraham, and the second to Rahab. Of Abraham he says, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?" (James 2:21). The offering up of Isaac is recorded in the twenty-second chapter of Genesis. You will recall that God aborted the sacrifice, giving Abraham a substitute ram in Isaac's stead. Notwithstanding, the deed was credited to Abraham just as though he had carried it out. This took place nearly fifty years AFTER God had declared Abraham to be righteous. "And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). That text is quoted in Romans 4:3 and Galatians 3:6. James himself quotes it in James 2:23.
Is there any student of Scripture willing to affirm James means God counted Abraham righteous only AFTER he had offered Isaac? Paul affirms righteousness was reckoned to Abraham BEFORE he was circumcised, which was well before he offered up Isaac (Rom 4:10).
What, then, does James mean? James means the reality of Abraham's justification was confirmed when he offered up Isaac. In his Epistle, James is contending that there is no such thing as a faith that does not work or obey. Such spurious faith is no more faith than a body without a spirit is a person. James was addressing people who were friends of the world, yet claimed to be Christians. He severely upbraids them, saying their words are just wisps of wind (James 4).
The truth is, we are justified by faith, live by faith, stand by faith, and overcome by faith. Nowhere is it affirmed that righteous is imputed to us (which imputation is being justified) by works, or that we live by works, stand by works, or overcome by works. Hearts are not purified by works, nor are we sanctified by works. We do not have access into grace by works, walk by works, or wait for the hope of righteousness by works. Nor, indeed, do we understand by works.
Faith stands in a category by itself, and blessed are the people who see it.
PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You through Jesus Christ that Your grace is exceeding abundant with both faith and love.