Thread: "...the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Rom. 3:22�23).
"...the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Rom. 3:22�23).
Posted : 16 Nov, 2011 02:26 AM
The righteousness wrought out by the incarnation, obedience, sufferings, and death of Christ is a most glorious righteousness. It took in the whole law of God. It did not soften down or ask for a compromise of its claims. It took the law in its utmost strictness, and honored it. It gave all the law demanded, all it could possibly demand.
And what stamped this righteousness with a glory so great? What enabled the Redeemer to offer an obedience so perfect? What, but that he was God in our nature, God in the flesh! The Law-giver became the Law-fulfiller. The Judge became the Surety. God became the Substitute.
Behold, then, the justification of a believing sinner! If you are resting in Christ, then you stand accepted in the righteousness of Christ, with full and entire acceptance.
What does the Holy Spirit say?
"In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory" (Isa. 45:25).
"And by him (the Lord Jesus) everyone who believes is justified from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39).
"Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish" (Eph. 5:25�27).
"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might be made the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21). Mark the expression, "made the righteousness of God"! It is so called because the righteousness which Christ wrought out was a divine righteousness�not the righteousness of a created being, of an angel, or of a superior prophet. If it were, then it would be blasphemy to call it "the righteousness of God." Oh no! the righteousness in which you stand, if you are "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6 KJV), is a more costly and glorious righteousness than Adam's, or the highest angel's in glory. It is "the righteousness of God"! It is the perfect righteousness of the God-man�possessing all the infinite merit, and glory, and perfection of Deity. And what seems even more incredible, the believer is made the righteousness of God in Christ. So that beholding you in Christ, the Father can "rejoice over you with gladness ... quiet you by his love ... exult over you with loud singing" (Zeph. 3:17).
Is this not then, we ask, a perfect and complete justification? What can be more so? Do not the Scriptures we have quoted prove it? Can any other meaning be given to them, without divesting them of their beauty and obvious sense? Would it not be to turn from God's Word, to dishonor and grieve the Spirit, and to rob the believer of a most influential motive to holiness, if we were to take a less expanded view of this subject than that which we have taken? Most assuredly it would.
Then let the Christian reader welcome this truth. If it is God's truth�and we humbly believe we have proved it to be so�it is not less your privilege than your duty to receive it.
"...the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Rom. 3:22�23).
Posted : 16 Nov, 2011 04:34 PM
Rom 20:19-26 ~ Faith, Righteousness; Law
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God
*** 19 - Under the law - We are under the law when we look to it as our Channel of Salvation. This problem was developed by the contemporary Jewish teaching. It's true that blessings accompany obedience de2801, but blessings are gifts from God. See on ro0614.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
*** 20 - Deeds do not justify - This seems only logical. Why should Paul write about it at length? Because God's professed people at the time had slipped into a Salvation-by-Works attitude. It was fueled by their leaders' thirst for power and wealth. A church that makes the rules and presumes to grant or withhold salvation can manipulate its people to these ends mr0706, jn1907.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
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:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
*** 25 - Set forth Apparently as the way of justification in comparison to the works of the law. v20. He was publicly crucified ga0301 as the answer to all human need. Compare jn0314.
*** 25 - Propitiation From hilasterion. It occurs elsewhere in the Bible only in he0905 where the mercy seat of the ark is indicated. The word does not imply cooling the anger of a selfish God.
*** 25 - For Should read "because of."
*** 25 - Remission Not from the usual Greek word. It means "passing over" rather than forgiveness.
*** 25 - Sins Or "individual acts of sin." See the word hamartema also in mr0328, 1co0618.
*** 25 - Sins that are past Before the death of Jesus, sins were forgiven subject to that sacrifice.
*** 25 - Forbearance God has shielded people from the full result of their sins and they have misconstrued His character ps05021, ec0811.
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
*** 26 - it was to Prove at the present time that He HIMSelf is Righteous and that HE Justifies him who has Faith in Jesus. (RSV)
"...the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Rom. 3:22�23).
Posted : 16 Nov, 2011 07:21 PM
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
"...the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." (Rom. 3:22�23).
Posted : 16 Nov, 2011 07:23 PM
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
