Justified by Faith in Jesus Christ

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2 ESV)

I am going to jump ahead just a bit here so that we get the proper context of what this is teaching us. For in Romans 6 we learn that this faith in Jesus Christ, if genuine God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in him, results in us being crucified with Christ in death to sin and us being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So we are no longer to allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions, for if sin is what we obey, it leads to death. But obedience to God ends in eternal life with God.

And in Romans 8 we learn that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For if we live according to our sinful flesh, in practice, it leads to death, not to life eternal with God. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. So we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Therefore, the “faith” by which we are justified results in us dying with Christ to sin and us being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. So sin is no longer to be what we practice, or it leads to death, but if obedience to God is what we practice, that leads to life eternal with God. For to be justified is to be made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ and thus to be approved by God. But this faith comes from God, is gifted to us by God, is persuaded of God, and it is not of our own doing, not of our own flesh.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44]

So, we don’t get to decide what this faith looks like. God does. And his word does. And in Romans 6 and in Romans 8, especially, we get a very clear picture of what this faith (divine persuasion) looks like in practice. For when Jesus makes us righteous by his grace, he delivers us out of our slavery to sin and he empowers us to live holy and godly lives in obedience to his commands. We die with Christ to sin so that we will now live to Christ and to his righteousness. For Jesus died to redeem us out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now honor God with our bodies and with our lives.

For to be justified is to be conformed to a proper standard (upright) which meets with God’s divine approval. And we are not approved of God if we are still walking in (living in) deliberate and habitual sin against our Lord, especially if we are then calling him “Lord” but we are not doing what he says. For if that is what we do, Jesus said that we will not enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he will say to us, “I never knew you! Depart from me you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21-23). So please understand that salvation from sin and God’s grace have requirements of us.

For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training (instructing) us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (see Titus 2:11-14). “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Therefore, those of genuine faith in Jesus Christ have peace with God because they are no longer at enmity with God. For to be reconciled to God means that we decisively change from living in sin and for self to now following our Lord in obedience to his commands (see Luke 9:23-26). We change from being enemies of God, from being in opposition to God, to now being in fellowship (partnership, agreement, participation) with God and with his will and purpose for our lives. And being redeemed means being rescued from what enslaved us so that we can now honor God in all that we do.

So, for all of us who are of genuine God-provided, God-persuaded, and God-gifted faith in him, which is not of our own selves, we stand by the faith described above, which is what is taught all throughout the New Testament, and which we will understand completely if we study the Scriptures in their full context. For many false teachings stem from Scriptures taught outside of their context, and many false professions of faith in Jesus Christ thus result from those who buy into the lies and who do not follow after the truth. And so we have a lot of professers of Christ who are still walking in sin.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24] 

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

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