It is Those of Faith

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:1-7 ESV)

Questions:

• What is biblical faith in Jesus Christ?

• What does it mean to attempt to be perfected by the flesh?

• What works are part of biblical faith? Which ones are not?

• For what purpose was Jesus crucified on that cross?

I admit that this is not my favorite subject to write on, for it is very involved, and it can be extremely controversial and even confusing to those who are not well read in the Scriptures, and even to us who are well read in the Scriptures. And many people have distorted the teachings of Paul on this subject and have given their adherents carte blanche to continue living in deliberate and habitual sin without conscience and without conviction and without remorse or repentance. And they call that “God’s grace.” 

And, again, this is why I stress CONTEXT, for without context we can go so many different ways with this subject. So, let’s look at it this way. We have two primary false gospels being taught which are on opposite ends, and the real truth lies somewhere in between both of those extremes. For not one of us is saved from our sins and promised eternal life with God on the basis of our works of the flesh that we choose to do for God hoping that if we are good enough that we will be approved by God and go to heaven one day.

But on the opposite end of that, not one of us is saved from our sins and promised eternal life with God on the basis of lip service and verbal professions of faith in Jesus Christ absent of us dying with him to sin and absent us walking in obedience to God and in the works he requires of us, and while continuing in deliberate and habitual sin against God thinking that his grace covers it all and so we don’t have to do anything to be pleasing to him. That is not the gospel that Jesus and his NT apostles taught.

So, what is the truth of the gospel? Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we lose our lives, i.e. we deny self and die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and now by the grace of God and in the power of God we walk (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to his commands, then we have eternal life with God (see Luke 9:23-26).

And Paul taught that if we walk according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit, and if we continue walking in sin, and not in walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands, that we will die in our sins, and we will not have eternal life with God. And John said that if we say we are in fellowship with God but while we walk in darkness (sin), we are liars. And if we say we know God, but we do not obey his commandments, in practice, we are liars. For it is those who practice righteousness who are righteous in God’s eyes.

[Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 9:28; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]  

And Paul taught that the grace of God which is bringing us salvation is instructing (training) us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we await 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,” “which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10).

So, there is a distinct difference between the works of the law (the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws) and the works God requires of us for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God. And this isn’t about trying to earn our salvation, but this is about walking in the salvation already provided by God, by the grace of God, and in the power of God, according to the will and purpose of God for why Jesus died on that cross. And that was to deliver us from bondage to sin so we will now serve and honor God.

So faith in Jesus Christ, which comes from God, and is persuaded of God, and which is not of human flesh nor of our own doing, submits to God’s will and purpose for our lives, and follows him in walks of obedience, and daily dies with Christ to sin and no longer walks in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. And this doesn’t mean we will never sin again. But if sin is what we obey, in practice, and not obedience to our Lord, we do not have the promise of salvation from sin and of eternal life with God.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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