“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to 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, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-26 ESV)
This here is an example of one of those passages of Scripture which must be read in its full context in order for us to get the correct understanding of what it is teaching. I know that the books of Galatians and Colossians cover the same subject. So to get a really good handle on this subject it would be good if you could read all three books in their full context. For the full context is especially critical with regard to this particular subject.
Let me summarize my understanding of what was taking place then. Then I will look at how this passage of Scripture can be applied to our lives today. For just like the word “works” is used in the Scriptures in two different ways, one in a negative sense, and one in a positive sense, so is this word “law.” But when it comes to Paul teaching on this subject he is generally using the word “law” to refer to the Old Covenant liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, and dietary laws and restrictions, including circumcision.
So, when he said that the righteousness of God was manifested apart from the law, he is not talking about the commandments of God under the New Covenant and God’s moral laws. He is speaking of the liturgical and ceremonial laws of the Old Covenant, which were done away with when Jesus Christ died on that cross for our sins. They were all the things which were external that could be practiced without it doing anything to change the human heart or to lead anyone to repentance and obedience to God.
And the reason that Paul had to cover this subject so much was that there were Judaizers among the believers in Christ who were convincing many of them that they had to add on to their faith circumcision and some of the Old Covenant ceremonial laws and customs. But then we have people today who are distorting this subject and they are teaching a “lawless” faith in Jesus Christ which is of the flesh of humans, and not of God. But Jesus didn’t die on that cross so that we could now live in sin guilt and punishment free.
So many are teaching a faith that is of human origin and not the faith that comes from God, and is persuaded of God, and is gifted to us by God, and is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. And they are diluting the meaning of faith to be some sort of words we pray or confess, or to some acknowledgement of who Jesus is and to what he did for us on that cross, or to some emotional acceptance of a false grace of God. And then they are promising them heaven, but regardless of how they live.
That is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is not the grace of God which is bringing us salvation, and which is training 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 said 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 sinful lifestyles, we will lose our lives. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in obedience, then we have the hope and the promise of eternal life.
For “faith” in Jesus Christ means “persuasion of God.” And in the Scriptures, God persuades us as to his righteousness and holiness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to die with him to sin and now live to him and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to him and to his commands. And we are taught that faith that is of God results in obedience to his commands and in holy living and us no longer walking in sin. And we learn that if sin is what we practice, and not obedience, that we won’t have eternal life.
[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2]
Yes, God’s grace to us is his gift to us, but his grace requires that we die with him to sin and now live holy lives, pleasing to him, and that we no longer walk in sin. And that is his gift to us, because we can only live like that by his grace and in the power of God, and because of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on that cross so that we can die with him to sin and be raised with him 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 (Romans 6:1-23).
So, don’t buy into the lies which are telling you that the faith to believe in Jesus Christ requires nothing of you other than your profession of faith, and that no works are required of you, and that you do not have to obey the commands of our Lord. That is a man-made gospel which is not of God and is not in agreement with the gospel that Jesus and Paul and the other apostles taught. For if we continue living in sin, and not in walks of obedience to our Lord, we will not inherit eternal life with God.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; 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; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]
Songs in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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