Friday, January 21, 2011

Justification by Faith Alone

  Is this what the Bible teaches about justification that it is by Faith alone? I thought that was true when I was in the Church system but now I realize that I was wrong. Faith alone has to have a working principle behind it or it is a dead faith just like the demons believe that Jesus is the son of God but there is no change that takes place. For example Abraham does the works of faith that he was obedient and follow God. According to John MacArthur he speaks of a Forensic faith, it describes what God declares about the believer not what He does to change the believer, so it is window dressing. In fact, justification effects no actual changes whatsoever in the sinners nature or character. All it does is changes our status. A good summation is that we are positional righteous, but practical we are unrighteous.    What does the Bible say about this? According to Romans chapter 5:1 says "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  In 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  Another characteristic of justification,  "to those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" from Galatians 5:24. The fourth example of justification that we are made acceptable in the Beloved from Ephesians 6:1.
  What these men who teach justification in this manner by "Faith Alone" do not include the deeds of faith which demonstrate that you are a new creature. According to the writers of the New Testament, faith always meant that there were works together with faith, they never understood any other way. For example, we can take marriage to a young man and woman if this man truly loves his wife he will demonstrate in many different ways in how he expresses his love for her. Even they can look back when they were dating and see examples of his love for her, and when they became engage the man would continue to show his affection toward her, by writing notes or repairing something that has value in her eyes. Note it is the way as believers that we being the bride of Christ that we show our affection to Christ by digging into His word, or staying pure and not falling into sin. But according to John MacArthur we do not have to show our love (commitment) toward Christ, because He does everything for us and He does not see us sin. All of life is demonstrated by our willingness to be committed to getting a education to do something with our lives. So why should God do everything for us, because then we would be spoiled and there would be no commitment from us to be righteous. These men are just like the Pharisees they are addicted to their doctrines but they can not see the Truth that we must follow Christ because He was an example to us all. Are you like the Pharisees?

Grace what does it mean?

This is a interesting verse, let us examine and see what it is saying. "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and Lord Jesus Christ." This verse is explaining what is taking place today in the churches, what do I mean by this. These men are ungodly and they will be judge by God in the future because they have twisted grace, that is they have given a wrong meaning of grace by saying unmerited favor, mercy, and pardon. With this meaning they have taught that grace means that God overlooks man's sin which is the farthest thing from the truth. Or others have said that it is "God riches at Christ's expense." And yet in our hearts we think that God is lowering His righteousness because we are not able to achieve His standard. But this is quite the opposite let us look at Titus 2:11-14 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people zealous for good works." Do you understand the principle of grace it is not mercy or pardon but it is teaching us that those who have gone through a baptism of repentance it is teaching us not to sin. This is a far cry of God overlooking our sin but He is teaching us to attain to His standard.