GRPL PINGLIST
Posted on 11/21/2014 1:51:03 PM PST by Gamecock
What is it that solves the problem of our sins? “A righteousness of (from) God has been manifested apart from the law…through faith in Jesus Christ” (3:21-22). Luther referred to these verses as “the center of the whole Bible.” Martin Lloyd Jones called it “the most important and crucial passage in the whole of Scripture.” Leon Morris said it is “possibly the most important single paragraph ever written.”
As I mentioned in a prior post here, I have been teaching a weekly Bible study on the book of Romans to women in the Charlotte community. For the last several months, we have been plodding our way through the first three chapters as Paul has laid out his case that all mankind–Jew and Gentile–are sinful and rightly under the judgment of God. Paul finishes this section of his letter with this monumental statement: “For by works of the Law no human being will be justified in his sight” (Rom 3:20).
You can almost hear the gavel fall with a boom.
Thankfully, Paul does not end his letter here. This morning, in the last installment of the women’s study for the Fall term (we will resume in the new year), we will move onto to 3:21 and following. There Paul utters two of the most beautiful words in all of Scripture, “But now…” These two little words provide a great sigh of relief for any sin-wracked soul wondering about his fate.
“But now” tells us that something has been done to solve the problem of our sins.
What is it that solves the problem of our sins? “A righteousness of (from) God has been manifested apart from the law…through faith in Jesus Christ” (3:21-22). Luther referred to these verses as “the center of the whole Bible.” Martin Lloyd Jones called it “the most important and crucial passage in the whole of Scripture.” Leon Morris said it is “possibly the most important single paragraph ever written.”
This passage is the basis for the great Reformation doctrine of sola fide–the idea that we are saved by faith alone and not by the works of the law.
But, Paul makes a critical clarification here. He makes it clear that the righteous status we so desperately need comes through faith (v.22), but it is not the faith itself that is the grounds of our justification. The grounds of our justification–the reason God can declare us sinners to be righteous–is because of the righteousness of Christ given to us. He can regard us as righteous because a righteous status has been granted to us.
Thus, faith is merely the instrument or the means by which that righteous status is attained.
This is a critical reminder for Christians today. Whenever our world discusses religion, they will praise the merits of “faith” and laud people who possess it (think Oprah Winfrey). But, notice the world never praises the merits of the object of that faith. It doesn’t matter what you believe in (after all, all religions are the same), what matters is that you are sincerely committed.
For our world, then, faith is its own object.
Contrast that to what Paul is saying in Rom 3:21-22. Paul is saying that you are not saved because of faith (as if it were meritorious in itself) but you are saved through and by faith in Christ. The object of the faith is what is definitive.
So, the Reformed doctrine of sola fide does not mean what the world might think it means. For the world, it simply means that all you need is faith. For the Reformers, it meant faith is the sole instrument by which you acquire a righteous status in Christ (and thus not by works).
For those who doubt their faith and find their faith to be weak, this is a great encouragement. Our hope is not in how strong our faith is, but in how strong and righteous our Savior is.
GRPL PINGLIST
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PFL
And here I always thought it was John 1:1. If that is true, everything else in the Bible is true. If that is false, everything else is false.
Eventhough someone has little faith, yet ? It’s still faith.
But, but, but, we will still hear from those Jamesstines who say “ faith without works is dead “ .....
However even Jesus Christ said himself “ For I say unto you, unless your righteiousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharasies, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven “ Mathew 5:20.......
He set a impossible bar to achieve, reach for.
Who can then ? Jesus Christ himself.
I agree, it proves Christ's true divinity.
But really, from Genesis to Revelations there's some pretty good stuff too :-)
It's true though: if your faith produces no fruit (i.e. works) then what good is it?
james isn't saying that you're saved by works, he's saying that being saved produces [good] works.
Thanks,
I needed That.
He was bruised,,,
Deeds, not words.
When I was first a Christian, someone warned me to be sure I was putting my faith in the right object.
It was that I shouldn’t have faith in my faith, but I should have my faith in Jesus.
I found that a very interesting concept, one that I still remember, over 35 years later.
James and John, both have a ton of good stuff.
Well, that's what mine says, anyway.
I Love the Book of Romans.
Paul has masterfully laid out the User Manual for Finding Salvation and God for both Gentile and Jew alike!
The Pharisees prided themselves on their "good works"--i.e.,observing the law. But Jesus raised the bar so high that EVERY ONE "falls short of the mark" in PERFECTLY keeping God's commands, especially when it comes to loving God with all our heart!
Thank God--literally --that He sent us His Son to obey the law perfectly, and thus bear for us the penalty we ALL deserve because we can never perfectly obey it.
This is surely exactly what Peter was telling us in 2Peter 3:
[15] And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
[16] As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
The writings of Paul require the span of several chapters to be read to delve the meaning of any single sentence.
Kruger joins Luther and Jones in jumping of that cliff of misunderstanding, as Peter predicted.
Amen! All too many put their faith in their works or deeds.
And John has laid out how to know that you have missed the boat, in his first epistle, which, unlike Paul, is written clearly and abruptly, without Paul’s rabbit trails.
>> “The Pharisees prided themselves on their “good works”—i.e.,observing the law.” <<
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Spend some time reading the gospel of Matthew!
The Pharisees had zero respect for Yehova’s law, and obeyed no part thereof, substituting instead their own man made law, which Yeshua completely denounced, declaring that unless one’s righteousness exceeded the false righteousness of the Pharisees, one had no chance at seeing the kingdom.
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