[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 10th of February, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
When we think of the Apostle Paul, all the trials and tribulations he suffered as recorded in the Book of Acts comes to mind. But it’s the letters he wrote that tell us the most about our Christian walk and what it means to be a follower of Christ. These letters offer us instruction and hope, and greater clarity into how important faith is to us.
Please listen and follow along as I read from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 5, verses 1 through 10, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Please listen and follow along as I read from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter 5, verses 1 through 10, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
--Romans 5:1-10 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, Your Son Jesus gave Paul special insight into Your ways so that he could serve our Lord. Help us, please Father, to serve You better too. Please give us special insight into the mysteries of heaven and Your truth so that we can share it with others. Speak to us this morning that we might hear Your word and understand Your message. This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Martin Luther once wrote:
The question is asked: How can justification take place without the works of the law, even though James says: "Faith without works is dead"? In answer, the apostle distinguishes between the law and faith, the letter and grace. The 'works of the law' are works done without faith and grace, by the law, which forces them to be done through fear or the enticing promise of temporal advantages. But 'works of faith' are those done in the spirit of liberty, purely out of love to God. And they can be done only by those who are justified by faith. An ape can cleverly imitate the actions of humans. But he is not therefore a human. If he became a human, it would undoubtedly be not by virtue of the works by which he imitated man but by virtue of something else; namely, by an act of God. Then, having been made a human, he would perform the works of humans in proper fashion. Paul does not say that faith is without its characteristic works, but that it justifies without the works of the law. Therefore justification does not require the works of the law; but it does require a living faith, which performs its works.
Many people strongly hold that our faith alone is insufficient for our salvation. They take the passages from the letter James wrote, that Martin Luther references, to show that we must put our faith to work to be saved. Luther uses the writings of Paul to distinguish between “works of faith” and “works of the law”.
Our works of faith are a result of our love for our Lord. We do good works because we are saved, not so that we might be saved. Luther and Paul both assert that we are justified by our faith in God and in Jesus, not because we uphold the law. And that’s a good thing, because we do not uphold God’s law – we’re pretty much incapable of doing so. That’s why God sent His Son to earth.
We hear the word “justice” being tossed around a lot these days, with people “seeking justice”, often for a loved one’s death. Justice, justify, justification… They all have the same root: just. The basic definition of “just” is: guided by or in keeping with truth, based on right, rightness. So then justice is the quality of being right, and justify is to show something to be right.
Our Bible tells us that we are made right with God by our faith. The neat thing is that our faith is a gift to us from God. What we do with that faith - whether we use it and strengthen it and let it grow, or we let it wither and die away - is entirely up to us. But the point is that God wants us to be right with Him. By our faith, we are justified. By our faith, we are made right with God.
Paul reminds us that God sent Jesus to earth when mankind was too weak to resist Satan, when we were without strength, while we were still sinners. Jesus came and died for us and we are justified by His blood, His precious blood spilled on our behalf. Through His blood sacrifice, Jesus reconciled us with God, made us right with God.
Notice that none of this makes mention of anything we have done or might do. Indeed, Paul makes it clear that nothing we can do in our flesh can justify us with God. Listen to what Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians, chapter 3, verses 2 through 5 and verse 11…
No man is justified by the law in the sight of God! Having been reborn in the Spirit by our faith and belief in Jesus, it is utter foolishness to think that we can be perfected in the flesh by the things we do.
Paul points out that the just, those guided by the truth, live by faith. The just don’t just have faith, they live by it! This concept was important enough to Paul, and for us to know, that he repeated it. Earlier in his letter to the Romans, chapter 1 verses 16 and 17, Paul writes…
The righteousness, the rightness, of God is revealed from faith. Notice that just before he repeated that the just shall live by faith, Paul added, “As it is written”. Where is it written? In the book of prophecy of Habakkuk, chapter 2, verse 4…
The prophet uses the example of a proud person, saying their soul is not upright in them. I believe that description fits others whose souls are not upright, who are not right with God. But the just, those who are guided by the truth, live by their faith.
In living by our faith, we try to exercise it and share it with the world. We do “works of faith”, as Luther put it. Or as James wrote, we show our faith by our works. But make no mistake – we are not justified in God’s eyes by our works. We receive justification only by our faith.
It’s hard to fathom, isn’t it, that all we need to do is have faith in Jesus and in God and we will gain entry to heaven for all eternity. We don’t have to pay any price, nor do anything. Jesus paid the price, He made the sacrifice.
But if our faith is true, if we truly understand what this means to us, then we will live by that faith, we will do all we can to return God’s love by helping others. Christ died for us sinners so that we can be justified by our faith. Let us die to our sinful ways and live fully by faith. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Your gift of salvation is given to all who would believe. Thank You, Father, for showing us so much love. Thank You for sending Your Son to save us. Thank You for justifying us by our faith. Please forgive us when we fail to live by our faith, when we don’t show the world our faith by our works, when we don’t show others our love.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You came to us in our sin, when we had no strength. By our faith, You make us right with God, giving us peace with Him, granting us access to His grace. Thank You, Jesus, for giving Your all that we might be saved. Forgive us when we fail to fully live by our faith. Forgive us when we let the tribulations we suffer chip away at our faith, wear us down, trouble our spirits. Please continue strengthening us. Help us live by our faith so that the world might see and seek salvation by coming to know and accepting You as their personal Lord and Savior.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
Martin Luther once wrote:
The question is asked: How can justification take place without the works of the law, even though James says: "Faith without works is dead"? In answer, the apostle distinguishes between the law and faith, the letter and grace. The 'works of the law' are works done without faith and grace, by the law, which forces them to be done through fear or the enticing promise of temporal advantages. But 'works of faith' are those done in the spirit of liberty, purely out of love to God. And they can be done only by those who are justified by faith. An ape can cleverly imitate the actions of humans. But he is not therefore a human. If he became a human, it would undoubtedly be not by virtue of the works by which he imitated man but by virtue of something else; namely, by an act of God. Then, having been made a human, he would perform the works of humans in proper fashion. Paul does not say that faith is without its characteristic works, but that it justifies without the works of the law. Therefore justification does not require the works of the law; but it does require a living faith, which performs its works.
Many people strongly hold that our faith alone is insufficient for our salvation. They take the passages from the letter James wrote, that Martin Luther references, to show that we must put our faith to work to be saved. Luther uses the writings of Paul to distinguish between “works of faith” and “works of the law”.
Our works of faith are a result of our love for our Lord. We do good works because we are saved, not so that we might be saved. Luther and Paul both assert that we are justified by our faith in God and in Jesus, not because we uphold the law. And that’s a good thing, because we do not uphold God’s law – we’re pretty much incapable of doing so. That’s why God sent His Son to earth.
We hear the word “justice” being tossed around a lot these days, with people “seeking justice”, often for a loved one’s death. Justice, justify, justification… They all have the same root: just. The basic definition of “just” is: guided by or in keeping with truth, based on right, rightness. So then justice is the quality of being right, and justify is to show something to be right.
Our Bible tells us that we are made right with God by our faith. The neat thing is that our faith is a gift to us from God. What we do with that faith - whether we use it and strengthen it and let it grow, or we let it wither and die away - is entirely up to us. But the point is that God wants us to be right with Him. By our faith, we are justified. By our faith, we are made right with God.
Paul reminds us that God sent Jesus to earth when mankind was too weak to resist Satan, when we were without strength, while we were still sinners. Jesus came and died for us and we are justified by His blood, His precious blood spilled on our behalf. Through His blood sacrifice, Jesus reconciled us with God, made us right with God.
Notice that none of this makes mention of anything we have done or might do. Indeed, Paul makes it clear that nothing we can do in our flesh can justify us with God. Listen to what Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians, chapter 3, verses 2 through 5 and verse 11…
2 I want to learn only this from you: Did you receive the Spirit through the works of the law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Have you endured so many things for nothing, if indeed it was for nothing? 5 Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
11 Now it is evident that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, for “The just shall live by faith.”
--Galatians 3:2-5, 11 (MEV)
Paul points out that the just, those guided by the truth, live by faith. The just don’t just have faith, they live by it! This concept was important enough to Paul, and for us to know, that he repeated it. Earlier in his letter to the Romans, chapter 1 verses 16 and 17, Paul writes…
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
--Romans 1:16-17 (MEV)
4 “Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith."
--Habakkuk 2:4 (NKJV)
The prophet uses the example of a proud person, saying their soul is not upright in them. I believe that description fits others whose souls are not upright, who are not right with God. But the just, those who are guided by the truth, live by their faith.
In living by our faith, we try to exercise it and share it with the world. We do “works of faith”, as Luther put it. Or as James wrote, we show our faith by our works. But make no mistake – we are not justified in God’s eyes by our works. We receive justification only by our faith.
It’s hard to fathom, isn’t it, that all we need to do is have faith in Jesus and in God and we will gain entry to heaven for all eternity. We don’t have to pay any price, nor do anything. Jesus paid the price, He made the sacrifice.
But if our faith is true, if we truly understand what this means to us, then we will live by that faith, we will do all we can to return God’s love by helping others. Christ died for us sinners so that we can be justified by our faith. Let us die to our sinful ways and live fully by faith. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, Your gift of salvation is given to all who would believe. Thank You, Father, for showing us so much love. Thank You for sending Your Son to save us. Thank You for justifying us by our faith. Please forgive us when we fail to live by our faith, when we don’t show the world our faith by our works, when we don’t show others our love.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You came to us in our sin, when we had no strength. By our faith, You make us right with God, giving us peace with Him, granting us access to His grace. Thank You, Jesus, for giving Your all that we might be saved. Forgive us when we fail to fully live by our faith. Forgive us when we let the tribulations we suffer chip away at our faith, wear us down, trouble our spirits. Please continue strengthening us. Help us live by our faith so that the world might see and seek salvation by coming to know and accepting You as their personal Lord and Savior.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
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