Faith Alone – Part One

Posted February 9, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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After what was addressed in Romans 4:1-8, that the sinner is justified by grace through faith, and with Israel’s forefathers given as an example (Abraham and David), the Jew may quite naturally agree that Christ’s righteousness is imputed; that is, that righteousness is accounted to him by God’s grace through faith.  Yes, they may certainly believe and trust in Christ apart from keeping the commandments of the Law of Moses, but they may have insisted that there must have been at least one condition to assist faith: circumcision.  They might rationalize that circumcision was commanded by God, and that it came before the Law; and since it is a sign and a seal of Abraham’s faith (they may conclude), then saving faith must be accompanied by circumcision for it to be complete.  Therefore, some of them may have even thought that one must be a Jew in order to be saved by faith.  But in our text, Paul removes that idea before the question can be raised. 

For us to really get an idea of what Paul is talking about, let’s make sure we have a Biblical perspective of Abraham, faith, and circumcision. 

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?  And Abram said, Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.  And He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be.  And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” —Genesis 15:1-6 

We briefly covered this passage earlier in our article, “Justification by Grace.”  Abram’s faith was based upon the Word of the Lord, viz., upon God’s declaration of what He would do; Abram was told to “Look now” to ponder and consider the stars as an example of how plentiful God would make his descendents; and he believed God and God placed His own righteousness upon Abram’s account for that belief.  In fact Abram’s faith was in the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, because his faith and trust was in the Word of the LORD (Genesis 15:1, 4); and we know that Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate (J0hn 1:1, 14).  Furthermore, this came by nothing that Abram did.  He did nothing to warrant God’s making to him any promise whatsoever. 

Additionally, that Abram is counted as having Christ’s righteousness is evident in Scripture because his life is not the most exemplary.  He sires a child through Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid (Genesis 16) and he lies to Abimelech of Gerar about Sarah being his wife (Genesis 20:9-12).  Yet, he does grow in faith once he is justified because that is evidenced in what he does in Genesis 22, taking Isaac his son to sacrifice on Mt. Moriah upon the Lord’s word. 

Yet, Paul’s point is that God has counted Abraham righteous by His faith, prior to Abraham’s being circumcised.   It is written, 

“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect.  And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.  And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.  Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.  And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.  And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.  And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.  And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep My covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.  This is My covenant, which ye shall keep, between Me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt Me and you.  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.  He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant.” —Genesis 17:1-14    

So more than thirteen years after Genesis 15:1-6 (because Abraham is 99 years old according to Genesis 17:1, and he was 86 years old when Ishmael was born according to Genesis 16:16), God establishes the covenant of circumcision with Abraham as a sign, or token, between God and Abraham according (Genesis 17:11).  This is where, I believe, a great misunderstanding takes place concerning circumcision as a sign (אות). 

Circumcision was a sign of the covenant of God’s promise to Abraham by which God would make Abraham a father of many nations (Genesis 17:4-5); and kings shall come forth as His descendents (Genesis 17:6); that this covenant will be established with his seed (Genesis 17:7-8); and because of Galatians 3, we understand Genesis 17:7-8 to have a twofold meaning with regard to Abraham’s “seed.” 

Yes, though it referred to a singular people coming forth from his loins to inherit and inhabit the land (that is, the Jews), it also spoke of the Seed, singular, of the One to come (that is, Jesus), the descendent of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, coming through the people of Israel, and specifically through the tribe of Judah, as Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “Salvation is of the Jews;” that is, salvation, Jesus the Messiah with whom and from whom salvation lay, would come from the Jews. 

That was the covenant promise of circumcision; that faith will come to many nations, not just the Jews, because the Seed of Abraham, one descendent of Abraham, would have His flesh cut and His blood would be shed.  Circumcision is a prophetic type of Christ’s atoning death. 

Abraham was already counted righteous in Genesis 15:6.  He had a lapse of faith in Genesis 16 when He took Hagar, in the flesh and not in the spirit by faith; so we know that faith righteousness is imputed, not imparted.  Yet, we also see, that because the imputation of righteousness through faith is very real, it produces a life that has evidence of that faith through good works; as the LORD command Abraham to “walk before [Him], and be… perfect” (Genesis 17:1), and Abraham responds to the majesty of God by works produced by faith:  Abraham “fell of His face” in worship (Genesis 17:3). 

Let’s recap:  Abraham is justified by God through faith.  More than thirteen years later, God makes a covenant with Abraham, by way of circumcision, as a sign of God’s promise to make Abraham the father of faith of many nations; and by this covenant, God would bring the promised Christ, that Seed, through Abraham’s progeny. 

Finally, the covenant of circumcision foreshadowed the new covenant God would make through His Son.  The blood covenant through the cutting of the foreskin in circumcision would only be unto Abraham’s generations in his descendents; the blood that came through the cutting of Christ’s flesh would be unto all generation afterward by faith.  That’s what circumcision is all about.

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United, Yet Alone

Posted February 8, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before Him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” —Romans 4:16-17 

We have all heard that salvation is by “grace alone,” and also by “faith alone,” yet also in “Christ alone,” as well as through “Scripture alone,” and finally for “God’s glory alone.”  Now, one may wonder that, if they are all together and speaking of the same thing, then how can they be alone?  That’s a fair question.  The answer to that is that each one speaks of a certain aspect of true Biblical Christianity: 

1.  Scripture alone.  No traditions, feelings or intuitions are used as man’s guide.  The Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testament are the only sufficient, certain, and infallible standard to guide us in how we may glorify God and enjoy Him. 

2.  God’s glory alone.  All life and all of life is to be lived for the glory of God alone because He is sovereign Potentate over all.  In other words, every creature of God, and the individual life lived out by that creature, was designed to give God alone glory as King. 

3.  Christ alone.  Salvation comes by Christ’s finished work on the Cross alone; and it is He alone that is the only Mediator between man and God. 

4.  Grace alone.  Because sinful man is radically depraved, possessing a fallen nature, there is nothing in Him that is good; and therefore, he cannot merit or assist salvation.  Every area of life is stained with sin and, therefore, falls short of giving God glory.  Salvation is completely and entirely given by God’s free and sovereign grace. 

5.  Faith alone.  When God saves a soul, that soul is justified by faith alone, trusting unto the work that Christ has done to secure salvation.  It is to this truth we will speak that we will examine in our next article. 

Therefore, we conclude and rightly proclaim that salvation is wrought by God’s free and sovereign grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, for God’s glory alone.

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The Gospel and its Essence

Posted February 6, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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“For what saith the scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness….  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” —Romans 4:5, 8 

Justification by grace through faith has been called by many the essence of the gospel.  Others have stated that justification by grace thru faith is the gospel.  Both of these statements, I believe, are correct. 

Justification by grace through faith is the essence of the gospel because these truths must be clearly conveyed so that we understand that the statement, apart from the work of the Spirit and the application of the Word of God, is not the full gospel, as it then becomes a cliché among preachers and church goers. 

Justification by grace through faith is the gospel because in it contains the act of God to declare justified any hopeless, helpless sinners who believe on the Person of Christ in His life, atoning death, burial for three days, resurrection, and promised return.  The fullness of justification by grace through faith contains in it God’s free and sovereign grace to justify sinners because all men are unable to save themselves in and of themselves.  Justification by grace through faith contains in it the gospel of God’s sufficient power to save souls by the preaching of the gospel through sinful men who have been justified by grace through faith. 

Are you the blessed man?  Are you the blessed woman?  If not, if there is any doubt, then as Abraham of old, through the command of God, “Look now, toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them: so shall Abraham’s offspring be.”  Are you as the offspring of Abraham, counted as righteous, justified before God?  Look unto Jesus Christ and be ye saved.

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Blessed Imputation

Posted February 5, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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“Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” —Romans 4:8 

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works” (Romans 4:6).  After having given proof of Abraham’s justification by grace through faith, the apostle gives an illustration of another prominent figure in the history of Israel: David the king.  Abraham was called the friend of God.  David was called a man after God’s own heart. 

The word “impute” here (and also in v8) is the same Greek root (λογιζομαι) for the word “counted” in vv4, 6, as well as the word “reckoned” in v5.  It means “to consider, deem, judge, determine,” “to take or make account of,” “to place upon one’s credit.” 

As Paul just presented Scripture in the life of Abraham with one side of imputation in justification, Abraham being considered righteous through faith, Paul presents another aspect of imputation in justification, David being forgiven through faith. 

“Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:7-8).  In these verses, Paul quotes Psalms 32:1-2, 

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

This instructive poem of David is an excellent selection to allow us to see the grace of God to forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin regardless of the sin committed.  For if the apostle Paul had quoted from Psalms 51, the psalm that David had written in repentance because God had confronted him through Nathan the prophet concerning his covetousness, adultery, murder, and deceitful cover-up, we might have room to say, “Well that doesn’t apply to me because I’ve never done anything like that.”  Yet, the Holy Spirit directs the heart and mind of Paul to quote Psalms 32:1-2 in order to present man’s depravity through original sin; man’s state of fallen-ness since Adam’s initial disobedience. 

David, though a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22), was full of many faults.  As king, David violated the command of God for a king by multiplying wives to himself (Deuteronomy 17:17).  He acted foolishly and presumptuously, and so his life reflected a blessedness, not because of his works, but by God’s justification by grace through faith. 

Sometimes we tend to look at these “great heroes of the faith” and make them out to be more than the mere sinners they are.  They were used mightily for God’s glory and the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom only by God’s grace alone. 

Therefore, this blessing is to us and for us.  It is for those whom God has justified through faith in His only Son, Jesus Christ. 

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalms 32:1).  A person is happily blessed because God has cast away (lifted up, נשא) his sin (rebellion, פשע), and covered his sin  (חטאה) like the flood waters during the days of Noah (covered, as in Genesis 7:19-20 where כסה is used).  “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalms 103:12). 

“Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile” (Psalms 32:2).  A man is happily blessed whose iniquity (עון) is not imputed, counted, reckoned (חשב) by YHVH.  Another reason that this passage is selected is because the first use of the word in the Bible, יחשב (imputeth) comes from Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” 

Therefore, the questions that we must ask are: “Am I the blessed man?  Am I the blessed woman?  Has God counted me righteous for Jesus Christ’s sake?  Has God counted me forgiven for Jesus Christ’s sake.”

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Justification by Grace

Posted February 4, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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“For what saith the scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” —Romans 4:3 

“What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?” (Romans 4:1).  This passage begins once again with an almost rhetorical question from the apostle Paul, “What shall we say then…?”  Again, as we understand that a rhetorical question is a question that is uttered to bring our attention to the obvious and it requires no answer, if we had been paying very close attention to what the Holy Spirit had been revealing through the course of letter, Paul’s own answer to his question should be blaringly obvious. 

Although God is the sovereign Potentate, King over all, His declaration of justification does not come from His power as King, but instead, through His ruling as a holy and just Judge.  Romans 3:26 calls Him the “just Justifier.”  Although a king, or even a president, can pardon a criminal and let him go free, when that criminal is released to the public, he’s still the criminal he always was; the guilt that was upon him was never removed; and even if he never commits another crime the rest of his life, he’s still only a pardoned criminal.  But justification is a legal term (theologians call it a forensic).  Justification is God’s declaration that the righteousness of His law has been fulfilled… and that fulfillment came by the life and death of His righteous Son, Jesus Christ.  When a criminal is pardoned by a king, he still knows the guilt of what he has done; when a sinner is justified by a holy Judge, that sinner leaves the courtroom of God without guilt or condemnation because he is fully assured in the sufficiency of his Substitute in having taken the penalty on his behalf. 

In Romans 4:1, Paul is speaking to the Jews, because he references “Abraham our father pertaining to the flesh,” what has he found?  What has he gained?  What use was there in circumcision? 

“For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God” (Romans 4:2).  To paraphrase the first part of v2, I might put it this way: “If Abraham’s righteousness came by his own efforts, Abraham would have something to brag about; but since it is clear from everything explained to this point that ‘there is none that doeth good, no not one’ (Romans 3:12), then Abraham cannot make that boast before God.”  The apostle makes his appeal and proves this from the Scriptures… 

“For what saith the Scripture?  Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3).  The apostle quotes Genesis 15:6.  This is where we, as Christians must always state our case: from the pages of Scripture. 

“After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.  And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?  And Abram said, Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.  And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be.  And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” —Genesis 15:1-6 

 Abram’s faith was based upon the Word of the Lord, upon God’s declaration of what He would do; Abram was told to “Look now” to ponder and consider the stars as an example of how plentiful God would make his descendents; and he believed God and God placed His own righteousness upon Abram’s account for that belief.  In fact Abram’s faith was in the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, because his faith and trust was in the Word of the LORD (Genesis 15:1, 4), while we know that Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate (John 1:1, 14).  Further, this came by nothing that Abram did.  He did nothing to warrant God’s making to him any promise whatsoever. 

Additionally, that Abram is counted as having God’s righteousness is evident in Scripture because his life is not the most exemplary.  Abram lied to Pharaoh about Sarah (Genesis 12:18). 

“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt” (Romans 4:4).  If justification came as a result of what man had accomplished, then it would not be grace, but it would come by obligation.  To think that man can be justified before God by what man can do or what he has done will bring about some serious problems with Scripture in general and the character of God in particular.  First, to suggest that justification comes by works and not by grace is to suggest that man’s works can be perfectly acceptable to God; yet, that violates Scripture because we are told that “there is none righteous” (Romans 3:11), and that “there is none that doeth good” (Romans 3:12).

 Second, to place God under obligation to our own works or deeds would subordinate Him to our work, even if it were possible for us to do something perfectly, and without sin (even though we can’t); but even if it were possible, the thought of making God obligated to reward us for something we did, would make Him less than what He is.  It would debase His exalted, heavenly position, and it would exalt us to equality with God, at the very least, if not altogether above God. 

This is why saving faith is a grace that must come from God, because if faith is already in me to obligate God to justify me, I have exalted myself and rendered the sovereign God a slave to my faith. 

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5).  This doesn’t mean that a sinner doesn’t do anything good, or try to do something good.  In fact, among the puritans, they had a term for those who were unsaved who, under conviction of the preaching of the Word, they would do “bad good works” in hopes of lessening their offenses against God, because they were not saved.  What this verse does mean, however, is that there was nothing that one could do to merit grace; that God justifies the ungodly, is evident that since they are ungodly, there’s nothing they could do to warrant justification. 

It would also be good at this point to mention that once a sinner is justified by grace through faith, the evidence that it truly is saving faith by which that soul has been justified will be a desire to bring forth works unto righteousness.  That is what makes the verse in James consistent with v3 as Paul uses it: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:23-24).  James is actually proving that justification is by grace because mere belief which is only an ascent and acknowledgement to the facts is not true saving faith.  He says earlier, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble” (James 2:19).  Saving faith must come from God and must be imparted by God. 

Justification is a grace, which is also evidenced in Abram’s life after God imputed (counted) his faith as righteousness because of his lapses of faith afterward.  He sires a child through Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid (Genesis 16) and he lies to Abimelech of Gerar about Sarah being his wife (Genesis 20:9-12).  Yet, he does grow in faith once he is justified because that is evidenced in what he does in Genesis 22, taking Isaac his son to sacrifice on Mt. Moriah upon the Lord’s word.

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No Antinomianism

Posted February 1, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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“Do we then make void the law through faith?  God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” —Romans 3:31

 I might literally translate the verse in this way: “Do we then abolish the Law through faith? No way! On the contrary, we make the law stand more firmly.” 

There is a term in theology called antinomianism.  It comes from two Greek words: anti, meaning “in place of” and nomos, meaning “law.”  In other words, antinomianism means that the law has been replaced (“in place of law”); that is, that the Law of Moses has been replaced by faith.  It’s a false doctrine; and this verse, along with several others in the Bible say so. 

Because we understand that the law is a STANDARD that originates in God and initiated by God, whether by works (obedience to commands) or by faith (trusting belief), one does not replace the other, nor is one nullified, abolished, or made void by the other.  Since we have been justified by God’s grace through faith, then the faith that is imparted to us by God to redeem us savingly firmly establishes and upholds the Law (because it’s speaking here of the law of works); it demonstrates just how holy, just, and good the Law is because the righteous Son of God fulfilled every obligation of the Law.  Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18).

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Truth for Life

Posted January 30, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Announcements, Resources Link
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Truth for Life, a ministry outreach of Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, is making their broadcasts available on SermonAudio.com.  CLICK HERE or go to www.sermonaudio.com/truthforlife.

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Humble Justification

Posted January 30, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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“Is He the God of the Jews only? is He not also of the Gentiles?  Yes, of the Gentiles also: seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.” —Romans 3:29-30 

Biblical Christianity is a monotheistic religion; we serve one God who is spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.  Yet, although God is one being, that is, in what God is, who God is has been revealed to us in the three Persons of His deity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory.  The salvation of souls takes place because the Father has decreed it, the Son has secured it, and the Holy Spirit has applied it through God’s Word. 

“Circumcision” and “uncircumcision” is a New Testament term that either describes a bodily condition or an ethnic persuasion.  Here, it speaks of an ethnic persuasion: the circumcision, being descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; that is, Jews or the nation of Israel; and the uncircumcision, being everyone else; that is, all non-Jews or all other nations other than Israel. 

There is an interesting phrase here which speaks about the one God, our Creator, who has justified Jews by faith and non-Jews through faith.  I’ve always been more than a little curious why this has been phrased this way.  It uses two distinctly different Greek words:  “by faith” (εκ πιστεως) and “through faith” (δια της πιστεως).  Some commentators suggest that these two terms basically mean the same thing; and in the spirit and heart of our key theme, “justification by faith,” they do mean the same.  In Romans 3:22 we are told that there is no difference or distinction between men as far as their justification by faith in Jesus Christ goes.  Philippians 3:9 says, 

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” 

This may generally note that they are one in the same. 

Nevertheless, though I believe that both groups of people are justified by and through faith in Christ, it would seem that the Holy Spirit draws our attention to the distinction in this way, which other commentators suggest: that the Jews were born heirs of the promise, whereas the non-Jews were strangers brought in by the sacrifice of Christ.  As Ephesians 2:12-13 speaks explicitly of the non-Jews, it implies the other concerning the Jews: 

“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” 

Although some preachers, commentators and expositors express this view, they don’t give a reason for it being here.  My question is, “Why would the Holy Spirit want this known?” 

I believe it is given for our humility as we work out in our own understanding the law of faith.  You see, the Jew has nothing to boast about in his being descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob because the righteousness of God is manifest in Jesus Christ apart from his attempts to keep the Law.  They are justified by faith according to God’s marvelous and amazing grace.  Likewise, the non-Jew has nothing to boast about in suggesting that he is special because he received God’s grace apart from the Law.  They, too, are justified by grace through faith.  Therefore, both groups must humbly bow to the law of faith for there was nothing in them that allowed them to attain or maintain salvation.  Let me paraphrase the heart of this verse: 

“Jews, are you saved by God’s grace?  Good, then don’t boast that you had something others didn’t have because you had to be given faith by God, just as any other man.  Gentiles, are you saved by God’s grace?  Good, then don’t boast in Romans 2:29, saying that you are a Jew because you are ‘one inwardly [because] circumcision is that of the heart, in spirit…’” 

We must remember Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”

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A Faithful Conclusion

Posted January 29, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” —Romans 3:28 

Here the apostle reiterates Romans 3:21 in order to reemphasize that it is not by sinful man’s obedience to God’s commands that he stands justified before God.  The New American Standard Bible renders it this way: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”  There is not a man, woman, or child, that is, ever was, or ever will be able to boast in anything apart from the Cross of Jesus Christ because God justifies a man by a trusting faith in Christ’s sufficient sacrifice, apart from anything we can do to attain or maintain righteousness before a good, holy, and just God.  It is written: “…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23); and again, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God” (2 Corinthians 3:5). 

Let us take a moment here to understand exactly what this saving faith is whereby man is justified in Christ.  We know that the Bible says that faith is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9); that it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22); and that it is the work of God (John 6:28-29); therefore, we understand that by the truth of God’s Word faith that saves is imparted to sinful men dead in their trespasses.  So, how does this faith work? 

The means by which God sends His Word is through men saved by God’s grace (Romans 10:13-14), “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”   Then, as the gospel is proclaimed, the heavenly Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, draws men to Christ, by the hearing of His holy truth: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).  The Spirit of God ministers unto the soul dead in sin and that soul is awakened by God’s grace to the glorious beauty of the truth that God has sent His only begotten Son to appease the wrath of God by taking upon Himself God’s wrath, and thus securing God’s favor for all those who would believe.  Christ gave Himself as a sacrifice willingly, obediently and lovingly. 

An objection may arise, pointing to the Lord Jesus’ words directed toward the sinful woman that washed the Lord’s feet with her tears and dried them with her hair (Luke 7:36-50).  Jesus said to her, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”  The objection typically argues that the woman was saved by an inherent faith already in her because she was made in the image of God.

 My answer to that objection is that if the fall of Adam corrupted every area of the human condition, faith from within would be flawed unless it was resurrected unto perfect faith.  Consider this: Adam was made perfectly perfect, yet, he disobeyed God; in other words, was lacked faith in God to keep His command to not eat of the fruit of the forbidden tree.  Would it seem likely that his fallen descendents are able to do in a sinful state that which Adam was unable to keep in a perfect state? 

No, my friends, the woman’s faith that saved her was certainly hers because it was a gift from God in the first place in order to believe.  The Scripture is entirely consistent to call it her faith because once a gift is given the gift belongs to the recipient.  Her actions toward the Lord were the faithful response to the grace of God moving within her, as James says, “Shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18). 

Therefore, as our verse says that men are justified by God apart from the work of the law, we realize that God has declared sinners righteous, not because of their own righteousness, but because of faith in the only righteous Man who ever lived, the only Jew who kept the whole Law completely, the only Prophet who ever spoke every Word of God perfectly, and the only Son who was always pleasing to His Father: Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

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The Law of Faith

Posted January 27, 2010 by Jon Cardwell
Categories: Doctrinal Article
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“Where is boasting then?  It is excluded.  By what law? of works?  Nay: but by the law of faith.” —Romans 3:27 

As we examined in the last article, God has redeemed the fallen man who believes on Christ from a debt that no man could possibly pay because Jesus Christ came to earth as a Man, lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life, and became a propitiation upon Calvary’s Cross, suffering the holy wrath of almighty justice for the sins of all those whom God would save by His free gift of grace.  This free gift of God began with God before ever an angel winged in the heavens, and was decreed by God, fulfilled through God, and ends with God.  This should make the question, “Where is boasting then?” utterly ridiculous.  Yet, the apostle asks the question and answers it straight away… 

“It is excluded.”   Again, at the risk of sounding redundant, the key to this entire epistle is Romans 1:17, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”  That same key which has opened the door to the holy of holies of the New Testament, Romans 3:23-27, is also the very same key that locks the door to keep anything out that would add to the grace of God through.  The apostle continues, “By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.” 

First, we should attempt to understand this word “law.”  What may immediately come to mind is the Old Testament Scriptures or the Law of Moses, as that’s what was meant by “the law” in Romans 2.  One may even think of the law as the moral law written upon the tablets of stone, the Ten Commandments.  Yet, because it says “the law of faith” some may want to define New Testament law as “Biblical principles” or “principles of truth.”  These would all be correct definitions depending upon the context in which the word is used; yet, there is a definition, or at least a concept of this word, that is much overlooked, and I believe, of primary importance in our proper understanding of the use of this word throughout the Bible.  We have mentioned in our verse, “the law… of works,” which clearly speaks of commandments of do’s and don’ts that one must “work” by his actions; yet, there is also this “law of faith,” which is clear from our previous texts that it is belief based upon what God has done, through “the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:22), as that righteousness was made apparent apart from the law of works (Romans 3:21).  Therefore, I hope that today I can pass on to you an understanding of New Testament law.  Therefore, I’d like to express that the law is basically this: the STANDARD that reflects who God is in His infinite and eternal attributes.  It is also the STANDARD that reflects all things that God has done, specifically, the penal substitutionary and atoning death of Jesus Christ upon Calvary’s tree.  It is also the STANDARD that reflects God’s instruction for man to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.  Question 2 of A Puritan Catechism states: “What rule (or standard) has God given to direct us how we may glorify Him?”  Its answer: “The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify God and enjoy Him.” 

The law comes from God, whether that law is by commandments or saving faith.  Therefore, as Paul says later, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (Romans 7:12).  The law, whether of works or of faith, is God’s STANDARD, His rule, and it is holy because it comes from Him, reflecting just how He is: a holy God of eternal and divine justice. 

If the law of works (the Law of Moses) was something that I could do in order to attain and maintain justification before a holy God, then I would have something to boast in, because my works had vindicated me.  Yet, we are told that it is excluded so that there could be no such boasting in my salvation.  Likewise, if faith was something that was already in me, something that I might muster up according to knowledge and reason so that I might stand justified before a holy God, I would have something to boast about; at least over against another who did not exercise his will, his reason, or attend that knowledge to believe by faith.  If that was the case, it would suggest at least some boasting.  But the Scripture says that boasting is “excluded.”  That means it is completely shut out, locked out, and prohibited from entering. 

The law of faith is the standard that comes from God, for it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8), it is the work of the Father (John 6:29), and it is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

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