“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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