Clinton Baldwin, Ph.D.(23.09.13)

Topics to be Discussed in this Series1. New Testament Background to Justification by Faith (in Paul)

2. Justification by Faith: The Objective and Subjective Dimensions

3. Justification By Faith: The Eschatological Dimension

4. Justification By Faith and the Law

Justification in Paul The concept of Justification in Paul is

communicated with the Greek words:

Dikaiosune or dikaioma (noun): (righteousness)

Dikaios (the adjective): (righteous/just)

dikaioo (the verb) (to justify)

Justification in Paul These words translate the Hebrew word “group” sdq

(Sedaqa or sedeq).

Righteousness (Sedaqa or sedeq) in the Old Testament is derived from the Hebrew root sdq which occurs over 500 times in the Hebrew Old Testament.

The basic meaning of sdq, the word “group” is conformity to a relationship

x

New Testament Background to Paul’s Teachings on

Justification by Faith

Three Main Groups of People in the Early Christian Church

x

Jewish Christians Hellenistic Jewish Christians

Gentile Christians

Group 1:Jewish Christians

Pentecost - many from this event (Acts 2)

Leaders of early church (Acts 15)

Continued to live as Jews i.e., kept the entire Torah (Acts 21:20)

Jewish Christians Observed the Entire Torah (Law) When they heard this they praised God. Then they said to Paul, you

see brother how many thousands of Jews have believed and all of them are

zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews

who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses telling them not to

circumcise their children or live according to the customs. (Act 21:22 -Emphasis supplied).

Paul, speaking of Ananias affirms:

He was a devoted observer of the law (nomos=Torah) and

highly respected by all the Jews living there” (Acts 22:12).“

The Torah was also called1. Moses (Mark 7:10; Acts 15:21)

2. The Law of Moses (Neh 8:1; Acts 15:15; Luke 2:22-24)

3. The Law of the Lord given through Moses (Neh 8:13; Mal 4:4)

4. The Law (Neh 8:9,13,14; Isa 8:20, Deut 31:11; John 1:18)

Jewish Christians Jewish Christians continued to worship in the Temple,

where Judaism of course was practiced (Acts 2:46, 3:1, 3, 8 ; 5:20-25, 42).

Other evidences from the book of Acts that substantiate the fact that the foundational members of the early church continued to observe all the Torah are: Acts 11: 5, 22:12; 24:14,15; 15:21. See also, Rom 2: 25-19; 13; 14.

.

Why Continue to Observe Torah? 1. Torah was God’s law and God’s law was always

obligatory. So reasoned the Jewish Christians

Note: Torah (the entire OT had many, many positive laws). From the Jewish perspective, the Torah was never seen as negative; it was always positive. It was God’s law given through Moses (Luke 2:22-24 Neh 8:9,13,14; Isa 8:20)

Some Positives of Torah Do not put a stumbling block before the blind (Lev 19:14) Be kind to strangers (Exo 22:21) Honor your mother and father (Exo 20:12) Do not murder, steal or bear false witness (Exo 20:13,15,16)Do not marry your sister (Lev18:9) Sacrifices by which sins were forgiven (Lev16) Pay the tithe and other offerings (Mal 3)Do not eat unclean meats (Lev 11)Do not carry a grudge (Lev 19:18)Do not hate anyone in your heart (Lev 19:17) Observe the appointed feasts of the Lord (Exo20:8-11; Lev 23:1-44)Love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18)

2. Torah: Sign of Covenant People In OT, Torah was a sign of the covenant people of God. The Torah was not only a set of rules to be obeyed, it was also

that entity that set Israel aside as being God’s special people (Exo 19:1-6; 22:31;; Deut 5:15; Eph 2:13-14; 2 Cor 3).

At Sinai, God made a covenant that Israel would always be His special, chosen people. That entity that served to symbolize this relationship was the law (Torah). Hence, law and covenant used interchangeably throughout the Old Testament. See for example, Exo 34:28; 2 Kgs 22: 8; 23: 2,3; Psa 78:10; Isa 24:5,6.

2. Torah: Sign of Covenant People In New Testament times, Jewish Christians saw

themselves as the New Israel. Therefore, the New Israel must continue to observe that which identifies the true Israel of God, i.e., Torah (law).

Therefore, Torah was still obligatory as far as all Jewish Christians were concerned. See passages above.

3. Jesus: The Fulfillment of Torah Jesus was the fulfillment or true meaning of Torah, not its

negation

According to Jewish Christians, Jesus came to amplify Torah, not to destroy or abolish Torah (Matt 5:17-18; 6:1-18; 23:23; 5:23-24;15:1-20;17:24-27;24:30)

Therefore, Torah was still obligatory-

Jesus the Fulfillment of TorahNon-Christian Jews in Israel offered sacrifices, but did not

see Jesus as the meaning of those sacrifices. Jewish Christians offered sacrifices, but saw Jesus as the

meaning

Non-Christian Jews circumcised, but Jesus was not seen as the meaning of circumcision

Jewish Christians circumcised, Jesus seen as the meaning of circumcision

Jesus: The Fulfillment of TorahNon-Christian Jews worshipped in the temple, but Jesus

not seen as the meaning of the temple Jewish Christians worshipped in the temple with Jesus

seen as the meaning of temple (Heb 8-10)

Non-Christian Jews observed the feast days (yom kippur, Pentecost, Tabernacles, etc.)- Jesus not seen as the meaning of these days

Jewish Christians observed the feast days, Jesus understood as the meaning of these days (Col 2:14-16)

Jesus the Fulfillment of TorahNon-Christian Jews observed the priesthood – but Jesus not the

meaning Jewish Christians observed the priesthood - Jesus the meaning of

priesthood (Heb 8-10)

Non-Christian Jews observed - no stealing, no killing, no adultery, love neighbor as oneself - Jesus not seen as the meaning

Jewish Christians observe the same commands but with Jesus understood as the meaning of these realities

For Jewish Christians, Jesus was the meaning of entire Torah

.For Jewish Christians, Christianity wasonly a special type of Judaism.

Note: There were many types of Judaisms in the first century. There were the Judaism of the

Pharisees, Sadducees, Samaritans, Essenes, Herodians, the Am ha Artez, etc. These types of Judaism were all different in many significant ways.

Hebrew Jewish Christians Thus, the Jewish Christians continued to keep the entire Torah as an identity marker

Note: This was intrinsic to their heritage for hundreds of years; from the entire Old Testament era (Acts 15; (Exo19:1-6). In fact, it was commanded by God. (Exo 19:1-6;

22:31;

Deut 5:15; Eph 2:13-14; 2 Cor 3; see also previous slides). But, as we

shall see shortly, God through Jesus was now speaking to them and

all humanity in a new way.

x

x

GodJewish

Christians Torah-

Identity Marker

TORAH NOT FOR GENTILES The Torah was a sign between God and his

people, Israel (Exo19:1-6). It was like a wedding band that symbolizes the special relationship between a man and his wife. No-one would want another person to wear his/her wedding band. Therefore, the OT and Jewish tradition considered Torah only for Israel. If a Gentile wished to keep Torah, he/she would first have to become a Jew

The Noachian Laws For Gentiles Since Torah was not for Gentiles, Gentiles

could be saved as Gentiles if they kept another set of laws which were designed for Gentiles, namely, the Noachian Commandments

However, if a Gentile wished to keep Torah he would have to first become a Jew

Noachian Laws [Gen 9]The Noachian laws were seven laws derived

from Genesis chapter nine. Jewish tradition held that they were given to Noah and all mankind after the flood. If the pious Gentile kept these laws (not Torah) they would be saved in the final judgment.

Noachian Laws [Gen 9]

1. Do not worship idols2. Do not blaspheme the name of God3. Establish courts of justice4. Do not kill5. Do not commit adultery6. Do not rob7. Do not eat flesh cut from living animals

.Note the Reflection of Noachian laws in

Acts 15

The Jerusalem Counsel of Act 15, decided that Gentiles needed not become Jews, i.e., it was not necessary for them to come under Torah law

CircumcisionNote: Circumcision was not only a singular act; it was

also a representative act. It meant that the individual having been circumcised, would come under Torah law or, had become a Jew

Thus, when the council rejected circumcision for the Gentiles, it was saying Gentiles did not need to keep Torah. In other words, Gentiles needed not become Jews in order to be apart of the church

All of the above information is indispensible if one is to

have an adequate understanding of the New Testament teachings on Justification by Faith

Group Two: Gentile Christians These were non-Jews, who converted to Christianity

They were considered anomos, i.e., without law

They were only required by Jews to keep the Noachian laws

Gentile ChristiansTraditionally, they needed to become Jews in

order to be considered part of the covenant community (Rom 2; Acts 15:1-5)

In the ancient world, one became a Jew by means of circumcision, proselyte baptism, the offering of a sacrifice in the temple and by observing the feast days of the Old Testament. These were things which were “distinctively” Jewish

.As will be seen shortly, the clash in the early

Christian church that necessitated Paul’s teachings on Justification by faith, was over the fate of the Gentile believers.

Group Three: The HellenistsThese were Greek-speaking Jewish Christians, (Acts 6:1). For example, Stephen, Paul, Barnabas.

Christianity for Hellenist Christianity was not a sect of Judaism

The Hellenists brought Gentiles into the church

without first making them into Jews by circumcision and Torah observance (Acts11:20)

Major Problem A Clash

Jewish Christians

HellenistsChristians

Gentiles

Justification by Faith Apart from Works of Law

.

Therefore, the background to Paul’s teaching on justification by faith was the issue as to whether or not Gentiles must first become Jews through Torah observance in order to qualify as members of the new covenant community, namely, the Christian church. Paul responded to the problem using the teachings of justification by faith of Jesus apart from works of law.

.The Jewish Christians said “yes”, Gentiles

must first become Jews

Paul and other Hellenists said ‘NO,’ Gentiles needed not become Jews

The battle lines were drawn

.Note: Whenever passages concerning

Justification by Faith are mentioned in Paul, reference to Jews and Gentiles always appear in the adjacent verses. See for example, Rom 1:16-17; 3:28-29; Gal 1, 2, 3.

Excursis

Before we enter further into a clarification of Paul’s idea

of Justification by faith, his definition of sin must first be

understood. This will help to clarify the discussion of

Paul’s teaching on the subject of Justification by faith

Paul & Sin All humans are sinners - Jews and Gentiles

alike (Rom 1-3)

Sin came upon all mankind through the one act of Adam (Rom 5)

Sin: Paul’s Understanding For Paul, sin is more than the transgression

of a law code

Sin is a condition

A state of being

A state of broken relationship with God

Sin: Paul’s Understanding Sins plural are as a result of Sin singular

Sin causes Sins We sin because we are sinners, not in order

to become sinners

Note carefully the function of sin- singular in the following passages

Sin: A Power/Condition that Causes Wrong Actions: Rom 7:7-25But SIN seizing opportunity afforded by the commandments, produced in me every kind of covetous desire…I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandments came SIN sprang to life and I died… SIN deceived me, and through the commandments put me to death…[SIN]

produced death in me through what was good…

Sin: A Power/Condition I am sold as a slave to SIN. I do not

understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is SIN living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature...

Now, if I do what I do not want to do, it is no

Sin: A Power/Condition longer I who do it, but it is SIN living in me . . . what a wretched man I am! Who will

rescue me from this body of death.

Sin: A Power/ConditionRom 6:12-14: Therefore do not let sin reign

in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (NIV)

Sin: A Power/ConditionRom 5:12:Therefore, just as sin entered the

world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned (NIV)

Sin: Not Only Wrong Actions Sin is not only wrong actions, but even good

actions in keeping with the Law can be sinful

Whatsoever [good or bad] that is not from faith [in

Jesus] is sin (Rom 14:23)

Note: Peter was in keeping with the OT law in Gal 2 when

he refused to eat with the Gentiles

Sin: Not Only Wrong Actions See Matt 7:22, 23 ---Prophesied…Cast out devils….many wonderful works

in your name…[but] I never knew you

Good actions done outside of a relationship with Jesus can also equal sinful actions

Sin: Not Only Wrong Actions John 16:9 ….Concerning sin because they do not

believe in me See also, Matt 12:34,35; Mark 7:15-20

In the OT: Ps. 51:5 - I was born in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me.

Other NT Texts CollaboratesThus, one can be in accordance with the law and still be

sinning; e.g., Peter, Martha; good performers at the last judgment, Matt 7; etc.

One can also be out of line with the letter of the law and not be sinning. See for example, Judges 5:11 (Jael); Hosea 2- (Hosea re Gomer); Ezk. 4:12-13 (Ezekiel re clean & unclean); Josh 6:14-17 (Israel sent to war on Sabbath)

Sin Not Only Wrong Actions Jesus pronounced “ . . . Sin because they do not believe in

me” John 16.9; see also 15.22,24

Again, Whatsoever [good or bad] that is not from faith [in Jesus] is sin (Rom 14:23)

Our Sinful Condition

We are sinners not only because of our wrong actions, but also by virtue of who we

are. Even when we are not doing wrong actions, we are still sinners and stand guilty (Rom 5:12).

Because of our very complex and chronic sin condition Paul affirms that God had to make the very person of Jesus our righteousness. Thus Jesus himself is the new covenant sign of the new elect people

Jesus: Our JustificationThus Paul affirms that because we are

sinners both by acts and by state of being, nothing good that God is accomplishing in us can qualify or justify us before God

Our righteousness or justification has to be a reality that God accomplished outside of us, namely, Jesus

Conclusion Thus, background to Paul’s teachings of Justification

by Faith, was the Jew-Gentile issue in the early church.

Jewish Christians wanted Gentile to become Jews

through the keeping of the Torah and Hellenists like Paul, affirmed that that was unnecessary. Reason, all mankind are sinners in a chronic way and only what God accomplishes in Jesus can stand as a symbol/reality of our righteousness before God. Therefore, Torah laws has lost its special function of being the identity marker of the chosen people. The sign of the chosen people was now a person (Jesus), not a code (Torah)

Justification by FaithPaul described this new reality as

Justification. He consistently affirmed that a person is justified, i.e., accepted by God, soley by Jesus’ faithfulness apart from human works of law (Rom 3:21-28; Gal 2:14-16, 21)

.

So whereas, for Jewish Christians the identity marker, the badge of the chosen people was the law, for Paul and other New Testament writers the identity marker, or the badge of the elect people of God was now Jesus and his Spirit. Jesus, not the Torah was the new Covenant sign. As seen from the OT, righteousness always had to do with a relationship. First, it was relationship mediated through the Torah, but in the NT it is relationship mediated through the person of Jesus.

.

xJews

TorahIdentity Marker God

Humanity (Jews &Gentiles)

JesusNew Identity

marker

God

Jesus Our RighteousnessRom 3:28- For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.

1 Cor 1:30, 31 - Christ Jesus … became for us wisdom…

righteousness (justification) sanctification and redemption.

Jesus: Our Righteousness

Rom 3:21- 26: But now a righteousness from God

apart from law has been made known, to which the

law and the prophets testify. This righteousness

from God comes through the faith of Jesus Christ to

all who believe…

Jesus: Our Righteousness There is no difference, for all have sinned and

continue to come short (usterountai) of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a mercy seat (hilasterion) through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- he did this to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus…. for we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law.

Jesus: Our RighteousnessGal 2:15,16…. know that a man is not

justified by observing the law, but through the faith of Christ

So we too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by the faith of Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Jesus: Our RighteousnessGal 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have

been alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.

2 Cor. 5:17-21 - Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone the new has come. All this is from God who has reconciled us

to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them…

Jesus: Our Righteousness

God made him who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2Cor 5:21).

BELONGING TO CHRISTIf you belong to Christ then you are

Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise (Gal 3:28)

Those who are led by the spirit of God are sons [children] of God (Rom 8:14).

BELONGING TO CHRIST

To all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:14).

Jesus Our Righteousness Therefore, Paul and the other New Testament

writers affirm that God made Jesus the righteousness of mankind. Jesus’ perfect keeping of the law is accepted as ours.

The Holy Spirit Represents JesusNote for example, how throughout the books

of Acts and also in the Pauline Epistles that entity that identified the early Christians as being Christians was the Holy Spirit. See Acts 2:1-28, 38; 6: 3-6; 8: 18-21; 9: 17, 18; 11:28; 13: 1-3; 15: 8, 9; 19: 1-7.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus, or Jesus’ other self (Gal 4: 6; Rom 8: 9,11; Phil 1: 9)

Accepted because of JesusBecause Jesus is humanity’s righteousness

before God, Paul affirmed that Jews who accepted Jesus were justified and Gentiles who accepted Jesus were also justified, that is, counted as righteous before God. The decisive issue was now Jesus, not a law having to do with Jesus. Righteousness was now determined in relationship to the person of Jesus, not in relationship to a code - Torah.

Our Righteousness is a Person(Exam)

X’

’’

HUMANITY

JESUS GOD

An Assurance of Salvation Jesus as humanity’s righteousness gives the

greatest assurance of salvation

For the purpose of this discussion, let’s quantity righteousness and make 100% righteousness, the greatest amount of righteousness there is in the universe

An Assurance of Salvation How much righteousness would God and

Jesus possess? Answer: 100%

Apart from God how much righteousness would you and I possess?

Answer: 0%

Jesus: The Perfect Righteousness of God

0% 100% 100%

Separated

Humanity

Jesus God

An Assurance of Salvation However, whenever we accept Jesus, his righteousness

becomes our righteousness. It therefore means that we now have 100% righteousness before God. Indeed, we now possess the righteousness of Jesus (Rom 1:16,17).

Note: This 100% righteousness is righteousness in terms of a status or standing before God. It is not 100% righteousness in terms of our achievement or performance.

An Assurance of Salvation Having accepted Jesus, his full righteousness is now

given to us, and that which he has to give is only 100%. His righteousness cannot be segmented because it is resident in his very person and Jesus cannot be divided. Therefore, either you have his 100% righteousness or none at all. However, once you accept him, the Bible teaches his 100% becomes yours (Rom 5:1; Gal 2:15,16; Eph 2:6-8)

Complete in Christ (Col 2:10) X

You100 %

Jesus100 %

God 100 %

Complete in ChristAgain, in terms of behaviour (law-keeping) you are not

perfect, or sinless; but because you accept Jesus, you are reckoned as perfect or 100% righteous while you are growing in your perfection.

Heb 10:14: By one offering, he has perfected for all times, those who are being sanctified [i.e., growing in grace]

Complete in ChristThe righteousness of Jesus which you possess cannot be

improved upon by your law-keeping. It is an immortal constant. It is Jesus himself and our law-keeping cannot make Jesus, more Jesus. Put another way, we cannot improve on the blood of Jesus. It is for this reason why Paul consistently affirmed that a person is justified by the faithfulness of Jesus apart from [our] works of law. Note, the words apart from [our] works of law (Gal 2:15,16; Rom 3:20-28)

Purpose of Law-KeepingOur keeping of the law is therefore only a grateful

response and an appreciation of the fact that God has given to us the 100% righteousness of Jesus. Jesus’ (righteousness) within us will empower us to live a life of obedience, but never a life of obedience (law- keeping) in order to be later seen as righteous before God. The righteousness that qualifies us before God will always remain a gift - the very person of Jesus. Nothing that we do in response to that gift can make Jesus Jesus, and again, he is our righteousness.

Justification: Based on Grounds Outside of Us Thus, we are not justified by what God is doing in us,

through the work of the Holy Spirit. We are justified by what God has done outside of us, and for us, in Jesus on the cross 2,000 years ago.

Note: we must always make the distinction between what

God has done for us in Jesus and what God is doing in us through the Spirit

What God is Doing in us vs. What God Has Done Outside of us in Jesus

IN US IN JESUS

Is imperfect

Is in process

Tainted by sin

Not the basis of salvation

Is perfect

Completed on the cross 2,000 years ago

Not tainted by sin

Is the basis of salvation

What God is Doing in us vs. What God has Done Outside of us in Jesus

IN US IN JESUS Is the means of acceptance of

salvation (law-keeping) Is called “our faith in Jesus”

Is like the reflection of the sun

Glorifies God in an imperfect manner

Our faith in Jesus

Is the basis of achieving salvation – Jesus himself

Called the faith(fulness) of Jesus

Is the sun itself

Glorifies God in a perfect manner

Is the faithfulness of Jesus

What God is Doing in us vs. What God has Done Outside of us in Jesus What God is doing in us through the work of the Holy Spirit is

always in process. As long as we are in this mortal body, such work will be incomplete, imperfect , and lacking. (Remember our sinful condition discussed earlier). The work of the Spirit’s sanctification in us will continue for a lifetime and a lifetime is until we die or whenever Jesus returns. The sanctifying process, while it glorifies God, is also a testimony that we are still falling short of God’s perfect ideal. We are still sinners, hence the work needs to continue as long as we live. For this reason, God accepts Jesus’ perfect righteousness as ours. He accepts Jesus’ perfect keeping of the law as ours. So once we accept Jesus, automatically, we gain a perfect law-keeping record before God. So perfect is this record that all our subsequent keeping of the law, even by the help of God Himself cannot measure up to it. Why? Because it is the perfect law-keeping of God himself as manifested in Jesus (Rom 1:16-17)…

What God is Doing in us vs. What God has Done Outside of us in Jesus While with the help of God we can be like God or Jesus, we

cannot become Jesus/God, even with their help. God is not accepting a righteousness like that of Jesus (our performance by the help of the Spirit) he accepts only the righteousness which is Jesus himself, the real 100% righteousness. That is why Jesus died on the cross, only there could God’s righteousness be fully and perfectly manifested. While the Jesus in us is a reflection of Jesus, it is not Jesus. We reflect the sunlight, but we are not the sun. God accepts, not the reflection [in us] as our righteousness, but the Son himself as our righteousness

What God is Doing in us vs. What God has Done Outside of us in Jesus Now, if God and Jesus qualify to be in heaven with 100%

righteousness, then it means that when we accept Jesus, we also qualify to be in heaven. God cannot ask us for more than 100% righteousness. He cannot ask us to be more righteous than Jesus. It therefore means that the person who is in a relationship with Jesus is saved. He qualifies for heaven to an extent that cannot be improved upon. He has the righteousness of Jesus credited to his account, and that is all that God can ask of us. In fact, that is God’s method of salvation, not ours.

We Qualifyx

- Heaven

100 %

You100 %

Jesus100 %

God100 %

THE IMPORTANCE OF LAW-KEEPING Law keeping is very important

Important as a means of accepting salvation, not as a means of achieving salvation (Gal 3)

We do not keep the law in order to be saved, we keep the law because we are saved (Eph 2:6-10)

Our faith receives, Jesus’ faithfulness achieves

THE IMPORTANCE OF LAW-KEEPING Keep law because you are in the boat, not in

order to get in the boat

ON THE BUS If you are on bus travelling from Mandeville to Kingston,

(approximately 60 miles) while you are on the bus, you are on the bus. There is nothing you can do to be on the bus while you are already sitting on the bus. The things you do while being on the bus, will not get you on the bus, you are already there. You will act appropriately (law-keeping) because certain behaviors depict passengers (saved persons), but again, nothing you can do, can qualify you to get on or remain on the bus after boarding. As long as the bus keeps on moving, you will eventually reach Kingston. Because you are so grateful that you are not walking to Kingston, you will behave as a respectable passenger (law-keeping). Interestingly, the only means of getting on to the bus was by accepting a free pass, you could not pay your fare.

Law-Keeping Glorifies God Matt 5: 16: Let your light so shine before men

so that they may see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven

Our keeping of the law is to glorify God. Not to qualify us for salvation. God is glorified that a sinner like you and me can boast of salvation, and be endowed with the Spirit of God to live an obedient glorified life (Eph. 2:8-9- having been saved, we are now God’s workmanship created for good works)

Law-Keeping Glorifies God We do not keep the law to be justified in the

first place, neither do we keep the law to maintain our justification. Our justified status is maintained by the free grace of God (Gal 2:14-16;5:4).

Jesus is our justification and we cannot maintain Jesus as Jesus. (You do not sit in the sunlight in order to keep the sun in the sky).

ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED? Answer: NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!

Unless one remains in Jesus, then one would have let go of the saved status

One would then acquire a lost status

ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED? While being on the bus you can stop the bus

and get off. However, the fact that you can stop the bus and get off does not mean that you are not on the bus. You should not doubt the fact that you are on the bus while you are sitting on the bus. While you are in Jesus you are saved.

Always Saved While Being in Jesus

SAVED

End

very end

Outside=Lost Inside = Saved

very end

Outside=Lost Saved

.

NO HOP-IN AND HOP-OUT OF SALVATION WHILE BEING IN JESUS

NO HOP-IN AND HOP-OUT OF SALVATIONThe idea of being saved today, lost tomorrow, then saved the next day and again lost the next day, etc., is not biblical

We are not saved on every act of repentance then lost the next minute on an act of sin. This method is hinging salvation on law-keeping

In the Biblical method, salvation based on PERSON KEEPING not LAW-KEEPING, i.e., a relationship with a person –Jesus Christ

NO HOP-IN AND HOP-OUT OF SALVATIONWhile being on the bus to Kingston, you may attempt to

walk from the back of the bus to the front of the bus and may stumble or even fall in the process. However, you would have fallen inside the bus. The bus continues to move and you are still on your way to Kingston (saved status). There is a big difference between stumbling (sinning) while being in the bus and falling while being outside of the bus. You do not lose your passenger status because you stumble while being in the bus. You can only lose it if you decide to stop the bus and get off. The person who is in Jesus will make mistakes while being in Jesus (Rom 7), however, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).”

NO HOP-IN AND HOP-OUT OF SALVATIONYou certainly do not lose your salvation on every act of

sin and regains it on every act of repentance. Such would be salvation by works. It would be tantamount to a married person divorcing each time there is a disagreement and remarrying each time there is a make-up. The deeper anchorage of the marriage is relationship with the other person, not mistakes made while being in the relationship. The trend of our lives is the bottom line.

Again, we do not hop-in-and out of salvation while being in Jesus. There is no such thing as being saved today, lost tomorrow, saved the next day, lost the next day, etc.

NO HOP-IN AND HOP-OUT OF SALVATIONWhile the person who is in Christ is growing in grace, such an individual is considered saved to an extent that none of his/her growth in grace can cause him/her to become more saved. Before we begin to keep the law, Jesus kept it perfectly for us (Rom 5:17-19). Thus, our keeping of the law can only be a grateful response to salvation, never a means of qualifying for salvation.

NO HOP-IN AND HOP-OUT OF SALVATION

Heb 10:14: By one offering he has perfected for all times, those who are being sanctified [i.e., growing in grace]

No Condemnation to Those Who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1)

Not sinless but still tending toward Jesus

That Which is to Come is Already PresentIt is for this reason that the New Testament affirms that

the key realities of salvation which are to be fully consummated in heaven are already possessed in principle by the person who has accepted Jesus - Jews and Gentile alike. In other words, although upon earth, legally, the Christian is already in heaven. S/he is already saved (Eph. 2:6)

That Which is to Come is Already PresentSalvation-now Eph 2:8

Justification-now Rom 5:1; 3:21-28

Redemption-now Col 1:14; Eph 1:7

Reconciliation-now Col 1:1-21; Rom 5:8-10

That Which is to Come Already PresentSealed-now Eph 1:13,14; Eph. 4:30

Adopted into Heaven’s family-now Eph 1:4,5

Glorified-now Rom 8:30

Citizenship in Heaven-now Phil 3:20Eternal Life-now John 3:16-18; 3:36; 5:24

Rom 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation

to those who are in Christ Jesus.

Thank God through Jesus Christ I stand

saved, ready for eternity, I am not getting ready for heaven, I am staying ready.

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THE End