“I
believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given man.
All
the good from the Savior of the world is communicated
to
us through this book.”
Abraham Lincoln
JUSTIFIED BY GRACE
THROUGH FAITH
IN
HIS BLOOD
“What
Saith the Scripture?”
“Being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus.
(Romans
3:24-26)
“Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
(Romans
5:1)
“But
God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified
by His
blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
(Romans 5:8-9)
Andrew
Palo
(Revised)
February 3, 2004
Germany
Scripture
taken from the King
James Version (KJV) and
The
New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise
indicated.
Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc.
Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Through
the preaching and teaching of the Reformer
Martin Luther,
the Biblical Doctrine
of Justification
by Grace through Faith became
the basis of the Reformation
which began in Germany,
and ultimately spread throughout Switzerland, the U.K.
(Scotland, England, Wales), Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway,
the United States of America, Canada, Australia, and New
Zealand. Since
then, the freedoms and privileges enjoyed in the Western Free
World were based on this cardinal doctrine of the Bible.
Unfortunately, today, many in the Western World have forgotten
and neglected this doctrine. There is a great and urgent need
to revive this vital doctrine of the Scriptures.
Prior
the Reformation in Germany, people throughout Europe did not
own a personal copy of the Bible, nor have direct access to
the plain teachings of the Scriptures. The availability of the
Latin Bible [Codex Vaticanus], was rigidly controlled
by Rome, and its hierarchy of priests. By means of a
‘religious-political system’ which they maintained and
enforced, a particular system of interpretation which taught
salvation by ‘works’. These ‘religious meritorious
works’ included worship of a ‘round-wafer god’, a
‘female goddess’, dead saints, idols,
icons, relics; the selling of indulgences, purgatory,
etc. The Good News of the Gospel was completely obscured for
centuries, which were known
as the “dark ages”.
After
many personal struggles and study of the Bible, Dr. Martin
Luther came to
understand the true Good News of the Gospel, as taught by the
Apostle Paul:
For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the
power of God unto salvation to every one that
believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith: as it is written,
‘The just shall live by
faith.’
[Hab
2:4]
(Romans
1:16-17)
Knowing
that a man is not
justified by
the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified
by
the
faith of Christ,
and not
by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified.
(Galatians
2:16)
Dr.
Martin Luther came to understand from the Bible, the written
Word of God, that salvation
is a gift from God that cannot be earned: “For
the wages of sin
is
death;
but the gift
of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Rom.
3:23),
“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.
(Eph.
2:8-9).
Luther understood that “to
him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth
the
ungodly,
his faith
is counted for righteousness”
(Rom.
4:5); “being
justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Rom.
5:1), being
“justified by
His
blood” (Rom.
5:9). It
is God who justifies (Rom.
8:33)
the ungodly;
not the “righteous”, but the “unrighteous”, the “ungodly”.
It
was this doctrine of Justification by Grace that
brought Luther peace with God.
The doctrines
of the Reformation ignited by Martin Luther have been
summarized as follows:
v
Sola
Gratia
–
by Grace alone.
v
Sola
Fide –
through Faith alone.
v
Soli
Deo Gloria.
– to
God alone be the Glory
Dr.
Martin Luther understood that he must put his faith and
complete trust in the Word of God only, because: “Faith
comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.
(Rom.10:17).
Henceforth,
Luther’s desire was to make the Bible, the written word of
God, available for the common people to read in their own
German language of the day. Being a learned scholar and
linguist, he was able to translate, for the first time, the
New Testament, into the common German Language of his day.
A remarkable scholarly and historic achievement.
Luther
had experienced the reality of the freedom that the Word of
God promised through the Glorious Good News (Romans
10:15)
of the Gospel:
“
Ye shall know the
truth,
and the
truth
shall make you
free”
(John
8:32).
Having
trusted the Word of God for his eternal salvation, Luther
understood that he must agree with the Word of God against the
“Traditions of men”, on which Romanist system had based
their temporal and religious authority. From personal
experience, Luther knew that the Romanist system of his time,
had elevated their “Tradition” of men” to have equal
authority as the Bible, and by this justified their particular
system of interpretation, which taught salvation by
‘meritorious works’, and the worship of idols. The Word of
God warned against elevating “the Tradition of men” above
the Word (commandment) of God:
“For
laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the
tradition of men”
“Full
well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep
your own tradition.”
(Mark
7:8,9)
Making
the word of God of no effect through your tradition,
which you have handed down.” (Mark
7:13)
The
Apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, also warned believers
of this:
“Beware
lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men, after the
rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
(Colossians
2:8)
Luther
came to understand that the sole authority by which to settle all
matters of faith and doctrine had to be the written
word of God – the Holy Scriptures (2Tim.
3:15), and
not the ‘traditions of men’ as dictated by the Romanist
system:
…the
Holy scriptures,
which are able to make thee wise
unto salvation through faith which is in
Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God [God breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness That
the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works. (2Timothy
3:16-17)
Sola
Scriptura – Only Scripture, became the sole
authority on which the Reformation was based. The rest is
Reformation history.
"We
are not to believe anything except it be proven to us by the
Holy Scriptures".
Such was
the motto of the early Church, and of all the Reformers.
The
Authority of the Scriptures -The Word of God.
“God,
who at various times and in various ways spoke
in time past to the fathers by the
prophets, 2has in these last days spoken
to us by His Son,
whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He
made the worlds” (Hebrews
1:1-3)
“For
the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
(Hebrews
4:12)
“..the
sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.”
(Ephesians
6:17)
The
Lord Jesus Christ is the Living Word of God (John
1:1,14: Rev. 19:13),
and the Creator of all things, (John
10:30; Colossians
1:15-19),
the Almighty
God. (Rev.
1:8). He
is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and
the Word Incarnate (John
1:1; ),
who speaks with Absolute Divine Authority. During His
incarnation and throughout His earthly ministry, the Lord
Christ upheld the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures, and He
quoted (“It is written:”)
extensively from the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the
Psalms: “All
things must be fulfilled
which were written
in the Law of Moses
and the Prophets
and the Psalms
concerning Me”
(John
24:44).
The
Living Word of God, who is Truth
(John
14:6),
declared, with Divine Authority,
“God
is Spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit
and truth.”
(John
4:23-24)
“It
is the
Spirit
who gives life;
the flesh profits nothing. The
words that I speak to you are spirit,
and they are life.”
(John
6:63)
He
also declared, with Divine Authority, the Scriptures to be
infallible and without error:
“The
Scripture cannot
be broken”
(John 10:35)
“Thy
Word is Truth”
(John
17:17).
Prior
to His ascension, the Lord Christ promised to send the
Holy Spirit to guide His Apostles and followers into all
truth:
But
the
Helper,
the
Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in My name, He
will
teach you all things,
and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
(John
14:26)
“But
when the
Comforter
is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the
Spirit of truth,
which proceedeth from the Father, He
shall testify
of Me.” (John
15:26)
God
the Holy Spirit
is the Author of the Bible, the entire
written word of God. He inspired all the different
writers of the books in the Bible. This plenary, verbal,
inspiration means that the Bible is
free of
error in all that it teaches. “The
Holy Spirit indicating…”
(Hebrews
9:8). “…
the Holy Spirit also is a witness to us:”
(Hebrews
10:15). The
Bible has Divine Authority, and is therefore absolutely
trustworthy in all that it teaches. The Holy Spirit never
draws attention to Himself, but always testifies and bears
witness of the Living Word of God – the Lord Jesus Christ. (John
15:26; 16:13-14)
The
Apostle John, “the beloved disciple”, who was an
eyewitness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ
(John 19:25-30; 20:31;21:24) also testified:
This
is He that came by water and blood,
even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.
And it is the Spirit that beareth witness,
because the Spirit is truth.
(1
John 5:6)
For
there are three that bear record in heaven, the
Father, the Word, and
the
Holy Spirit:
and these three are one. (1
John 5:7)
And
there are three that bear witness in earth, the
Spirit, and the water, and the
blood:
and these three agree in one.
(1
John 5:8)
If
we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is
greater: for this is the witness of God which He
hath testified of His Son.
(1 John
5:9)
The
Apostle Paul, under divine inspiration (Acts
9:15; 26:16:15-16; Gal. 1:11-12), wrote
that : “All Scripture is given by inspiration of
God [God breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. (2Timothy
3:16).
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime [before] were
written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort
of the scriptures might have hope”. (Romans
15:4) “…which
the Holy Spirit teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual”. (1
Cor. 2:12-13).
The
Apostle Peter also
under
Divine inspiration
(Acts 1:2) confirmed
this vital doctrine in his Epistles. He wrote that we are
“born again…..through the word of God which
lives and abides forever”. (1Peter
1:23)
“…The word of the Lord endures forever.” (1Peter
1:25)
“And
so we have the
prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a
light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this
first, that no prophecy
of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy
never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as
they were moved by the
Holy Spirit. (2
Peter 1:19-21)
Luke,
the Gospel writer, and author of the book of Acts also
confirmed that the Apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit
to record the Words of Christ:
“All that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the
day in which He was taken up, after that He through the
Holy Spirit had given commandments unto the
Apostles whom He had chosen”
(Acts 1:2)
Justification
by Grace through Faith
The
Biblical doctrine of Justification by Grace through
Faith which was ‘re-discovered’ by Martin Luther,
became the basis of the Reformation which spread throughout
Europe and the Western World. Luther had discovered and
experienced the reality of the freedom that the Word of God
promised through the Gospel of Christ. Since then, the
freedoms and privileges enjoyed in the Western Free World were
based on this cardinal doctrine of the Bible.
Today, this important Biblical doctrine is in danger of
being completely obscured once again to due Higher
Criticism, Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, the
New Age Religion and the Cults.
“What
Saith the Scripture?” regarding
this vital doctrine of Justification?
The
Living Word of God (Rev.
19:13),
“the Word made flesh” (John
1:14),
the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Highest and Supreme Authority in
all matters, since He is the King of Kings and Lord of lords, (Rev.
19:13,16)
the Almighty Creator (Rev.
1:8) of
the Universe.
There is
no greater authority in the Universe.
During
His earthly ministry He was asked : “And
they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these
things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”
(Mark 11:28)
“For
the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all
judgment
unto the Son.” (John
5:19)
“For
as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son
to have life in Himself, 27“and has given Him
authority to execute judgment also, because He is
the Son of Man. 28“Do not marvel at this; for the
hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear
His voice 29“and come forth—those who have
done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have
done evil, to
the resurrection of condemnation.”
(John
5:26-29 )
“I
have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in
Me should not abide in darkness. 47“And if anyone
hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I
did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48“He
who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which
judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him
in the last day. 49“For I have not spoken on My
own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a
command, what I should say and what I should speak.
50“And I know that His command is
everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just
as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
(John
12:46-50)
“Verily,
verily, I
say
unto you, Before Abraham was, I
am.”
(John
8:16 )
“I
and My Father are one.”
(John
10:30)
“All
authority has been given to Me in heaven and on
earth.”
(Matthew
28:18)
It
is clear from the above Scriptures that the Incarnate Word of
God, the Lord Jesus Christ, reveals God the Father’s will
and purpose for all mankind. “He is the same yesterday,
today, and forever” (Hebrews
13:8).
His words are infallible and endure
forever. “My doctrine
is not Mine, but His that sent Me.”
(John
7:16 )
“God
is a Spirit:
and they that worship Him must worship [Him] in spirit and in truth.”
(John
4:24)
“Father
… Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2“as
You have given Him authority over all flesh,
that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given
Him. 3“And this is eternal life, that they
may know You, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom You have sent.”
(John
17:1)
His
message to humanity is the Good News of the Gospel. That is
why He came:
"Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to
call the righteous, but sinners,
to repentance."
(Mark
2:17).
“Verily
I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go
into the kingdom of God before you”
(Matthew
21:31)
I
say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven
over one sinner that repenteth, more than
over ninety and nine just persons, which need no
repentance.” (Luke
15:7)
And
if any man hear my words, and believe not, I
judge him not:
for I came not
to judge the world, but to save the world.
48He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words,
hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the
same shall judge him in the last day.
(John
12:47-48)
This
means that the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith is
offered by the Lord to
‘lost’ sinners only. The Apostle Paul
wrote that God
“
that justifieth the ungodly”
(Rom. 4:3), “the sinner” and not “the righteous” .
Paul describes his own experience
in a most practical way:
12I
thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that
He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service. 13Even
though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor
and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in
ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our
Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith
and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15Here is
a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the
worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown
mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might
display his unlimited patience as an example for those who
would believe on Him and receive eternal life. 17Now
to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be
honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
(1
Timothy 1:12-17)
These
are the most wonderful words anyone can hear:
Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the
Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which
is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit
is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye
must be born again.”
(John
3:5-7)
“For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. 17For God sent not His Son into
the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him
might be saved.
(John
3:16)
“But
whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in
him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life”.
(John
4:14)
“Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth My
word,
and believeth
on Him that
sent me, hath everlasting
life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death
unto life.”
(John
5:24)
“Labour
not for the meat
which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto
everlasting life,
which the Son of man shall give unto you: for Him hath God the
Father sealed.
(John
6:27)
“I
am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger;
and he that believeth
on Me
shall never thirst.
37All
that the Father giveth me shall come to Me; and him
that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.
38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own
will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this
is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which
he hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up
again at the last day. 40And this is the will of
Him that sent me, that every
one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have
everlasting life:
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
(John
6:35, 37-40)
Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on Me
hath
everlasting life.
I
am
that bread of life.
(John
6:47-48)
“This
is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and not
die.
51I am the living bread which came down from
heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he
shall live for ever:
and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give
for the life of the world”.
(John
6:50-51)
“Whoever
eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal
life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My
flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in
Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live
because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because
of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as
your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this
bread will live forever."
(John
6:54-58)
Verily,
verily, I say unto you, I
am the door of the sheep. 8All that ever came
before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear
them. 9I
am the door:
by
Me
if any man enter in, he shall be
saved,
and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The
thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have
life,
and that they might have it more
abundantly.
(John
6:54-58)
27My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: 28And
I
give unto them eternal life;
and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My
hand. 29My
Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no
man is able to pluck them out
of
my Father’s hand. 30I and my Father are one.”
(John
10:27-30)
It
is the
Spirit
that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the
words
that I speak unto you, they
are spirit,
and they
are life.”
(John
6:63)
The
Lord Jesus Christ offers the gift of eternal life to those who
will repent of their sin and “receive Him” (John 1:12).
These are the words that enable one to be “born
again…..through the word of God which lives and
abides forever”. (1Peter
1:23)
“…The word of the Lord endures forever.” (1Peter
1:25).
The
Lord Jesus Christ has
“the words of eternal life” ( Luke 6:68). This is
the Good News of the Gospel:
“Whoever
eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal
life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My
flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in
Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live
because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because
of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven -- not as
your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this
bread will live forever."
(John
6:54-58)
What
was the reason that He had to die and shed His
Blood on the cross at Calvary? It was because of our
sins, yours and mine, because of the sins of mankind:
“As it is
written, There is
none righteous, no,
not one:”
(Rom
3:10).
All
human beings are the offspring of Adam and Eve, who sinned
against God. “For
… by one
man’s
offence death
reigned by one”
(Romans
5:17) “Therefore
as by the
offence of
one judgment came
upon all men to
condemnation”
(Romans 5:18).
“The wages of sin is death”
(Romans 6:23)
Because
of the fallen nature of man, no one is righteous in God’s
sight (Romans 3:10-11). No man can perfectly keep the Law of
God. “By the Law is the knowledge of sin” and
“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). A
Substitute is therefore needed who would perfectly keep the
Law of God and Offer Himself as a Blood Atoning Sacrifice,
satisfy the demands of God’s
Law, so that God could freely forgive sins and remain
just:
For
the life of the flesh is in
the blood, and
I have given it to you upon the altar to make
atonement for your souls; for it is
the blood that makes atonement
for the soul.'
(Lev
17:11-12)
The
Law of God demands perfect obedience and righteousness: “Without
the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin”
(Hebrews
9:22)
By
shedding His Precious Blood on the cross, the Lord Jesus
Christ perfectly fulfilled the demands of the Law – He gave
His Perfect Life and Blood for us. The precious Blood He shed
on the cross is the Blood of the New Covenant:
“Who
is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature: 16For by
Him were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all
things were created by Him, and for Him: 17And
He
is before all things,
and
by Him all things consist.
18And He
is the head of the body, the church:
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all
things He might have the preeminence.
19For it pleased the Father that in
Him should all fullness dwell;
20And, having made peace
through the
blood of His cross,
by
Him to reconcile all things
unto
Himself;
by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in
heaven”.
(Colossians
1:15-20)
By
shedding His precious blood
and dying on the on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb
of God, perfectly fulfilled the Law of God, in every respect
and every aspect, thus redeeming the elect from the failure to
keep the Law of God. We
are justified by God’s grace through faith in His
blood atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and not
by the deeds of the Law:
Therefore
by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified
in His sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Romans
3:20)
“For
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being
justified freely
by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom
God set forth as a propitiation by His
blood,
through faith, to
demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God
had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness,
that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has
faith in Jesus.
27
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works?
No, but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we
conclude that a man is justified
by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
(Romans 3:23-28)
The
Blood
of Christ is infinitely precious to God, because “the
life is in the Blood”
(Leviticus 17:11). The Life of God, the eternal
Holy Spirit dwelt in that Blood,
and Christ perfectly obeyed the Law of God – this gave
infinite worth to the blood sacrifice.
God accepted the Blood
Atoning Sacrifice of His Son:
But
Christ being come an High Priest of good things
to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Neither
by the
blood
of goats and calves, but by His
own blood
he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us.
For
if the
blood
of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling
the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
How
much more shall the
blood of Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God?
(Hebrews
9:11-14)
For
Christ is not entered into the holy places made with
hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven
itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
Nor
yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest
entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
For
then must He often have suffered since the foundation of the
world: but now once in the end of the world hath He
appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of Himself.
And
as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the
judgment:
So
Christ was once offered
to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him
shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
(Hebrews
9:24-28)
Believers
in the atoning blood sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the
cross are declared “Justified”
by God Himself, “once for
all”, “once
for all eternity”. God “imputes” the
perfect righteousness of Christ to them, and remains just:
By
the which will we are sanctified through the
offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(Hebrews
10:10)
But
this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice
for
sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
(Hebrews
10:12)
For
by one offering
He has perfected forever those who are being
sanctified.
15But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to
us; for after He had said before,
16"This is the covenant that I will
make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My
laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write
them,
(Hebrews
10:14-16)
God
Almighty does not remember our sins any more, because no more
offering for sin is needed.
The
He adds : ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I
will remember no more’.
Now
where remission of these is, there is no more offering for
sin.
(Hebrews
10:17-18)
Having
therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the Holiest by
the blood of Jesus, by
a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, His flesh;
And
having an High Priest over the house of God;
Let
us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our
bodies washed with pure water.
Let
us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
(for He is faithful that promised;)
(Hebrews
10:17-23)
“Full
assurance of faith”
is
knowing that “God justifies
the ungodly”, and that one is
“Justified
by grace through faith in His
Blood”.
The
Lord says : “Come now, and let
us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red
like crimson, they shall be as wool”.
(Isaiah 1:18).
The
Apostle Paul, being an eyewitness of the resurrected Lord
Jesus Christ, and commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself to teach the Gospel (Acts
9:1-20; 22:6-21; 23:10-11; Rom. 1:1; Gal. 1:11-2:2)
expounded the doctrine of justification by faith in
most of his epistles:
5
But to him who does not work but believes on Him
who justifies the
ungodly,
his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6just as David also describes the blessedness of the man
to whom God imputes
righteousness apart from works:
7"Blessed
are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins
are covered;
8Blessed
is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."
(Romans
4:1-8)
Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed
to him, 24but also for us. It shall be
imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our
Lord from the dead, 25who was delivered up because
of our offenses, and was raised because of our
justification.
(Romans
4:20-25)
It
is God who justifies the “ungodly” .To the believer who
trusts in the blood atoning
sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, God “imputes” the
perfect righteousness of Christ, and His perfect obedience of
the Law, as a free gift, completely apart from works. This is
what justification means according to the
Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul in
his epistles. Justification results in peace with God:
“Therefore,
since we have been justified
through faith,
we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Romans 5:1)
8But
God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While
we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since
we have now been justified
by His
blood,
how
much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!
(Romans 6-11)
That
being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.
(Titus
3:7)
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.
For
we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in
them. (Ephesians
2:8-10)
God’s
grace is a most
precious term. It means “unmerited, or undeserved favor”.
The Apostle Paul presents it in a most practical way:
18Therefore,
as through one man's [Adam] offense judgment came to all men,
resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's [Christ]
righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting
in justification of life. 19For as by one
man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one
Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
20Moreover
the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace abounded much more, 21so that as
sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign
through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord. (Romans
5:12-21)
11And
this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal
life,
and this life is in His Son. 12He that hath the Son
hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the
Son of God; that ye
may know that ye have eternal life,
and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
(1
John 5:11-13)
This
is the result of Justification. This is what ignited the
Reformation.
One
of the very sad legacies, however, of the Reformer Martin
Luther, have been the tragic consequences of his
misunderstanding of the teaching of the Bible regarding the
Jewish people as presented by the Apostle Paul in Romans 11.
The
Apostle Paul, under Divine inspiration, wrote that:
1I
say then, Hath
God cast away His
people? [The
Jews] God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of
Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God
hath not cast away His people which He foreknew.
(Romans
11:1-2) 5Even
so then at this present time also there is a
remnant
according to the election
of grace. (Romans
11:5 )
The
Jewish people, are still “His people”, chosen according to
the election of grace. The Apostle Paul wrote to Gentile
Christians, that through “the fall” of the Jewish people,
the salvation of God came to the Gentiles:
11I
say then, Have
they stumbled that they should fall? God
forbid:
but rather through
their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles,
for to provoke them to jealousy. 12Now if the fall
of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of
them the riches of the Gentiles; how
much more their fullness?
13For
I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the
Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14If by any means
I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might
save some of them. 15For
if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world,
what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
(Romans
11:11-12)
One
day, God’s mystery will be fully revealed: “ All Israel
shall be saved “
25For
I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this
mystery, lest
ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part
is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be
come in. 26And
so
all Israel shall be saved:
as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer,
and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27For
this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their
sins. (Romans
11:25-27)
Gentile
Christians are commanded to love the Jewish people, because
they are beloved of God “for the fathers’ sake” –
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – the Patriarchs. This is not
optional. Gentile Christians are not to boast about their
salvation, (Romans 11:19-22) as if the Jewish people were
rejected by God. According to the Bible, the Jewish people are
not
rejected
by God:
28As
concerning the
gospel,
they are enemies
for your sakes: but as touching the
election,
they
are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.
29For the gifts and calling of God are without
repentance. 30For as ye in times past have not
believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their
unbelief: 31Even
so have these also now not believe , that through your
mercy
they
also may obtain mercy. 32For
God hath concluded them
all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all.
(Romans
11:25-27)
Therefore,
Anti-Semitism, of any kind, is completely and totally against
the will of God according to the Bible. The Jewish people are
still the elect and “beloved” by God, who will one day
completely fulfill His promise to Abraham and his descendants.
(Genesis 15:1-7, 18-21; and Genesis 17:1-22; Genesis
22:16-18). God Almighty will one day judge all nations on
their attitude towards Israel and the Jewish people – “On
account of My
people,
My
heritage Israel.”
(Joel
3:2)
What
the Nazi regime did to the Jewish people in “the name of
God” is so horrible and
abominable, that it is beyond description.
The pain, suffering, and anguish caused to the Jewish
people is really beyond description.
Let us all pray for God’s forgiveness for the
unspeakable crimes that have been committed in Germany against
the Jewish people, and others,
during the Holocaust under the Nazi regime of Adolf
Hitler. Let us pray for His infinite mercy and forgiveness.
Amen.
Quotations from the Bible, the WORD of
GOD.
Zitate aus der Bibel, dem WORT
GOTTES.
Please read the copy of the Bible,
the WORD of GOD, daily.
Bitte lesen Sie die Bibel,
das WORT GOTTES, taeglich.
Author: Andrew Palo,
Canada
Publisher
& Editor´s
Note
and Thanksgiving:
According
to Ephesians 5:20 I give THANKS unto the GOD and the FATHER
in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST for the GRACE to publish
this information, written by a Brother in CHRIST JESUS,
Andrew Palo from Canada, and I give THANKS unto the LORD, my
GOD and JESUS CHRIST for saving a wretch like me - for
salvation !
"Giving thanks always for
all things unto GOD and the FATHER in the name of our LORD
JESUS CHRIST". Ephesians 5:20 - "...Sagt allezeit
GOTT, dem Vater, Dank für alles, in dem Namen unseres HERRN
JESUS CHRISTUS;" Epheser 5:20
“I
believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given man.
All
the good from the Savior of the world is communicated
to
us through this book.”
Abraham Lincoln
2I
thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength,
that He considered me faithful, appointing me to His service. 13Even
though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor
and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I
acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of
our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the
faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15Here
is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the
worst. 16But for that very reason I was
shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ
Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an
example for those who would believe on Him and receive
eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal,
immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever
and ever. Amen. (1
Timothy 1:12-17)
These
are the most wonderful words anyone can hear !
GOD
is good ! O give thanks unto the LORD, for HE is good: for HIS
mercy endureth for ever. (Psalm 107,1)
Andreas [ Andrew ] Klamm
