Archive for the ‘Reformed Theology’ Category
Justified by the Faith of Jesus Christ – Alone
Gal 2:16 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. (KJV – also found in the 1599 Geneva Bible)
Salvation by Grace is accomplished by what Jesus has done for us because we cannot do for ourselves what is necessary to be given the right to become a child of God. Galatians 2: 16 is a fine example of justification by Faith Alone by what Jesus has done for man.
We need to be justified by the faith of Jesus for we cannot justify ourselves by our faith “IN” Christ Jesus. You see, faith is an action of our own will and in Ephesians we read:
Eph 2:8, 9 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Therefore, if we are justified – made righteous – by our faith in Christ then we have something about which we can boast for we can say, “it was by my faith in Jesus that I was justified.” That would mean we were justified by the work of our own will, and Ephesians 2: 8, 9 says otherwise.
Remember, Grace is the act of regeneration (born again) and at that time, we are not only justified by the faith of Jesus but we are also given the gift of this faith, mentioned in Ephesians, and it is with this faith we believe in Jesus. We need this gift of faith for before we are born again, we have no faith with which we can believe, and neither can we use the work of our will to generate the faith needed to be justified. Justification occurs at the time we are born again by God’s Grace and we are given the gift of faith with which to believe in Jesus.
However, be forewarned, many of the newer versions of the bible have drifted away from Reformation Theology and have discreetly brought to their readers a theology of the Law of works by changing many verses that say, “faith of Jesus” to “faith in Jesus”. In doing so they have taken the whole theology of Grace Alone and changed it into a grace plus works or a more open version of man-centric theology that says man can save himself of his own free will.
It takes God’s will to open ones understanding of His plan of Salvation and that man is born again (justified), not by blood nor by the will of flesh nor by the will of man but by the will of God.
Salvation is all of God from start to finish and salvation is all of Grace, and Grace Alone, and we are Justified by the Faith of Jesus and by His Faith Alone.
The Most Important Reason for the Coming of Jesus…
When we think of Christmas, we think about a baby lying in a Manger, surrounded by Shepherds, animals and three Wise men. Of course, many have taken liberty of those events and few really know what happened that first night. However, that is another story for another time. What we want to know is what was the real reason for the coming of Jesus.
Yes, Jesus came to save His people, His sheep if you will, from their sins. As known from verses like this:
Mat 1:21 And she (Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Knowing this, why did His people need to be saved from their sins? Read the following selected verses from 1 Thessalonians 1: 4-10 to see the answer:
“Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, And you became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.”
Yes, one-day God’s wrath will be brought upon the earth and all who have not believed on the Lord Jesus will be forced to face His wrath because of man’s disobedience, sinful activities and rejection of Jesus as we read in John 3:36:
Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
Is this what you want to face? You do not have to do so if you have the following desire in your heart:
Rom 10:9 That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Jesus’ coming to earth was to deliver His people from facing the wrath of God because of their sins. Upon the cross, when Jesus said, “It is finished.” Right then is the moment for when Jesus completed the task for which He came, to deliver his people from facing God’s wrath. This, my friends, is the most important reason for the coming of Jesus, to deliver His people from the wrath to come.
As God works in your heart, and if you are filled with the desire to come to Jesus, confess Him to be your Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead and you will find that you have already been delivered from facing the wrath of God.
Living The Christian Life By Faith
Heb_10:38 (KJV) Now the just shall live by faith:(see also Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11)
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Now that you are a Christian, instead of living by faith are you still trying to please God by doing works – why? Did not Jesus promise in Matthew 11:28 that everyone who comes to Him He would give them rest? Do we not also read in Hebrews that they who enter into the rest offered by Jesus would cease from their own works?
So, what does it mean to rest in Jesus and to live by faith?
As was hinted at in Hebrews 4: 10, when God created the universe and all that is in it, He did so in six days and on the seventh day, since there was nothing else for Him to do, He rested.
You also can rest from your works and live by faith.
In the Gospel of John chapter 10, Jesus said:
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any manpluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck themout of my Father’s hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
In these four verses lies the work of salvation. Jesus calls us, saves us and we follow Him, He gives us eternal life and we will never perish. No one can take us from Him or the Father, for He and the Father are one.
Salvation is all of God. God saves us by grace – born-again – and having been regenerated by God He gives us the gift of faith, the faith of Jesus, by which we believe in Him to be Lord. He gives us eternal life and promises never to leave us nor forsake us and that He will lose none of all whom He saves.
God, having created our salvation from beginning to end, left nothing for us to do concerning our salvation, but to just sit back and rest. We can live our Christian life by faith in Jesus, for He has done it all for us, that which we could never do for ourselves; we now live by faith.
However, now comes the part in which we play. We do not just sit around and do nothing or go out and have a good time doing the same things we did, said or thought before we were saved, as we will find ourselves being changed by God and it will give us some fear and we will tremble at the beginning when God starts to work in us.
I am sure you probably have heard the following verse from Philippians:
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Most likely, you have been told that you now must do this and that in order to stay saved, and that is why “you” must now work on keeping your salvation. They never seem to tell you the next verse that speaks of why you will find yourself with some fear and will tremble. Here is verse 13:
Php 2:13 For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
You see, the reason for the fear and trembling is the fact that God, having saved you, will now start to work in you not only to become willing to be obedient to Him but that you will find yourself wanting to do the good works that He has prepared in advance for you.
In Ephesians, after having saved you, we read this:
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Seeing yourself starting to think, do and say things differently will at first scare you. For you will know not from where it comes, but when you realize it is God working in you to do His will, the fear will change to being exciting; wondering what will come next as you start to see how God is working in your life.
Yes, there are works involved in the life of a Christian. Good works you will want to do, not to keep your salvation or to receive anything from God, but to please God.
You will do these “works” in praise to God for He has made it possible for you not only to enter into His rest, in this life, but in Heaven as well for all eternity.
The fact is that in this life, God has given you the ability to live a life of freedom from works of the Law. You can just rest in the works of Jesus, which He did for your salvation, and do God’s plan as He works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. You can live your Christian life by faith, the faith of Jesus.
This is the faith by which we live…
Galatians 2:16 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. (KJV)
Fourteen Years and 170 Essays Later
It is hard to believe that it has been fourteen years since Riff’s Christian Journal began.
During that time there have been 170 essays written with an average of a thousand words per each one. The longest was around 3000 words and the shortest was about 500 words. Of course, many of these words were actual scripture verses upon which the essays are written.
The first essay, written in June of 2009, is titled, “What I believe About Sin & Salvation”. Since then each entry into the journal has been on a different topic using scriptures for the basis of that entry. The scriptures used were done to support the thesis of the essay proving the premise that is the reason for the essay.
In short, these essays were, in some ways based on the “Five Solos” that came out of the Protestant Reformation movement. These are:
➢ Grace Alone
➢ Faith Alone
➢ Christ Alone
➢ Scripture Alone
➢ To The Glory of God Alone
In studying for these essays, a lot has been learned from the scriptures, especially the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Most notably were the facts that the Old Covenant is a man-centered works based system of religion under the Law and the New Covenant is a God-centered faith based system under Grace. Not the least is the fact that the Old Covenant is obsolete and fading away (see Hebrews 8: 7 – 13. To find out who is the Israel about which is mentioned in these verses read Romans 9: 6 – 8. Then read Galatians 4: 28 to find out who are the children of the promise mentioned in Romans 9.)
Only as the Holy Spirit has guided this writer have these essays been written. They came not from the one at the keyboard but from the Word itself to be used as an incentive for what was being written, and for the premise that was being put forth for the reader to consider.
The writer is totally convinced that if it were not for the Grace of God these essays would not have been written. It has been humbling, invigorating and quite a wonderful blessing, as well as educational, to be used by God in this manor, and I do give Him all the glory for all that has been written.
As God wills, I look forward to many more years of service in this capacity to the Glory of God.
I would like to leave with you a prayer, using scripture verses from Colossians to all of you for your future as a Christian. These are varied verses from Colossians chapter 1.
King James Version:
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which you have to all the saints,
For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
For this cause we also, since the day we heard, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us qualified to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Amen
May God’s blessings be upon every one of you, and may God give you peace in living a life based on the faith of Jesus that has been given to all God’s children by which you believe in Jesus as Lord
Come Unto Me and Rest
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (KJV)
On a given Sunday from the past, I gave a message on this verse. While it was well received, I always had this nagging feeling that there was something I was missing.
The title of that message was, “Finding rest in a busy world.” So, naturally my focus was on how coming to Jesus could give us rest, physical rest, from how we burden ourselves with our jobs and the worries of life, which can weigh heavy on our hearts.
Fast-forward a number of years…
For quite some time, I have been studying scriptures on the difference between the works-based man-centered religion of being under the Law of the Old Testament and the faith-based God-centered relationship of being under grace in the New Testament.
One verse I had read, in studying living under grace, had a clause in it that kept sticking in my mind. Found in Romans, Galatians and Hebrews, all it said was, “The Just shall live by faith.”, but how do the just live by faith. Faith in what?
Then I remembered the verse on which I had previously preached from Matthew and two words kept coming to mind; “labour” and “rest.” Then it hit me. I had considered Matthew 11: 28 all wrong from a Christian’s point of view.
You see, the word “labour” means – to feel fatigue, work hard, be wearied, and the word “rest” means – to refresh: – take ease, rest. However, I had been looking at this verse in a worldly way, in how works of any kind can be a heavy burden on us, not allowing for any rest.
Instead, I should have been looking in how this verse is related to salvation found only in Jesus, and how Christians should view this verse. Especially in how we need to cease from trying to be obedient to the works of the Law and just rest in our salvation, and live by faith in the works of Christ.
In Galatians 2: 16 we read:
Gal 2:16 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. (KJV)
And in Hebrews 4: 10 we read:
Heb_4:10 (KJV) For he that is entered into his(Jesus) rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. (on the seventh day after creation).
Once a person is saved, we no longer need to keep on trying to be obedient to the Law for our salvation or even in keeping our salvation for we are no longer under the Law but under Grace.
The Law only serves to show us our sinfulness while grace shows how we are forgiven, saved and justified by the faith of Jesus and in His works in His perfect obedience in fulfilling the Law, and not by any works of righteousness, we may think we have done.
When Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” not only was He talking about salvation but also in how Christians can have rest living by the faith of Jesus. That is why it is said, “The just shall live by faith.”
We can rest in the finished work of Christ. Instead of doing any works of righteousness, we feel we must do.
So, go now dear Christian, believe in the love of our Lord Jesus, and live by His faith that was given to you with which to believe in Him when you were born-again and you will have the rest that He promised.
Believing What Christ Said About Eternal Life
If I were to ask you this question, “Do you believe Jesus when He speaks to us?”, most likely you would say “Yes, of course”. What if I were to ask you, “Did Jesus ever lie?”, again you might quickly answer “No, He never did.”, but is this something you really believe?
While there are many different Christian religions, for the most part, they all believe in Jesus for salvation. The problem, however, is that there are many who call themselves Christians that believe it is possible that one could lose their salvation.
If it were possible to lose one’s salvation, along with eternal life, would that not make Jesus a liar? I guess it would depend upon what Jesus has said about eternal life, and the best place to find out what He said is in the Scriptures.
There are three scripture references I would like for you to see. You can read them for yourself and decide what it is you want to believe.
The first scripture verses are from John 6: 37 – 40
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
John 6:39 And 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.
John 6:40 And 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.
Here we see that Jesus said that He would lose none of all whom the Father gave to Him, and that they would have everlasting life.
The second scripture verses are from John 10: 25 – 29
John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
In speaking of His Sheep Jesus said that He gave them eternal life and that they will never perish, and that no one can take them from Him. In addition, He reminded everyone that the Father gave them to Him and that no one can take them out of His Father’s hand as well.
The last scripture verse I would like for you to see is this. From John 17: 2
John_17:2 (KJV) As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
God the Father has given to Jesus all power over all flesh, and that Jesus would give eternal life to all whom the Father has given Him.
So, now what is it that you believe? Do you still think that you can have eternal life taken from you? On the other hand, have you been given the assurance that, according to what you have just read, your salvation and the promise of eternal life in heaven is secure in the words of Jesus.
These are but a few scripture verses that are quotes from Jesus, to say that one could lose eternal life is tantamount to calling Jesus a liar. If you still believe eternal life can be lost, you are saying that you do not believe what Christ said about eternal life. It is that simple.
Jesus said:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish…
A New Year and A Newness of Spirit
Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.
With the beginning of a new year, as Christians we should look to a “newness of spirit”, wherein we should practice walking in the Spirit and not according to the works of the Law.
By doing the works of the Law, we are unwittingly trying to be justified by our obedience to what the Law says, even though we have been delivered from the Law. For now, we are not under the Law but under grace.
Gal 2:16 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.
Gal_5:18 (KJV) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
By walking in a newness of spirit, we are led by the Spirit of God Who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). It is God who works in our spirit to guide us according to His will to do those things that he has ordained for us to do. In doing so, we walk according to the Spirit with the faith of Christ and not by the works of the flesh in trying to be obedient to the Law.
In walking in the spirit, we now serve God in a newness of Spirit, by looking to God to do His will and not by looking to ourselves in doing our will. By seeking to do things our way we will always fail. Walking in a newness of spirit, seeking to do God’s will, can we have any expectations of being successful in our walk with our Lord Jesus.
As Christians, we are dead to the Law and we no longer serve it, and as a new year begins, we can have a new beginning in serving God by serving in the newness of Spirit.
The Story Of The Coming Of Jesus You Never Hear
We all know the Christmas Story, about the baby in a manger, the shepherds, the wise men, angels praising God and the Star above. While this story is true, it is not the whole story of Who Jesus is or why He came.
The real problem about this story is that it has been appropriated to be a time of spending and making money, spending money by us and making money by retailers.
Look all around the stores and malls. The decorations are all about pretty lights and decorations reminding us that Christmas is coming, and we need to buy all of those gifts now, before they are all gone. There is nothing anywhere about what Christmas is all about – the birth of Jesus. You will never see that for someone might be offended.
Maybe it is time for us to read about the coming of Jesus in a completely new light, one that shows who Jesus is and why He came. There is such a story but one that is rarely told anytime of the year. It is a short story and it is taken from scripture verses written by the Apostle John, in his Gospel and from the 1st letter of John. Here they are without the verse numbers just as they may have been written in a letter
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.
The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. The light shined in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
This is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Jesus is the Word of God, born of a woman, divine in nature and human in flesh. He came into this sinful world to provide forgiveness of sins and eternal life for all who would believe in Him and confess Him to be Lord.
This is the true story of the coming of Jesus; who He is and why He came. This is the story that should be added to the traditional Christmas story as this completes what is left out.
Without knowing who Jesus is and why He came, the story of the baby born in a manger is meaningless, just a good human-interest story. Jesus is the Word of God, He was with God and He is God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
These things have been written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.
He that believes on Jesus has everlasting life: and he that believes not Jesus shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.
Come; let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
Saved By Grace – The Act of Being Born Again
Grace, salvation and born-again, many words being bandied about, what do they all mean anyway?
Good question and one in which we will find out the answers but first, let us see some of the verses where these words are used in the Bible. To sort ‘a give us an idea of their meaning.
• Titus_3:5 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
• John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
• Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
• Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Now as to what these words mean here are their Biblical descriptions taken from the original text.
1. Grace – the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
2. Saved (salvation) – to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively)
3. Born-Again – to regenerate: – be born from above; again,
Being born-again is the action done by the grace of God by which He saves people, and this action all takes place in one moment of time as described in this verse from Titus 3: 5:
Titus_3:5 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
We know from Ephesians 2:5, 8 that salvation is by God’s grace and In this one verse, we see God saving people through the act of regeneration, of being born-again, by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit all done by the grace of God.
Simply put, when we are born-again by grace we are saved for all eternity.
All this is the work of God, done by His will as He chooses and when He chooses upon whom he chooses. That is why it is said that, “Salvation is all of God.”
God must do all that is involved in anyone’s salvation for no one will ever be saved otherwise. Man, being dead in his sin will never, of his own will, ever choose to proclaim Jesus to be Lord and believe on Him.
Only when anyone is saved by the grace of God will they be able cry out to God for forgiveness and to confess Jesus as Lord and to believe on Him that He lived, He died for sins, and He rose again from the dead to give us eternal life.
It really is quite simple. There is no other way of salvation. We must be saved by grace – the act of being born-again
Irresistible Grace – Thank God For It
What does “Irresistible Grace” mean? In short it is, “the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
Two verses out of many that use the word “grace” are in Ephesians 2. One is found in Ephesians 2: 8, 9, which most Christians know and reads:
“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.”
The other is found in Ephesians 2: 4, 5 that reads:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) “
Actually, verse 5 explains quite simply what the action and result is of “grace” being applied to whomever God chooses. It is God’s divine influence upon the heart of the person, who is dead in sins, and makes them alive in their spirit; it is the act of being “born again” by the Spirit of God.
Remember, we are all spiritually dead in our sins and we can do nothing to respond to any call to believe on Jesus. The New Birth must happen first before anyone by faith can believe on Jesus.
In John 6: 44 Jesus says this:
“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:”
In addition in 1 Corinthians 2: 14 the Apostle Paul wrote this:
“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
The Apostle John made things quite clear when he wrote this in 1 John 5:1
“Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:”
These verses by Jesus, Paul and John make it quite clear that regeneration, or the act of being born again by the “grace” of God, precedes and causes saving faith.
Therefore, by these few verses alone, if regeneration (being born again) had to result from believing faith of the unregenerate in order to be saved—then no one would ever be regenerated (born again) and saved.
This is why “grace” is the irresistible action first applied by God upon the heart of man so that the unbelieving and unregenerate man can, and will, believe on Jesus, and why we should give thanks to God. For it is by God’s “irresistible grace” that we are saved.
Thank God for His divine grace upon our unregenerate hearts, that we would first be born again to give us a new life, being made alive in our spirit, that we might now and forever believe on the Lord Jesus.
Riff's Christian Journal 