Doctrine of Justification

[reneweddaybyday]

\That's good, but...Galatians 3 talks about before faith had come and after faith had come, referring to Christ's faith. Christ's faith was not available to the OT saints. I've seen not OT saint "looking forward to the cross." Many knew a Messiah was coming, but had no idea of that Messiah's death on the cross, burial and resurrection. Most prophesies point to the Messiah's reign as Israel's king over the earth.

Would you not agree?

I believe OT prophets saw/spoke concerning the sufferings of Christ, as well as the glory which should follow.

1 Peter 1:

10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

OT prophets had knowledge of the sufferings of Christ, as well as the glory that followed.

What OT prophets did not see or know anything about was the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began (Rom 16:25), hid in God (Eph 3:9). The mystery is that gentiles are fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ (Eph 3:6).

 

[Grace777x70]

I understand what you're saying and I somewhat agree. If not for Jesus and His faithfulness to the Father, there would be no point for creation. Does that equal my faith is His faith? Not so sure about that.

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

The words "faith in Christ Jesus" in vs 26 are the Greek words pisteōs en Christō Iēsou.

I believe there is only one faith as is stated in Eph 4:5. I do not believe the OT believers had a different kind of faith. Faith is faith.

Even unbelievers have faith. The difference between the faith of the believer and the faith of the unbeliever is what we (or they) put our (or their) faith in. WHAT do we believe? or WHO do we believe?

We believe God and our faith is increased and grows stronger.

If, on the other hand, we do not hear God, or if we do hear God but don't believe what we hear, our faith remains weak.

We can believe what is not true and suffer the consequence.

When we believe what is true, our faith is increased and grows strong.

Romans 4:

19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.



Also, I believe we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. He purchased us with His own blood. Does that mean that His faith is my faith or that He gave His faith to me but not to the unbeliever? Jesus Christ came to save all mankind. He did not come to save only those who believe.

I agree..there seems to be both involved and Jesus is the source of saving faith. The revelation of Christ and faith has been evolving throughout the scriptures from the OT to the NT.

We don't have faith in our faith. Our source of our faith is important as you said. It's of Him and from Him and in Him. Amen!

I believe the gospel doesn't demand faith - it supplies it - when we hear what Jesus has already done for us - faith is there and we just need to respond to it by believing and receiving it.

Romans 10:17 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

 

[reneweddaybyday]

I agree..there seems to be both involved and Jesus is the source of saving faith.

We don't have faith in our faith. Our source of our faith is important as you said. Amen!

Agreed. Sad to say that some people do have faith in their "believing" rather than place their faith in God who is faithful to fulfill that which He has promised.

I believe the gospel doesn't demand faith - it supplies it - when we hear what Jesus has already done for us - faith is there and we just need to respond to it by believing and receiving it.

Romans 10:17 (NASB)
[SUP]17[/SUP] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

I believe that all mankind has been given the measure of faith (Rom 12:3).

When we hear the word of Christ, confess (agree) Him as Lord, and believe that God raised Him from the dead (Rom 10:9), we receive salvation ... just as God promises. And what happens when we confess (agree) is that God brings the increase as shown in 1 Cor 3:

1 Corinthians 3:6-7 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

I believe these verses state that when someone "plants", they are speaking something from God's Word the hearer has never heard before and when someone "waters", they are speaking something the hearer has heard before. Once the hearer confesses (agrees) with what he/she hears from Scripture, God then brings the increase into the heart of the hearer. As a result, faith grows stronger in the hearer.

If, on the other hand, the hearer rejects what he/she hears, God cannot bring increase and the hearer does not receive the promise of God and remains weak in faith.

 

[fredoheaven]

Notice that Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, leaves out the word "his." The OT saint lived by his individual faith that must be justified by his works, his obedience to whatever God had given him to obey whether it was the law, building an ark, or sacrificing your son.

The NT believer is justified by the faith of Christ, not one's individual faith. Christ has done all the work needed for justification. The moment one believes the gospel, Christ's faith is imputed to that person, justifying him. Christ's faith was not even available to the OT saint. See Galatians 3:

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.


23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.


24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.


25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Hi sir,

Been thinking for a quite few days about this “faith of” and “faith in”. You said, the believer of today is justified by the” faith of Christ” and not their own individual faith as in the OT times. This seems quite well however, I am not yet sold to the idea of/in no individual faith for justification. Below are the following reasons:

1. Because faith means a full trust, entire confidence or total reliance. Thus, it is not considered a saving faith if it waivers. Our entire confidence on what Christ did and in the person of Christ made us possible to become the “children of God”
2. “Faith of Christ” is synonymously been used to the individual’s faith in Christ. The KJV with its built- in dictionary defines to us the phrase “faith of” to mean “believe in”

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.

3. According to 1828 Webster Dictionary, the preposition “of” means from out of, proceeding from, as the cause, source etc. Since then, our life in which we live in the flesh is now owned by Christ derived/ produced in/by individual’s faith. The faith that doesn’t waiver,that Christ alone can save him. The prep. “in” signifies by or through, thus when someone places his full trust in Christ, he was then justified by faith.

4. Habakkuk certainly would use “his faith” since specifically he was speaking of a certain “his soul” to connect the idea. In the book of Romans is quoted having no “his” without changing the message. Of course, ”his” is no longer needed since Paul is not speaking of any individual but the church of/in Rome.

5. Certainly, Paul would preach repentance and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. So in plain and simple, it requires the faith of the individual.

Thanks

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 1:4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 242:24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

Colossians 2:5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

 

[mailmandan]

We are justified by Hes grace through faith by works (obedience, action). Faith without works/action/obedience is dead.

Man is justified by His grace "accounted as righteous" through faith, not works (Romans 4:2-6; 5:1). We are justified "shown to be righteous" by works (James 2:14-24). Faith is the root and good works are the fruit of salvation. No fruit at all would demonstrate there is no root. Says-claims he has faith but has no works - James 2:14. This is not genuine faith but an empty profession of faith.