| We concluded last
issue’s article by asking the question, "Justification requires the obedience of
(how many)?" By justification here we are referring to the sense in which we are
freed from the guilt and penalty of sin. If believing in Jesus is a necessary condition
for justification or the "alone instrument of" justification, then there is a
problem. Romans 5.19 flatly states that "by the OBEDIENCE OF ONE shall MANY be
MADE RIGHTEOUS." The context of this verse shows that the ONE is the LORD
JESUS CHRIST. Now it is clear that trusting Christ is an act of obedience. Hence, if
trusting in Christ is essential to be justified, conditionally or instrumentally, then it
is by the obedience of MORE THAN ONE that many are made righteous. In such a case
it would be Christ’s obedience in providing the righteousness and the sinner’s
obedience in trusting Christ that would make one righteous. That is, it would involve the
obedience of TWO! But this can be taken a step further. The sinner must hear the
gospel before he can believe (Rom 10.14). One must preach the gospel before a man can hear
it. Therefore, a third party is involved in a man’s believing, namely the preacher.
If justification is by the sinner’s faith in Christ, then the sinner is made
righteous by the obedience of THREE: Jesus Christ, the preacher (obeying the call
to preach), and the man (obeying the command to believe). But Romans 5.19 plainly
contradicts this notion. If the expression "faith of Jesus Christ" be understood
as Christ’s own personal faith, then Romans 5.19 harmonizes beautifully. Jesus Christ
by His obedience of faith makes many righteous; sinners are made righteous by the
obedience of ONE!!!
Another reason why the sinner’s faith is not the condition or instrument of his
justification from sin is found in the story of Cornelius. According to Peter, Cornelius
did NOT hear and believe the gospel until Peter preached it to him: "And when there
had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how
that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should HEAR
the word of the gospel, AND BELIEVE (Acts 15.7)."
Yet God informed Peter BEFORE he ever met Cornelius, that Cornelius was already
cleansed: "And the voice spake unto him (Peter) again the second time, What God HATH
CLEANSED, that call not thou common (Acts 10.15)."
This surely proves that Cornelius was ALREADY freed from the guilt of sin BEFORE he
heard and believed the gospel. Cornelius was justified in this sense BEFORE he believed!
Furthermore, it is the Holy Spirit’s own testimony that Cornelius had been a
devout man and had feared God BEFORE he ever believed the gospel! Peter acknowledged this
at the outset of his first discourse at Cornelius’ household: "But in every
nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness (Cornelius did both), IS (not
‘will be’) accepted with him (Acts 10.35)." |
|
Cornelius worked righteousness. 1 John 3.7 makes an
interesting point about people who work righteousness: "Little children, let NO
MAN deceive you: he that doeth righteousness IS RIGHTEOUS, even as he is righteous. By
his works of righteousness Cornelius MANIFESTED that he was righteous; and, if righteous,
he was justified. Therefore, Cornelius was declared justified in the sense of being free
from the guilt and penalty of sin BEFORE he ever trusted in Christ! Thus, his faith in
Christ could have been neither the cause nor the instrument of his justification.
Cornelius was justified by the faith OF Jesus Christ BEFORE he believed the gospel.
A word is in order about the faith mentioned in Romans 3.25: "Whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Whose faith is
this? "Through faith in his blood" is an adverbial phrase modifying the verb
phrase "hath set forth". The performing noun in this verse is "God",
Who set forth Christ to be a propitiation. The grammar of the verse shows "through
faith in his blood" to be modifying God’s action. Hence, the faith is obviously
God’s faith. God had faith in the blood of Christ! If it be thought objectionable to
say that God has faith, then consider the words of Romans 3.3: "For what if some did
not believe? shall their unbelief make the FAITH OF GOD without effect?"
Many times in Scripture God is described as being faithful. The original meaning of
"faithful" is "full of faith". God has faith, and He placed that faith
in the blood of Christ to be a propitiation. In short, God placed confidence in Christ to
accomplish redemption through His blood.
Therefore, justification as it refers to freeing men from the guilt and penalty of sin
is accomplished by the faith of Jesus Christ Himself. The words "faith of Jesus
Christ" themselves suggest this. Christ’s faith ALONE is the cause and the
instrument of a sinner’s justification. When Paul concludes his line of thought in
Romans 3.19-28, he says that "a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the
law." The context shows that this faith is the faith of Christ Himself as well as
God’s faith in the blood of Christ. Justification is entirely in the hands of the
Godhead. Truly then can we say, "justified freely by HIS grace!"
Next issue we will examine the role of a
sinner’s faith. |
