Lesson 729

(Lesson 729)(08-18-13) Todays lesson of faith is taken from Romans chapter 3, "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 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. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 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; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

Paul, the Apostle Jesus hand picked to minister to those of us who are Gentiles, in this chapter,lays out the essence and fruits of faith plainer than it is found anywhere else in the entire bible. Therefore, I won't attempt to add much to it.

Through faith in God through a virgin born, sacrificed, and risen Jesus, we are all JUSTIFIED in everything we do from now until the day of our redemption.
Many of today's isms teach that in order to maintain our eternal salvation, we must live a perfect, sin free, life. Paul makes it very clear in this lesson that what we do here on earth after we have accepted the grace of God through Jesus Christ has NO bearing on our eternal salvation, one way or another. 1 John 3:9 also assures us that sin is not in those who are saved,"Whosoever is born of God DOTH NOT COMMIT SIN; for his seed remaineth in him: and HE CANNOT SIN, BECAUSE HE IS BORN OF GOD."

Will ONLY the righteous receive eternal salvation, yes. How do we achieve that righteousness? By FAITH. Romans 4:4-8, "Now to him that worketh is the reward NOT reckoned of grace, BUT OF DEBT. But to him that WORKETH NOT, but BELIEVETH on him that JUSTIFIETH THE UNGODLY, his FAITH is counted for RIGHTEOUSNESS. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom GOD IMPUTETH RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHOUT WORKS, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are FORGIVEN, and whose SINS ARE COVERED. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will NOT impute sin."

After Adam's fall, there has been only one Man, in the history of the world, who lived a life to the perfection required to redeem us all to the Father, that Man is Jesus Christ. Without His perfection imputed into us because of our faith in Him, we would be doomed to eternal torment outside the presence of God, in hell.~