"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe." Rom 3:20-22Under the gospel of grace, one does not work in order to obtain righteousness. But rather one is justified by simply believing, apart from his performance.
"When a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."Rom 4:4,5This is not to say that one's salvation status is completely uncorrelated from one's performance. For our faith will reveal itself through its applications. What we believe will become evident by what we do, as for example Paul writes in 2Cor 4:13 "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.
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Under the gospel of grace, God's grace is the thing which is actually promised, but Christ and his atoning work on the cross are the manifestation or even the personification of that grace. "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17 Jesus declared: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." John 3:14,15 Jesus was referring to an event in Numbers chapter 21 in which God had Moses erect a bronze serpent and put it on a pole for people to gaze upon, which would heal whoever had been bitten by poisonous snakes. And this in combination with the cross became the medical symbol that you can see on back of ambulances today. Christ on the cross now became the object of faith as that bronze serpent was. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."John 3:16
The Salvation that God offers through faith in Christ involves both
Justification is by the grace of God. And Sanctification is also by the grace of God. It is not that we are justified by grace through faith and then we must work to be sanctified. But rather that though we are not completely sanctified at the same time when we became justified, we are sanctified in the same manner in which we are justified. There is no such thing as a person born of God who lives a lifestyle of sin, because God through the Holy Spirit dwelling in us influences us to behave ourselves. (1John 3:9) And it is inevitable that "everyone born of God overcomes the world." (1John 5:4) For those born of God, "his commands are not burdensome." (1John 5:3) For this is simply part of the new nature of the redeemed. Graciously God sanctifies us. Yes this does involved a removal of our free will to an extent. But realize that God is going to completely remove our free will to sin later on so that we will no longer sin at all. This is part of the salvation that we yearn for - Salvation from one's innate sinfulness. Those who want simply to be saved from condemnation, but want to hold on to their sinful nature are not qualified to receive salvation. It's a package deal. Complete salvation (both justification and sanctification) or no salvation at all.
Under the gospel of grace:
What kind of test?
"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." 1John 2:3-6
"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."1John 3:9,10
"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him." 1John 3:14,15
"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth." 1John 3:18,19
"Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." 1John 3:24
"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Rom 10:9It is not sufficient to simply accept Christ as Savior. Many Christians today may not realize this. Accepting Christ as Savior only does nothing for the person. Christ must also be accepted as Lord as well.
Acknowledging Jesus as Lord is not simply a matter of mouthing the words, but rather in the spirit of 2Cor 4:13 "I believed; therefore I have spoken.", a person believes Christ is the Lord and therefore verbally acknowledges it. But what does "Lord" mean? To the Apostles one aspect of this is that to acknowledge Jesus as Lord is to acknowledge him as the Lord of the Old Testament.
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Hebrews 1:10 He also says (about Jesus), "In the beginning, O LORD, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." | Psalm 102:24,25 "So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations. In the beginning, O LORD, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands" |
Romans 14:8-11 (speaking of Jesus) It is written:
"'As surely as I live,' says the LORD, 'every knee will bow before
me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
Tit 2:13 while we wait for the blessed hope-- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ |
Isaiah 45:21b-23 There is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me. Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. |
Acts 2:21 "'In the last days', God says, 'I will pour out
my Spirit on all people ... And everyone who calls on the name of
the
LORD will be saved.'
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both LORD and Christ. |
Joel 2:27-32 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. 'And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people ... And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls. |
Romans 10:9,12,13 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is LORD," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ... For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-- the same LORD is LORD of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." | |
2Thessalonians 2:1,2 Concerning the coming of our LORDJesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the LORD has already come. | Joel 2:27, 31,32 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed ... The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; |
Acts 2:25 David said about him (Jesus): "I saw the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken." | Psalm 16:1-2,8 Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the LORD, "You are my LORD; apart from you I have no good thing." ... I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. |
There are many who acknowlege Christ as Lord, but then don't do what he says. This is like in the Catholic church where many respect the pope, but then they think nothing of getting divorced or having abortions. If Christians acknowledge Christ as Lord but don't do what he says, then they haven't really accepted him as Lord. For the faith that saves is an application oriented faith. And while Christians like to consider themselves servants of God, many don't like to be treated as servants.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations." Matt 28:18,19
Another aspect of his Lordship is the extent of his authority. We have not only the responsibility to make disciples, but we have the right to do so. There are not only secular authorities, but even "authorities" in the visible church who attempt to usurp Christ's authority by hindering Christians from going and making disciples. Those who may reckon themselves as "authorities" go outside their legitimate realm of authority when they hinder Christians from carrying out Christ's commands. The apostles ran into such a situation in Acts 5:28,29 with the religious authorities
"We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!"
Verses quoted from the NIV version