Faith Alone

The Bible is a “good news/bad news” book. The bad news arrives early when Adam & Eve default. We’re told, because they and everyone who came after inherited their sinful nature, nobody is worthy of eternal life. The good news is there’s hope for us yet. Our gracious Father sent His Son to atone for all our sins and save us from His wrath we merit receiving.

It sounds too good to be true. But nothing’s truer. Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, incarnated as a flesh-and-blood man. He now represents us. Matthew Barrett wrote, “As the God-man, He lived in perfect obedience to God’s law, something everyone since Adam has failed to do. Yet He not only fulfilled the law we failed to obey, He suffered the penalty of the law we violated and transgressed. Laying down His own life, He became a sacrifice, absorbing the wrath that should’ve been ours, the punishment our sin deserved.”

God sacrificed His beloved Son for sinners like you and me. Why would He do that? The only answer that even comes close to being rational is that His love for us must be light years beyond our capacity to fathom. It boils down to this – God has offered us His gift of redemption. It’s free. We don’t have to jump through legalistic hoops, perform elaborate ceremonies or grovel in the dirt before our Creator. On the contrary, we’re saved by sola fide – faith alone.

“Therefore, since we’ve been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we’ve also obtained access by faith into the grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. …For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us“ (Romans 5:1-2,6-8). Spurgeon explained, “Jesus makes those just who are unjust, forgives those who deserve to be punished, and favors those who deserve no favor.”

You’d think this awesome news would’ve been broadcast constantly by the church from day one. But, sadly, for nearly a millennium and a half it wasn’t. The messengers God entrusted to preach His amazing grace exchanged it for a gospel that said folks had to rack up good works and thereby earn God’s mercy. Barrett wrote, “That which made the good news so good, namely, its announcement of free mercy and unmerited grace, was replaced by a message that required the individual to add their own contribution to the work of Jesus Christ.”

It wasn’t until courageous 16th century theologians like Martin Luther, John Wycliffe, William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale rediscovered the previously sequestered Holy Word and translated it into common languages so regular people could finally see for themselves that believing in Christ was sufficient for salvation.

As Bibles became available to read, preachers like Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli, Martin Bucer, William Farel and many others set out to simplify what the church in Rome had made so complicated for far too long. Calvin declared, “We define justification as follows: the sinner, received into communion with Christ, is reconciled to God by His grace, while, cleansed by Christ’s blood, he obtains forgiveness of sins, and clothed with Christ’s righteousness as if it were his own, he stands confident before the heavenly judgment seat.”

Not surprisingly, the pope and priests were belligerent, refusing to admit they’d done what Paul had warned not to do when he wrote to the elders of the Galatian church, “I’m astonished that you’re so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel – not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting you to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell!“ (1:6-8).

Stubbornly, the Roman catholic church doubled down. Their Council of Trent (1545-1563) issued the following statement of their official doctrine: “If anyone says justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ’s sake; or that this confidence alone is that whereby we’re justified; let him be anathema (i.e., cursed).” In essence, they defiantly refused to heed Paul’s admonition.

They went even further, accusing the Reformers of inventing justification by faith alone to draw gullible believers into joining their radical movement; that they’d deliberately distorted Augustine’s and others’ writings. But, as Nate Pickowicz wrote, “The Reformers didn’t derive their understanding of justification primarily from reading the early church fathers, but from careful exposition of the Scriptures.” The church in Rome intentionally circulated what we now call disinformation. In other words, they spread lies. 

However, the Reformers weren’t deterred. They altered the direction of world history drastically, more than any other group of people ever has. They were bold enough to proclaim the Biblical truth that sinners can’t work (or buy) their way into heaven and that acquiring a righteousness they don’t possess is what Jesus can provide. Martin Luther wrote, “Sins remain in us, and God hates those sins very much. Because of them it’s necessary for us to have the imputation of righteousness, which comes to us on account of Christ, who is given to us and grasped by our faith.”

There are some who’ll argue that, since the phrase “faith alone” isn’t in the Bible, it’s a bogus term. Calvin, addressing the sola fide controversy, commented, “When Paul tells us we’re justified by faith because we can’t be justified by works, he takes for granted what’s true, that we can’t be justified through the righteousness of Christ unless we’re poor and destitute of our own righteousness. Consequently, we have to ascribe either nothing or everything to faith or to works.”

Works are certainly involved. But not our works. R.C. Sproul explained: “In our justification, faith is the means by which we are linked to Christ and receive the benefits of His saving work.” Jesus did what we could never do so we can receive what we’ll never deserve.

The Cure for Worry

Our Savior asks, “Who of you by being worried can add a single hour to your life?“ (Matthew 6:27). His question’s aimed at all of us. Charles Swindoll wrote, “Worry solves nothing. It creates unrest, uneasiness, and, left unchecked, it can churn our waves of anxiety into a perfect storm of emotions. Add a little imagination and creativity, and our worst fears come to life in Technicolor brilliance.”

Dallas Willard opined, “If we value ‘mammon’ as normal people seem to think we should, our fate’s fixed. Our fate is anxiety. It’s worry. It’s frustration. The words anxious and worry both have reference to strangling or being choked. Perhaps more energy has gone into dealing with this human situation than into anything else – from songs about ‘Don’t Worry! Be Happy!’ to $250/hour sessions with a therapist.”

In other words, when we fret excessively about bothersome stuff and/or circumstances we have no control over, we become our own spirit-killing enemy. As always, the remedy’s found in the pages of the Bible: “Don’t be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus“ (Philippians 4:6-7).

Notice God doesn’t tell us to not care about anything. It’s healthy to have legitimate concerns for our family and friends. But, as the verse instructs, the best thing we can do is take those concerns to God.

Worry’s a byproduct of believing that, somehow, we can fix whatever’s wrong. Brennan Manning wrote, “The illusion of control is truly pathetic, but also hilarious. Deciding what I most need from life, carefully calculating my next move, and generally allowing my autonomous self to run amuck inflates my sense of self-importance and reduces the God of my incredible journey to the role of spectator on the sidelines. It’s only the wisdom and perspective gleaned from an hour of prayer each morning that prevents me from running for CEO of the universe.”

Manning, like most respected theologians, emphasizes the immense value of prayer. Over the years I’ve devoted several posts to highlighting the necessity of praying to God about everything. Yet praying’s still the weakest part of my walk with Jesus because I rarely feel I’ve achieved authentic intimacy with Him. A quote from Brennan about prayer I find comforting is: “I never thought about what I get out of it. I just figure God likes it when I show up.” I’m not being flippant when I say I try to “make an appearance” before God as often as possible.

Basil Pennington wrote, “A father’s delighted when his little one, leaving off his toys and friends, runs to him and climbs into his arms. As he holds his child close, he doesn’t care whether the child’s looking around, his attention flittering from one thing to another, if he’s intent upon his father, or just settling down to sleep. Our prayer is much like that. We settle down in our Father’s arms, in His loving hands.”

If Christians are to imitate Jesus as thoroughly as we possibly can then prayer must be a priority in our life. Our Lord, more than anyone, had cause to worry. Except He didn’t. James S. Stewart wrote, “The praying Christ is the supreme argument for prayer. His prayer life was never at the mercy of moods. Changes of feeling Jesus certainly knew. He was no passionless Stoic. He knew joy and sorrow, smiles and tears, ecstasy and weariness. But through it all His heart turned to prayer, like the compass to the north.”

Swindoll offered sage advice: “Effective prayer will have a believer deliberately seeking the mind of God on a particular matter that’s on his or her heart. Whether it’s confessing a sin, praising His name, pursuing His will, interceding for a friend or petitioning for our own needs, prayer must be God-centered, never self-centered. Sincere prayer comes from a heart that longs for God to reveal what He desires. …God never hides His will. If we seek direction, He delights in providing it.”

We must recognize that praying is good medicine. Larry Crabb said, “The chief purpose of prayer is to get to know God, to deepen our relationship with Him, to nourish the life of God He’s already placed within us, and to do it all to satisfy His desire for relationship with us. That’s how God wants it. And that’s how Jesus taught us to pray.”

We must maintain unwavering faith in our Savior’s love for us. Christ told the Apostles, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I’ve also loved you; remain in My love” (John 15:9). Spurgeon preached, “If you don’t remain in Christ, how can you hope to pray successfully? If you pick and choose His words and doubt this and doubt that, how can you have any hope of being heard? Remain in Christ and take fast hold upon His words and be altogether His disciple – then will you be heard of Him.”

Frederick Buechner wrote, “According to Jesus, by far the most important thing about prayer is to keep at it.” Manning commented, “One learns to pray by praying.” Willard opined, “Praying with frequency gives us the readiness to pray again as needed from moment to moment. The more we pray, the more we think to pray, and as we see the results of prayer – the responses of our Father to our requests – our confidence in God’s power spills over into other areas of our life.”

Now, not every prayer will be answered to your liking. Sometimes God says “no.” James told us why: “You ask and don’t receive because you ask wrongly“ (4:3). Martin Luther suggested, “We’re to lay our need before God but not prescribe to God a measure, manner, time or place. We must leave that to God, for He may give it to us in another, perhaps better, way than we think’s best.”

Pray, and trust our gracious Heavenly Father.

Simply Simplify

One of the advantages of being a retired “older guy” is that life’s pace slows. However, I haven’t forgotten how busy and complicated life was when I was a younger man. I spent my 20s touring the country in rock & roll bands. In my 30s I started a family and began raising two children. The decades that followed were hectic. I managed various retail stores and then spent 30 years or so working an assortment of demanding office jobs. Therefore, I know how exhausting one’s daily existence can get and how little time it leaves for fellowship with our most important friend – Jesus.

Perhaps that’s how it is for you. Technological innovations were supposed to provide everybody with more “freedom” but that’s a lie. Humankind now has more distractions to deal with and fuss over than ever before. It’s nothing new. Every generation in history has felt the same way. There are just not enough hours in the day for spending “quiet time” with Christ and our intimacy with Him suffers for it. As Henry Thoreau opined, “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify. Simplify.”

The trouble is we convince ourselves we can best deal with dilemmas by staying busy solving them. We can’t. Not without seeking God’s help. Larry Crabb wrote, “Why is our appetite for God so much weaker than our appetite for solutions to life’s problems? If God is as good as He claims to be and if our soul’s richest pleasure depends on knowing Him, our first thought in every situation ought to be to find Him. But it isn’t. Nothing matters more than developing a passion for Jesus as we try to handle life’s struggles responsibly and wisely.”

Churches can get too busy, too. To the one in Corinth Paul wrote, “I’m afraid that, as the snake seduced Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ“ (2 Corinthians 11:2-3). He had reason to harbor that concern. “For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we’ve not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you’ve not received, or a different gospel which you’ve not accepted, you bear this beautifully“ (v.4).

I enjoy reading theology books penned by the great Reformers. They use words I have to stop and look up definitions for but that’s part of the allure. Yet there are some authors, mostly modern-day ones, who stray from the truth I’ve gleaned from studying my Bible. Thus, I must always be cautious because in the past I’ve been seduced and deceived by their beguiling “way with words.”

Charles Swindoll wrote, “Many seducers clutter the simple message of the gospel with legalistic additions, with convoluted attempts to legitimize moral compromise, and with psychological theories that turn churches into relational support groups instead of houses of worship. The message of Christianity is quickly becoming a system of enlightened thinking instead of a simple call to turn from sin and pursue a relationship with God.”

Believers have no excuse. We have the inerrant Word of God. Peter wrote, “May grace and peace be lavished on you as you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! I can pray this because His divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by His own glory and excellence“ (2 Peter 1:2-3).

Unbelievers scoff at the idea of the Bible containing infallible truths and they often present reasons why we should doubt its veracity. But a true Christian will refuse to capitulate. Benjamin Warfield wrote, “This attitude of entire trust in every word of the Scriptures has been characteristic of the people of God from the very foundation of the church. Christendom has always reposed upon the belief that the utterances of this book are authentic oracles of God. The whole body of Christian literature bears witness to this fact.”

Some call those who depend on the Scriptures and Bible-based preaching to establish their moral values illiterate sheep. My Dad was a simple man. He only received a 3rd grade education and was unable to read or write well but he was one of the wisest Christians I’ve ever known. Alan Redpath wrote, “In these days there’s scarcely anything that’s simple; everything’s so complicated. In every area of life, the old simplicities have vanished from us until even this word simple has changed, and I don’t think people like being called simple anymore because of its demeaning association. A man may be a saint without having many of the qualities which the world today rates very highly, but he’ll never be a saint without simplicity of soul, a simplicity that’s in Christ.”

We tend to try and make becoming born again difficult. However, when Paul’s and Silas’ jailer, having witnessed an inexplicable intervention by God wherein He broke their prison chains, begged them, “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you’ll be saved, you and your household’“ (Acts 16:30-31). Thus, simple yet genuine faith is enough. Martin Luther preached, “Let us get through to God. Give us a basic, dynamic, personal simplicity of faith in Jesus Christ.”

Not long ago I kept coming across the word “sacrifice” in my Bible. It led to my achieving a major breakthrough in my ongoing recovery from sexual lust. There were some things the Holy Spirit compelled me to sacrifice in order to progress spiritually and further my salvation. Sometimes all of us must sacrifice things (including our “busyness” we erroneously think’s vital) to make time for communing with God.

Crabb wrote, “God doesn’t negotiate. He invites me to join Him. He won’t go with me on my side trips. I must surrender my fascination with myself to a more worthy preoccupation with the character and purposes of God. I’m not the point. He is. I exist for Him. He does not exist for me.” Simplify. Simplify.

Quiet Joy

Blessed assurance isn’t physically tangible. It’s a feeling. So is inner peace. As is spiritual joy. All three are gifts from God. Yet joy, in my case, seems to be in another category altogether. It’s somewhat foreign to my introverted personality. Probably because my concept of what I think it should be isn’t what it really is.

Webster’s defines joy as “(a) the emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune or the prospect of possessing what one desires; (b) the expression or exhibition of such emotion.” Bible dictionaries don’t disagree per se. The Scriptures simply state that joy is a “fruit of the Spirit…” (Galatians 5:22).

Still, I can’t help but equate human joy with loud, uninhibited exuberance, the kind I see in the behavior of sports fans when their team wins a championship. As for me, that manner of response arises from my soul only upon witnessing something overwhelmingly wondrous. For example, the births of my two beautiful children. In other words, it’s rare.

As always, when I encounter a mystery in God’s Word, I turn to my favorite theologians for help. Thomas Watson called joy, “A delightful passion contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation of mind, whereby the heart is perplexed and cast down. Joy is a sweet and pleasant affection which eases the mind, exhilarates and comforts the spirits.”

Therefore, it appears that worldly rejoicing and spiritual rejoicing aren’t the same. The former’s usually external while the latter’s mostly internal. Jesus told His crestfallen followers, “So you have sorrow now, but I’ll see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you“ (John 16:22). Thus, I assume joy is principally a “heart thing.”

Watson wrote, “Joy is hidden manna, hid from the eye of the world; we still have music which others hear not; the marrow lies within, the best joy is within the heart.” That helps me better understand the verse that reads, “My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know the testing of your faith produces endurance“ (James 1:2-3).

Both God and the devil send temptations/trials our way. Calvin wrote, “But the temptations of God and Satan are very different: Satan tempts that he may destroy, condemn, confound, throw headlong; God, that by proving His people He may make trial of their sincerity, and by exercising their strength confirm it; may mortify, tame and cauterize their flesh, which, if not curbed in this manner, would wanton and exult above measure.”

Now, nobody I know has ever “jumped for joy” when grieving the loss of a loved one or upon being diagnosed with terminal cancer. I doubt the Holy Spirit expects us to. The only joy a person can have in those dire circumstances is knowing that God is good, that He loves His adopted children and that He’s in complete control of everything. As with all things, our joy must be centered on our gracious Savior.

In His prayer for his disciples Jesus said to His Father, “Now I am coming to you, and I’m saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves“ (John 17:13). John Murray wrote, “Apart from union with Christ we can’t view past, present, or future with anything but dismay and Christless dread. By union with Christ the whole complexion of time and eternity is changed, and the people of God may rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

There’s also joy in knowing justice will be served. “Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?“ (Genesis 18:25). The much mistreated and beleaguered Martin Luther summed up that type of joy thusly: “There’s a life after this life in which will be punished and repaid everything that’s not punished and repaid here, for this life is nothing more than an entrance on, and a beginning of, the life which is to come!”

The honesty contained in the book of Job inspires me. If anyone had reason not to be joyful it’d be Job. Yet in the midst of his misery he proclaims, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He’ll stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!“ (Job 19:25-27). His was a forward-looking joy.

Philip Yancey commented, “For people who are trapped in pain, or in a broken home, or in economic misery, or in fear – for all those people, for all of us, heaven promises a time, far longer and more substantial than the time we spent on earth, of health and wholeness and pleasure and peace. If we don’t believe that then, as Paul plainly stated, there’s little reason to believe at all. Without that hope, there is no hope.”

For Christians knowing and loving Jesus is our joy.

Those who’ve kept up know I often let Spurgeon have the last word. After quoting Jeremiah 31:3, “The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I’ve drawn you,” he preached:

“My poor weeping brothers and sisters, inasmuch as you’re now coming to Christ, God has drawn you. It’s proof that He’s loved you from before the foundation of the world. Let your heart leap within you. You’re one of His! Your name was written on the Savior’s hands when they were nailed to the accursed tree…

Rejoice in the Lord and shout for joy all who’ve been drawn of the Father. For this is your proof, your solemn testimony, that you from among men have been chosen in eternal election and that you’ll be kept by the power of God, through faith, to the salvation that’s ready to be revealed.”

My sins are forgiven, and I’m being sanctified. That’s a “quiet joy.”

The One About Calvinism

I’m not a Calvinist. I’m a Christian; a grateful disciple of Jesus. While I do agree with Calvin’s theological viewpoint, I follow my Savior only. Paul wrote, “Whenever someone says, ‘I’m with Paul,’ or ‘I’m with Apollos,’ are you not merely human? What is Apollos, really? Or what is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, and each of us in the ministry the Lord gave us“ (1 Corinthians 3:4-5).

Raised in an Arminian-leaning church, I avoided for decades anything associated with John Calvin and his ilk. It was God’s servant R.C. Sproul’s writings and online classes that led me to actually read for myself Calvin’s remarkable Institutes of the Christian Religion. I couldn’t have been more wrong about Calvinism.

Over the last decade or so I’ve delved into books by Martin Luther, Charles Spurgeon, Sproul, etc., as well as a host of Puritan writers. They all base their opinions and teachings exclusively on the Holy Word of God. I’m not saying Arminian authors don’t. I just find those of the Calvinistic persuasion more persuasive.

Sadly, there’s an ugly and very undeserved stigma surrounding Calvinism. Many believers, because of its doctrines of election and predestination, assume it presents God as being anything but loving, merciful and patient. That’s truly an example of unsubstantiated “misinformation.”

Truth is John Calvin was humble. So is his theology. Commenting on James 4:10, he wrote, “As a tree must strike deep roots downwards, that it may grow upwards, so everyone who doesn’t have his soul fixed deep in humility, exalts himself to his own ruin.”

Calvinism’s unwarranted reputation isn’t Calvin’s fault. Ian Hamilton wrote, “It can hardly be denied that men claiming to be Calvinists have behaved arrogantly and censoriously, coldly and clinically. The problem is, in behaving like this they expose themselves as men who have no notion at all as to the true nature of what’s called Calvinism.”

Bear in mind that prior to the mid 15th century invention of the printing press the Bible was pretty much unavailable, even to scholars. Thus, when monks like Luther finally discovered what it actually taught it was, for them, akin to literally encountering God. They realized Scriptural truths had been kept from becoming widely known because the religious hierarchy wanted to maintain power over Christians.

Beholding God Almighty is a humbling experience. When Isaiah “saw the sovereign master seated on a high elevated throne“ it didn’t inflate his pride. Rather, he exclaimed, “Too bad for me! I’m destroyed, for my lips are contaminated by sin, and I live among people whose lips are contaminated by sin. My eyes have seen the king, the LORD who commands armies“ (Isaiah 6:1,5).

Calvinism reveals our sinful nature boldly without distillation, confirming what God’s Word proclaims – that unless we belong to Christ, we’ll spend eternity in hell. Therefore, it’s highly unlikely that a human being will become aware of that fact and then boast that they’ve earned God’s grace.

Calvinism is a “religious consciousness” more than a “theological system.” It’s an attitude, if you will, centered on God’s unfathomable love for His adopted children. To think it’s all about “free will” is to miss the point. It’s about acknowledging God’s absolute sovereignty concerning our eternal destination.

Benjamin Warfield wrote, “He who knows it’s God who’s chosen him and not he who’s chosen God, and that he owes his entire salvation in all its processes and in every one of its stages to this choice of God, would be an ingrate indeed if he gave not the glory of his salvation solely to the inexplicable elective love of God.”

Understand, non-elect people possess no longing to know the God of the Bible. They feel no need for Him or His commandments. Their idea of torture would be to serve and worship the Trinity Godhead forevermore. Thus, their Creator grants their wish and leaves them be. They condemn themselves to endless separation from the source of all goodness.

One foundational creed of Calvinism is “Blessed are the meek“ (Matthew 5:5). Calvin believed that “He who is deeply abased and alarmed by the consciousness of his disgrace, nakedness, want, and misery, has made the greatest progress in the knowledge of himself. Man is in no danger of taking too much from himself, provided he learns that whatever he wants is to be recovered in God.”

Abraham Kuyper wrote, “Calvinism doesn’t seek God in the creature, as Paganism; it doesn’t isolate God from the creature, as Islamism; it posits no mediate communion between God and the creature, as does Romanism; but proclaims the exalted thought that, although standing in high majesty above the creature, God enters into immediate fellowship with the creature, as God the Holy Spirit.” As to its relevance, Kuyper added, “Calvinism still carries in itself a wondrous power for the future of the nations.”

Don’t get me wrong. Calvinism doesn’t try to answer every question about God. It wisely recognizes humankind’s inherent limitations. Martin Luther wrote, “A distinction must be observed when the knowledge or, more precisely speaking, the subject of the Divine Being is under discussion. The dispute must be about either the hidden God or the revealed God. No faith in, no knowledge and no understanding of, God, insofar as He isn’t revealed, are possible… What’s above us is none of our business… Let God rather keep HIs decrees and mysteries in hiding.”

Calvinism and the Reformed Theology movement in general has never claimed to be a “new revelation.” God’s Holy Word is sufficient. God has merely called some to preach the gospel and to encourage Christians to love, praise and worship God foremost.

Sproul wrote, “Running through the works of the great theologians – like Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Owen, and Jonathan Edwards – is the grand theme of the majesty of God. These men stood in awe before His holiness.”

Calvin said it best: “Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance until they’ve contrasted themselves with the majesty of God.”

Searching for Assurance

I’m a sinner.  Although I study my Bible, volunteer at church, and tithe faithfully I remain a sinner.  Despite being a leader in our Celebrate Recovery ministry my lustful thoughts and ugly habits confirm I’m still a sinner.  I pray daily that God will grant me His power to fully repent yet I continually curse crooked politicians and bad drivers.  I’m a sinner.  And I hate being one.

Martin Luther struggled with the same frustration.  In hindsight, he wrote, “Though I lived as a monk without reproach, I felt I was a sinner before God with an extremely disturbed conscience.  I couldn’t believe God was placated by my satisfaction.”  Then, while contemplating Romans 1:17, “The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it’s written, ‘The righteous by faith will live’”, Luther found assurance.  He later wrote, “Thus that place in Paul was for me truly the gate to paradise.”

Eric Metaxas commented, “Luther saw in this the very essence of Christian theology.  God reached down not halfway to meet us in our vileness but all the way down, to the foul dregs of our broken humanity.  And this holy and loving God dared to touch our lifeless and rotting essence and in doing so underscored the truth about us.  In fact, we’re not sick and in need of healing.  We’re dead and in need of resurrecting.”

For assurance, I foolishly focus on myself instead of Jesus.  Ian Hamilton wrote, “Looking inward to ourselves to find crumbs to encourage us that we’re in Christ is a fruitless, utterly dispiriting and futile exercise.”  Jesus paid it all. Thomas Goodwin wrote, “Surely that which long ago satisfied God for the sins of many thousand souls now in heaven, may very well serve to satisfy the heart and conscience of any sinner now on earth, in any doubts in respect to the guilt of any sins that can arise.”

Satan loves to make me doubt my justification by reminding me that, despite being a Christian, I still sin all the time; that if I honestly examine myself I’ll conclude I can’t possibly be one of God’s elect.  Paul cried out, “Wretched man that I am!  Who’ll rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).  He then affirmed that surety of salvation will never come from looking inward but only from looking outward to Christ.

What’s hard for me to get through my thick skull is that Jesus’ agonizing death on the cross satisfied God’s wrath against me.  The Heavenly Father accepted His Son’s atonement for every sin I’ve committed and have yet to commit.  Luther and the Reformers preached that our hope doesn’t lie in our shallow “goodness” but in what they called an “alien righteousness” that’s imputed only from Christ, “who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).  (Understand it’s nonsensical to assume believers can now sin without restraint.  Consult Romans 6.)

I frequently underestimate God’s mercy.  Thomas Watson said of it, “The Scripture represents God in white robes of mercy more often than with garments rolled in blood; with His golden scepter more often than His iron rod.  …Election is free.  ‘He has chosen us in Him, according to the good pleasure of His will’ (Ephesians 1:4).  Justification is free.  ‘According to His mercy He saved us’ (Romans 3:24).  Salvation is free.  ‘Say not then, “I’m unworthy”; for mercy is free’ (Titus 3:5).”

Watson added, “Oh pray for mercy!  God has treasures of mercy; prayer is the key that opens these treasures; and in prayer, be sure to carry Christ in your arms, for all the mercy comes through Christ.”

The Bible is the greatest source of blessed assurance in existence.  The book of 1 John alone is a great comfort to sinners like myself who adore Jesus.  “If we confess our sins, He’s faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness” (1:9).  “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins…” (2:1-2).

There’s more!  “I’m writing to you, little children, that your sins have been forgiven because of His name” (2:12).  “In this is love: not that we’ve loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins” (4:10).  “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who doesn’t have the Son of God doesn’t have this eternal life” (5:11).

All believers must bear in mind we’re not saved because of anything we’ve done but only because of our faith in and love for Christ who did it all.  “There’s therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).

Hamilton wrote, “The doctrine of the gospel is itself, in all its multifacetedness, the balm, support and encouragement for which our hearts cry out.”

Charles Spurgeon preached, “And let it be remembered that this forgiveness God has given us for Christ’s sake is an eternal forgiveness.  He’ll never rake up our past offenses and impute them a second time.  He’ll not find us on an evil day and say, ‘I’ve had great patience with you, but now I’ll deal with you after your sins.’  Far from it!  He that believes in Jesus has everlasting life and will never come into condemnation!  Irreversible is the pardon of heaven.”

Because of my aggravatingly resilient sinful nature the way to possess the assurance I yearn for lies in “keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).  Why’s that?  Christ told us: “I’m the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  Case closed.

The Scourge of Discontentment

From prison, Paul wrote, “…I’ve learned to be content in any circumstance.  I’ve experienced times of need and times of abundance.  In any and every circumstance I’ve learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.  I’m able to do all things through the One who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

The Bible repeatedly urges Christians to content themselves with God’s generosity: “Godliness combined with contentment brings great profit” (1 Timothy 6:6); “Don’t worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:34); “Don’t be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6).  So why do we often struggle through seasons of discontent?  It’s because our trust is weak.

In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught that stressing out is a waste of time.  Ian Hamilton wrote, “Jesus tells his disciples that their lives are cared for, watched over, and dearly loved by their Heavenly Father.  It’s the fatherly love and care of God that is the bedrock of the Christian’s contentment.”

The problem? Satan never stops announcing that God’s “left the building”; that we’re on our own. Sadly, unless we keep our eyes fixed on Christ, we’ll succumb to the devil’s lies.  We’ll become convinced God couldn’t care less about us and we’ll fall into a state of what Martyn Lloyd-Jones called “spiritual depression,” a condition that greatly restricts our ability to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).  So how do we avoid it?

In 2009 I rededicated my life to Jesus.  I’d gotten lost.  I’d nearly destroyed my marriage and had finally turned to God’s Holy Word for direction.  I also came across a book that helped me immensely and inspired me to start this blog.  It was Lloyd-Jones’ book,  Spiritual Depression: Its causes and its cure.  I highly recommend it.

Paul teaches contentment must be learned.  It doesn’t come naturally.  We become discontented because we inevitably allow feelings to determine our overall outlook.  Lloyd-Jones wrote, “Oh, the havoc that’s wrought and the tragedy, the misery and the wretchedness that are to be found in the world simply because people don’t know how to handle their own feelings!”

I’m not implying feelings aren’t significant or that they should be ignored altogether.  On the contrary, we’re to engage and examine them wisely, bearing in mind nothing fluctuates more than our emotional state.  Feelings tend to insist we don’t have enough and the resulting discontent always breeds disillusionment with God.

Studying Scripture wards off discontentment’s doubts and fears better than anything else.  Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The inmost heart of Christian faith is that we take God at His Word.  And we must accept that Word, not because of the probabilities of its statements, nor because of the confirmatory evidence of science and philosophy, but simply and alone because the Lord has spoken it.”  Martin Luther commented, “You shouldn’t believe your conscience and your feelings more than the Word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.”

When we realize we’re in the throes of discontent how should we go about freeing ourselves from its debilitating grip?  Evidently, Timothy sometimes felt inadequate to effectively preach the gospel. Paul told him, “I remind you to rekindle God’s gift that you possess…  For God didn’t give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

One of the vital things I gleaned from Lloyd-Jones’ book came from his statement, “You have to speak to yourself.  For there’s a sense in which what the Scriptures do is to teach us how to speak to ourselves.  Remind yourself of certain things.  Remind yourself of who you are and what you are.”  (Understand, this is something to be done silently.  Walking around chatting to yourself will probably cause people to steer clear.)

J.I. Packer wrote, “Think against your feelings; argue yourself out of the gloom they’ve spread; unmask the unbelief they’ve nourished; take yourself in hand, talk to yourself, make yourself look up from your problems to the God of the gospel; let evangelical thinking correct emotional thinking.”

I’m not saying we can develop permanent immunity from discontent.  We must pray to our Savior for the power to overcome our anemic trust.  Jerry Bridges wrote, “We must be careful that, in preaching the gospel to ourselves, we don’t preach a gospel without a cross.  We must be careful we don’t rely on the so-called unconditional love of God without realizing His love can only flow to us as a result of Christ’s atoning death.”

Critics of Christianity claim that being “content in any circumstance” is to be apathetic or indifferent towards injustice or cruelty.  Wrong.  What Paul meant is that believers aren’t to be mastered or controlled by circumstances; that our contentment shouldn’t be contingent on what’s happening to us or others in this fallen world.  Contentment arises exclusively from the hope we have in Jesus.

To keep from becoming discontent, every Christian must accept that circumstances always change and that assuming they won’t is folly; that although God’s will and ways are mysterious, we must believe that whatever He wills is for our spiritual benefit; that every situation God leads us into is the unfolding of yet another manifestation of His love and goodness; that our relationship to our Heavenly Father matters more than our comfort; that everything that occurs in our life is part of God’s process of perfecting our soul and reshaping us to better resemble His Son.

Lloyd-Jones summed up his personal thoughts thusly: “Whatever my conditions may be at this present moment they’re only temporary, they’re only passing, and they can never rob me of the joy and the glory that ultimately await me with Christ.”  Our faith in Jesus’ promises sustains us.

Paul said, “To me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Philippians 1:21).  Spurgeon preached, “To come to Jesus is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest after long labor, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes.”

Free Will

Few things offend people more than being told their will isn’t utterly free; that they aren’t autonomous beings who, at any conscious moment, independently decide what to think or do.  That’s because from infancy we assume we have an inborn right to arbitrarily choose how we act and/or react in any situation and nothing in nature indicates otherwise.

And, even though the Bible asserts election and predestination are realities, the issue of free will has been argued in Christian circles since the beginning.  (I do want to emphasize that your viewpoint on the subject has no bearing on whether or not you’ll go to heaven.  Only by believing in your heart that Jesus is your Lord and Savior can you gain eternal life in paradise.)

Augustine was the most significant Christian theologian after Peter and Paul.  His writings expressed what was generally accepted in the early church – God’s sovereignty over His creation is absolute.  Then, in 411, a monk named Pelagius stirred up controversy by insisting people must voluntarily choose to believe in Christ, despite Jesus declaring to His followers, “You didn’t choose me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16).

Adolph Harnack opined Pelagius was “roused to anger by an inert Christendom that excused itself by pleading the frailty of the flesh and the impossibility of fulfilling the grievous commandments of God; preaching that God commanded nothing impossible, that man possessed the power of doing the good if only he willed it…”

The church excommunicated Pelagius in 418.  But over a millennium later, in 1524, a scholar named Desiderius Erasmus wrote a short book entitled Discussion Concerning Free Will intended to refute the reformation teachings of Martin Luther.  His “semi-Pelagian” attitude maintained that salvation was achieved via mutual cooperation between God and man.

In response, Luther published his landmark book, The Bondage of the Will, wherein he labeled the matter “the hinge on which all turns.”  Ian Hamilton encapsulated Luther’s reasoning thusly: “If our wills are not totally in bondage, if there’s any residue of essential goodness in any man or woman enabling them to will the good, then salvation isn’t of the Lord.  The Bible couldn’t be clearer: salvation is wholly the work of God, the result of His grace to us in Christ.”  Ephesians 2:8 states, “By grace you’re saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it’s the gift of God…”

What ensued was a split between Catholics and Protestants that drastically altered church history.  Enter James Arminius in the late 1500s who advocated a compromised perspective, writing, “All unregenerate persons have freedom of will, and a capability of resisting the Holy Spirit, of rejecting the proffered grace of God and of not opening to Him who knocks at the door of the heart.”

Of course, this flew in the face of the Calvinistic tenet that insists God’s grace is irresistible; that if you’re one of God’s elect then you’ll be inexorably drawn to and transformed by the gospel message, fully accepting it as the truth after hearing it preached. No exceptions.  Paul wrote, “…It’s God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

About that verse, Calvin commented, “The first part of a good work is the will, the second is vigorous effort in the doing of it.  God is the author of both.  It is, therefore, robbery from God to arrogate anything to ourselves, either in the will or the act.”

I enjoy reading books by Christian authors.  One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that there are lots of Arminian-minded believers in this world.  For example, inside Randy Alcorn’s excellent tome, Heaven, I came across this passage: “It seems to me that the capacity to choose is part of what makes us human.  It’s hard to believe God would be pleased by our worship if we had no choice but to offer it.”

The revealing phrase is “it seems to me.”  When it comes to God Almighty who are we to place any restrictions on how He thinks, what He’s decreed, or what He deems good?  Remember, though, claiming one’s will is free isn’t sinful.  It’s just incorrect.  Who created your will?  God did.  He bestowed to each of us the unique will we possess.

David wrote of God, “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I’m fearfully and wonderfully made…  All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:13-14,16).  I accept Scripture as inerrant truth. I must conclude that my mind, heart, and will were all created by God.

Therefore, the choices I’ve made in my life were preordained because God personally designed and installed the reasoning impetus that determines my preferences.  Does that make me a robot?  Hardly.  I’ve never sensed I did or thought something because some kind of supernatural “force” compelled me.  When confronted with options, our one-of-a-kind, God-given will always chooses what’s most desirable or least undesirable to us.

R.C. Sproul opined, “If history is affected at all by the decisions of men and if God’s knowledge doesn’t include future human decisions, how can God know anything about the future of world history?  How can we find any comfort in the future God’s promised for His people if that future destiny rests in the hands of men?”

Sproul added, “[This subject] isn’t to be confused with the blind determination of ‘fate’ or the mechanical physical forces.  This is the determination of an omnipotent and holy being, who’s determined to bring about the salvation of His elect.  God is determined to accomplish His plan, and by His determinate counsel that’s exactly what He does.”

Understand that “The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It’s incurably bad.” (Jeremiah 17:9).  I’ve proven that to myself repeatedly.  Given my predilection for sinning, I never would’ve chosen to surrender to Christ.  It had to have been God’s will that I did. I’m forever thankful.

What’s “Works” Got To Do With It?

Pardon the play on words.  It’s not my intention to diminish the importance of this entry’s subject – sola fide.  The doctrine of “faith alone” is the bedrock affirmation of reformed theology.  How fundamental is it?  Martin Luther called it “the article with and by which the church stands, without which it falls.”

Many have been told they must earn their way into heaven by piling up “good deeds.”  But the Bible nixes that notion completely.  The prophet, speaking to God, wrote, “We’re all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight” (Isaiah 64:6).  Therefore, thinking anything we do can be considered “righteous” is folly.  Yet some believe otherwise.

The controversy began with the fourth-century theologian Pelagius who insisted men and women can become justified without the assistance of divine grace.  While he was rightly declared a heretic, his views continue to influence Christian thought to this day, though it’s been watered down into what’s referred to as “Semi-Pelagianism.”

For instance, the Roman Catholic Church teaches that grace, faith and Jesus are all necessary but, nevertheless, insufficient for a sinner to become justified; i.e., they’re not enough.  Therefore, one must merit saving grace via observing the sacraments.  But that’s not what the Scriptures say.  They confirm faith alone, the “gift from God,” is enough to link us forever to Christ, the One who qualifies us to receive the eternal benefits of His atonement.

Face it, spiritually we’re inept.  R.C. Sproul wrote, “If I must wait until I cooperate with the righteousness of Christ infused within me, to the degree I become inherently righteous, I despair of ever attaining salvation.  This isn’t gospel or ‘good news’; it’s bad news.”

Semi-Pelagians claim that James voided the “faith only” argument with one verse when he brought up Abraham and wrote, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).  This seems to contradict Paul, who wrote, “Where, then, is boasting?  It’s excluded!  By what principle?  Of works?  No, but by the principle of faith!  For we consider a person declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law” (Romans 3:27-28).

What’s a Christian to think?  Is the doctrine of sola fide valid or not?  A deeper investigation reveals there’s no contradiction.  The reason being while both James and Paul were pointing back to Abraham and both employed the same Greek word for “justify” they weren’t using the term to convey the same concept.

Paul, in expounding upon the doctrine of justification, refers to Genesis 15 wherein Abraham is counted righteous by God the moment he believes.  Paul preaches Abraham was justified before he performed any works of obedience.  Thus, God’s gift of faith alone saved him.  James highlighted the passage in Genesis 22 that tells of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac on the altar.  Yet Abraham had already been justified by faith long before that episode occurred.  And justification’s something God never takes back.

Viewed in logical context, James was addressing a question he’d posed earlier: “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but doesn’t have works?  Can this kind of faith save them?” (2:14).  What he was trying to convey was that merely saying one has faith and truly having faith aren’t identical because authentic faith always manifests itself in the believer’s actions.  If “good deeds” don’t follow one’s conversion their faith is, indeed, insufficient.

In other words, Abraham didn’t have to prove to God his faith was genuine.  God knew Abraham’s heart because He’s omniscient.  He knows everything.  Abraham was being obedient, trusting that God knew what He was doing even if he didn’t.  Abraham wasn’t relying on his own understanding but trusting in the LORD with all his heart (see Proverbs 3:5).

Addressing James 2:24, John Calvin opined: “It appears certain he’s speaking of the manifestation, not of the imputation of righteousness, as if he’d said, ‘Those who are justified by true faith prove their justification by obedience and good works, not by a bare and imaginary semblance of faith.’  As Paul contends that men are justified without the aid of works, so James won’t allow any to be regarded as justified who are destitute of good works.”

Note that Calvin mentioned imputation in his statement.  That word’s meaning is key to understanding how we, the wretched sinners we are, can possibly be accepted as worthy of adoption by our Heavenly Father.  Sproul wrote, “God doesn’t declare the sinner just because the sinner, considered in himself, is just.  God deems him just because of what’s added to his account, the merit of the righteousness of Christ.  Although justification is by faith, if considered from another angle it may be proper to say justification is by works.”

Say what?  Sproul explained: “Ultimately, justification is by works in the sense we’re justified by the works of Christ.  …We’re justified by faith in the works performed on our behalf by Christ.”

The saving of the thief’s soul on the cross next to Jesus is very revealing.  All that sinner had was the faith in Christ that God gifted to him during the final minutes of his earthly life.  He couldn’t do any works.  He couldn’t get baptized.  He could hardly breathe.  Yet our merciful Lord promised him, “I tell you the truth, today you’ll be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Some claim that, due to that episode happening prior to Jesus’ Resurrection, it has no bearing on how one becomes justified now days.  But I can’t find where that significant caveat gets articulated in God’s Holy Word.  The reassurance all Christians can glean from the story of the thief’s merciful salvation is this:  If a person is one of God’s elect there’ll come a time, however late it may happen, when their heart is regenerated by the Holy Spirit and they fully accept Jesus as the way, the truth and the life.  And they’re saved. On God’s timetable it’s never too late.

It Takes a Righteous Man

While Jesus is certainly loving and gracious, it may surprise you to learn neither of those attributes are used to describe Him in Scripture.  What we’re told most often is that our Redeemer is “righteous.”  What does that mean?

The word slangily gets applied to anything of excellent quality these days but its true meaning is more profound.  Merriam-Webster defines righteous as “acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.”  Obviously none of us who’ve trod this earth qualify.  Our Savior is the only one who does.

He’s called “my righteous servant” (Isaiah 53:11), a “righteous branch” and “the Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:5-6), as well as the “sun of righteousness” (Malachi 4:2), a “righteous man” (Luke 23:47), “the righteous judge” (2 Timothy 4:8) and “Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).

Its Greek root, dikaios, is translated as “just” in other passages.  Pilate’s wife warned him, “Have nothing to do with this just [righteous] man” (Matthew 27:19) and, in verse 34, Pilate declared, “I’m innocent of the blood of this just [righteous] person.”  I could cite more but you catch the drift.

Here’s the truth: Jesus is righteous in His person, in the administration of His creation and in overseeing the spreading of the Gospel across the whole planet.  During His incarnation as a human being He never committed a sin.  He completed His assigned task of atoning for every believer’s sins flawlessly.  As He prayed to His Heavenly Father, “I glorified You on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4).

Why is Christ’s righteousness important?  A.W. Pink wrote, “Christ is the righteous Redeemer of His people because their righteousness is in Him.  He wrought out a perfect righteousness for them.  Upon their believing in Him, it’s imputed or reckoned to their account.  He was righteous not as a private person, not for Himself alone, but for us sinners and our salvation.”

In other words, Jesus came to earth in the dual role of God’s servant and as the divine Mediator who’d restore peace between mankind and the Father in heaven.  He lived a sinless life and then willingly suffered an agonizing death so we’d gain the benefit – justification – of His untainted, obedient life.  Understand Christ didn’t disregard nor fail to honor God’s law.  On the contrary, as stated in Romans 3:31, He “upheld” it.

“But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights” (Galatians 4:4-5).  Being “born under the law,” the Father didn’t exempt His own Son from having to obey the very same ordinances He’d given to Moses.

Martin Luther explained: “If the observance of the Law is righteousness, who can deny that Christ, by taking this burden upon Himself and reconciling us to God as if we were the observers of the Law, merited favor for us?  For to what end that subjection, unless that He obtained justification for us by undertaking to perform what we were unable to pay?”

Due to Jesus’ unsullied righteousness, His followers who have none and can’t obtain a speck of it on our own will be deemed “spotlessly clean” when we stand before our ultimate Judge.  Pink wrote, “Because we were unable to reach up to the holy requirements or righteousness of the Law, God brought His righteousness down to us.”

The ancient prophecies came true with the birth of Christ.  Hundreds of years earlier God had vowed, “I’m bringing my deliverance near, it’s not far away; I’m bringing my salvation near, it doesn’t wait” (Isaiah 46:13).  God never reneges on a promise.

Paul stated it succinctly: “God made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  How amazing is that?  Via what theologians term “double imputation,” our sins were imputed to Jesus while His righteousness was imputed to us.  No miracle’s greater.

Notice it’s not our own righteousness.  We actually “become the righteousness of God” itself!  That’s so profound I can’t mentally grasp all it implies.  Human language is extremely limited. It’s insufficient for expressing the concept thoroughly.  However, I do know Christ paid the debt I owe.

J.I. Packer wrote, “The idea the Son changed the mind of His Father by offering Himself in place of sinful man is no part of the gospel message – it’s a sub-Christian idea… for it denies the unity of the will in the Father and the Son and so, in reality, falls back into polytheism, asking us to believe in two different gods.  But the Bible rules this out absolutely by insisting it was God Himself who took the initiative in quenching His own wrath against those whom, despite their ill-desert, He loved and had chosen to save.”

Our righteous Savior’s ghastly sacrifice of His own life on the cross completed the eternal plan of redemption and satisfied every penalty God’s Law demands.  Jesus didn’t cut any corners.  He courageously took the full blunt of sin’s vicious onslaught and defeated the death it leads to.  His righteousness was more than enough to break the curse that Adam, by his iniquity, had brought upon the human race.

Pink wrote, “The perfections of God, which were dishonored by our rebellion, are glorified in our redemption.  In redemption God appears inflexibly just in exacting vengeance, and inconceivably rich in showing mercy.”  James Hervey said that in Jesus, “The sword of justice and the scepter of grace has each its due exercise, each its full expression.”

How do we accept and display this “righteousness of God”?  By having faith. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).  Thus, faith means believing in Christ and what He’s taught us about living a different, more fulfilling kind of life in this fallen world.