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Thu Jun 27 10:18:56 2024
pBiblx2 Field Wise Bible System Version 2.1.11 - GPL3 2009-2020
2017 Sermon Prep
Sola Fide - Reformed position: "Justification by Faith Only"
EDITOR: Forensic vs Transformative Justification
Hinge
My humble attempt at using 5 Solas collectively to help examine Sola Fide
Note: nkjv@Galatians:3:21 ..if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
Note: nkjv@Galatians:4:4-7 @ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Conclusion:
nkjv@Galatians:3:11 @ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."
nkjv@Romans:3:20 @ Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
nkjv@Galatians:3:21 @ Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.
nkjv@Romans:3:21 @ But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
nkjv@James:2:12 @ So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.
kjv@Jeremiah:17:9 @ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
nkjv@Proverbs:21:2 @ Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts.
OT Context = People doing whatsoever was right in their own eye, breaking law by their own traditions
nkjv@Matthew:5:20 @ For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Conclussion:
nkjv@Luke:17:10 @ So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do."'
EDITOR: Frequent reference to being zealous for and "judged" by our works?
kjv@Romans:5:1 @ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Consider this:
Quoted resource: strongs 'G4102'
(see: word study - PistisFaith or slidy:PistisFaith )
Consider this:
Quoted resource: torrey 'Justification'
Note: Reformers define Justification as "forensic": "Right as declared by God"
Example = slave of sin being adopted as a son by royal family
Example = a wedding guest from the distant byways given a wedding robe by the groom in order to partake in the wedding feast.
As opposed to defining Justification as a "transformational" process: "made right little by little by a process of law or works towards perfection". Sanctification is the term reformers define as transformation separate but similar to justification and is not really complete until the glorious day we finally "see Him as He really is".
You will get a better sense of why this "forensic" understanding is important to sola fide as we continue examining it in the light of more of the solas. For instance:
nkjv@Titus:3:7 @ that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
nkjv@Galatians:5:4-5 @ You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
nkjv@Romans:9:32 @ Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
nkjv@Romans:4:14 @ For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,
kjv@Romans:11:6 @ And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
nkjv@Romans:4:4 @ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
kjv@Romans:3:24 @ Being justified freely by his grace...
nkjv@Ephesians:2:8 @ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
Our truest form of faith has come as a result of God's Grace/Righteousness and our faith is in God's continuing grace/righteousness. That grace and righteousness has been proven out and extended for our access in HIS Son Jesus Christ. Faith is the best (only) available candidate for receiving God's declaration of justification and have it be by God's grace.
Summation:
nkjv@Romans:4:16 @ Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.
Unlike the conditional covenant made with Israel concerning the keeping of the Law (which men never kept as evidenced by what all happened to Israel), the covenant that superseded it is the covenant of promise made to Abraham 430 years before that
kjv@Galatians:3:29 @ And if ye be Christs, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise.
kjv@Galatians:3:8 @ And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
kjv@Galatians:3:16 @ Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
How do we know that the most important part of this unconditional Abrahamic covenant was made regarding a Seed (Christ) and not many seeds (Israel)? That takes us back to the larger overall superseding unconditional covenant made clear back with Adam:
nkjv@Genesis:3:15 @ And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
This will become central to our examination because not only do we have a whole lot of various scriptures to support being "right" with God through faith alone, scripture reveals to us that we have unconditional superseding covenant. And if unconditional, if as a result of Christ's complete and all sufficient work itself (Sola Christus), then it is also only by God's grace.
Peter puts it this way:
nkjv@2Peter:1:3-4 @ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We will talk about this partaking by "imputation" shortly.
kjv@Romans:5:9 @ Much more then, being now justified by his blood
kjv@Romans:3:24 @ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
kjv@1Corinthians:6:11 @ And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
nkjv@Romans:3:25-26 @ whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Christ Jesus is the complete fulfillment of the Law.
nkjv@Romans:10:4 @ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
The Law pointed us to Jesus
EDITOR:
nkjv@Galatians:3:13 @ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" ),
kjv@Romans:5:18 @ ... even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life
nkjv@Hebrews:9:14 @ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Two prominent Christian definitions historically to compare:
Reformed:
Living as fully persuaded of the hope revealed/purchased/brought about by Christ alone, relying upon His ability alone to make us "right with God", on God's terms as revealed in the scriptures alone, by God's grace alone, for God's glory alone.
(regarding justification = forensic (declared right/righteousness is imputed by Christ/grace and faith alone) - having the assurance born of all this)
Roman Catholic:
Having been justified initially by baptism into the Church and remaining justified by the continuing (up to date) confession and penance for sins yet committed, justification progresses towards completion by means of performing seven Church sanctioned works (Sacraments). At death, the soul will be finally purged of it's innate sinful nature by suffering in purgatory, the length of this purging can be reduced by the Vicor of Rome applying the extra merits of certain Church Saints to their credit (at his discretion) and by prayers of the rosary by the Church faithful to the Immaculate Mother Mary.
(regarding justification = transformative (made/progressing toward becoming right/righteousness infused into/faith plus works plus future purging plus Saints extra merit) - assurance until you done something wrong again)
According to biblical history the Law has only been fulfilled once - by Jesus.
-fail at one point = failed at all nkjv@James:2:10
-Law has confined all to be under sin nkjv@Galatians:3:22
-made their own righteousness nkjv@Romans:10:3 nkjv@1Timothy:1:7
nkjv@Romans:3:28 @ Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
This solely for God's glory
kjv@Romans:4:2 @ For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
nkjv@Romans:9:11 @ (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
nkjv@Psalms:32:1-2 @ Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
Jew - legalism/tradition over scripture/Christless/nationalism
Catholic - Tradition over scripture/7 sacraments as works/Authority of Vicor of Rome+Church/ritualism+iconism
Liberal - relativism/nihilism/agnosticism/atheism
Sola Fide - Justification by faith alone "Right with/by God"
The proper place for the law and works is after justification by faith where self has been crucified, the works of the flesh are dead, the soul has been raised into Christ (Christ has been put on), the Spirit is indwelling, the fruit of the Holy Spirit begun, the soul has been washed and regenerated, the mind transformed, the true image of Christ has been formed within the believer, the meat of the word sought after, etc.. Then and only then, the place of the Law
EDITOR: Cheap Grace/Antinominism/Sandemanianism
EDITOR: BIG ENDING
Further Resources:
SolaFideVerses - Verses pro and con (please examine each in full context)
Child Threads:
SolaFide2a 1st draft
Thu Jun 27 10:18:56 2024
pBiblx2 Field Wise Bible System Version 2.1.11 - GPL3 2009-2020