Are We Really Justified by Faith - Research Paper Example

?Are we really justified by Faith? All throughout scripture we see important people living their lives in a way that is according to scripture. As weall know, new covenants are created and there is a stark difference between Genesis, the beginning of the Bible, and Revelations, the last book of the Bible. Important personnel are mentioned, highlighted and praised for what they do even if what they do is “against” God’s plan. But yet, they are justified by faith. What they do and how they live, is OK because of their faith in God. During different religious awakenings, you will find people like Martin Luther. As he lived his life, he attempted to prove his faith by acts, and works. But he realized that that was not saving him. As he read through scripture, he came to terms with the fact that he is justified by his faith. What he believes, and his faith in God, will bring him to fruition. In Genesis 15:6, we see that Abraham believed in the Lord and because of his belief, he was made righteous. The word righteous here means just or fair. Because of Abraham’s belief, he was considered to be a righteous man. It did not matter what he did as a person, what mattered was his belief in God. Though he was born again, his works was not what saved him. God accepted Abraham not because he lived a life of perfection, but because he believed and he responded to God’s promises. This particular verse was mentioned three different times in the New Testament as proof of the importance of faith in one’s salvation. It was quoted in Romans, Galatians and also in James. Even in the Old Testament it is clear that God looked for faith and not moral perfection. Abraham also demonstrates great faith in his offering of his son in Genesis 22:1-18. He blindly obeys God’s command until God forbids him. God spares Abraham’s son because of his obedience to him. If you take the time to read Genesis, you will see that the way God orchestrated the world into existence was and is in the form of a pattern. It was not randomly done. The idea of faith is the belief in things unseen and the belief that everything falls into its corresponding places when God deems it time is infallible. We may not see the order in which it is being done at hand, but in the end, God has created a masterpiece. First God commands things into existence. Then he creates a logical division. After, he names it and last but not least, he evaluates it. This is a pattern that is seen throughout normal life. In teaching, you tell the student what to do, you give instructions, you point out the good/bad and then you evaluate the assignment based on its performance. Faith believes that things will turn out the way it is supposed to at the right time. Justification is like being clothed in divine righteousness. When you think about the book of Exodus, you tend to lean on the changes that are occurring in the Bible. The exodus was a major time period when the Israelites left one area to go to the next. The term is widely used as reference to different things such as a “leaving” or “departing” in a simple every day scenario. In Romans, you see an Exodus from slavery. Due to the nature of the people living during the Bible times, slavery was not considered an act of infringement. Instead, it was accepted and there was a simple hierarchy that everyone became familiar with. Without this hierarch, like capitalism in the United States, a society was very incapable of functioning on a higher level. Terry Virgo, a Christian Pastor looks at Christian freedom of slavery from sin. This indeed is in part a form of exodus, a practice justified by the government during those times. Justification is the legal act where God declares the sinner to be innocent of his or her sin. It does not mean that the particular sinner is sinless; it just means that God “declares” him sinless. This declaration of righteousness is what it means to be justified by God and faith. This justification can only be made clear because of Jesus’ shed blood. Without the shed blood of Jesus, justification by faith is not possible. It is clear that the Jews believe in works in order to be saved. Just like in today’s churches, the people believe that they must do in order to be saved. This is why you have many churches who “count” the amount of people who were saved. They think that if they can have a record of their achievement, somehow, some way, god will love them more, or they will be noticed more. In the Old Testament you will find the same deal. So when Abraham was justified by faith alone, it created problems for the Jews. Justification by faith was and is for people who were yet to be saved. Justification by works was and is for people who were already saved and need to take the next step of being faithful. It is important to note the difference. Without this difference, it is hard to understand what God means when he says that we are justified at all. Both James and Paul seem to contradict each other when they talk about justification in general. It appears that James in saying that people are ONLY justified by faith and Paul is saying that people are solely justified by their works. What we see here is not a contradiction but a status evaluation. It all depends on where the person is in their salvation. Luther, a Catholic monk of the Protestant Reformation rediscovered a Catholic doctrine. The doctrine was Justification by Faith. The main split that occurred with the Catholics and the Protestants was focused around a huge misunderstanding of scripture. They used the same Bible, believed in the same God, and worshiped in the same way. The difference was how the Bible was being interpreted. This misunderstanding caused many wars that resulted in bloodshed. Even today, many Catholics and Protestants do not realize the reason for the split. Luther left a legacy that is well known to most religious people and those not so religious. His legacy created controversy in the hearts and minds of many religious leaders. His inability to find inner peace is what caused him to be so passionate about the subject at hand. He quotes in Romans 1:17 that the Just shall live by faith. He further explains that if work is done, it should not be done as a means to earn our way to Heaven for we are already saved through faith in God. According to Dr. John H. Gershner, eternal life depends on Christ alone and nothing else. The unification of the person and Christ together is called faith. Faith is an action, but it is not a work. When you have faith, you act upon that faith by works, but it is not a requirement. So the question that could be asked is whether God keeps a record of sin. If you are justified, you are deemed “sinless” before God. This does not mean that you have not sinner, or you will not sin, what it means is that God has made you “white” and blank before him. Psalms says “if you o Lord kept a record of sin, oh Lord, who could stand.” It is clear that we are without hope without God’s love. How can we stand before a just God, in our imperfection? It is essential to know that justification deals with past, present and future sins. It does not bring innocence but instead, it brings a state of righteousness before God. It is more than just forgiveness. It removes guilt. Jesus’ forgiveness is imputed in us. It is not inherent. The righteousness that Jesus gives us is charged to Christ’s account. Ephesians 2:10 says that it is by Grace you have been saved through faith and this is not from yourself but from God. It is not by works. Because if we have works, it is easier to boast. For we are god’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. The salvation of God does not stand on human logic. It stands on the sacrificial death of Jesus. God impregnates us with his safely of justification. In Habakkuk 2:4 we can see that the just shall live by faith. Galatians says that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by his faith in Jesus. First John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God’s justification is on a relative basis and is not the same for all people. The issue of justification can be misconstrued by many. Romans 5:1 says “therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, throughout Lord Jesus Christ. So it is Jesus who makes us whole and it is Jesus who can remove the “guilt” from our hearts. Without Jesus, we are unable to be made whole, purified, justified and guiltless. We all full of sin and without God’s grace and love, our sin would prevail. It is important to make some realizations about Justification by faith. It is essential to be justified in the sight of God. You should also realize that while being brought to justice, that a man was marred badly in their past life and did not obey God’s laws. Before God’s Spirit comes into our souls, we are like lost sheep or we are in a room that is dark. And then it is also important to know that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s justice. We are not saved through works but instead by faith! According to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, the question of Justification by faith is a common question posed by most religious people. Romans 4:5 says to home that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Adam, the first man who was placed in that Garden of Eden, walked, talked and sang to God. He worshipped God in all of his fullness and Glory and understood God. He, Adam, had a connection with God that was so unique, so beautiful and wonderful. His life with God was flawless. We, being justified by God’s love are in search of that “Eden time” which is the time that God created to spend with him. Without that time, we are disconnected from God. And then the sin came about. We disobeyed God which was something that became a pretty big issue. Once we sinned, we broke the “law” which was put on both Adam and Eve. Neither of them really knew that they broke a law; instead, they realized that something was not right. And the thing that was not right was the disobedience. God kicked them out of the garden with really no place to go. He bestowed promises on them which he fulfilled and told them that their life would never be the same. But he was still there for him, every step of the way. Because of the Sin of the first Adam, the man who represents all human kind, we all fell short of God’s love. And it does not necessarily mean that we were loved less, but instead, we were not worthy of God’s love to its full extent. We lost his trust and therefore, man felt they had to work to earn God’s love back. Because one man sinned and judgment fell on him, and affected us all, one man’s death, the death of Jesus Christ covered all sins in the entire world. Through one man we are killed and through one man, the second Adam, Jesus Christ himself, we are all saved. Remember, justification is the clearing of accusations, particularly from Satan. It is not just clearing us from Satan, but it is also clearing us from the Law. Though God created the law to protect our rights, and our selves, He also expected us to understand that his appreciation for us is not tied up by works but faith alone. John Wesley was an insightful writer who viewed scripture in a way that was easily accessible to all. He tried to portray God’s views and ideas in a matter that was tangible and logical. His published sermons written during his lifetime were either rewritten from ones that he had preached previously or specifically written to print. Galatians 2:16 says that we had to become believers in Christ Jesus no less than you had, and now we hold that faith in Christ rather than fidelity to the Law is what justifies us, and that no one can be justified by keeping the Law. The fact that those people who were so concerned with following the law were the ones who were less justified poses a serious question on the definition of justification. If Justification is done only through faith, then the law has no bearing. Maybe the law is part of faith then? Maybe following the law shows how faithful you are to God. Maybe the law was just something created by people to justify their acts, or to protect the ones they loved. But God says that the law cannot make us saved, and the law cannot justify us or make us guiltyless. The law is there to ensure peace. But justification is not necessarily about peace. Justification is about guiltless living. Even though we sin, justification by faith gives us the opportunity to start over, with a blank slate, as if nothing happened. We are not forgiven for our sin; we are guiltless, which is a step further than forgiveness. When we forgive someone, we know that there is a bit of guilt that looms over us. Maybe we behaved in a manner that is unpleasing to God. But with faith, we are justified and that guilt is taken away and we are made clean, whole and pure before God. Changing yourself from the state of sin to the state of grace is what many Catholics believe to be as Justification. It is not us who change our state but God, through His perfect self, life and grace allows for the ease to change our state. Paul teaches that when we are in the state of sin, there is nothing we can do to prove ourselves to God. There is no good works, actions or deeds that deems us worthy of God’s forgiveness, grace or love. But so it is here that we learn the importance of Justification and its implication on our lives. Receiving the gift of God in our lives is never a prize or a reward. Many Christians consider Christ’s death and his gift of eternal life to be a reward as it is often phrased. But his “gift” of eternal life is not really a gift at all. With faith, receive a gift. A gift should not need action at all. The reception of Grace and justification is always a free unmerited gift given to all, not just the ones who believe. In Luke, Acts and Romans we see the writer talking about the type of faith that is needed. And the type of faith that is needed is repentant faith. To repent is to turn from evil and do good. An action. How does one turn from evil and do good and have faith? The repentant faith is the kind of faith that admits failure and create a desire to do good. The repentant faith, which leads to God’s justification, is the type of faith that leads to God’s mercy. How about those people who think that works are important? All throughout scripture we see the writers of the bible talking about being careful. 1st Corinthians 10:12 says that the man who thinks he is safe must watch his back. “And the Catholics believe that winning God’s favor is a mixture of faith and works. Because the requirement is two-fold, we can’t ever achieve the goal of being in God’s favor. So it is important to remain calm and vigilant for we don’t know when we could slip and fall into mortal danger. St. Paul does a lot of warning against people who presume things. Those people who presume put themselves in a situation that only hurts them in the end. He also talks about passing premature judgment which is another way of not presuming. 1st Corinthians 4:5 says that God will light up all that is hidden in the dark and bring it to light. Reformers such and Luther and Calvin found it hard for them to live with the uncertainty of their beliefs. They both looked at how St. Paul spoke on Justification by faith only and not works has revolutionized Christianity as a whole. They point out that only when one is in the state of sin, they need to realize that there is nothing they can physically do to merit forgiveness. They also both interpreted the scriptures on justification to be exclusive and believed that our works could not keep us justified. So there are two things at stake. Being justified and staying justified. Does our faith bring us justification and are we secure in our justification only by having faith? Because we are justified by faith, does this mean that God overlooks any sins committed in the future by us? How about if we think badly of someone, is that sin justified. Are we supposed to not feel guilty for our thought process? Is being justified by faith another way of having life insurance? It’s neither and it’s all of it. The Catholics believe that because we can’t predict or read the mind of God, we can’t have the assurance of salvation just through our faith. Calvinists believe that we have been predestined by God himself. They believe we have been handpicked for his Kingdom. Luther, and other protestants believe that we choose to receive God’s grace, forgiveness, justification and Glory by our decision making process. We choose to acknowledge what Christ has done for us. Therefore, we can live a more meaningful life and not worry about what the future will bring. With these varying views on justification by faith we see that the Bible, though being God’s word, can take many turns. And it is not that God is contradicting himself, it’s that the writers of the Bible, because they are humans with their own minds, brains and thoughts, are interpreting scripture the way they would best know how. The interpretation of scripture is really a beautiful thing. It allows for the expansion of the mind, and the heart. It allows people from all over the world to make connections they may not have expected to make given only one perspective. Justification by faith is a wildly talked about topic in the religious sectors. Christians want to put their own twist on this concept and they want to throw in another concept they may feel more comfortable with and that is the idea that you are justified by your works. There is plenty of scripture mentioning the important of works but it is imperative to know and understand that being justified by faith is an act that is done before you are a believer, and it secures you. When you are justified by your works it is as if you are taking the next step of proclamation of your faith. What is faith without works? What and how can you say that you have faith but you show no works? So, when you are justified by faith, you are considered “cleared” through customs? The actions of the people in the Old Testament was justified by God regardless of their position in life. They had confessed and moved from a sinful lifestyle to a sinless lifestyle. This did not mean that they no longer sinned. It meant that their faith in God saved them from harsh punishment. God said they were “ok” because of their belief in him. All throughout scripture we see important persons mentioned. They are mentioned because first they were under the law, and then their justification through faith made them people who were guiltless, sinless and free. Without this freedom to express themselves, their faith would be limited. As scripture continues to be the most widely read book all throughout history, we learn that it is through scripture that we find true freedom and it is through our faith that we are justified by God and we no longer live and that it is Christ who lives in us. Works Cited Bibile, Nick. Justification by Faith Alone. www.sounddoctrine.net/Nick/justified.htm (accessed 12 5, 2011). Church, The middleton Bible. Justification by Faith and Justification by Works: Did James Contradict Paul? http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/doctrine/JamesPau.htm (accessed 12 3, 2011). Deffingbough, Bob. An Old Testament Illustration of Justification By Faith. 1995-2011. http://bible.org/seriespage/old-testament-illustration-justification-faith-romans-4 (accessed 12 4, 2011). Gershner, Dr. John H. Chapter 4 Justification by Faith Alone: (The Nature of Justifying Faith). 12 1, 2011. http://www.the-highway.com/Justification-Gerstner.html (accessed 12 5, 2011). Johnson, Philip R. The Spurgeons Archive. 2001. http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/3392.htm (accessed 12 6, 2011). Kreeft, Peter. Justification by Faith. 1988. http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0027.html (accessed 12 5, 2011). ministries, RBC. 2011. http://utmost.org/classic/justification-by-faith/ (accessed 12 5, 2011). Nichols, Tim. Justification By Faith in Genesis 1. 11 27, 2011. http://fullcontactchristianity.org/ (accessed 12 3, 2011). Slick, Mathew J. Christian Apologetics and research ministry: verses showing justification by Faith. 1995-2011. http://carm.org/verses-showing-justification-by-faith (accessed 12 4, 2011). Virgo, Terry. An Exodus from Slavery: Romans 6:1-18. 2005. http://www.theologynetwork.org/christian-beliefs/justification/starting-out/an-exodus-from-slavery--romans-6v1-18.htm (accessed 12 4, 2011). Wesley, General Board of Global Ministries: John. The Sermons of John Wesley: Justification by Faith. 2011. http://new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/5/ (accessed 12 6, 2011). Read More