So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Summary: In this passage Paul outlines the basic challenge that confronts all humanity. Who do we trust? Ourselves or our Lord?
Do you know what it means to be “justified” before God? To understand what Paul is saying in this passage, it helps to have a good grasp of this word.
The Greek word Paul used is “dikaióō.” Strong’s concordance defines this word as “to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:—free, justify(-ier), be righteous” (Strong’s G1344).*
How would it feel to be “innocent” before God? That would be a good feeling! It would mean we had nothing to be ashamed of when we stand before the Creator of all things. Unfortunately, because of our fallen nature, even if we never do anything wrong, we are guilty of having thoughts about doing wrong things.
And what does it mean to do something “wrong?” God’s law provides basic instruction on the difference between right and wrong. If one is careful to “follow the law” and can comply with every requirement of the law, that gives them a veneer of righteousness. Like the skin of an apple, this “minimum” level of compliance gives the appearance of being right, but it does not guarantee what is under that skin is also right. That is where we, as humans, all fail.
Jesus offers us his righteousness free of charge. It is a gift if we choose to accept it. Among men and women, Jesus is the only human to have ever pleased God by fully complying with the law both on the surface (skin) and inside (heart, mind, and soul). Because of his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus gained the right to redeem anyone and everyone he wants, and he wants to redeem us all. The only caveat is that we need to believe in him and trust him.
As Paul points out in this passage, we have a choice; we can put our faith in Jesus, or we can choose to trust our own righteousness before God.
Application: Trust in Jesus!
Food for Thought: What does it mean to have faith in Jesus?
*”G1344 – dikaioō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (niv).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Feb, 2024. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1344/niv/mgnt/0-1/.
Interesting question brother. It seems so simple to define what it means to have faith in Jesus, yet it is the subject of many books.
I think one important aspect is that we are to put faith in Jesus for salvation instead of…
Of works, other gods, other people, etc. There is no room at that alter for Jesus and… Jesus or…. There is to be no and/or anything. It is Jesus only. Acts 4: 12; 1 Timothy 2: 5 – 6.
People are often tempted to add Jesus to something else. So this is one aspect of what it means to place our faith in Jesus – there is an exclusivity (John 14: 6).
There are many other aspects and angles to take, so I’ll be interested in what others say.
Links to the verses provided by Rich are here. (je)
Rich,
Sometimes reading a “book” can be daunting, and even when we have read the book it is a challenge to wrap our heads around the contents. The advantage of being concise, as you are today, is that it helps us focus our minds on one point. Focus like that generates power, the kind of power that can effect change.
Your answer, for example, brings to mind the fact that Jesus is the only path to heaven. When we focus on Jesus, we are seeing the Light of Heaven. Like hope to a person lost at night, the Light of Heaven draws us to itself.
I think we all have known of someone that we find admirable, but we have never actually met. There is some quality in their character and/or ability that we truly admire. Imagine then if we found out that they were coming to our area, and that there was a possibility of meeting with them. We would probably be elated. Imagine then, if we were told that we would not be allowed to meet this person because of something we had done in our past. Because of this past transgression, we would never be allowed to even be in the same room. I think we could honestly say that would go beyond just simple disappointment. We would feel condemned, shut out, and sad because we would realize there there was no hope in spending time with this person we admired.
Now place that scenario in terms of the Almighty Creator. Thinking about God’s omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience. That He is Holy, righteous, pure love, and the source of all power in the universe. Then think about because we have rebelled against all that He is, we cannot even be in the same room as Him. That we would be condemned by our own sin, and that there is no hope.
And then came Jesus. God, took the form of man, lived sinlessly, and then died for our sins, so that not only could we be in the same room, but that He would live in our heart. Faith in Christ means believing that He has made it possible to reunite us with our Creator. Faith in Christ means believing that everything He asks of us is designed to do just that, bringing us closer to Him minute by minute, day by day, as much as we are willing to draw close. Faith in Christ means believing that He is faithful, all we have to do is grow in grace and knowledge, and obey His Word. Faith in Christ means believing that the works He asks us to do are not for our redemption, He has already provided that and it can’t be taken away, but are for our sanctification, that He is helping us turn from sin, so that we can have a closer relationship with God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Wow nice comment CH.
Chris,
Thank you! Your illustration is powerful. It is somewhat akin to what it felt like to be a leper in Jesus’ day. You became an outcast, unable to be around friends or family. Jesus overcomes everything.
02-16-2024, What does it mean to have faith in Jesus?
Always a great Meditation!
We are born and raised in a physical world as physical beings containing a spirit, All who respond in faith to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, become spiritual beings confined within physical bodies.
John 16:8
Our faith is the gift of God, the faith of Jesus Christ who is the Author and Protector of our faith.
Ephesians 2:8, Galatians 2:16, 2:20, 3:22, Hebrews 12:2
Knowing we have been given the faith of Jesus Christ, allows all with just the tiniest bit of faith to remove mountain sized, seemingly unmovable obstacles which would hinder spiritual growth in our lives, as we seek His power to fully sanctify our whole spirit, soul and body.
Matthew 17:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Thanks Ron!
I like the “moving mountains” part! 🙂
It occurred to me as I was contemplating food for thought.
God often uses physical examples as He presents spiritual truths.
Keep Hitting It!
Ron