The Battle for "Justification by Faith!" - Part 3

Okay, let’s get back to our verse that we have been studying:

Romans 4:5 (NIV)
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Yesterday we established that all of us are wicked, and were wicked when Christ revealed Himself to us and saved us. Today we are going to look at the important topic of works. In other words, “What part do I play in my justification?”

Notice that the passage says that our justification is by no work of our own - to the man who does not work. This statement is the follow-up to the point that Paul has just made in the preceding passage - Romans 4:4 (NIV) 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. It is clear that for justification to be a gift then we can have no part in its presence in our lives.

This truth is corroborated in Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here we see that all that we can earn through our own efforts is death (eternal separation from the love of God). But that eternal life is a gift of God. (At this point we must remember our study from yesterday – all of us are wicked, in rebellion against God – therefore we are in sin and sin earns us death).

Paul will also tell us that - Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Here again we are told that our salvation is not brought about by any works of our own.

This truth is why there can be no boasting about our salvation – because we have no part in it. We are merely recipients, not partners in our salvation.

But doesn’t the passage say that we must trust God – isn’t that a work? Isn’t our trusting a result of our faith that we have placed in God so that I am a partner with Him in my salvation? Wouldn’t it be true that salvation must be a partnership – Christ giving Himself as the payment for my sin, and my trusting in that payment so that salvation is bestowed on my soul? The only problem with this statement is that it is a violation of the first parts of the verse – 1) We are wicked; 2) Our work would merely make our salvation an obligation, not a gift.

So, we must examine our understanding of faith to make sure that we have a proper view of the topic if we are to rightly understand this important doctrine. We will undertake this topic tomorrow.

Today delight in the fact that God did not require your partnership to save you, but is majestic and powerful enough to assure your salvation through the strength of His own hands – alone!