Three Words Religion Will Never Understand
There has always existed since the dawn of man the theology of Salvation-by-works. Man has sought to appease God with what he offers to God in exchange for God's favor; his works (ergon " deeds, works "). This is clearly demonstrated in the Bible from Cain,the Babel tower builders,the " do-gooders " of Mt.7:22,the Pharisees, and the Judaizers. Religious people that hold to this doctrine have the idea that when they reach a certain point ( righteousness ) , God will then, and only then, consider ( reckon ) them as " not guilty ". Their dogma would go like this: " God will only declare righteous those who are actually righteous within themselves" ( if God sees righteousness within a person, then He can truly declare them righteous ). Those who hold this doctrine accuse us who believe and teach that no good in man ( righteousness ) can be good enough to earn God's favor ( Salvation ), therefore Salvation cannot come from works of righteousness that we do, but from faith in Christ alone for Salvation , of teaching a " legal fiction " ( God cannot declare to be true what is not actually true ). The Salvation-by-works advocates would be right were it not for three words found in Scripture; " justifieth the ungodly " ( Ro.4:5 ). The Bible declares that God justifies a person before he has done anything to actually become what God declares him to be; " not guilty ". It is the " ungodly " person that is declared to be righteous, not the " good " person. How can God do this; declare someone to be righteous who is not righteous " within themselves "? The answer is in the very same verse; by faith. God says in Ro.4:5 that the " ungodly " person's faith, not his works, is what causes God to " count " him as righteous. You see, God does not practice " legal fiction ", as religion accuses, but is actually declaring what is absolutely true; the " ungodly " person is in fact " righteous " in God's eyes, but not because of his own righteousness; it is an " alien " ( comes from without ) righteousness that comes from Christ Himself. While " ungodly " within himself at the moment of Salvation, the one who receives Christ by faith ( Jn. 1:12 ) is " declared " righteous by God " on account of " anothers righteousness, a righteousness that meets God's standards for Salvation, namely Christ's righteousness. By lumping justification and sanctification together, religious people ( Salvation by works ) have been, and will continue to be, confused by this three word phrase in God's word. God never has, nor ever will, declare someone to be just or righteous because of what that person offers to God ( his own works ) for Salvation. The publican ( ungodly person ) was the one who " went down to his house justified " ( Lu. 18:14 ), and not the pharisee ( self- righteous ). Why? The publican accepted the Savior by faith ( "God be merciful to me a sinner" ) and the pharisee depended on his own righteousness to gain God's favor ( "I" five times in two verses ). The righteousness to be saved had better come from Jesus , or man will never be justified in God's eyes.
There has always existed since the dawn of man the theology of Salvation-by-works. Man has sought to appease God with what he offers to God in exchange for God's favor; his works (ergon " deeds, works "). This is clearly demonstrated in the Bible from Cain,the Babel tower builders,the " do-gooders " of Mt.7:22,the Pharisees, and the Judaizers. Religious people that hold to this doctrine have the idea that when they reach a certain point ( righteousness ) , God will then, and only then, consider ( reckon ) them as " not guilty ". Their dogma would go like this: " God will only declare righteous those who are actually righteous within themselves" ( if God sees righteousness within a person, then He can truly declare them righteous ). Those who hold this doctrine accuse us who believe and teach that no good in man ( righteousness ) can be good enough to earn God's favor ( Salvation ), therefore Salvation cannot come from works of righteousness that we do, but from faith in Christ alone for Salvation , of teaching a " legal fiction " ( God cannot declare to be true what is not actually true ). The Salvation-by-works advocates would be right were it not for three words found in Scripture; " justifieth the ungodly " ( Ro.4:5 ). The Bible declares that God justifies a person before he has done anything to actually become what God declares him to be; " not guilty ". It is the " ungodly " person that is declared to be righteous, not the " good " person. How can God do this; declare someone to be righteous who is not righteous " within themselves "? The answer is in the very same verse; by faith. God says in Ro.4:5 that the " ungodly " person's faith, not his works, is what causes God to " count " him as righteous. You see, God does not practice " legal fiction ", as religion accuses, but is actually declaring what is absolutely true; the " ungodly " person is in fact " righteous " in God's eyes, but not because of his own righteousness; it is an " alien " ( comes from without ) righteousness that comes from Christ Himself. While " ungodly " within himself at the moment of Salvation, the one who receives Christ by faith ( Jn. 1:12 ) is " declared " righteous by God " on account of " anothers righteousness, a righteousness that meets God's standards for Salvation, namely Christ's righteousness. By lumping justification and sanctification together, religious people ( Salvation by works ) have been, and will continue to be, confused by this three word phrase in God's word. God never has, nor ever will, declare someone to be just or righteous because of what that person offers to God ( his own works ) for Salvation. The publican ( ungodly person ) was the one who " went down to his house justified " ( Lu. 18:14 ), and not the pharisee ( self- righteous ). Why? The publican accepted the Savior by faith ( "God be merciful to me a sinner" ) and the pharisee depended on his own righteousness to gain God's favor ( "I" five times in two verses ). The righteousness to be saved had better come from Jesus , or man will never be justified in God's eyes.