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Living by Faith: God's Grace (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Justification by grace through faith is a vital aspect of our relationship with God, revealing His generous and loving character in the plan of salvation. It is absolutely necessary that our justification be by grace through faith, for if we earned it through works, it would open the door for human pride to enter our relationship with Him, a deadly problem that initiated the entire mess through Satan's pride. God chooses us while we are still sinners, ensuring that pride cannot be part of the relationship, as He is the Creator, and we must not attempt to create character ourselves, which would mirror the world Satan has shaped. The foundation of justification by faith shows that regardless of who one is, God owes nothing but death because everyone has sinned. Sinners are burdened with a debt they cannot pay except by death, and the law, which was never given to save anybody, condemns them, making them subject to its power due to their transgressions against God and His law. Since justification cannot be claimed as an entitlement through law-keeping, the only alternative is to receive it as a gift freely given by God, with the purpose of being judged righteous before Him. Abraham serves as the primary biblical example of this principle, as righteousness was imputed to him because he believed God, not because of works. This demonstrates that justification cannot be earned, and all of Abraham's spiritual children are justified in the same manner—by faith. This truth emphasizes that God's gifts, including justification, flow toward us freely, given before we need them, empowering us to fulfill what He requires without the ability to boast that we accomplished it without Him. Justification by grace through faith does not do away with God's law but frees us in Christ to keep it as He did, following the forgiveness of sin.

Living By Faith and God's Grace (Part Two)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The concept of justification by grace through faith is central to our spiritual salvation, as it is through this divine benevolence that we are declared righteous before God. God's grace, freely given and unmerited, is the means by which we are rescued from sin, a rescue we cannot achieve on our own. This grace comes from the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ, who is the supreme expression of the Father's grace, most effectively reaching us in our need. Scripture affirms that justification is not earned by works but is a gift received through faith, ensuring that human pride does not interfere with our relationship with God. If justification were by works, it could imply that God owes us, altering the dynamics of our relationship with Him; instead, it is given freely because of His character and purpose. Justification by grace through faith is essential as the beginning of the salvation process, not the entirety. It is a judicial act by God, aligning the forgiven person with His laws, declaring them innocent of sin through faith in Jesus Christ. This faith is not blind but rooted in the truth supplied by God, leading to a commitment to live as Christ lived, sinlessly, in obedience to God's laws, though such obedience does not earn salvation. Through justification, we stand in grace, a spiritual location distinct from our former state of sin and death, offering peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and access to continuous grace for our ongoing spiritual needs. This standing in grace, as both Paul and Peter affirm, is a transformative gift, opening eternity to us and empowering us for a future with Him who bestowed it, humbling us with the recognition that we do not deserve such a blessing.

Saved By Faith Alone?

'Ready Answer' by Earl L. Henn

Many in this world believe that salvation comes by faith alone, asserting that the way one lives has no bearing on being saved. They often cite Romans 3:28, where God inspired Paul to write that we are justified by faith apart from the deeds or works of the law. However, when studied in the context of Paul's letter to the Romans, this does not mean that obedience to God contributes nothing to our salvation. Paul clarifies in Romans 2:13 that not the hearers of the law, but the doers of the law will be justified, showing that the manner in which we conduct our lives greatly impacts whether we receive eternal life. In Romans 3, Paul explains that all of mankind, regardless of race or origin, has sinned and stands guilty before God, for all have broken His law. He states in verse 20 that by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, as the law only brings knowledge of sin. Justification, then, is a legal act on God's part to impute the righteousness of Jesus Christ to us once we accept His sacrifice, aligning us with God and His law. This forgiveness of past sins cannot be achieved through present obedience to the law, but through another means that offers hope of entering God's Kingdom.

Are You Justified?

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

Our heavenly Father, in His grace, justifies through faith all who trust in Jesus Christ, demonstrating their reliance on God's plan. Justification, a legal term meaning to acquit or declare righteous, is the opposite of condemnation and can only proceed from our supreme Judge, God the Father, who makes us acceptable and sets us in a right relationship with Him. Before justification, God requires faith, repentance of sins, and baptism, whereby a person is born from above by the power of the Holy Spirit and becomes part of the Body of Christ. Though the death of Christ provided once and for all the sacrificial blood needed to atone and reconcile sinners to God, justification is a process involving prior, current, and future applications, requiring continued repentance and overcoming to remain aligned with God. God always intended justification by faith, applying it retroactively to the faithful before Christ's life, death, and resurrection, having made provision for it through the blood of Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world. Justification becomes personal through faith, requiring acceptance of Christ's substitutionary sacrifice to achieve reconciliation with God, a concrete spiritual manifestation of God's will given personally through His Son and received individually by the one being reconciled, solely in Jesus Christ, the One who bore our sin in His own body.

Paul: Grace, Law, and Obedience

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The apostle Paul's teachings emphasize that no one is justified by the deeds of the law, for keeping God's law has never justified a single person before God. The function of God's law is not to justify, but to define righteousness, to guide along a path of life, and to set standards of conduct. It cannot align a person with God's standard after the law is broken; only the blood of Jesus Christ can justify and clear one of guilt, aligning us with God's code of conduct. Paul reveals in Galatians that God set him apart from his mother's womb and called him by His grace, making it clear that no works of his own had anything to do with God's choice of him as an apostle to the Gentiles. What matters is what God did, and what we do after His calling, following conversion. Paul's writings stress that while obedience to God's law cannot save, everyone who is saved will be a keeper of God's laws, as they detail the path God desires for preparation for His Kingdom. Breaking these laws, as seen from the beginning with Adam and Eve, has caused trouble with God, requiring Christ's death to pay the penalty. Obedience following forgiveness glorifies God and shows evidence of learning His lessons, striving to avoid falling into sin again. Paul remains consistent that the law's function is never done away with in any person's life; it always serves to guide one safely toward God's purpose. His concern is that a course of life disregarding sin as dangerous defeats the very purpose of a believer's life. Thus, while law cannot spiritually save, it remains essential as a guide, defining sin and righteousness, and setting the standards God expects us to follow.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Nine)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Justification by grace through faith is a central theme in understanding our relationship with God. Justification is not salvation; it is the imputing of righteousness, aligning with a standard, or being legally declared free of guilt. Salvation, meaning deliverance, occurs only when one enters the Kingdom of God, while justification is merely the first step, providing a measure of deliverance. Even after being justified, failure remains possible as we are still in the flesh. We are justified through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He is the payment for our sins, freeing us from sin's penalty, and God imputes His righteousness to us. This righteousness, which enabled Him to be the perfect sacrifice, is counted as ours, granting us access to the presence of the holy God. However, this does not abolish the law; rather, it establishes the law in its rightful position within God's plan for our lives. The notion that justification comes by faith alone is misunderstood. Faith and works are not mutually exclusive. A correct understanding reveals that works of the law play a part in justification when combined with faith in Christ. Paul emphasizes that a man is not justified by works of the law except through faith in Christ. Law keeping apart from faith in Christ is useless toward justification, just as faith in Christ without works is dead. Both must go together, as faith without works cannot justify, and works without faith in Christ are equally ineffective. The doers of the law will be justified when their faith is a living faith that works, not a dead faith that merely agrees intellectually without action. Justification and salvation, therefore, come by grace through faith, but this faith must be active and evident through obedience to God's law.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Six)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Christ will empower us, but will not live our lives for us. The marching orders for our pilgrimage derive from God's Word, containing His holy law.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Eight)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The yoke of bondage Paul refers to in Galatians was a combination of the code of regulations added by the Pharisees and Gnostic ritualism, not God's Law.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

In Galatians, Paul took issue with the Halakhah, not God's word. Halakhah was a massive collection of human opinion that placed a yoke on its followers.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Justification does not 'do away' with the law; it brings us into alignment with it, imputing the righteousness of Christ and giving access to God for sanctification.

Who Claimed Works Justify?

Sermonette by Craig Sablich

Martin Luther, feeling 'God's' (the Catholic church's) standards were too hard to obey, found solace in Romans 1:17 and the idea of 'faith alone.'

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Sixteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Righteousness consists of applying the Law's letter and/or intent. Sin constitutes a failure of living up to the standards of what God defines as right.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Eight)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Justification is not the end of the salvation process, but merely the opening to sanctification, where we bear fruit and give evidence of God's Spirit in us.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Eighteen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Paul never taught any Jew to forsake the Law of Moses, but he did warn against Pharisaical additions for the expressed purpose of attaining justification.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Seventeen)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Law (including the judgments, ordinances, and statutes), far from being done away, shows us our faults and outlines the way of mercy and love—how to live.

The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Seven)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The New Covenant, which writes God's law onto the heart, in no way does away with any aspect of the law. Works do not justify us, they sanctify us.

Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

In terms of salvation, works cannot save, but good works are the fruit of God's involvement. Grace frees one; works prove that one has been freed.

Faith and the Christian Fight (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Everything that we go through has been engineered by God. We are His workmanship, created for good works, a response to the faith He has given us.

Faith and the Christian Fight (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God is pleased to save those who humble themselves, allowing Him to perform a mighty work through them, and putting everyone in debt to Him.

The Manifold Grace of God

Sermon/Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

God's calling us is just our initial taste of His grace. Grace is unmerited, but it is not unconditional. We have an obligation to respond to God.

What Was the Law 'Added Because of Transgressions'?

'Ready Answer' by Earl L. Henn

Some think Galatians 3:19 means that God's law has been done away, but critical misunderstandings have led people astray on this verse.

Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Bible Study by Martin G. Collins

The two men who go to the Temple to pray contrast in character, belief, and self-examination. The contrast shows how to be justified before God.

No Works Is No Good!

CGG Weekly

The 'no works' doctrine says that all one has to do is believe in Jesus and accept His grace, and one's sins will be forgiven. This has disastrous effects.

Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Four)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

The Bible makes it plain that salvation is by grace, but it is also clear that we are 'created in Christ Jesus for good works.' Grace and works fit together.

James and Unleavened Bread (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The book of James applies to us after the sanctification process has begun. The most effective way of eliminating sin is to do righteousness.

Is the Christian Required To Do Works? (Part Three)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

We have been called, not just to believe in Christ, but also to overcome sin, which takes a great deal of effort. Justification requires a response.

On Works

Sermon by John O. Reid

Works are necessary for a Christian, and have not been neutralized by grace. Good works serve as the evidence of faith; faith without works is dead.

The Christian Fight (Part Four)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh

While we must express some of our own faith as we come to salvation, most of saving faith is a gift of God. Abel and Enoch illustrate the pattern of faith.

Elements of Motivation (Part Four)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Because we have been bought with an awesome price, we have no right to pervert our lives, but are obligated to look upon our bodies as vessels in His service.

Approaching God Through Christ (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Religious bumper stickers fall short of revealing the full counsel of God, which is more complex than 'believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.'

Poles Apart

Sermonette by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Satan sends error into the world in pairs of opposites. If we hate one extreme, we may be drawn to just as hideous an opposite extreme.