FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND ISRAEL’S JUSTIFICATION
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
There are many who do not view O.T. justification in God’s sight to be ‘by grace through faith without works.’ As far as I am concerned, such a view is a great weak spot in the ‘grace movement,’ (one which has detrimental effects even to the point of being a hindrance to godly edifying), and it has existed as such for as long as I have been around and even well before that. As Paul makes clear in his dealings with Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians, there are issues that are so fundamental and integral to establishment that if they are not both firmly and purely understood and appreciated, they will actually hinder and/or prevent any real furtherance in godly edifying from taking place, and they will continue to do so until they get straightened out. A lot of what we call the doctrines of ‘living under grace’ fall into this category, with much of the ‘grace movement’ stalled (or just standing in place) and not being much of a ‘movement’ at all because of its failure to be firmly and purely established. Yet I am persuaded that the inter-dispensational truth and doctrine of “The just shall live by faith” falls into this category as well, and that failing to be established in it carries its own measure of hindrance.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Rom 4:9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
Rom 4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
Rom 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
Rom 4:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
This is due not only to the issue of failing to be firmly and purely established in the doctrine of “The just shall live by faith,” but also due to the issue of failing to have any real comprehension concerning the outworking of God’s program and dealings with Israel. Without controversy there is no way that the climactic stage in Israel’s program, (comprising the Gospel accounts, the opening of Acts, and Hebrews through The Revelation), can be properly understood, or properly taught, if one is not solidly established in the development and outworking of the program leading up to the arrival of the climactic end of it. Hence a person is clearly ‘in over his head’ in James and the like, when he doesn’t first understand Genesis through Malachi. And in my opinion failing to be so ‘solidly established’ is another one of the major weak spots among grace folks in general, and grace pastors and teachers in particular. Hence James suffers.
Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
(For more information and clarity about this doctrine please read the “Justifications and Salvations” study and the “Misuse of Romans 10:9” at the 1lord1faith1baptism.net bible study site, or you can order the DVD called “Justifications and Salvations” from enjoythebible.org bible study site.)