JUSTIFIED BY FAITH NOT BY WORKS

“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39).

A sinner cannot justify himself by keeping the law. A sinner by definition cannot keep any of God’s law. All the law can do is show us our sin. “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20).

The good news of the gospel is that a sinner is justified by faith in Christ without any of our own works. All sinners who believe on Christ are justified (made without sin) through the blood that Christ shed as the sinner’s substitute. Every sinner who believes on Christ is made righteous through the obedience of Christ to the law that is imputed to all who believe.

Therefore since our works of the law can only damn us, let us quit trying to please God by keeping the law and simply believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well-meaning, faithful men argue against imparted righteousness. If you have spiritual life created within you by God, as all believers do, then righteousness is imparted to you. One, God only creates that which is holy and righteous. (Eph 4: 24; Col 3:10; 2 Cor 3: 18) Two, there is no spiritual life except holiness and righteousness. Before Adam broke the law, he was righteous therefore he was alive spiritually. When he sinned, death entered because he ceased being righteous. (Rom 5:12) So God used Paul to settle the matter, believer, “If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Rom 8: 10)

Pastor Clay Curtis

WHAT THEN IS THE NEW BIRTH?

What, then, is the new birth? It is not the removal of anything from the sinner nor the changing of anything physical or fleshly in the sinner; instead, it is the communication of SOMETHING NEW to the sinner. The new birth is the impartation of a NEW NATURE. When we were born the first time, we received from our parents their nature; so when we are born again, we receive from God His nature. The Spirit of God begets within us a spiritual nature (Gal. 5:17; 2 Peter 1:4). That which is born of man is human; that which is born of God is divine and spiritual. Nicodemus was startled. He was amazed at the Saviour's words. Yet he ought not to have been. Man by birth and nature is blind and opposed to the things of God. No amount of religious training can change this evil nature. His chief need is a NEW NATURE, or to be BORN AGAIN. It is a must! A man must have a spiritual nature before he can understand, enter, or enjoy the kingdom of God.

Pastor Henry Mahan

COMING TO CHRIST

Being dead in trespasses and sin, I must come to Christ that I might obtain life; yet, God must give me life so that I can come to Him. I don’t understand that, but I surely do believe it. Isn’t that what faith is? Believing God is able to do that which we don’t understand? Truly, “how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways are past finding out.” (Romans 11:33)