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Romans 40: Seven Thousand By Grace (11:1-6)

Joe Harby on November 15, 2009

Introduction

In times of spiritual declension—which we are certainly in—it is very easy to fall into the trap that Elijah fell into. Flatterers and false teachers always tell us that things are far better than we think, but when we work our way past their lies, we often have to be reassured by God Himself that things are not nearly as bad as we think. This is not blind optimism; this is faith.

The Text

“I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work” (Rom. 11:1-6).

Summary of the Text

If there are two ways of hearing, what conclusion may we draw? If there are two ways of being Israel, what conclusion may we not draw? We may not conclude that God has cast away His people (v. 1). Saul speaks as a member of the remnant—he is a son of Abraham, an Israelite, of the tribe of Benjamin. Those whom God foreknew have not been cast off (v. 2); this means that the promises were fulfilled in and through the remnant. Elijah prayed against Israel (v. 2), but he was praying against one Israel when God had preserved another. Elijah’s complaint was that they had killed God’s prophets, they had thrown down His altars, and they were trying to kill Elijah, the one man still remaining (v. 3). How did God answer His prophet? Paul then quotes 1 Kings 19:18. God said that He had reserved to Himself seven thousand men that had not bent the knee to Baal (v. 4). Paul says that the first century had a remnant according to the election of grace in the same way (v. 5). And if by grace, then the seven thousand were not preserved by their works (v. 6). He plainly says that works and grace cannot abide together; one drives out the other (v. 6).

God Reserved the Faithful to Himself

There is a profound question created by two Israels, two ways of hearing God. What are we to say when judgment falls on one way of being Israel, because of that Israel’s apostasy? Has God cast away His people? God forbid. God’s word will never return to Him void (Is. ). Note that God is the subject of the sentences. God has not cast off. God has reserved to Himself seven thousand faithful men. Paul anchors the point beyond all dispute. The remnant of Israel that remained was a “remnant according to the election of grace.” There were seven thousand according to the sovereign and free determination of God. Reformations that are not grounded on the free and unalterable gift of God are not reformations at all. That is the foundational point that Paul is making here.

Grace and Works

And note that Paul argues that the difference between grace and works is not one that admits of compromise. You cannot split the difference between these two. Introduce any element of works into the equation, and it drives out grace. And true grace, faithfully preached, will drive all works of the law before it. And it is important to remember that we are not talking about grace on paper, but rather grace in action.

A Typical Encouragement

Elijah and Elisha were the leaders in a renewal movement, located in the midst of a wicked and apostate Israel. They did not constitute what we might call a “free church” movement, but neither were they lap dogs for the kings and corrupt priesthood. The schools of the prophets were simultaneously part of and separate from the wicked nation they prophesied to.

Applications For Us

We live in comparable times. We do not live in a time that would be typified by the conquests of Joshua, or the rise of David, or the established glories of Solomon. We live in a time when idolatry and syncretism are largely accepted, even within the evangelical church. We live in a time when other gods are exalted in the public square in the name of diversity. We live in a time when wicked men appear to be able to do as they please, egged on by the Jezebels behind them. We live in a time when children (by the million) are being caused to pass through the fire. And we live in a time when, if we held a conference to protest these monstrosities, we could get at least seven thousand to come. Not very much, but our God can work by many or by few (1 Sam. 14:6). Here then are three basic principles for us to apply to our day:

First, if any “saving America” is to be done, then the true God will do it through Jesus. He will not share His glory with another, and we are not permitted to offer to share it for the sake of building coalitions. God reserves the seven thousand, and we must reserve the right of God to be God.

Second, worship is the key. Worship is the litmus test. How does God identify the good guys? He speaks to Elijah about what they did and did not do in worship. He didn’t say whether they were registered to vote, and He didn’t say whether they paid any of Ahab’s taxes. The watershed issue is always worship, and the downstream issues, while important, are not the place to begin. They are not where we place our trust—even though we must get there as well. The thing God mentions to Elijah is where the seven thousand have not bowed, and what they have not kissed.

And third, the relationship between faithful communities and apostate larger communities is a complicated one. There is a delicate balance here that only the Spirit of God can enable us to achieve. The faithful communities are distinct but not detached. In our day, we have to struggle with the misunderstandings of Christians who fail to get this principle right. They are either “distinct and detached,” which is an escapist religion, or they are “not distinct and not detached,” which is muddle and compromise.

Romans 39: And Hearing By The Word Of God (10:14-21)

Joe Harby on November 8, 2009

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Introduction

In this portion of Romans, we start to see the intersection of two realities—decretal realities and covenantal realities. This will come to full flower in the next chapter, but we see it begin here. God is utterly sovereign, and rightly understood, this means that when He chooses to use created instruments to accomplish His purposes, we do not have the right to give Him any backchat about it.

The Text

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? . . .” (Rom 10:14-21).

Summary of the Text

In chapter 8, we considered the golden chain of redemption at the divine level—predestined, called, justified, and gloried. Here we have another glorious, redemptive chain—sending, preaching, hearing, believing, and calling (vv. 14-15). The beautiful feet of the gospel messenger is an image taken from Is. 52:7. But the beautiful message is not always beautifully received—just a few verses later, Isaiah laments the lack of faith (v. 16; Is. 53:1). Nevertheless, faith still comes by hearing, and hearing by the (sent and preached) word of God (v. 17). But there are two kinds of hearing—the one that leads to believing and calling on the Lord, and the other that leads to hardening. Did not the unbelieving Israelites hear? Yes, after a fashion (v. 18; Ps. 19:4). Paul asks the question again—surely Israel did hear in some way (v. 19). Yes, of course, (v. 19; Dt. 32:21). In contrast, Isaiah boldly prophesies that God would be found by Gentiles who weren’t looking for Him (v. 20; Is. 65:1). And at the same time, God was rejected by Israel (v. 21; Is. 65:2), that same Israel that pretended to be pursuing Him.

A Line of Quotations

In this brief passage, Paul quotes six passages from the Old Testament—four from Isaiah, one from Psalms, and one from Deuteronomy. The first shows a division in Israel (Is. 52:7). In the chapter immediately before the glorious statement of Christ’s substitutionary death, we see Israel divided between those who blaspheme (Is. 52:5) and those who burst into songs of joy (Is. 52:9). On the threshold of the greatest statement of the gospel in the Old Testament, Isaiah laments the fact that no one believes him (Is. 53:1). This is quoted more fully in John 12:38, and is based on God striking Israel with a judicial blindness (John 12:39-41; Is. 6:10). Isaiah sees the glory of God in Christ and is told to tell Israel that they do not and cannot see (Jn. 12:39, 41). So did the Jews not see at all? No, they saw, but did so the way all men see the general revelation of God—suppressing the truth about what they see even as they see (Rom. 1: 20). The glory of God is revealed through the whole creation (Ps. 19:4), and this is explicitly compared to the Torah in that psalm (Ps. 19:7ff). He then appeals to the Song of Moses, in which Moses makes the Israelites include a song in their liturgy that prophesies that they will be provoked to envy by Gentiles (Dt. 32:21). In order to be provoked by Gentiles finding God, the Israelites would have to see those Gentiles finding God. Moses also made them sing an invitation to the Gentiles (Dt. 32:43), an invitation cited by Paul a little bit later (Rom. 15:10). So did they see? Of course they did, but only enough to condemn them. Isaiah prophesies that the Gentiles will come (Is. 65:1), and that the Jews would refuse, despite God’s grace to them (Is. 65:2).

Envy and The Gospel

There is no way successfully to avoid seeing Christ, but there are two ways to see Him. Envy has more twists and turns than simple faith does, and this is often because envy has a sharper eye, and sees more, even though it does not want to. The attitude we should have in looking to God and His Word for our direction (Ps. 123:2) is the kind of sharp eye for detail that drives the envious. The envious who hate Christ are often far more aware than we are of the import of Christ. But note: the energy that sinful envy provides is something that God is most willing to use (v. 19). God is made jealous by idolatry among His covenant people (Dt. 32:21) and so He pours out His blessing where no one expected it. Everything is thrown into turmoil, all the religious fussers fuss, and the kingdom of God advances in glory.

So Hear the Lord Christ

The point in verse 14 is often missed because of a translation issue. When it says “and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard,” it creates the impression that faith is created when people hear preachers talking about Jesus. But while this is true, much more is involved in this. A better translation here would be “and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard,” with no of. Men, women and children do not come to faith because they hear about Christ, but rather because they hear and see Christ Himself. How does this happen? It happens in full accordance with the folly of God—preaching (1 Cor. 1:18-21). God’s plan for the transformation of the world is this: sending, preaching, hearing, believing, calling. When we ordain evangelists, missionaries, and church planters, what are we doing? We are sending Christ. Those sent preach Christ. The people hear Christ, and believe in Christ. What do they then do? They call upon Christ, and they are saved.

So this is not a mantra, or a magical incantation. It is the gospel. Jesus Christ was born of a woman, born under the law. He lived a perfect and sinless life, and was broken on the cross for our sins. He was laid in a tomb, in full accordance with the Scriptures, and He rose from the dead on the third day. He then ascended in glory to the right hand of God the Father, and what can all the assembled unbelievers, and their parliaments, armies and laws, do about it? Absolutely nothing, that’s what. As the prophet Isaiah also says, speaking of the glory of the gospel’s work in this world (Is. 64:4; I Cor. 2:9) “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him” (Is. 64:4).

Romans 38: The Gospel Stone (10:5-13)

Joe Harby on November 1, 2009

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Introduction

If Christ is the stone, then the message of Christ is the message stone. People confess with their mouth and are saved, and people stumble over the words of grace and are lost forever. Preaching the stone is therefore a preaching of a gospel stone, and not a gospel cushion or pillow. The stone, when it is good news, is a stone. The stone, when it offends, is a stone.

The Text

“For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law . . .” (Rom. 10:5-13).

Summary of the Text

Remember that we have two different responses to the one stone. For the one with faith, it is a cornerstone. For the unbeliever, it is a stone of stumbling and offense. The gospel stone works the same way. Moses describes one kind of man, the man who wants to go about to establish his own righteousness. He says, the man who does these things shall live by them (v. 5). This is a quotation from Lev. 18:5. Interestingly, this is part of the preamble to a list of sexual prohibitions. But Moses also is the voice of the other kind of righteousness, the righteousness that is “of faith.” It says (v. 6), quoting Deuteronomy 30:12, that men should not pretend that Christ is way up in Heaven, needing to be fetched. Don’t pretend there was no Incarnation. And it also says that men should not pretend that Christ is beneath the sea (v. 7; Dt. 30:13), as though there was no resurrection. No, Moses told the Israelites that the word was near them, in their hearts, and in their mouths (v. 8; Dt. 30:14). So what was in their mouths and hearts? The Torah—that is, Paul says the word of faith that he is preaching (v. 8). Christ is the end of the law, remember (v. 4)? The summary is this: if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (v. 9), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (v. 9), you will be saved. For men believe unto righteousness, and they confess unto salvation (v. 10). This is true because everyone who believes on the Stone (Is. 28:16) will never be put to shame. This is the cornerstone; who may build upon it? There is no difference between Jew or Gentile here (v. 12). The Lord is rich to all who call upon Him. How do we know? Joel promises that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (v. 13; Joel 2:32). Who have we just confessed as Lord? Jesus. Who is Joel talking about? Yahweh. Jesus is Yahweh, Jesus is Jehovah.

Righteousness of the Law

In Leviticus 18, Moses tells the people first that they are not to do what is customary in Egypt, where they came from (18:3), or in Canaan, where they are going (v. 4). They must obey the law of God (18:4), and the man who obeys them will live by them (v. 5). What follows is a prohibition of multiple forms of incest (vv. 6-18), sex during a woman’s period (v. 19), adultery (v. 20), child sacrifice (v. 21), homosexuality (v. 22), or bestiality (v. 23).

Now if we have learned the gospel rightly, the man who sees Christ in this part of the Torah is living by faith. The man who sees rules is not. Flipped around, the man with faith sees Christ. The man in unbelief sees rules. The man of faith sees a sexual stone to build on. The man of unbelief is crushed by the sexual stone, crushed by his lust. How so?

How Easy, How Hard

At first glance, this list of rules looks pretty easy. A fairly low bar, right? Avoid sex with your sister, your aunt, and with barnyard animals. Going to Heaven is a cakewalk, right? Not so fast.

First, note that these things were customary in Egypt and in Canaan. The underlying command here is not to “not have sex with,” but “not to imitate.” Judging from how easily modern Christian imitate the unbelieving culture around us, we ought not to pat ourselves on the back too readily. Second, if you are not looking to Christ, then you have no choice but to reflect the image of that which is not Christ. And not Christ eventually looks like this list of perversions, whether or not it is studying the Torah, a scriptural devotional, or looking at hard-R raunch. Third, this is because the law (pursued as not Christ) is law that provokes and stirs up sin (Rom. 3:20; 5:20), and the sexual element is never far away (Rom. 7: 7). One of the things we are not to covet is our neighbor’s wife, also mentioned here in this list (Lev. 18:20). This means that traditional values without Christ are nothing less than a perversion generator. And open immorality is no better. There is no salvation anywhere apart from Jesus.

Speaking of Jesus…

Jesus Christ is everywhere. He is in Heaven, and He came down from Heaven. He is beneath the sea, and He rose up from Sheol, just as Jonah did. He is pervasive throughout the Torah, for those who have the eyes of faith to see. He is in the gospel declared and preached, for those who respond in faith. For those without faith, He is God AWOL and all that is left are the dry bones and dusty rags of moralism.

Jesus Is Truly Lord

The confession of verse 9 is glorious—if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (of your mouth), and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, out of the graveyard of your heart, then you shall be saved. If the Spirit has been teaching us, we should see that fulfilling what this verse is talking about is not like touching second base as you run by. Christ is found in every word of v. 9—do you believe? Christ is found in every sexual prohibition of Leviticus 18—do you believe? And Jesus is Lord is just another phrase that Jesus can be missing from, if it is found in the mouth of a man with no faith.

Who will touch the eyes of the blind men? Who will speak to the ears of deaf? Who will tell the lame to leap for joy? How will this be done? How will it happen? When Paul tells us that Moses is speaking about the word of faith that he, Paul, is preaching, he is not wrenching words out of context. “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live” (Dt. 30:6). In short, you must be born again.

With this regenerate heart, which alone is capable of believing, what do you see brought down from Heaven? What do you see brought up from the depths of Jonah’s sea? You see the good of the land. “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it” (Dt. 30:15-16). This is the gospel stone. Built upon it, and live.

Romans 37: The End Of The Law (10:1-4)

Joe Harby on October 18, 2009

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Introduction

We have already seen that Christ is the foundation stone and the stumbling stone, depending. For the one who believes, He is the foundation of all. For the one who does not believe in Him, He is the rock of offense.

The Text

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:1-4).

Summary of the Text

Paul has already said that he could wish himself lost if that would benefit his kinsmen (Rom. 9:3). Here he repeats his heart’s desire and prayer—that they would be saved (v. 1). He can testify on their behalf that they are zealous, and that it is a zeal for God. But it is not in accordance with knowledge—it is a false-hearted zeal (v. 2). Their problem is that they were ignorant of God’s righteousness (v. 3), and they were “going about” to establish their own righteousness (v. 3). As a result they had not submitted to God’s righteousness (v. 3). Paul’s conclusion is that Christ was the end (telos) of the law “for righteousness to” every one who believes (v. 4).

The Whole Point of the Law

When Paul says that Christ is the “end of the law,” he does not mean that Christ is the abolition or limit of the law, as in the phrase the “end of the dock.” He means that Christ was the whole point of the law, as in “what is the chief end of man? The word end here does not mean limit or boundary, but rather it means purpose or point. The law of God was therefore teleological (from telos), and the telos, the one it was driving toward was Jesus Christ. He is the point of the whole Bible. But He is the point of the law as more than just a person or placeholder. He is the end of the law in His righteous obedience. More on this shortly.

Ignorant of God’s Righteousness

Remember the conclusion of chapter nine. There is a trap for sanctimonious saints. There is a pit for the pious there. There is something in the (religious) human heart that wants to be righteous on its own. In our own tradition, in our own teaching and preaching, we must be careful not to leave any room for this tendency whatever.

A recent interpretation of Paul says that the “righteousness of God” refers only to God’s own faithfulness in keeping His own promises. It does not refer, the argument goes, to any righteousness of God that can be imputed to others. This view of God’s righteousness is deficient when held up next to this passage, for four reasons.

First, if the righteousness of God refers to His own righteousness, then the Jews were not ignorant of it. Second, they were “going about” to establish their own righteousness. Instead of what? Instead of the antecedent, the righteousness of God. They wanted their own righteousness instead of the righteousness of another. Third, the righteousness of God was not something they were willing to submit themselves to. This submission, we have just learned, is by faith—and if it is the righteousness of another, it has to be a submission by faith, by definition. And fourth, consider closely the language of v. 4. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. This fourth point requires some more from us.

Grace Everywhere You Look

If Christ is the whole point of the Torah, and if Christ is a stone of stumbling and rock of offense, then it follows that the whole point of the Torah is a stone of stumbling and rock of offense. In Scripture there is grace everywhere you look, and if you don’t want to see it, then you have to do some strange things to the Scriptures.

The language of v. 4 is consistent with the doctrine of imputed righteousness, and is consistent with nothing else. Everyone who believes receives something. What is that? They receive righteousness. We know that it cannot be their own righteousness because, if it were, they would not “receive” it, but would already have it, and we also would not have just been told that those who wanted their own righteousness were stumbling over the rock of offense.

I looked at multiple translations, and they all render it for righteousness to. Paraphrase this, amplify it. “Christ is the whole point of the Torah, His life and work being the complete fulfillment of it, in order that His righteousness might come to every one who believes in Him, instead of continuing to trust in his own righteousness.”

Ignorant Saintlets

What is the kind of thing that would make someone stumble so egregiously over news this good? God in His covenant righteousness sends a righteous Messiah, in order that the people of God might be gathered up and included in His righteousness, and reckoned as complete and perfect in Him. What would make someone kick against this?

The answer is found in our text. Religiosity is the thing that hides the righteousness of God from us. But it does not hide the righteousness of God considered as a goal toward which we might strive—no, it magnifies the righteousness of God that way. And the higher the bar, the better. At least that is what ignorant saintlets think.

God offers us a salvation that is by His grace from first to last. But because the God who offers us grace is also fully and completely righteous, there must be a completion of His holy requirements. This means that we, if we are to be saved at all, must be content with the righteousness of another, imputed to us. And in order to be content with this, we need to be willing to have all our good deeds despised by God. We must be willing for God to put them away with loathing, holding them between His thumb and forefinger. We must be willing for God to laugh at all our pious striving. Beads of sweat have broken out on the forehead as we wrestle with lust, with covetousness, with pride, with anxiety, with sin . . . with everything but our culpable ignorance of what God is like. Poor, ignorant sap. Christ is here. Believe in Him.

Romans 36: The Stumbling Stone (9:30-33)

Joe Harby on October 11, 2009

Introduction

Why is the issue of faith and works so complicated? The answer is that it is not—it is the sinful human heart that is complicated. Because of that, we take something straightforward—trust God in all things—and tie it up into knots. But the issues outside the heart are simple. They binary. Either you will build your life on the cornerstone that is Jesus Christ, or that same stone will fall on you and crush you (Luke 20:17-18).

The Text

“What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Rom 9:30-33).

Summary of the Text

What do we say in response to the argument from Hosea and Isaiah? Our conclusion is that the Gentiles, who were not chasing righteousness, have nevertheless attained that righteousness (v. 30). The righteousness they attained to is the righteousness that is “of faith” (v. 30). Israel in the meantime was chasing after righteousness and did not catch it (v. 31). The righteousness they did not catch was something they missed because they did not understand the “law of righteousness” (v. 31). The law of righteousness is faith. This is made plain in the next verse—why did they not attain what they were chasing? Because they did not chase by faith, but rather by works of the Torah (v. 32). They tripped over the stumbling stone, and this issue of faith/works was that stone (v. 32). The quotation is from both Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16. In Isaiah 8, God sets the rock of stumbling (v. 14), and in verse 17 we see the right response to that stone, which is trust. Moreover, verse 17 is quoted in Heb. 2:13. And in Isaiah 28:16, the precious cornerstone is the one which, if someone trusts in it, they will never be dismayed. This verse is also quoted in 1 Pet. 2:6 and later in Romans 10:11. This is a stone of stumbling and it is a stone in which we are to trust—see the flow of the argument in 1 Peter. 2:6-8.

Line on Line

We know from the teaching of the New Testament that the stone of stumbling and the basic foundation stone are the same stone—Jesus Christ. The stone was rejected by the appointed builders, and so they in turn were rejected. But we must pay attention not only to the fact of their rejection of Christ, but must pay close attention to the nature of their rejection of Christ.

In Isaiah 8, the stone is a stone of stumbling. In Isaiah 28, it is a cornerstone, one in which we are invited to trust. But there are some other things in Is. 28 as well. Isaiah rebukes the people for their sin (vv. 1-8). They react to him —who is Isaiah trying to teach? Sunday School kids who can’t even read yet (vv. 8-9)? What they think is beneath them is actually way ahead of them. Then v. 11 is quoted in 1 Cor. 14:21, and applied to the gift of tongues (Dt. 28:49. So t hen, Isaiah says, you despise the abcs? ‘l’ll give it to you that way (v. 13)—so that you will fall backward, be broken, snared, and captured. But the one who trusts in the stone will be blessed (v. 16). The gift of tongues was therefore a sign of judgment on unbelievers, particularly unbelieving Jews (1 Cor. 14:22).

Faith Is a Pair of Eyes

In religious affairs there can be a vast difference between what you are doing and what you think you are doing. In our text, the Jews were “following after” the law of righteousness and, when they got there, they discovered it was actually the law of unrighteousness. The Gentiles who did not have a thought of righteousness at all found themselves tackled from behind by that righteousness. Found by God, they found they had faith in Him. Pursuing God with all their hearts, or so they thought, the Jews found that they did not have faith in God. They had faith in their way of having faith in God. The Torah was not intended for that use, but that is the use they put to it. And so when Christ came, they could do nothing but stumble over Him. Faith in faith, faith in your way of having faith, is damnable. Faith is a pair of eyes, designed to look at Christ. If they don’t see Him, they are blind eyes.

The Nature of Stumbling

Take two men. One says that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ alone, by faith alone, plus nothing or no one else. Is he right? Of course he is right. But suppose he says this, not trusting in Jesus but rather trusting in his correct doctrinal formulation. He is lost, precisely because his formulation is correct. And flip it around. Another man can have a true heart-felt trust in Christ, but have been taught a real mishmash of doctrinal incoherencies. Can he be saved? Yes, but only because what he was taught is wrong. Was the Torah false doctrine? No, as we will see in Romans 10:6. Did God know that men would get it backwards? Yes, and He planned to use this as a way of bringing men to real faith (Rom. 10:5).

So Trust in Jesus Christ

You were lost in sin, and Jesus Christ was sent to die on the cross in such a way as to deal with all that sin. All of it. He was buried, and then raised to life again so that you could participate in that eternal life. Look to Him. That’s it —the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for screwed up people. That’s the gospel. Don’t look to Him while holding your mouth just so. Don’t trust in Him and in your church volunteer work. Don’t believe in Him coupled with your mastery of the Westminster Confession. We are saved by grace, not law. We are saved by grace, not refined law, not doctrinal law, not the law of righteousness. No, we are justified by the law of righteousness, which is faith.

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