Monthly Archives: May 2018

Everyone and their mother says we are justified by faith alone. If you step out of line with this, you will get whacked.

I have gotten whacked over this many times. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have left my church over this issue. It’s a large number, much larger than the number who currently attend my church.

My life would be easier and my church would be larger if I told people they were justified by faith alone. That good works are optional at best. That sin isn’t that bad because God only sees Christ in you, not what you do.

People like that message and I can see why. I’d like that message too!

I’ve gotten lots of blowback on this issue. I’ve questioned my take on the issue each time someone argued against it.

As far as I can tell, the main thing that…

This Justification By Faith issue has caused lots of problems over the years. Many arguments have ensued on the issue.

I have personally had this conversation with many people and I’ve heard all the arguments.

With all due respect, the basic argument behind people supporting justification by faith alone is that they don’t want to do anything.

Most of them will bring up the impossibility of doing commands and the general burdensome, guilt-ridden nature of being told you have to do stuff.

Many have the idea that grace means no strings attached, no change needed, and certainly no good works.

Salvation is a gift of God’s grace. We receive it by faith. You cannot earn salvation. You do not merit salvation.

This does not mean that there is nothing you do to get it though.

The only people truly consistent on this issue are Calvinists. They will flat out tell…

Justification means to make something righteous.

The Bible will use words like “declare,” “count,” “accounted,” and “reckoned” to convey the idea.

This does not mean that Christ’s righteous deeds were added to your account, nor that Christ kept the law for you. Nor does it merely mean that God thinks you are righteous even though you continue to live the same life you lived before your supposed justification.

To make something righteous is to do just that: to make something righteous. Even the word “declare” means to show forth. It doesn’t simply mean God said you were righteous. He makes you righteous and you show forth that righteousness by doing righteous things.

People don’t like this idea of justification. We’d rather believe that God sees me as righteous while I continue to live in sin. We like the idea of eating our cake and having it too. Enjoying…

My contention is that Real Justification actually makes people righteous, not just in standing, but also increasingly in practice.

If a person is not growing in righteousness, that person is not saved. Growing in righteousness is actually how a person knows they are saved before Judgment Day’s final verdict.

This sort of statement is scary, because most people playing church today are not growing in righteousness. Most are staying exactly the same and many get worse.

Unrighteous people will get defensive with this teaching (because, think about it, if you actually were a righteous person this teaching would bother you none at all).

“So you’re saying I’m only saved if I never sin? Only if I’ve reached sinless perfection?”

Nope, not what I said. Go back and read what I said. It’s clear I’m not teaching sinless perfection, yet this is defensive maneuver #1 of objectors.

I believe sinless perfection…

Sin is a huge deal.

We love our sin. We find it very difficult to leave it off. As a dog returns to his vomit and the pig returns to his slop, so does our sin pull us back.

Certainly people can get tired of the vomit and the slop, usually right after we indulge our flesh and feel dirty.

But the lead-up to sin and the momentary enjoyment of the sinful act is all pleasure. And it feels good. Really good.

Then there’s after, when you have to restore relationships, apologize, repair all the broken things, and clean up the mess your flesh made. We feel bad and we feel shame.

We vow to never do it again. Why would I sin again? Look at how miserable it makes everything.

Then the temptation comes again. Your flesh tells you there won’t be guilt this time, you deserve a break…