| For
this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous
man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of God. Eph4:5 What justifies us in the sight of God is that a sinner becomes a saint. We become justified as we become holy people. The redemption of Christ not only forgives our sin, it completely blots it out. Our sin is not just covered, but completely erased. The question then becomes, how do we attain holiness? Is it through works of the law or by faith? Are we justified by our own efforts in keeping the law or are we saved by grace through faith? The biblical answer is by faith, not of works, lest any man should boast. So how does a sinner become a saint if it is not of works? Eph2:8 states, "we are saved by grace through faith" and Rm10:9-10 states, "If we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead we shall be saved." Salvation occurs in the first instance because "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rm5:8) That is the grace of God. The "through faith" part of salvation is our confession and believing in our heart. The act of faith on our part is to believe in the work of Christ and go tell it on the mountain. Now the same kind of faith that brings the experience of salvation is the same kind of faith that will turn a sinner into a saint. For example, if I confess that I walk in the Spirit and do not fulfill the lust of the flesh, God will honor my faith. If I confess that the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is alive because of righteousness and proceed to live and walk in the Spirit, I will attain holiness and God will be justified in saving me because I will no longer be a whoremonger, a drunkard, or an idolater. If I delude myself into thinking that I can become holy by my own efforts apart from Christ, I miss the point of salvation by grace through faith. Not only does confession aid in my justification, loving as Jesus loved (faith working by love) will also aid in this enterprise. In Hebrews 11, the faith of our patriarchs and the acts of faith they performed, were not in keeping the law but rather of moving in the Spirit, taking risks, and acting in ways that the natural man would consider foolish. Building an ark before it was raining, going out not knowing whither he was going, offering Isaac to demonstrate his love for God are faith acts which contributed to the justification of the patriarchs. The book of James is very clear, pure religion is to aid the orphan and the widow, and, to move about in the kingdom in the perfect law of liberty, is what we are saved for. We are saved to bring about the Kingdom of God and this is accomplished by faith and not by works of the law. Consequently, if you are born-again and are dealing with the flesh, confess it to God, plead the blood of Christ, and begin to move in the Spirit in loving God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourselves. If you love, you will be in the Spirit, and if you are in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Amen |