If there is one doctrine absent from modern Southern Baptist teaching to the great harm of Southern Baptist people in general, it is the doctrine of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.This particular doctrine is found in several passages of Scripture including:
Rom 5:17 If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Philippians 3:8-11 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith--that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Imputed righteousness, which some, including Richard Barclay and John Wesley in the 18th Century, called "imputed nonsense," is the teaching of Holy Scripture that by God's grace, through faith in Christ, the believer is accounted "fully righteous" in the eyes of God because the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, just as the believer's sins were imputed to Christ at Calvary.
This is why believers are called "co-heirs with Christ." This is why "there is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ." This is why believers can never become MORE righteous by their individual actions. We are as righteous as we will ever be in the eyes of God because of Christ's righteousness imputed (or credited) to us.
What are the practical effects of understanding this doctrine? Listen to Martin Luther's comment regarding the practical effects of imputed righteousness: "When God purifies the heart by faith, the market is sacred as well as the sanctuary." -Martin Luther
In other words, the more a believer understands that Christ is his righteousness and sanctification, then the more he begins to understand that the he lives his life DAILY trusting in Christ and not his own performance. He is free to be real, genuine, and transparent, and EVERYTHING is sacred to him --- including the marketplace of life.
How would the Southern Baptist Convention change if this doctrine of imputed righteousness were taught from the pulpits?
In His Grace,
Wade
42 comments:
Wade,
Praise the Lord that He provided One to take on the sins of His people. But for that fact, all of us would be lost and without hope in this world. Thank you, Jesus!
In His Grace and Peace,
Tom
Amen! Amen! Amen! Yes! Yes! Yes!
I grew up in Baptist churches but I was a freshman at OBU studying for the ministry before I heard for the first time that God wasn't angry at me all the time. And I didn't hear that at OBU, I had to hear it from a charismatic preacher. I had been given HIS righteousness. I was accepted because of HIM, not because I tried real hard. I was burned out. The message of His imparted righteousness changed my life.
Bro. Wade, you ask "How would the Southern Baptist Convention change if this doctrine of imputed righteousness were taught from the pulpits?" This is the revival we all want, what we are praying for. "Revival" isn't people getting saved -- you can't revive what has never lived. Reviving is reserved for the living-but-asleep. Baptists need a foundational revival. We need to be touched by the Lord at the who-we-are level. And I believe that perhaps THE one thing that Baptists aren't getting is this teaching.
Christ's imparted righteousness is who we are. At the core. We have taken on HIM. We live in HIM. We are clothed with HIM. We breathe HIM. He is our righteousness, our core, our everything. We are blended creatures. Just as tea in a teabag can never be separated from the water in the cup, once born-again we, and HE, are forever one. He IS our life, utterly. We are nothing without Him and His life living in us. Jesus said "Without Me you can do nothing." He wasn't kidding!
I excitedly wanted to preach the imputed righteousness of Christ in Baptist churches. There were two reactions from the congregations. Many looked at me like a calf looks at a new gate, having no clue to any of this. It was all-new and they understood none of it. But there were others who for the first time they thought, "you mean... God actually likes me?" Youth who had always sat there bored because their parents dragged them to church started asking questions about grace!
Bro. Wade, you are so right. Dear brother, you've got it. This is it. Fellow Baptists, please, I beg you, listen to this! Hear this. Get this. Preach this. The Gospel is NOT "God loves you -- we aren't sure why -- and He wants you to get saved -- but He's always going to be a bit peeved with you because you're stupid." You'd think that listening to some preachers. The Gospel, the Good News, is that God utterly loves you, gave His Son for you, will give you His righteousness and... He actually likes you!
Oh, Brother Wade. You are so right I wish I could give you a bear-hug right now. Please, please, please keep blogging about this. If Baptists could just really get a hold of this, we'd have the revival we all want.
God bless you, brother. I can certainly see Christ in you. Glory to God!
In addition to my earlier comment, these analogies about the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ have helped me:
Jesus won the Olympics and gave you the gold medal.
Jesus took the test and gave you the A+.
Wade:
I agree this is a key, if unrecognized, issue.
It could be that pastors are so desirous of seeing their flocks living a Christlike life, that they tend to link that to salvation. That might be well-intended, but it's wrong.
Oswald Chambers, IMHO, said it best in My Utmost for His Highest. He was writing about the Beatitudes, and he said that they aren't behaviors to be emulated. An actor can do that. Rather, the Beatitudes represent, if present in our life, signs that the Holy Spirit is having His way with us.
For me, that's the only way I know that I've truly submitted to the Lordship of Jesus. And Romans 10:9-10 mandates that in my life.
Brother Wade,
Great Post! (this is not a cereal commercial)
I agree whole heartedly with this doctrine. I fully support the theological understanding that there is nothing we can do to make us any more righteous because all that was necessary for our righteousness was performed by Jesus on the Cross. It is the reception of his death as my substitute that makes me righteous.
However, that does not give me a license to live as I desire. My righteousness is based on Jesus Christ. My living my life is based on my love of Jesus Christ and I do this as a result of my righteousness not in order to attain or retain my righteousness.
Many Pastors stop at Imputed Righteousness and never teach how that relates to living. Imputed Righteousness is more than a theological flash point it is a reality that must be lived out daily in our lives.
Book of Romans: Positional Righteousness
Book of Galatians: Practical Righteousness
David Troublefield
JUSTAMOE
For those who struggle with this doctrine, John Piper has written a fantastic little book called Counted Righteous in Christ: Should We Abandon the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness?
As to your question for how it would impact the SBC, Wade, I'd love to hear your answer.
I know this, if this doctrine did return to our SBC pulpits, it would reveal that a reformation has taken place in most of our pulpits, which are largely governed by a hermeneutic of pragmatism.
Wade,
Thanks again for excellent thinking on Scripture. Over the past several days these same thoughts have come to my mind as a result of the debate on the use of alcohol in Greensboro. The passages you gave are some of my greatest treasures that I love preaching to our new, non-traditional church and which continually blow people away when they hear them.
In my very limited experience, those who call for total abstinence of alcohol do so without much concern or understanding of the stumbling block sin in 1 Corinthians. Many still see it as a problem with their personal, right standing before God regardless of a weaker brother having or having not been made to stumble. Most simply respond that drinking is wrong without even comprehending the stumbling block issue and very likely feel more right with God because of this choice. That is how I grew up thinking. I still do not use alcohol but our church allows freedom and teaches the balance for those "weaker".
John Piper’s Counted Righteous In Christ is a very needed book for our day, teaching imputed righteousness. His church seems to teach this very thoroughly and “asks” church members to abstain from use of alcohol. In portions of their church by-laws and in pulpit teaching there seems to be concrete clarity defining the biblical issues. I hope this will become the norm among all SBC churches.
AMEN!!!!
They would probably behave better.
I guess this is the difference between Calvinism and Arminianism. Do the Southern Baptists no longer sing "Rock of Ages"?
Nothing in my hand I bring
Simply to Thy cross I cling.
Naked, come to Thee for dress
Helpless, look to Thee for grace,
Foul I to the fountain fly
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
Or Before the throne of God above?
Because the sinless Saviour died
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on him and pardon me.
Imputed righteousness is a doctrine to die for. Actually, Someone has.
Wade:
After thinking over your post again, I had some additional thoughts. So...
Yes, my only hope of righteousness, at all, is Jesus. I claim and receive and testify to that. But, what with the enemy out to discourage Christians, in his effort to stop the spread of believers, I have to ask myself what it's going to take to find a meaningful way of life in the face of that.
Which brings me to Mark Devers' statement in the Discipline Breakout Session. Let's swim against the tide, close the FRONT door of the churches, open the BACK door, and then teach the folks already here how they're to live. If that happened, and we found a church filled with folks who were there unless providentially hindered, participated with their giftedness, tithed without exception, and lived lives that'd glorify Jesus, we'd find folks lined up out front who'd want some of that.
A wise person once said that church isn't about our happiness. It's about our holiness. Unless that's my aim, the goal for which I strive, I won't find the meaning and joy and fulfillment encompassed in the term "more abundantly".
It has nothing to do with my righteousness. It has everything to do with not settling for less than what God has in mind.
Abundance.
Wade
I didn't even know there was a discussion about imputed righteousness. My righteousness is as filthy rags. I never heard any difference. JESUS is our righteousness. How else could we approach a HOLY GOD...
Charlie of Gainesville
Brother Wade,
It is good to read this reminder that we are members of a fallen race of created beings. Sin permeates every aspect of my being and there is no inherent righteousness in me.
In His grace and mercy, God provided the ONLY acceptable sacrifice of atonement for my sins, Christ Jesus. Only because of what Jesus did at Calvary, the shedding of His blood, can I be judged righteous before our Holy God.
There is power in the blood.
Ok, I admit it. I'm a slow learner.
Do I agree with IMputed Righteousness? Yes.
Wade, could you please flesh out the application a little bit more for me?
Personally, having Christ's righteousness placed upon/in/(however you want to phrase it) means that I don't have to struggle to make God like me. There is someone who loves me, and yes that means actually likes me.
However, that doesn't mean that he can't be upset with me. Why are we still exhorted to ask forgiveness of our sins that we commit daily? I know that I need Jesus' righteousness, because we (Jesus and me) are still battling the unearthed habitual sins that have been built into me since early childhood. How does this doctrin sync with Sanctification?
Where does that Luther quote come from?
Tim
"Terry Hamblin said...
I guess this is the difference between Calvinism and Arminianism."
I don't know about that, but I do know it's a wonderful Biblical truth for us who are neither Calvinist or Arminian.
That doctrine is touched on nearly every time I preach, in some form or fashion I suppose.
I had no idea that I was an odd ball in our convention.
What kind of gospel does not teach the exchange that happened between the sinner and the savior? I don't get it.
Piper wrote a book a few years ago called Counted Righteous in Christ. Many of the influencial people within the SBC have recommended it including Patterson, Ron Nash, and Bruce Ware. I do not think it should be a problem getting something passed on imputation.
Wade,
I know what this would do to my church if they got it. I know I have preached it, but I just people don't get it.
WADE,
Reading my daily devotional (which I e-mailed you) and then reading this POST brought TEARS to my EYE's.
The comment by Anonymous said Amen! Amen! Amen! Yes! Yes! Yes!
This Is so "RIGHT ON" to let "GOD'S GLORY SHINE" in all OUR LIVES.
As the doctine of imputed righteousness is being attacked today in evangelical circles, I am glad that you have picked it up.
Wade, this is the kind of conversation we need to be having in the SBC! This is the kind of issues we should be resolving ourselves to get right. Thank you for putting on the emphasis on where emphasis is due!
Does this take us back to "once saved always saved"?
dlp
What a great liberation we would have! Instead of attempting to do things to be righteous we would do things because we are righteous.
What a relief that would be.
XtnYoda
Wade,
Thanks so much for posting this fundamental truth. I have been proclaiming this message relentlessly during my short time in ministry. In fact, that got me in trouble with the "grace killers" who want to focus more on what we can do for God than on what He has done for us.
I've found, however, that it isn't that this doctrine is ignored as much as it is touched on and then set aside. It's as though this is seen as an "introductory" truth and then we move on to more "practical" matters. We address that fact that God has given us the gift of His righteousness, but then we'd better get back to our labor and our striving. It's as though God's grace and His gift got the basketball spinning on our finger, but now it's up to us to come along and make sure it keeps spinning.
For me, though, the imputed righteousness of Christ serves as a foundational, fundamental truth. All that I am and all that I do as a child of God has as its basis the grace of God and what He has done for me, to me, and in me.
tim rogers -
Call me a Piperist, but I believe that we do have the freedom to live as we desire. The living Christ transforms our desires so that we long for that which will most deeply satisfy us. David used that kind of language frequently. When we pursue sin or flesh, it is not that we are running after what we truly desire. It's that we find ourselves chasing lesser passions...answering the call of "lovers less wild." And from my limited experience, I have seen many more pastors gloss over imputed righteousness and major on our works than those who would deal with imputation and stop short of how if affects ous lives. But I agree that we must not make imputation merely theoretical. We need to show how it is fleshed out.
tim -
I think imputed righteousness DOES mean that God is no longer angry with us. Certainly our sinful behavior and indwelling sin grieves Him, but all of His anger and wrath and condemnation toward my sin was poured out on Jesus on the cross. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. His discipline is not done in anger but in love and toward the end of conforming us to the image of His Son. I believe the ongoing confession of sin is not done in order to gain more forgiveness. At the cross Jesus purchased forgiveness for all of my sin and that was applied to me in full when I was born again. We confess to agree with God and appropriate (for lack of a better term) that forgiveness which is already ours in Christ. Likewise, sanctification is the process of becoming in thought and deed and habit and practice what Jesus has truly declared me to be.
Dave
Wow! Wade, this is what I want for you blog. I want to see you as theologian, not simply as an IMB trustee and reporter! AMEN, brother for discussing this!
For those who may come to this and be unsure, I too recommend Piper's monograph on this. It is in vogue these days to say that our faith is our righteousness before God, as opposed to Christ's actual righteousness imputed to us through a bookkeeping metaphor, which Wade cited in his entry.
The answer of course, is that faith is our righteousness in that it is a placeholder for what is to come. Faith connects us to the righteousness of Christ like, as one friend of mine who is a T.A. for Reformed Seminary (so he should know about all this) illustrated, a deed, birth certificate, or check is a placeholder for your house, your actual birth, or your bank account. You have no house of your own, you may as well not have been born, and you have no riches. All of these are gifts of God to you through Christ. So, in the illustration: The house you've been given is Jesus' righteousness it is the house He owns and that belongs to Him, but it is given to you; your birth is equivalent (in God' mind) to His, your righteousness is now, in Christ, equivalent to His riches, because God has given you faith that you will one day cash in as it were, for sight.
I know that it was a breakthrough for me pesonally when I realized that I can do nothing to be righteous. If more people understood this, then more churches would flourish under grace instead of stifling under the law in the SBC.
[quote]The living Christ transforms our desires so that we long for that which will most deeply satisfy us.[/quote]
Amen and Amen.
Thank you Wade for bringing this up. Being a long standing member in your church, this is what you live and preach and as a result is how we live and teach our children. May our tribe increase.
Wade,
You've encouraged dissent, so let me add some!
Much of my life (over 7 decades) I've heard this preached....(In SBC churches).... As some have mentioned already, the problem is in the miracle of "hearing"! I like ScriptureSearcher desire to hear it faithfully preached, but if our folks were faithfully searching the Scriptures it would be evident. For years I've sought to read the Bible through each year, and for many years read a chapter each day from Greek and also from the Hebrew texts.
Sadly, I confess to have neglected the pursuit of the other languages, though still attempting the annual reading. My personal neglect has been in not "searching" since being in a Staff role, as I did when preaching three or four times on a Sunday! Yes, I would like to see revival sweep the SBC, also, but, I really believe the topics and discussions that are being "blogged" may very well be used by the Holy Spirit to bring conviction to some of us! In my youth I worked with the USFS in fire control.... It is amazing how rapidly one little spark can become a conflagration.... Though the negative is depicted in James 3:5-6 when the tongue is compared to a spark becoming a forest fire (NIV), the same type of synergism is conceivable in relation to "making" Disciples! Great Discussion!
Don't we serve an AMAZING GOD!
Lord thank you~
I think one of the implications of the Righteousness of Christ already being imputed to us, is that it should confirm that we CAN approach the throne of Grace with great boldness. Do we not often kind of meander up to the throne…kind of like “Hi, um God, if you’re not busy…there was something I was hoping to talk to you about, but if you’re busy I can come back later, it’s Ok…” We often do not pray with the fervency or abandonment I think our father would welcome.
Sometimes, it is true, we do not pray with sincerity and confidence because we have good reason to be ashamed…we have fallen and slipped up and stumbled and need God’s renewed cleansing. It is like He told Peter, "He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean”. Our souls have already been cleansed and renewed, yet because of our flesh we have gotten ourselves “soiled” again from walking up and down in this world. We need God’s forgiveness, not to renew our salvation experience all over again, but to insure our relationship with our heavenly father remains close and unencumbered and vital.
Here again, I would think, the doctrine of imputed Righteousness should give us great encouragement to approach the Lord with confidence that He will most gladly wash away our sins if we are honest with Him and with ourselves. But sometimes (a good brother pointed this out once) don’t we kind of put ourselves in time out? Don’t we kind of shrug our shoulders, and say, “well…I really messed that up, I’m really awful…I won’t be able to approach God now for at least three days…” How silly is that? IF the doctrine of Imputed Righteousness is indeed true, why wait? We are no longer in the camp with the Israelites where we have to cleanse ourselves and wait outside the camp for thee days, then bring a special offering to the priest, so HE can intercede for us before the mercy seat. As sons and daughters of the Most High God He wouldn’t let us into His family unless we were clean. So why not allow Him to be quick to forgive and allow the doctrine of Imputed Righteousness to help us keep short accounts with God?
Grace and Peace.
The doctrine of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ upon His followers is taught zealously in my pulpit. I concur with Brett's recommendation of the Piper book. It is the best exposition of this very important doctrine which I have read.
"the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much"
Unless we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ our prayers produce little or nothing. I have to remember this every time I pray. I am not righteous enough in my own right to expect my prayers to be of much avail.
Wade:
I recall a sermon by Charles Stanley, many years ago. He said he was trying with all his might, to be righteous in his daily living. He thought that might help.
He said that a big awakening came when he learned that, not only could he not really BE "righteous" in what he did, but .. in his own words ... "He didn't even want me to TRY".
WOW. It took me a while to digest that. Obedience, out of gratitude, out of wanting the abundant life we're promised (which glorifies God), is one thing. Trying to be "righteous" ourselves is another.
Hadn't thought about that in decades. Thanks for the posting.
My Baptist pastor once told me that too many Baptists believe that "they are saved by grace, but maintained by works".
FOOD FOR THOUGHT,
"RIGHTEOUS/RIGHTEOUSNESS"
God is completely righteous (Isaiah 45:21-24)
We cannot attain righteousness on our own (Isaiah 64:6)
Human nature is the opposite of righteousness (Romans 3:10-18)
Righteousness is not attained by works (Romans 4:18-25)
Strict legalism cannot make us righteous (Galatians 3:11-21)
Our God-given righteousness is armor against Satan's attacks (Ephesians 6:14)
We become righteous through faith in Christ (Philippians 3:9)
Studying God's Word helps us grow in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)
Righteousness ought to characterize each believer's life (1 Peter 2:24)
LOVE
Your Brother in CHRIST
O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise;
The glories of my God and King, the wonders of His grace!
I wish I could shout His glory to the mountains upon the meditation of His imputed righteousness to me. God bless you, Bro. Wade. Oh, that we would heed His call!
Brian Baker
Kirksville, MO
While reading through Romans last month, I almost high-centered on that passage. Growing up in a Baptist church, I have been taught that we are co-heirs with Christ. My problem always is that my brain can’t fathom the love of our LORD that he would do this for a wretch like me. I sometimes think because of His abundant grace, He can’t possible know me like I know myself. Since I know that he does, it is a constant reminder or the awesome God we serve.
1 John 4:19
The Luther quote highlights his "Affirmation of the Ordinary." When he says the market is as sacred as the sanctuary he's also saying that the vocation of a plumber or shop keeper can be just as much a call from God as the vocation of a preacher or a monk.
In the middle ages there was the belief and teaching that the clergy and religious were somehow a little better than the laity. Luther taught that we're all called to ministry in our baptism so that in whatever station we find ourselves in life we are called to be ministers of the gospel.
I think Luther would also caution that "imputed righteousness" makes us fully human, the way God created us to be, not somehow more divine. Only God is divine. We are part of his creation but after the fall we're no longer as fully human as God intended us to be.
I like what you're saying here.
tom in ontario,
Regarding Luther's thinking on the "common man", you may want to look up where he stood and what he said about those common folk who were on the loosing side of the Peasant Revolt.
Luther was of a practical nature, what didn't suit him was altered to fit his interest.
I appreciate your comments, but I think you have used too broad a brush in tarring Barclay and Wesley.
Wesley refers to "imputed nonsense" in Sermon 20 — but to quote Barclay.
"But in what sense is this righteousness imputed to believers? In this: all believers are forgiven and accepted, not for the sake of anything in them, or of anything that ever was, that is, or ever can be done by them, but wholly and solely for the sake of what Christ hath done and suffered for them. I say again, not for the sake of anything in them, or done by them, of their own righteousness or works: 'Not for works of righteousness which we have done, but of his own mercy he saved us.' 'By grace ye are saved through faith, -- not of works, lest any man should boast;' but wholly and solely for the sake of what Christ hath done and suffered for us. We are "justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.' And this is not only the means of our obtaining the favour of God, but of our continuing therein. It is thus we come to God at first; it is by the same we come unto him ever after. We walk in one and the same new and living way, till our spirit returns to God.
And this is the doctrine which I have constantly believed and taught, for near eight and twenty years. This I published to all the world in the year 1738, and ten or twelve times since, in those words, and many others to the same effect, extracted from the Homilies of our Church: -- 'These things must necessarily go together in our justification; upon God's part, his great mercy and grace; upon Christ's part, the satisfaction of God's justice; and on our part, faith in the merits of Christ. So that the grace of God doth not shut out the righteousness of God in our justification, but only shutteth out the righteousness of man, as to deserving our justification." "That we are justified by faith alone, is spoken to take away clearly all merit of our works, and wholly to ascribe the merit and deserving of our justification to Christ only. Our justification comes freely of the mere mercy of God. For whereas all the world was not able to pay any part toward our ransom, it pleased Him, without any of our deserving, to prepare for us Christ's body and blood, whereby our ransom might be paid, and his justice satisfied. Christ, therefore, is now the righteousness of all them that truly believe in him.' "
Or to quote from his Treatise on Justification, "If we take the phrase of imputing Christ's righteousness, for the bestowing (as it were) the righteousness of Christ, including his obedience, as well passive as active, in the return of it, that is, in the privileges, blessings, and benefits purchased it; so a believer may be said to be justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed. The meaning is, God justifies the believer for the sake of Christ's righteousness, and not for any righteousness of his own."
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
pistis - the Faith
Iesous - of Jesus
In this passage the “faith IN Jesus” … what is it referring to? Man’s faith or Jesus’ faith? “… we have believed in Jesus Christ – in His Faith … that we might be justified by the faith OF Christ.
It is not man's faith IN Christ whereby we are saved. WRONG.
It is the faith OF Christ where by we are saved.
A HUGH DIFFERRENCE!
Go back to the oldest manuscripts of these passages and study the Greek. It’s startlingly clear. (Greek scholars. Where are you?)
The word IN was inserted by later translators following apparently what translators thought was the only way to translate this passage. (That does not work hermeneutically speaking.) Many Christians today believe that it is their faith that saves them. How sad.
Believers are saved believing and trusting that it was Christ's Faith (i.e. Jesus trusted the Father was going to raise Him up). . . THAT was Jesus’ Faith. Believing in THAT Faith and God’s promise to Jesus . . . THAT is what indeed imparts salvation to us. That Faith. Not ours. Man has no faith in himself. That is precisely why Christ has to indwell every believer. (Hello?)
If you say that that is the same as having faith in Jesus, then you don’t understand the Gospel.
The elect shall believe and trusts that God did indeed resurrect Jesus bodily BECAUSE of Jesus' Faith trusting His Father ... the Faith OF Jesus. God also made another promise to Jesus concerning every person who trusts in this truth; we also shall be bodily resurrected and shall rule and reign with Christ for ever.
Therefore, that same Power will also raise every single one of His elect. That is what the Elect are counting on . . . what we trust in. We trust Christ’s faithfulness and God’s faithfulness.
That is why it is said by Paul that if there is no resurrection of the dead then there is no salvation and no hope.
"Trust" is in fact imparted to every believer in regeneration as that elected one’s eyes and ears are opened to this truth . . . that one shall believe this truth and not one of Jesus' little lambs will be lost; another promise of God to Jesus. (Hum.)
"Whom do you say that I am, Peter?” Jesus said, “Thou art the Christ the Son of God.” Why do you suppose Jesus said, “Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, Peter, but my Father which is in heaven," Peter’s eyes and ears had to be divinely opened to this truth. So do we.
The Salvation of Jesus IS our salvation. Jesus propitiates justification on those who take that stand.
ICor2:5 - "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (WOW. Unpack that! Perfect sense. Every teacher must understand this. Why do preachers and teachers arm twist? Nonsense. Salvation is totally up to God not man.)
Rom 12:3 "For I say, through the grace GIVEN unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man THE measure of faith."
This is the Gospel of Jesus! I am so thankful that my salvation is not dependent on my own willpower and self-determination. It is rather, dependent on He who dwells in me. (That is flesh withering.)
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you ....precious Lord and Master!
(Someone needs to hear this I guess.)
Can anyone tell me exactly where in history southern Baptist have delineated from the point of imputed righteousness of Christ?
I am not that great on history yet but would like to show this in the class that I teach.
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