Romans 3:22-24 tells us that there is a righteousness that comes from God and because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, there is no other form of justification under the whole earth will be able to justify us before the living One of whom we have to give an account to. (1 Peter 4:5)
Grace defined as “the unmerited love and favour of God towards man; the divine influence acting in man to make him pure and good.” And that this righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. The bible says, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
When God created everything in this universe, He saw that everything was good. So how did sin enter the world? God created man, with the choice of free will because man was created in the image of God. And God gave man his free will of own choices to think good or evil, to do good or bad.
And although it was through Adam’s one disobedience that this one trespass should result in condemnation for all people but Paul also said in Romans 5:18-20, that as through the disobedience of the one man (Adam) the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous. It is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus that God’s one righteous act may result in justification and life for all mankind.
Now, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. And God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28)
So God blessed Adam and Eve and everything was good and perfect as it was with Adam and Eve because they knew no evil. But the human will was there and so God gave Adam and Eve a free will in the first place. Now Adam and Eve had a choice whether to choose to obey God or to disobey God. But in this desire (will) to become like God, Adam chose to disobey God and so sin entered the world through this one disobedience.
Like Adam, God has given each and everyone of us a free will. He will repay everyone according to what they have done. Romans 2:6-8 tells us, to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality; He (God) will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Genesis 6:5-6)
We cannot imagine a land without law but that the requirements of the law are written on each and every man’s hearts and the bible says, this consciences also bearing witness that sometimes our thoughts that though accusing us, at other times are even defending us. (Romans 2:15)
Hence for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Luke 22:42; Romans 8:29) But the bible says, the purpose of the Law however was added because of transgression. As it is, God is perfect and He is holy but as long as man retain his choice of free will, the infringement or violation of a law, command or duty will always exist.
So God gave the law not to condemn man (Genesis 4:13-15, 24, 6:5-6) but that the law was given so that we may know what is faith in Christ. The law was given in order to disclose and to expose to men their guilt because of transgressions and to make men more conscious of the sinfulness of sin that all men may be led to the Seed, [The Son of Man] what is the promise of God that all man may have Salvation through Him. [The Son of God] (Hebrews 10:1-8; Galatians 3:19, 23) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Galatians 3:19; Romans 8:28)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9)
Salvation is by Faith
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29
The dictionary defined faith as (1) belief and trust in and loyalty to God, (2) firm belief in something for which there is no proof, complete trust. Here we see faith as believing without proof. Generally, Faith can also be defined as the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. The word faith can also refer to a religion.
Jeremiah 35:13-15 recorded, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey my words?’ declares the LORD. ‘Jehonadab son of Rekab ordered his descendants not to drink wine and this command has been kept. To this day they do not drink wine, because they obey their forefather’s command. But I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed me.
Salvation is by faith but faith itself is an evidence. The bible says, as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26) Today God is not only looking for someone who merely says that he believes but also in living out what he say that he does that he really is believed. (Hebrews 11:6)
So then, does not a polytheist also have faith in (gods)? But it is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. (2 Corinthians 4:13-14) Our confession is by an act of faith.
In Acts 19:18-20, many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done and a number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. And again Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, we remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Biblical Faith as defined by Paul is like this, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The bible says, for we live by faith, not by sight. We cannot see faith but faith itself is an evidence, the substance of things hoped. And the bible says, for this is what the ancients were commended for and because they did not received the things promised but that they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. (Hebrews 11:13)
And 1 John 4:17 tell us, “This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.” And 1 John 3:23-24 says, “The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. We believe and therefore we confess but love is a natural thing.
The bible says, for whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. (Galatians 5:6; 1 John 4:20)
So then, everyone who does what is right has been born of God because God is righteous and we know that. (1 John 2:28-29) As it was said in 1 Peter 3:20-23, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (Hebrews 11:1; 2 Corinthians 5:7)
But those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. And I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the LORD.’ (Jonah 2:8-9)
