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<p>The subject of righteousness by faith is central to the&nbsp; plan of salvation, not only because righteousness is a call to be like God, but more so because the salvation of humanity is impossible without righteousness. </p>
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<p>Remarking on the subject, Martin Luther concurred: "This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness."</p>
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<p>The subject is quite
elusive to many and in most cases it is its simplicity that confounds a probing
heart. </p>
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<p><strong>Let's bite a few questions to scope the discourse: </strong></p>
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<p>What is righteousness by faith? What does it mean to be righteous by faith? What is the purpose of faith in this? What does this have to do with my salvation? What does this have to do with your salvation? Why is this subject worth contemplating on?<br> <br>In Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews , Paul gives us examples of men and women who won God’s commendation because of their faith. You will notice that, before he makes mention of Abel and other great men and women of faith from verse 4 going down , he draws our attention to the relevance and practicality of this subject matter to us. Just about there in verse 3, we learn that it takes faith for us to understand that the world as we see it , was created by God and that the worlds were set in order at His command.</p>
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<p>Let me start by making a humble submission that I might not entirely do justice to this deep and profound mystery which is of God however, I will try to break it down in the best way I can. I will focus on the subject of righteousness, the importance faith, I will also touch briefly on the subject of grace and where the law and obedience fits in the overall scheme of things. Let me also say that , we cannot even begin to talk about all this without speaking of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary, which is the all time greatest expression of the love of God to His creatures. I will use the bible and also make use of quotations from some inspired writings.<br> <br>Consider these verses with me as we begin to unpack this delicate subject. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as follows: "But faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". As you go down the same chapter on verse 6, the Bible says, "But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him".</p>
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<p> As we proceed, when we look at 1st John 3:4, the bible says "Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law" and Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". Looking at these verses we have just read, we get to understand that, after man had sinned, he was supposed to die , why? we ask; for the breaking of the law demands the death of a sinner. As we read 2nd Corinthians 5:21, the bible says that, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." </p>
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<p>Further to this, when we read the book of 2nd Corinthians 8:9, the bible says that , " For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich , yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty, might become rich". How profound! In these above verses , it is clear that when there was no hope for sinful humanity, Christ died in our place that through his death and resurrection, we may have our sins forgiven if we accept what he did for us and repent and thus have the hope of eternal life with God. So as we behold Christ hanging on the cross for us, we get to learn that:<br> 

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<ul><li> 1. The law is immutable </li><li> 2. The hue of sin is as dark as to cost the life of the Creator Himself </li><li> 3. The Righteousness of God in justifying the believer in Jesus is on condition of obedience (not of himself but being enabled by Christ who should work in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure) </li><li> 4. God has everlasting love for us. He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life </li></ul>
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<p> In the book of Mark 5:25-43, we are given an account of the woman who had an issue of blood for 12 years. The bible tells us that she had said in her heart, "If I may touch His garment, I shall be whole". We learn that upon touching the hem of his garment, immediately, the fountain of blood was dried and she was made whole. That was a touch of faith. Speaking of Christ’s human nature, I would like to quote the book, Christ Our Righteousness on page 107~ "All His miracles are but natural manifestations of His person , and hence were performed with the same ease with which we perform our ordinary daily works...The supernatural and miraculous element in Christ, let it be borne in mind, was not a borrowed gift or an occasional manifestation....An inward virtue dwelt in His person, and went forth from Him , so that even the fringe of His garment was healing to the touch through the medium of faith, which is the bond of union between him and the soul."<br><br>Could it be that you and me have not yet touched him with that touch of faith that we may experience a total life transformation and healing as so did the crowds that pressed close about Christ on that day? For He says in Revelations 3:20 says "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door and I will come in to him and sup with him and he with me". He is constantly knocking, so the onus is on us to respond to his call by exercising our faith to open the door of our hearts. He is waiting and He is indeed willing to bestow unto us that which we cannot do for ourselves.</p>
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<p>While it is imperative to exercise faith, note what this quotation has to say regarding this in the book, Christ Our Righteousness page 109.<br> " The exercise of faith is our part in the great transaction which sinners are changed into saints...But we must remember that there is no virtue in the faith we exercise whereby salvation is merited. That is to say, there is no virtue in faith itself , nor in the act of exercising it. The virtue is all in Christ. He is the remedy for sin. Faith is the act by which the helpless , doomed sinner lays hold of the remedy. Faith can present Christ’s perfect obedience instead of the sinner’s transgression and defection." How wonderful!</p>
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<p> Paul in Ephesians 2:8  put’s it aptly.  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” i.e. while faith is the means by which we access salvation, the grace of God is the saving resource. <br><br> So in essence, the righteousness of Christ is a free gift which is by grace, received by the hand of faith and it is preserved through obedience. Grace is unmerited favour, which can only be understood by a sinner. Understanding God’s exercise of grace in reconciling sinful humanity to Himself outrightly dismisses any sense of entitlement and further prompts in us a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for what God has done and continues to do for us through Christ. In the latter verse we just read, the bible puts it clearly that, "Because of grace, you have salvation through faith and not of yourselves , it is given by God". As we proceed, the verse we read earlier part of it says .. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God.."; With this in mind, we then come to an understanding that faith is the core foundation, the main anchor, the point of inception, the essential component we need to have if we are to please God. Faith is the bond of union, the medium through which mankind can freely lay hold of that which he cannot do for himself. Speaking of faith, the book Selected Messages page 334.1 in Volume 1 rightly puts it and says, "It works by love and it purifies the soul" . Through the exercise of faith, we are able to receive the Righteousness of Christ imputed in us such that all our sins are forgiven, our guilt cancelled and we stand approved and justified as if we had never sinned. What manner of love is this?<br><br> However the work does not end here. The sinner still needs to continue to co-operate with Christ, growing from strength to strength exercising faith, being enabled by Christ to continue both to will and to do of His good pleasure. This is called sanctification, a life-long process, in whose success or failure, lies the determining factor as to whether we will be fit to coexist  with the Heavenly host. As we look at the book of 2nd Peter 1:5, we see that the ladder in this process, begins with faith which is the foundation, followed by virtue and it goes on up until it culminates with love, the love of Christ, which is the ideal standard. To love God with all your heart, with all your mind ,with all your strength and with all your soul and to love your neighbour as yourself is the ideal standard. Quoting from the book, Messages to Young People page 40, we find a very profound statement regarding God’s standard for us. It reads, "Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God’s ideal for His children. Godliness- godlikeness - is the goal to be reached."<br><br>As I draw to a close, let me put this across: </p>
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<p><strong>For as long as you are still alive, for as long as God is not done with you yet , for as long as your heart is still open to the bidding of the Holy Spirit, for as long as God still sees in you a work in progress, a potential heir of salvation, any uncertainty cast upon you to doubt his ability to save you or any insinuation that seems to suggest to you that you are beyond the reach of mercy is from the evil one, who seeks, not only to disable you from exercising FAITH , but who also delights whenever we find ourselves doubting the power of what Christ did for us at the cross of Calvary.<br></strong></p>
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<p>I will end with these inspired, heartwarming words of encouragement for the faint hearted found in the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing page 21,<br> " Whatever may have been your past experience, however discouraging your present circumstances, if you will come to Jesus just as you are , weak , helpless, and despairing , our compassionate Saviour will meet you a great way off, and will throw about you His arms of love and His robe of righteousness"<br><br><strong> Keep Blessed.  </strong></p>
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