Faith is the
depending upon the word of God only, and expecting that word only to do what
the word says.
Justification by faith, then, is justification
by depending upon the word of God only and expecting that word only
to accomplish it.
Justification
by faith is righteousness by faith, for justification is the being declared
righteous.
Faith comes
by the word of God. Justification by faith, then, is justification that comes by
the word of God. Righteousness by faith is righteousness
that comes by the word of God.
The word of
God is self-fulfilling, for in creating all things, "he spake and it
was." And when He was on earth, He stilled the raging sea, cleansed the
lepers, healed the sick, raised the dead, and forgave sins, all by His
word: there, too, "he spake, and it
was."
Now the same
One who, in creating, "spake, and it was", the same One who said,
"Let there be light, and there was light," the same
One who on earth spoke "the word only," and the sick were healed, the
lepers were cleansed, and the dead lived -- this same One speaks the righteousness of God unto and upon all that
believe.
For though all have sinned and come short of
the righteousness of God, yet we are "justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth . . .
to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through
the forbearance of God."
In creating all things in the beginning, God
set forth Christ to declare the word which should cause all things to exist. Christ did
speak the word only, and all things were. And in redemption, which is
creation over again, God set forth Christ to declare the word of righteousness.
And when Christ speaks the word only, it is so. His word, whether in creating
or in redeeming, is the same.
"The
worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made
of things which do appear." Once there were no worlds, nor was there
any of the material which now composes the worlds. God set forth Christ to
declare the word which should produce the worlds, and the very material of
which they should be composed.
"He spake, and it was." Before
He spoke, there were no worlds; after He spoke, the worlds were there.
Thus the word of God spoken by Jesus
Christ is able to cause that to exist which has no existence before the word is
spoken, and which, except for that word, never could have existence.
In this same
way precisely it is in man's life. In man's life there is no righteousness. In man
there is no righteousness from which righteousness can appear in his life. But
God has set forth Christ to declare righteousness unto and upon man. Christ
has spoken the word only, and in the darkened void of man's life there is
righteousness to everyone who will receive it. Where, before the word is received, there was neither righteousness nor
anything which could possibly produce righteousness, after the word is
received, there is perfect righteousness and the very Fountain from which it
springs. The word of God received by faith -- that is, the word
of God expected to do what that word says and depended upon to do what it says
-- produces righteousness in the man and in the life where there never was
any before; precisely as, in the original creation, the word of God produced worlds where there
never were any worlds before. He has
spoken, and it is so to everyone that believeth: that is, to every one that
receiveth. The word itself produces it.
"Therefore
being justified (made righteous) by faith (by expecting and depending upon the
word of God only) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rom. 5:1. That is so, bless the Lord! And feeding upon this blessed thing is
cultivating faith.
RH Jan. 17, 1899
By A. T.
Jones in the Review and Herald
periodical in 1899.
List of Articles
#Faith #Depend #Word #God #Only #Expect #Justification #Righteousness #Spake #Spoke #Seen #Made #Worlds #Justified #Cultivate #Receive #Creation #Light #Cleanse #Accomplish
