Genesis 15:6 tells us,

“And he (Abram) [believed] in the LORD, and He (the LORD) accounted it to him (Abram) as righteousness.”

From the outset herein, I am not reluctant to conclude, from this verse, that in order to be righteous before God, one would need the righteousness of God, and that being a perfect righteousness. This goes, but not without also noting that this is not sarcasm as it relates to those of the scribes, Pharisees and religious leaders, and their “white-washed tombs righteousness” in their claims of perfectly holding to the law, as we read in Matthew 23.

What I do mean however, is that a Biblical understanding of such an application from God HImself to sinful man, is that the man to whom this righteousness is applied, is seen only in light of ‘as belonging to Christ.’ In Romans 8:9b we read, “Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His”; or we can read this also as, “does not belong to Him.” This helps us to grasp more of the reality of 1 Corinthians 12:3b, which states, “…no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”

If Christians who tend to debate justification, could pause and ponder on these few verses alone, we may more quickly see that no true reality of the knowledge of God exists within, without God’s own initiation of such. Let’s look at an example of this Christian reality, and how early church believers responded amongst harsh conditions in regards to their own faith in Christ.

True Christianity is when you see a faith strapped to a stake! You say, “Well, that’s harsh!” Indeed it is! In the culture of “American freedom”, this would never be anything close to lawful. That being said, unless God would have mercy, I would warn the Christian reader to tread lightly upon the current realities of the aforementioned statement as we creep closer and closer towards a country having leadership with an agenda in mind that puts Christian faith and values in an ever darkening light of hatred. For now at least, we can surely gather that if not outwardly, this pointed hatred is most spiritually discerned as powerfully evident inwardly amongst those who hate Christ.

(Jeremiah 17:9)

In the 1st-4th century in countries such as Rome and Asia Minor specifically, to the 21st century now in countries such as North Korea, Somalia, and Nigeria to name a few, are amongst the worst countries to be a part of when professing Christ. You are more than likely facing captivity, torchure, beatings, and pain very similar to being burned at the stake as those in early church history. All day long, these believers had the opportunity to recant this faith and be freed back to their family and way of life. But, why didn’t they recant? Why did they not give up?

As we will see, this kind of profession was not mere lip service, but a matter of life or death for one’s love and devotion more than anything this world could offer them, to the one true living God-the Lord Jesus Christ. See Philippians 1:29.

Man walking in the traditions of men serves them well to their rejection of God in their heart; (Matthew 15:8-9). The voice of man may make claims of Jesus all day everyday, while having hearts full of bitterness and hatred towards Biblical Christian living. This heart attitude is bent towards a longevity of a mere profession only, and becomes evident that such a heart posture has no experience of a conviction of sin. At that, we can also observe the lack of knowledge of the need to confess sin. Within that, and surely without that, there exists no repentance of sin, which concludes that there exists no true conversion; or regeneration of the heart unto salvation by the Holy Spirit alone; (1 Corinthians 12:3; Matthew 7:24-27).

Christian continuance in the “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude vs. 3), is not a continuation in the strength of the one to whom the faith was delivered, but is alone by the strength of the Giver of this faith! As Martin Luther said in agreement with Ephesians 2:8-9, “No one can give himself faith, it is a gift of God.”

This gift therefore, and faithful continuance therein, is good enough as it clear enough to conclude that it will accomplish that which has been decreed and set forth by God Himself to accomplish in the Christian life (Jude vs. 24-25).

If the strength of Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone is not the mantra of the life that professes to rest satisfied in the work of Christ, without the traditions of men, it is well concluded thereby that it is not Christian and the faith professed is dead (Colossians 2:8-10).

SOLI DEO GLORIA!