There’s a popular lie out there that says a believer can doubt they are saved. Perhaps you believe this lie. Well, it’s actually not that “humble” to question your salvation. Read 1 John 5:10. “The one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning His Son.”

God has testified that everyone who believes the gospel, “IS justified”, “IS born of God,” “IS saved,” and “shall NOT come into judgment”. Now, if it was possible for someone to believe the gospel, but doubt their salvation, then that would mean a believer could CALL GOD A LIAR. Because if a believer doubts their salvation, they are denying God’s promise to save ALL believers.

This is why John says, believers do not call God a liar. Instead, “The one believing in the Son of God has the witness in himself … And this is the witness: that God gave us everlasting life, and this life is in His Son.” So, all believers HAVE THE WITNESS in their consciences. And what is “the witness”? “God gave us everlasting life.” To believe the witness, therefore, is to KNOW that YOU have everlasting life. It is to have a BARE BELIEF OF THE BARE TRUTH. It’s to credit the testimony of God, and to be convicted that God’s promises are sure and certain. In other words, receiving or coming to Christ is MERELY to believe the gospel. “As many as RECEIVED Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones BELIEVING into His name”(John 1:12).

It’s not like an elect sinner rationalizes their way into the gospel. They don’t gradually “find out” about the True God’s character. Conversion is a SUDDEN, TOTALLY UNEXPECTED change of mind to the DOCTRINE OF CHRIST. “Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those not seeking Me; I became known to those not inquiring after Me.” … And your ears shall hear a word BEHIND you, saying, This is the way, walk in it.”

In fact, prior to conversion, you can know NOTHING of the True God. You are ignorantly worshipping devils. “But then, indeed, not knowing God, you served as slaves to the ones by nature not being gods. But now, knowing God, but rather being known by God, how do you turn again to the weak and poor elements to which you desire again to slave anew?” (Gal 4:8-9).

There’s only One God, and He has one peculiar character. If someone does NOT believe in attributes of God outlined in Scripture, then they do not believe in God at all, but an idol. “And there is no God other than Me; a just God and a Savior; there is none except Me.” (Isa 45:21). So, if you do not believe in the Just God and Savior of the Scripture YOU ARE A RANK ATHEIST. There are no other gods besides this Jehovah, and since you do not believe in Him, you have missed out on Theism (so to speak) and are left, with, and only with, Atheism.

On the other hand, maybe you claim to believe in the Just God and Savior of the Scripture. If so, I have some questions for you.

Is your God really and truly just? Can he say, “cursed is everyone who does not keep all these statutes”, “unless your righteousness surpasses the Scribes and Pharisees you shall not see the kingdom of God,” “For whoever shall keep all the Law, but stumbles in one, he has become guilty of all,” “the soul that sins shall die.”

In other words, does your God DEMAND ABSOLUTE, UNIVERSAL OBEDIENCE and pronounce a CURSE on ALL who cannot meet His demand?

This is the God of the Scripture. He will NOT fellowship with anyone who does not have a righteousness EQUAL to His own. “Who shall go up into the hill of Jehovah? And who shall rise in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to vanity and has not sworn deceit. He shall lift up the blessing from Jehovah, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psa 24:2-5).

Now, the only man who has ever had a righteousness EQUAL to God, is the God-man Jesus Christ. Only He had clean hands and a pure heart. Psalm 24, from which that expression is taken, is INTERPRETED in the New Testament as a Psalm about Christ. In Ephesians 4:8, the Apostle Paul interprets the expression “having gone up on high” (from Psalm 68) as speaking of Christ. Now, this expression is very similar to Psalm 24, “rise in His holy place … go up into the hill of Jehovah.” Both Psalms are speaking of Christ.

This explains how God can be Just and a Savior at the same time. We spoke earlier about how God DEMANDS perfect perpetual obedience to His Law. Well, Christ obeyed that Law perfectly whilst He lived. And guess what? When He did this he was acting as a SUBSTITUTE (in the place of others). “Through the obedience of the One the many shall be constituted righteous.” (Rom 5:19). “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, having come into being out of a woman, having come under Law, that He might redeem the ones under Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” (Gal 4:4-5).

This means that when God transfers Christ’s obedience into a sinner’s account, that sinner is justified (declared not guilty). It means that the chief of sinners do not have to love, obey or commit themselves in order to get God’s favor. The Father is ALREADY perfectly “WELL PLEASED” with the work of the Son. So, NOTHING is required for the elect sinner’s justification. Let me say it again: Abraham was JUSTIFIED APART from his love to God, He was declared righteous by the object of his faith, Christ. Christ’s righteousness was IMPUTED to Abraham.

But there is still a question unanswered. What happened to God’s curse on all who sin? Doesn’t the soul that sins die?

This is were The Atonement comes into view. Christ took ALL the Elect’s iniquity on the cross, and suffered HELL in place of them. Here is a glimpse into the suffering He underwent for them — Christ says in the Psalms, ” My wounds have putrefied and rotted … But I am poor and in pain; O God … The cords of death hemmed me in; and the pains of Sheol found me; I find distress and sorrow … Look on my affliction and my pain … My heart is pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen on me. Fear and trembling come on me; and horror has covered me. …  Evening and morning and at noon I will complain and cry aloud; and He will hear my voice. … O God, do not be far from me; my God come quickly to help me. … Unless Jehovah had been my help, my soul would almost have dwelt in silence. … O Jehovah my God, help me; save me according to Your mercy … Let Your hand help me; for I have chosen Your Precepts. … All Your Commands are faithful; they persecute me with lying; help me! … Let my soul live and it will praise You; and let Your judgments help me.”

As the New Testament says, Christ was made a CURSE, made sin (i.e. the elect’s sin were transferred to him) and suffered the chastisement of the Father.

This is the gospel. Do you believe it?

 

Ryan asks: “why should i disregard my beliefs, which by way, i happen to think are just as right as you think yours are, and i am just as passionate about my beliefs as you are …?”

 

 

My response: Ryan, I’m no Ambassador of Christ. I don’t expect you to listen to a thing I say about theology, if it contradicts The Ambassadors of Christ (the Apostles).

Only Paul and his fellow Apostles can say, “Then on behalf of Christ, we are ambassadors.” We NEVER speak “on behalf of Christ”. We can merely remind people of what the Holy Spirit said through the Apostles. This is because, today, the Spirit doesn’t utter a syllable outside His Word (the Scripture is sealed).

So what about those people who think they are “led” or ”guided” by the Holy Spirit by means other than the words of Scripture? Well, these people do NOT value the words of Scripture. They consider their “motions” and “leadings” to have more authority than God’s Word !!

But you hear Reformed “Christians” talk this way all the time. How many times have your heard this line – ”I think God’s calling me to the ministry.”? 

Think about what that person just said. They are saying that God is speaking to them or communicating with them OUTSIDE the Scripture. What a blantant denial of Revelation 22:18. “For I testify together with everyone hearing the Words of the prophecy of this Book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add upon him the plagues having been written in this Book.”

The idea that God leads you outside the Scripture might sound super-spiritual. But it’s Satanic.

They should forget about their speculations and read Romans 10. Men and saved and sanctified by God’s Word Alone. And it’s the PREACHING of Isaiah, Paul etc. that saves, NOT the words of men. Isaiah says — “Lord, who has believed OUR report?”. The words of Isaiah and Paul will save, not the stories about how-my-god-saved-me etc.

14 How then may they call on One into whom they have not believed? And how may they believe One of whom they have not heard? And how may they hear without preaching?
15 And how may they preach if they are not sent? Even as it has been written, “How beautiful” “the feet of those preaching the gospel of peace, of those preaching the gospel of good things.” Isa. 52:7
16 But not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” Isa. 53:1
17 Then faith is of hearing, and hearing through the Word of God.

And what does the Word say? It says that Jesus Christ took the place of certain sinners. Jesus Christ suffered on behalf of certain sinners. He represented certain sinners. He suffered as a vicarious sacrifice. “But He was wounded for our transgressions; [He was] bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His wounds we ourselves are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). “… For also Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). “… This is My body being given for you … My blood, which is being poured out for you” (Luke 22:19-20). “… this is My body which is broken on behalf of you …” (1 Corinthians 11:24). “… for even Christ suffered on our behalf …” (1 Peter 2:21). “Truly [He] who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up on behalf of us all …” (Romans 8:32). “… our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself on our behalf …” (Titus 2:13-14). “… He has been manifested for putting away of sin through the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26). “Because even Christ once suffered concerning sins, the just for the unjust …” (1 Peter 3:18). “… Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us …” (Ephesians 5:2). “… the Son of God, the [One] loving me and giving Himself over on my behalf” (Galatians 2:20). “… Christ also loved the Assembly and gave Himself up on its behalf” (Ephesians 5:25). “… The Good Shepherd lays down His life on behalf of the sheep … I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:11,15). “… by [the] grace of God He might taste death for every [son]” (Hebrews 2:9). “… if One died for all, then all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14). “For if by the deviation of the one the many died, much more the grace of God, and the gift in grace, which [is] of the one Man, Jesus Christ, did abound to the many. … For if by the deviation of the one death reigned through the one, much more those who are receiving the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall rule in life by the One, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one deviation [it was] toward all men to condemnation, so also through one effected righteousness toward all men to justification of life. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many shall be constituted righteous” (Romans 5:17-19).

Imputation denotes a legal charging to one’s account. All of the sins of certain sinners, with all their guilt and condemnation, were charged to Jesus Christ. For He made the [One] who knew no sin [to be] sin for us …” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us …” (Galatians 3:13). “… Christ having been once offered to bear [the] sins of many …” (Hebrews 9:28). “who Himself carried up in His body our sins onto the tree …” (1 Peter 2:24). “Surely He has borne our sicknesses, and He carried our pain … and Jehovah made meet in Him the iniquity of all of us. … He shall bear their iniquities. … He bore the sin of many …” (Isaiah 53:4-12).

The Atonement fully and perfectly accomplished complete, absolute, entire remission of all the sins of all the people for whom Christ died. To remit means to cancel, to forgive, to pardon, to take out of the way. Jesus Christ’s bloody death on the cross totally canceled, totally purged, totally paid the debt for the sins of His people. Jesus Christ is “The Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He “was revealed that He might take away our sins” (1 John 3:5). His blood was “poured out for remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). He “made purification of our sins through Himself” (Hebrews 1:3). His mission was“to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make atonement for iniquity” (Daniel 9:24), and to “undo the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8), that “through death He might cause to cease the [one] having the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). Jesus Christ“has been manifested for putting away of sin through the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26). He “washed us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5). He has “forgiven you all the offenses, blotting out the handwriting in the ordinances against us, which was contrary to us, even [He] has taken it out of the midst, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14). His blood “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). In Him there is “the remission of sins” (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). His blood was shed once, because “apart from shedding of blood no remission occurs. … But where remission of these is, there [is] no longer offering concerning sins” (Hebrews 9:22; 10:18). God in Christ was “not charging their trespasses to them” (2 Corinthians 5:19), and “with His wounds we ourselves are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

What of the “christ” of universal atonement? The “christ” of universal atonement died for everyone without exception. Did this death actually accomplish the remission, the cancellation, the pardon, the putting away of the sin of everyone without exception? It did not do anything even close to that. There are people in hell for whom this “christ” died, for whom this “christ” atoned, whose sins were supposedly “taken away” and “pardoned” and “paid for.” Universal atonement advocates use John 1:29 to try to prove that their “christ” took away the sins of everyone without exception. Yet they also say that there are some who are burning in hell. Were the sins of those who are burning in hell taken away by the blood of their “christ”? If so, why are they burning in hell? It is because their “christ” actually accomplished NOTHING on the cross. There are people burning in hell for sins that were not pardoned or taken away. Their god is a liar when he says that this “christ” took away the sins of everyone without exception. The blood of their “christ” is of no effect in and of itself. And they blaspheme the true Jesus Christ by using His Name in their damnable heresy, claiming that the true Jesus Christ of the Bible paid the sin debt for everyone without exception. They hate the true God and the true gospel. They are unregenerate.

There is only one God. He is The God who made the world and all things in it, this One being the Lord of Heaven and of earth (Acts 17:24). He has done all that He has pleased (Psalm 115:3). God has revealed Himself in His Word, the only inerrant God-inspired book called the Bible.

The Bible reveals the Law of God. All of God’s Law is summarized in these two commandments: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). God demands perfect obedience to the Law (perfect righteousness) and pronounces a curse on those who do not have perfect righteousness: Cursed [is] everyone who does not continue in all things having been written in the book of the Law, to do them (Galatians 3:10). Those who die under this curse shall drink of the wine of the anger of God having been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented by fire and brimstone before the holy angels and before the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever (Revelation 14:10-11).

Adam, the first man, who was the forefather and representative of the whole human race, broke God’s Law. The guilt of Adam’s sin is imputed to all humans: Because of this, even as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death passed to all men, inasmuch as all sinned (Romans 5:12). Consequently, all humanity is conceived in sin: Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me (Psalm 51:5); and all human beings have broken God’s Law: There is not a righteous [one], not even one! There is not [one] understanding, there is not [one] seeking God. All turned away, [they] became worthless together, not [one is] doing goodness, not so much as one! (Romans 3:10-12). Therefore, all men are by nature the children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), under God’s curse, for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Yet God has chosen to adopt a particular people for His own glory to be His children, an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for possession (1 Peter 2:9). He has chosen to save them and have fellowship with them. How can God, who hates sin and pronounces a curse on all who do not have a perfect righteousness, remain righteous and yet have fellowship with them? For God says that He is both a just God and a Savior (Isaiah 45:21). The answer lies in the gospel of Christ, … for in it the righteousness of God is revealed (Romans 1: 16-17). The gospel is centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ, [the] Son of God (Mark 1:1).

Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God: In [the] beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). He came to this earth two thousand years ago, having been conceived by God the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. Jesus Christ said, “I and the Father are One!” and “the Father [is] in Me, and I in Him” (John 10: 30,38). Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the only one qualified to be a Mediator between God and men. For God [is] one, also [there is] one Mediator of God and of men, [the] Man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5).

Jesus Christ said, “For I have come down out of Heaven, not that I should do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). He came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Therefore, Jesus Christ was one having been tried in all respects according to [our] likeness, apart from sin (Hebrews 4:15). He did not sin, nor was guile found in His mouth (1 Peter 2:22). But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, having come into being out of a woman, having come under Law, that He might redeem the ones under Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons (Galatians 4:4-5). Jesus Christ perfectly kept the Law as a substitute and representative for His people, in order that His perfect righteousness be imputed to His people. The sins of His people were imputed to Him, and He suffered and died on the cross to pay the penalty of the curse of the Law for their sins with precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19). For He made the [One] who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become [the] righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). In Jesus Christ we have redemption through His blood, the remission of deviations, according to the riches of His grace (Ephesians 1:7). Jesus Christ carried up in His body our sins onto the tree; that dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; of whom, by His wound, you were healed (1 Peter 2:24). The truth of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised the third day, according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). He was delivered because of our deviations and was raised because of our justification (Romans 4:25).

Do you now see how God remains righteous and just in the punishment of sin while saving certain sinners? The sinners whom Jesus Christ represented have a substitute! Their disobedience to God’s righteous Law was punished in the person of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed to these sinners! God has communion with His people because they have the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to them and have already had their sins punished through the death of Jesus Christ! All of God’s people are justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth [as] a propitiation through faith in His blood, as a demonstration of His righteousness through the passing over of the sins that had taken place before, in the forbearance of God, for a demonstration of His righteousness in the present time, for His being just and justifying the [one] that [is] of the faith of Jesus (Romans 3:24-26).

The gospel is the good news of salvation based on the atoning blood and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ alone, without any contribution from the sinner!

Do you believe this gospel? It is the only true gospel. There is no other way to be reconciled to God than through the atoning death and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ said, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Salvation is not based on anything the sinner does; it is all based on what Jesus Christ did. The people of God are justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24); a man is not justified by works of Law (Galatians 2:16). Because by works of Law not one of all flesh will be justified before Him (Romans 3:20). For Christ [is] the end of Law for righteousness to everyone that believes (Romans 10:4). If you believe that you have favor with God because of what you do, who you are, what you think God enabled you to do, or what you think God saw you would do, then you do not believe the gospel. If you believe that Jesus Christ died for all persons without exception, then you do not believe the gospel, because you do not believe that Christ’s work makes the only difference between salvation and damnation. Anything you do before believing in the true gospel is evil in the sight of God. But without faith [it is] impossible to please [God] (Hebrews 11:6). God commands you to repent of ever thinking that you could merit favor with God by something you do. He commands you to believe this gospel. The time has been fulfilled, and the kingdom of God draws near. Repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).

Your sins are abominable in the sight of God. Even if you strive to do your best to love God and love your neighbor, you cannot do these things perfectly, and even your best efforts at religion and morality are abominable if you believe that any part of salvation is based on these things. Your sins must be punished. They have either already been punished in the person of the substitute, Jesus Christ, or they will be punished when God sends you to hell. Those for whom Jesus Christ died, whose sins have already been punished, will believe this gospel. Those for whom He did not die, whose sins have not yet been punished, will not believe. All those for whom Jesus Christ died will go to heaven. All those for whom Jesus Christ did not die will go to hell.

God uses this truth of His gospel to accomplish His purposes among men. For some, this commandment to believe the truth about what Jesus Christ has done to save His people makes them angry and offends them, because it says that they are under the penalty of God’s condemning justice unless they are loved and accepted by God on account of the atoning blood and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ alone. For these, God may use His message to confirm them in their rebellion and to seal their eternal condemnation. For others, this commandment to believe brings them spiritual life and causes them to love what Jesus Christ has done. It is the power of God to give them an understanding of the only way to be reconciled to God. For we are a sweet smell to God because of Christ in those being saved, and in those being lost; to the one, an odor of death unto death, and to the other, an odor of life unto life (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). Should you believe, be sure of this: your faith is a gift that God has given you and is a miracle that comes from the power of the wonderful message of His gospel. For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; [it is] the gift of God; not of works, that not anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). If you obey God’s command to believe the gospel, you must thank God that this belief is a miracle from Him! [taken from a friend's website]

The series on Roman Catholicism is now concluded. For those who are new here, you can read about why the Mass, Traditions and Justification by works are all wicked damnable heresies.

From tomorrow, Saturday, two new series will be starting, and I’ll be alternating between posting on 1) Saving Faith 2) on the Psalms. Here is a plan –

Saturday, “The Psalms are NOT David’s experiences”

Sunday, “Saving Faith is a bare belief of the bare truth”

Monday, “How the Apostles interpreted the Psalms”

Tuesday, “Faith is NOT a hand, it is merely belief.”

As always, I will be appealing ONLY to the Scriptures, NOT to John Calvin or the Westminster Confession. And with regard to the Psalms — since “no prophecy is of any private interpretation”, we will only hear what the Apostles have to say, and not those perverted “commetators”.

Let God be true and every man a liar.

---

P.S. A guy called Daniel Townsend objects to my view that all Arminians are lost. But he really understands where I am coming from, and is able to summarise my position well. Here is what he wrote about my view –

Andrew Bain believes, “there are no conditions that we have to meet in order to be saved. The reason [believers] are God’s children is that Jesus died for us, not because of anything good we’ve done …[On the other hand] Arminians as non-Christian people who believe in a false gospel. … Believing in universal atonement is … equivalent of being an unbeliever. … Arminians teach that Christ’s work “was NOT enough to save everyone whom God loved.” … they are belittling Christ’s work … [and] Christianity … doesn’t allow for is rejecting Christ. [And]… Arminians … reject Christ. I certainly … dismiss Arminians as non-Christians. [This means] dismissing writers like C.S. Lewis, Rich Mullins, Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. … They were worshipping some other Deity … [the] “Arminian ‘god’”.  To believe, as the Arminians do, that Christians can fall away and lose their salvation … belittles Christ’s work; … Believing a person can fall away is … the same thing as believing in works-righteousness. … Martin Luther believed that it is possible for Christians to fall away…. [this is] “blatant salvation condition on the sinner”! [Thus, in the same way Christ rejected the majority of Judaism, we are] dismissing the majority of Christendom, which … is Scriptural [and we] … pray for those that … are in [the snare of the devil, that they may be saved].”

 

Justification by works? 
Andrew C. Bain
 October 27, 2005. Sydney, Australia.

Here are some passages of Scripture that Roman Catholics try to use to teach their system of justification by works:

“You see, then, that a man is justified out of works, and not out of faith only.” (James 2:24)

“the one practicing righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous.” (1 John 3:7).

 

Was the Apostle James a Roman Catholic? Does Christ’s imputed righteousness save, or do we save ourselves? Let’s answer these questions by a cool dispassionate appeal to the Scriptures.

Firstly, in 1 John 3:7 the Apostle John is speaking of the EVIDENCE of justification, NOT the cause of it. He is arguing this way — everyone who believes the gospel will bring forth “fruits worthy of repentance”, which will prove that they are a believer to their brothers in the faith. And the recipients of John’s letter were not to be deceived by people who professed to believe but were without good works. “Little children, let no one lead you astray, the one practicing righteousness is righteous”. James is teaching that good works are required to show men — who cannot see the faith in our hearts — that we are saved.

On the other hand, Roman Catholics try to persuade you that we must do good works in order to be constituted righteous before God. But think about trees and the fruit they bring forth. Trees do NOT bring forth good fruit in order to become a good tree!! The REAL issue is about providing EVIDENCE and proving to other believers by your good works that you are saved. Hear what the Apostle James says on the matter,

“I will show you my faith out of my works.” (James 2:18).

James was going to prove to his fellow men that he had faith, and not by merely a profession of words. He was also providing the substantial evidence of his works. And this was not a new idea, in fact, James proceeds to remind his readers of Abraham and Rahab who manifested their faith by their good works.

This is how things work in everyday life. You may have already paid back a debt you owed, but a bank statement is the EVIDENCE for your payment. Or, perhaps you are lawfully married. You may need, however, a legal proof of this to prove to others that you are not committing adultery. Indeed, you may be innocent of this crime, or any crime, but if someone unjustly accuses you of breaking the law, then witnesses may needed to justify to others that you are not guilty.

This is simply what James means when he says believers are justified by their works. They prove by their works to men they are saved, but not to God. How could you prove to God something He already knows? To say that men have to prove their salvation to God would deny His omniscience (omni = all, science = knowing). Anyways, God was the one who gave Abraham the faith in the first place! It’s not like God needed to “find out” that Abraham loved Him!!

In the sight of God, Abraham was perfectly justified a full forty before he offered Isaac.  “Abraham believed God and His faith was imputed to him unto righteousness”. Abraham was justified by the One he believed in, Christ. The Bible often refers to Christ as “The faith”, so God is saying “Christ was imputed” to Abraham “unto righteousness”. And Abraham was justified — declared righteous — based on the obedience of Christ in His account. But this righteousness was NOT IN Abraham. It was wholly EXTERNAL. Isaiah refers to being “clothed with the garments of salvation” and “covered with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). What saved Isaiah was outside him. He was covered and clothed with righteousness, NOT infused with it (like the wedding guests in the parable). Similarly, the sins of sheep were imputed to Christ on the cross. Intellectually and judicially the sins of the Elect became Christ’s (like a debt of $50 can be charged to someone else’s account, and the debt becomes theirs intellectually and judicially, even though they never contracted the debt – so Christ never sinned himself). In Psalm 38:4 Christ calls the Elect’s sins “my iniquities”. We know that Psalm 34 is talking about Christ and NOT David, because v20 of it is applied to Christ in John 19:36. (In fact, the New Testament NEVER says the Psalms are about David at all!). So there are two imputations. Christ took the Elect’s sin (#1) and gives Him their righteousness (#2). And they’re completely passive in earning Heaven. Instead, “this is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Only the finished work of Christ can satisfy God’s demand for absolute obedience to the Eternal Law. And that’s the gospel.

To return to the original discussion — let’s consider some more Scripture regarding works and justification.

“But let God be true, and every man a liar; …’That You should be justified in Your words, …” (Rom 3:4).

Here, God is said to be justified. Paul was dealing with an objection men were making against God (and still make today!). They were saying things like, God “had abandoned the Jews” after Christ. They thought that because God stopped assisting the Jews that He “was unfaithful” and “unable to keep his promises”.

In reply, Paul goes to show that the promises of God were NEVER to natural Israel, but SPIRITUAL Israel (i.e. The Elect). Paul shows from the Old Testament that the promises were for those believing, not for the unbeliever. Hence, God was justified, i.e. declared “not guilty” by His own words. Of course, , God’s words didn’t make Him righteous. No! They were EVIDENCE of His righteousness. And it’s the same with believer’s works. Here’s another Scripture regarding God’s justification –

“God was manifested in flesh, was JUSTIFIED in Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16).

The Apostle Paul here describes events that justified, i.e. proved that Jesus was the Christ. Again, no one would dare say that Jesus became God by doing all these works, would they? No! Christ was justifying (proving) TO MEN His true identity – that He was co-equal with the Father.

There’s also an interesting part of Scripture that relates the works of believers to the justification of God,

“But wisdom was justified from all of her children.” (Luke 7:35) “And all the people and the tax collectors hearing, they justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.” (Luke 7:29).

The Jews had the wisdom of God (the Old Testament), but many of them lived ungodly and wicked lives. Amongst the nations, they gave God a bad name and brought reproach upon His Word, as even the Gentiles could see their hypocrisy. It’s similar to the situation today when you see someone claiming to be a Christian, but is perpetually engaged in pre-marital sex (fornication) and constantly rebelling against their parents etc. Any unbeliever who has had contact with the teaching of Scripture will think, “Hey, doesn’t the Bible say ‘no adulterer will enter a kingdom of heaven?”. They might even say, “What kind of God let’s his followers bring reproach on his name like this?”.

But as the Scripture says, “wisdom was justified from all of her children.” True believers – the children of wisdom (the Bible) – WILL proclaim the truth and bring forth good works before men (i.e. obey the 10 Commandments and the NT commands). This is a way that God and the Bible are justified before men. It shows that God really does have a peculiar people for Himself, despite the fact the Israel’s glory is now past. The good works of true believers are evidence that there are actually people out there who don’t spit in God’s face, but bring glory to God’s name. Therefore, despite the accusations of unbelievers, the true church is not made up by a bunch of hypocrites, after all.

Now, let’s read about Christ being perfected and how it relates to the passage in James that says, Abraham’s faith was “perfected.”

“For it was fitting for Him… to perfect Him [Christ] as the Author of their salvation through sufferings … He learned obedience from what He suffered and having been perfected He came to be the Author of eternal salvation …” (Hebrews 2:10, 5:8-9)

Christ said: “today and tomorrow I cast out demons and I complete cures, and the third day I am being perfected.” (Luke 13:32)

“It is finished [perfected]” (John 19:30)

Christ states in these passages that his work was NOT accomplished or “perfected” until he died.

Likewise, we cannot say someone has faith until they evidence it to us. In the case of Abraham we, ”see that faith worked out with his works; and out of the works the faith was made perfected.” (James 2:22). We must always say “that man’s faith is found wanting” unless we see it completed / fulfilled / perfected by good works.

WORKS AND ASSURANCE OF SALVATION

Now, I wanted to deal primarily with the Catholic view of works in this article, but I’d like to finish by making some brief remarks on the confusions that most Protestants also have with the meaning of good works.

Whilst we prove to other men that we are saved by our works, we CANNOT prove our salvation to ourselves by our works. Paul commanded the Corinthians to look for Christ “in them”, i.e. the KNOWLEDGE, DOCTRINE and BELIEF of the gospel. In fact, we are to judge our works by our faith, and not the other way round. “Whatever” works “are not of faith” are “sin”. You need the belief of the truth FIRST in order to know whether or not your works are sinful or not.

Sadly, most Protestants do NOT base their assurance of salvation on a bare belief of the bare truth. They look to their own works. In doing so, they show a complete failure to understand sanctification. God commands us to “walk worth as children of God.” Now, how can you walk as a son of God, unless you are already fully persuaded in your mind that He is your Justifier? And can someone pray, “Abba, Father” without the knowledge that he has elected them to salvation by Christ’s work?

It’s not like you do good works in order to “find out” whether or not you’re saved. In order for a work to be good, it must be out of love. And can some love God, unless they know He has loved them with everlasting love? No. John says believers “love him because he first” love them. It’s the INFALLIBLE ASSURANCE that God has justified me by Christ’s righteous and redeemed me by His blood that brings forth all my obedience. “For as much as YOU KNOW, that you were redeemed not with corruptible things … but with the blood of Christ, pass the time of your sojourning in fear.” I pass the time sojourning, because I KNOW I WAS REDEEMED BY CHRIST’S BLOOD.

How could a believer ever doubt his salvation? He can’t. With God manifesting Himself in their consciences, WITNESSING and TESTIFYING to the truthfulness of the gospel, there is no wavering or wondering. And God has declared that “everyone believing in this One IS JUSTIFIED”, “IS born of God”, “HAS everlasting life”, and ”will NOT come into Judgment”. God does not leave His promises unknown to believers. The Apostle John says, “The one believing in the Son of God has the witness IN HIMSELF.” And what is the witness? “And this is the witness: that God gave us everlasting life…” Furthermore, Christ says, that “the one receiving His testimony has SEALED that God is true” and that “whoever may drink of the water which I will give him will not thirst, NEVER! But the water which I will give to him will become a fountain of water in him, springing up into everlasting life.”