"Justification by Works?""

“Justification by Works?”

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.  In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.       James 2:24-26



Now, some of you are thinking that I have gone off the DEEP END.  But this is hopefully a good definition of FAITH and WORKS, and how they interact to produce JUSTIFICATION.  There are certain ways to view JUSTIFICATION; first, in Romans 3:24, we are told:  And all are justified freely by His GRACE, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Remember, GRACE is receiving what we don’t deserve.  FAITH is mankind’s response to God’s gift of His AMAZING GRACE.  So, we are JUSTIFIED by FAITH. (Rom. 5:1) Our FAITH is a product of God’s GRACE.



We are JUSTIFIED by BLOOD, Romans 5:9, Since we have now been JUSTIFIED by His BLOOD, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!  So, we see that we are JUSTIFIED, not only by FAITH, but by the BLOOD of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. It was the price that HAD TO BE PAID. 



We are JUSTIFIED by GOD, Romans 8:33, Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is GOD who JUSTIFIES.  Then we are JUSTIFIED by GOD’S POWER.  The POWER that RAISED Jesus from the DEAD.  The RESURRECTION shows us God’s SATISFACTION with the BLOOD SACRIFICE of His Son.  So, we are JUSTIFIED by the POWER of the ALMIGHTY GOD.



We are JUSTIFIED by WORKS,  WORKS are the PROOF of our FAITH, and it is evidence that we are JUSTIFIED BY: GRACE, the PRINCIPLE of God’s JUSTIFICATION, FAITH, which is the MEANS in which mankind receives GOD’S GRACE,  the BLOOD, which was the PRICE that had to be PAID, in order for mankind to RECEIVE GOD’S JUSTIFICATION.  GOD’S POWER, to RAISE Jesus from the GRAVE, and GOD, Himself, who is the ONE WHO JUSTIFIES.  And WORKS, which are the RESULT of being JUSTIFIED.  These are DIFFERENT ASPECTS of JUSTIFICATION for the TRUE BELIEVER, which were exemplified through the WORKS of Abraham and Rahab.



Have you been JUSTIFIED by GOD’S AMAZING GRACE?  WORKS alone will not bring you JUSTIFICATION, You MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT God’s gift of GRACE and SALVATION, and REMEMBER:  As the body without the spirit is dead, so FAITH without WORKS is DEAD.  So, Do this NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

(Thankful for Ref:  BELIEVER’S BIBLE COMMENTARY, William MacDonald)