Imperishable Inheritance

While Paul expounds numerous times on this issue, I believe the content and background of Galatians along with Romans 4 most adequately clarifies Paul's teaching on justification by faith alone. The very heresy that Paul defended the Gospel against in Galatians was the same one that the reformers defended against Catholic dogma and today we stand up to doctrines such as baptismal regeneration.

Galatians was the first of Paul's epistles. He writes out of an urgent spirit to encourage the Galatian believers to stand up to the 'Judaizers' who want the Galatians to be circumcised according to the Law of Moses. He even calls the Judaizer's 'Gospel' a 'different Gospel' even though there is no other Gospel (1:6-7). He calls the Galatians 'foolish' and 'bewitched' for their acceptance of the Judaizer's teaching (3:1). He reminds them that 'having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?' (3:3). He is reminding them that Spirit gave them faith, and their works after didn't contribute to that free gift. He even says: 'So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?' (3:5). The Galatians who were justified didn't receive it by following the Law, being circumcised, baptized, or anything else other than by hearing with faith.

Paul then teaches that this doctrine is not peculiar to the New Covenant age post revelation of the Messiah. He uses the example of the great patriarch Abraham. This section is notable enough to quote in length.

'Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.' So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.' Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.' However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, ‘HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.'' (Gal 3:6-12)

Abraham believes the Gospel as preached to him that all nations would be blessed through Him in the coming Messiah, and only those of faith are those are sons of Abraham (cf. 3:29). In fact, he even condemns anyone who tries to mix their justification with sanctification whether it is by following the Law, circumcision, and by inference baptism. Christ has freed us from all that by faith alone (3:13-14). In other words, anyone who has ever been saved throughout history was saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

Romans chapter four stands out as a pillar text that succinctly demonstrates Paul's understanding of justification. He again uses the example of Abraham in illustrating that Abraham received the righteousness of faith, which refers to the positive imputation of Christ's righteousness, before he received the sign of the covenant (circumcision). Paul reminds the Roman Christians that 'if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God' (Rom 4:2). If Abraham had contributed at all to his justification he would have grounds for boasting before an infinitely holy God and rob God of His due glory. But the truth is that those who are justified are done by faith alone to the glory of God: 'But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness' (Rom 4:5). Abraham, David, and anyone else Jew or Gentile receives reconciliation to a holy God by faith alone.

Paul rounds out the argumentation by showing from the Old Testament that Abraham was justified before circumcision so that he would be the spiritual father of all whether circumcised (Jew) or uncircumcised (Gentile), because 'the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith' (4:13). If anything is added to faith for justification then 'faith is made void and the promise is nullified' (4:14).

Conclusion

From these texts, and many others, it is clear that our God only by His grace and mercy has afforded us salvation instead of a worthy, eternal punishment apart from Him by faith alone in His Son. It is a glorious truth worth defending, articulating, and even dying for. May our God be glorified by our realization that He alone is the one who justifies (Rom 8:33).

Soli Deo Gloria