What are we NOT justified by?

NOT Justified by What?

Having noticed that “the gospel” (Romans 1:16), and “the faith” (Jude 3) are the same thing, let us notice Galatians 2:16: “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” By what are we justified? “The faith” of Jesus Christ; not the “faith” He had, but that which He gave to man - “the gospel,” “the faith.”

By what can man not be justified? The works of “the law,” a term for the Mosaical law. All that was embodied in the Law of Moses - animal sacrifices, feast days, dietary laws - could not save a person. Again in Galatians 3:5, “He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Galatians 3:2: “This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Each person can be saved by hearing “the gospel,” “the faith,” and obeying its message.

Viewers of Trinity Broadcasting Network would have heard, just last week, a prominent speaker teach that one must repent and believe, at which time he is saved. In the campaigns he holds, this man proclaims the same. However, a Bible student will know that such teaching is not the gospel of Christ! Possibly you readers are even now reaching for your Bibles to check out both this man’s teaching and that contained in this article. The Lord’s church welcomes that! Our goal is to point out the absolute necessity of a “thus saith the Lord” in all that followers of Jesus do and teach. It is a fatal error to pull out one verse on any Bible subject. Serious Bible students will search out all scriptures that discuss the topic of study. Look at Jesus’ words in Mark 1:15: “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Romans 1:16 tells us the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. There are evidently commands of the gospel to be obeyed, for Paul, discussing the events that will arrive at the end of the world, says in 2 Thessalonians 1:8 that Jesus will be, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is no trivial matter for the prominent speaker noted above, or indeed any person, to pervert, to change, to omit, to add to, or to ridicule, any part of “the gospel,” “the faith” of Jesus Christ!