Faith in Christ…
On Sunday, we continued in our “Step In” series, opening the door on the topic of justification. It’s a big topic. Way too big for one Sunday, in fact. In the history of Christian theology (and church history), it’s one of the biggest. I hope you can come tonight (to Step In & Follow Up at 7PM) and hear more, ask questions, and look at other scripture passages that talk about it. See below for more details!
On Sunday, I introduced the idea that before justification is about our faith in Christ, it is first about Christ’s own faithfulness to God the Father, his own faithfulness to us, and his faithfulness in giving himself in service of it, for us, and on our behalf.
But, justification is also about our faith in Christ.
And so what about our faith in Christ?
There were a few things I said about our faith in Christ that are important for us to always have before us.
First, faith is not just ‘intellectual assent’ to certain ideas about Jesus. That is, faith is not primarily believing things about Jesus (though that matters…a lot!). It’s is believing IN Jesus, which means that…
Second, faith is a relationship with Jesus. “Faith” is a kind of shorthand for our relationship with Jesus: our trust and confidence in him, our belief about him, our journey following him, and so on. This relationship of faith, if you remember from a few weeks back, is what “grace” is meant to establish. Grace is a ‘free-gift’ that God gives us, but it is one that establishes a relationship of trust/faith and love. And as you know, relationships are dynamic, ongoing, active, and participatory, which means that…
Third, faith is active and expressed in our actions…and not just in what we think or say (or think or say we believe!). Our actions don’t save us (or justify us), but it’s impossible without them…they are, in a sense, necessary.
How could it be any other way?
As James (Jesus’ bro) puts it, “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:17). And it makes sense. Let’s use an analogy to get to the point…let’s take love, for instance.
If I say I love my wife, but am not kind to her, generous with her, protective towards her, or good to her…I can say I love my wife all I want, but if I don’t actually act with love towards her, in what sense do I love her? I don’t. My actions are proof – living proof – that I do. They are, in that sense, necessary for my love to actually be love. Note too: my loving actions don’t make us married, but they are the result and proof of our loving, marriage relationship.
In the same way, our works and our actions don’t save us, but they are the result and proof of our justification – living proof – that our faith is real, active, and not dead. Because, similarly to love, if I say I have faith but I don’t act faithfully, then in what sense do I actually have faith? I don’t.
As Michael Gorman helpfully puts it in his Romans commentary,
“…faith is clearly a comprehensive response: trust, absolute surrender, obedience, and commitment. It includes faithfulness. The gospel offers grace and demands obedient faith…” (p. 127)
And doesn’t it make sense?
Our faith, is a reflection of the one in whom we have faith.
Our faithfulness, is a reflection of the one who was faithful for us, and who is faithful to us.
How could it be any other way?