JUSTIFIED BY FAITH
How is a person saved? This is one question we absolutely do not want to get wrong. When the Roman jailor in Acts 16:30 asked the Apostle Paul what he must do to be saved Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”
As one looks at the answer one should also “see” what is not in the answer. He did not say believe and be baptized, though shortly afterward the soldier along with members of his household were baptized. He did not say to start doing good works and when your good works outweigh your bad works you will be saved. He did not say to pay a certain amount of money. He did not say pray a certain number of prayers. He did not say to start keeping the Old Testament law. What he did say was BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST and you will be saved.
My spiritual upbringing did not answer the question of what must I do to be saved the way the Apostle Paul and Barnabas answered the Roman soldier. I heard mixed messages about doing good works and keeping the LAW. It really was not until I was in Bible College that I began to understand WHAT COMES FIRST. One of the verses that helped me CLEAR up the answer of what must I do to be saved is our verse to date, Galatians 3:24.
As one looks to study the book of Galatians one needs to know the theme is law versus grace. Our verse to date tells the role of the LAW and how it is used so that we might be saved. Paul does not dismiss the law but rather shows how the law was a tutor to BRING US TO CHRIST.
The law is our TUTOR. If you are like me, you are probably asking what is a TUTOR. A tutor is like a guardian or a like trainer. They watch over and prepare the child for the one that will be the teacher or the coach. The law, as a tutor, shows us our need of a SAVIOR. It points us to the SAVIOR. The law does not save.
As Paul explains the role of the law, he once again gives the true answer to how a person is saved and that is by faith. He states as he did in Romans and as he did earlier in Galatians that a person is JUSTIFIED by FAITH.
You may ask what makes justification by faith so important? I wish I could have one of my professors, Dr. Paul Fink, give the answer. He explained it so very well. He explained to us that in order to go to heaven we had to be as righteous as God and since none of us are righteous as God we all will die and go to hell. However, Jesus Christ came and lived and was righteous. Justification then comes into play when a person believes by FATIH in Christ alone for salvation. Being justified we are DECLARED righteous by God as there is an exchange. Christ takes our sins and gives us His righteousness. (2 Cor. 5:21) God now sees us “clothed in CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS.” We are now as righteous as God because we have CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Having Christ’s righteous means above all that we have PEACE WITH GOD! (Romans 5:1). We can now spend all eternity in heaven!
As you ponder on Galatians 3:24 know that you are looking at one of the most important verses for how a person is saved. Believing or calling on the Lord by faith is first. After being saved comes keeping His commandments and doing good works. We don’t do those things to be saved but we do them because we are saved!
Verse to DATE the Word on March 24 (3/24) is Galatians 3:24. It says, “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
May I ask, have you believed, called on, or trusted Jesus Christ by faith and faith alone for salvation? Works don’t work. Keeping the law does not work. Only by believing in Jesus works!
Continue Strong knowing how a person is saved,
And remember to DATE THE WORD |
