JUSTIFICATION by works, grace, or faith?

[TonyChanYT]

Yes, all of the above.

By works, Rom 2:

13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

Jame 2:

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

25And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

G1344-justify appears 39 times. It is used generally to mean to render righteous.

By grace, Rom 3:

24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

By faith

29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

Now, on the other hand, Rom 3:

20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Works alone are not sufficient, you need faith as well.

Rom 3:

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Don't boast about your human works. Without faith in God, no one is justified.

29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Since we don't need the works of the law, may as well throw it away. No, not at all. Do not overgeneralize and misunderstand Paul's point. Works are necessary; just don't boast about it. Without grace, your works are useless to justify you for eternal life.

Rom 4:

2 If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Even Abraham was not justified without faith. The word "justified" has different nuances. We need all three, works, grace, and faith, to be justified (in all the different nuances).

See also faith and faithful works are logically equivalent.

 

[Arthur81]

Tony, you are confusing the meanings of "justify". God justifies us, which means he declares us righteous and this in Christ.

From the Merriam-Webster on this use of justify -

justify verb
: to judge, regard, or treat as righteous and worthy of salvation
God justifies with his forgiveness and grace the man who comes to him

In James he speaks of showing his faith by works where justify means the following -

to prove or show to be just, right, or reasonable
trying to justify his selfish behavior
I shouldn't have to justify myself to them.
justify the ways of God to man

Abraham was declared "righteous" long before he took Isaac up the mountain.

"And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness." (Gen 15:6 NRSV)

Later it is said:

He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” (Gen 22:2 NRSV)

It is all summed up in the often used passage -

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." (Eph 2:8-10 NRSV)

"...therefore do we reckon a man to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law." (Rom 3:28 YLT)

The definite article, "the" is not in the Greek. This means apart from works of any type of religious law for justification, or being "declared righteous".

 

[TonyChanYT]

Tony, you are confusing the meanings of "justify"

Please quote my words where I misused the word "justify".

 

[Arthur81]

Please quote my words where I misused the word "justify".

Tony, you wrote: "G1344-justify appears 39 times. It is used generally to mean to render righteous."

"render" is usually thought "to cause to be or become : MAKE"; at least that is how I take your meaning in the context of your OP. That is the definition of "sanctification", that is not "justification".

When God justifies, he "declares" one righteous based on the obedience of Jesus Christ in the place of the believer.

Justification is instantaneous, and sanctification is progressive; and only finished when we met the Lord -

"May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this." (1Thess 5:23-24 NRSV)

Your OP seems to mix sanctification in with justification. That is how Roman Catholics teach it. Are you Roman Catholic?

 

[Ritajanice]

Justification is instantaneous, and sanctification is progressive; and only finished when we met the Lord -

Amen!!....Praise God!!

 

[Behold]

Yes, all of the above.

All that Justifies you that God provides, is Christ on the Cross, ... The shed Blood and Death = Sacrifice of God's Son, on the Cross.

There is your justification, sanctification, redemption, atonement, .. and forgiveness.

John 14:6

There is no work you can do, or law (613) of them that you can keep that can justify you before God.

Paul said that he was 'blameless in the law"... and stated that this as compared to the Righteousness that is to be "In Christ", is "Dung".

 

[TonyChanYT]

Tony, you wrote: "G1344-justify appears 39 times. It is used generally to mean to render righteous."

Let me clarify: G1344-justify is used to mean "to render righteous" by God or someone.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Grace

we are justified by grace,, but through faith..

works are not a part of being justified. they happen as a result of being justified.

the doers of the law are not justified because they did.. but they do because they are justified..

 

[Ritajanice]

Let me clarify: G1344-justify is used to mean "to render righteous" by God or someone.

What does G1344 mean please, Tony.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

What does G1344 mean please, Tony.

I believe it is the strongs number

 

[TonyChanYT]

works are not a part of being justified. they happen as a result of being justified.

See faith and faithful works are logically equivalent.

 

[TonyChanYT]

I believe it is the strongs number

Right. Thanks

 

[Eternally Grateful]

See faith and faithful works are logically equivalent.

again I disagree

I have faith in God to save me

out of that faith I do what he said because I trust him

I can not save myself.. because no amount of work or work at all will help pay for my sin debt..

 

[Arthur81]

See faith and faithful works are logically equivalent.

Tony, did you immigrate to Canada and English is your second language, or were you born in Canada and learned English from a child? In my first reply to you, I was inclined to believe you are a bit confused in your English. It was my hope you did not mean to teach a justification that is partly based on our works!

 

[TonyChanYT]

again I disagree

Can you quote my words that you disagreed with?

 

[TonyChanYT]

It was my hope you did not mean to teach a justification that is partly based on our works!

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Can you quote my words that you disagreed with?

the whole post.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?

rom 4:
4 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.

 

[TonyChanYT]

the whole post.

Can you be specific and quote the words that you most disagreed with?

 

[TonyChanYT]

rom 4:
4 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.

Right.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?