Justification by Faith: What Does It Really Mean?

Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick. Good to have everybody back, and we're just going to pick right up where we left off, only now if you will turn back to Romans chapter 3. So while the class in the studio is turning to that again, I'd like to address the TV audience for just a moment, if I may. I've just been reminded during break, people still think that I'm something more than a layman, that I'm a pastor or something like that, and I'm not. As the announcer says, I'm a rancher, and I'm just a layman. I make no claims to anything more than that. I've had no formal Bible school, no seminary, I just have loved to study the book. And when I'm asked sometimes why the Lord didn't call me into the ministry, I say, well, I know why, because as a teacher of the sort that I am, I'm under no peer pressure, no denominational pressure, no peers. I teach it as I see it, and I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but those that don't agree with me, I hope it'll force them to study the Bible, because after all, that's all I'm trying to do, is just get people to realize what a fantastic book this is. So anyway, we've also put on the board, because a lot of folk find out a long time after the fact that we do have these classes scattered around eastern Oklahoma. I had a couple the other night, been watching the program on television for a long time, and then suddenly found out that we had a class just two blocks from their home, and they were just aghast. So anyway, I've put the places on the board, Tahlequah and Wilberton and Tulsa and McAllister, along with our 800 number. So if you're interested in attending any of those, give us a call, hopefully between 8 a.m. and noon. That's when we're most apt to be around the phone, and we'll give you directions to get to our classes. All right, now let's go to Romans chapter 3. As we pointed out in our last lesson, God is calling out a people for His name, the body of Christ, which is also referred to as the bride of Christ, and it's predominantly Gentile in its makeup, because Israel has been blinded, sent into a dispersion that has now lasted for 1,900 and some years. But I think that's just about to end. We don't know, but it would seem that we're coming close to the end of this age of grace, and God will pick up where He left off with the nation of Israel. But we're going to spend at least this half hour on the doctrines for this age of grace. How do we become a member of this bride of Christ? And I think even though we're in the so-called Bible Belt, I find there is so much confusion on the simple plan of salvation. And indeed, it is simple. A six-year-old can comprehend it, and yet it is so complex that I can't comprehend it, and I don't think anyone else can. It is beyond human understanding. It's an act of God. But if you've got Romans, I'd like to have you come in first at chapter 6. I think maybe I told you chapter 3, but I want to go to chapter 6 first and look at a verse that we made reference to several weeks ago, maybe even months. Time goes so fast. But back here in Romans chapter 6, Paul makes a tremendous statement. And again, it's simplicity in its entirety. And what is it? Verse 14, for sin. Now whenever I teach the book of Romans, verse by verse, I always point out that the word sin, singular, is not the act of sin, such as theft or adultery or whatever. But the word sin in Romans, unless the text clearly says otherwise, speaks of the old Adamic nature. That old sin nature that we're born with. And the question came up the other night, well, how soon does a new child show that sin nature? You know what my answer always is, just as soon as they can. Just as soon as they can, they're going to show that old Adamic nature, even in their innocency. But now Paul says it doesn't always have to control us. Verse 14, for sin, that old Adam nature, shall not have dominion or control or a reigning rule over you, for you are not under the law, you're under what? Grace. Now, few people comprehend the grace of God. I think most people understand the definition, its unmerited favor, but that's as far as they can go with it. But grace, you see, is that attribute of God that can take the person who realizes he's nothing more than a fallen creature, he's under sin, he's under condemnation, and there's nothing he can do. And then the grace of God reaches down and saves him on the basis of his believing the gospel plus nothing. Now that's simple, isn't it? But you remember when, I think a couple of weeks ago, we were explaining the conversion of Saul of Tartarus, wait until he could get to Damascus and arrest more people who would become followers of Christ, Jews of course, hail them on, bring them back to Jerusalem, and either have them put to death or put in prison. That was his attitude. And yet in the very epitome of that kind of a mindset, what did God do? Saved him. See? He saved him by grace. He didn't deserve it, he didn't work for it, he didn't do anything for it. He just said, Lord, what would you have me to do? Now that's grace, and that's exactly where every one of us have to find ourselves, that we're a total undone creature, there is nothing we can do except call out for the mercy and the grace of God, believing that everything that needed to be done on our behalf was accomplished there at the cross. Now that's faith, and you can't add anything to it, and we're going to see that now in these next few moments. All right, read it again. You are not under the law, but under grace. Now if you'll come back with me, we'll try to stay in Romans at least for a little bit, come back with me to Romans chapter 3. Now you want to remember, as we've stressed so often over the last several months, that beginning with the call of Abram, or Abraham, back there 2000 B.C., with the calling aside of that favored nation, the nation of Israel, God dealt only with the Jew with exceptions, and they were precious few and far between. It was Jew only, his covenant people. In other words, what did God do with the Jew? Well, he called him out and set him aside and made them different. He made them different to the place where they were never to have anything to do with the tribes and nations living around them. They were not to intermarry with them. They were not to have any kind of a social intercourse with them. They were to be a separated holy people. But in the final analysis, when we finally come to the apostle Paul here in Romans chapter 3, verse 9, look at what it says. What then? Are we, now Paul is speaking as a Jew, are we Jews better than they Gentiles? No, in no wise, for we have before proved both Jew and Gentile as what? All under sin. Now, when God set Israel apart and made them different, in the final analysis, what did it prove? There is no difference. There is no difference. He also says, just turn back a page, if you will, to chapter 3, verse 1. I'm going to try and stay in Romans. I doubt if I'll succeed, but I'm going to try and stay here for these 30 minutes. But here in Romans chapter 3, verse 1, what advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision, practicing their Jewish religion? Verse 2, much, every way, but chiefly or primarily because unto them, the Jewish people, the Israeli nation, were committed what? The Word of God. They had everything going for them. God gave them the priesthood. He gave them the worship. He gave them the civil law. He gave them what we call the whole system of law. What did it accomplish? Practically nothing. And so finally, now here in Romans 3, Paul then by inspiration brings us to the conclusion that even though they were different, it just simply proved that that old Adamic nature is just as evident in the son of Abraham as it is in a Gentile. There is no difference. For we are all under the control of the old Adam. There's that word sin again. We are all under the old Adam. Verse 11, there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. Now what did Jesus say back in John's Gospel chapter 3? Oh, they loved darkness rather than light. Why? Because their deeds were evil. And it hasn't changed a bit. People still would rather stay in their spiritual darkness than to step in to the light of the Gospel because, you see, the first thing the Gospel shows is what? Our sinfulness. And we don't want to see that. We just don't want to... I remember a lady several years ago, she said, Les, she said, ever since I've been coming to your class, she said, all I see every day is my own sin. She said, I never used to. Well, I said, don't blame me for that. But nevertheless, see, when you get into the book and you start studying, what do we begin to see? That that's what we are. We're fallen creatures. We're sinful. And even though God has saved us and He has given us the Holy Spirit, He has given us all these things, yet we find ourselves constantly giving in to that old sin nature. All right, now let's go a little further in chapter 3. Now remember, all I'm trying to point out is how do we become members of this body of Christ that is being filled, and we're getting awful close, I think, to the full mark. And when it's full, God takes it out, and He can pick up where He left off with His people Israel. All right, now then, verse 19 and 20, right down here, are some choice verses. Now He says in verse 19, Now we know that what thingsoever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, in other words, to the Jew, that every mouth may be stopped. Jew and who? Jew and Gentile. Even though the law was given to Israel, yet in its sovereignty and in its perfectness, who did it also apply to? The whole human race. It wasn't just the Jew who was condemned because he stole. It wasn't just the Jew who was condemned because he used God's name in vain or gossiped or any other things that the law forbade. But who else? All. Gentiles as well as Jews. That all the world, verse 19, continue on, that all the world might become saved, righteous, ready for heaven. What? Guilty. See? How many people don't you run into in the course of your everyday experience and say, Well, I think I'll make it. I'm doing the best I can. I'm keeping the commandments. That isn't what the commandments were given for. Oh, if I could just get people to understand. Most of my class people do now. And for those of you in television, I've got a lot of people that have been in my classes now for 12, 13, 14, 15 years. I hate to admit that, 15 years we've been teaching here in eastern Oklahoma and a lot of the people have been with me since day one. They know now that the law can do nothing but condemn. That's all the law can do. It can't save anybody. All right? Verse 20 then. Therefore, by the deeds or the keeping of the law or the Ten Commandments, however you want to put it, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is not the knowledge of salvation, but what? Sin. See? But of course, that's the first step in salvation, is to recognize that we need something. And so the very first part of our salvation experience is to recognize what God says about us, that we're sons of Adam, we're sinners, we're a fallen race. Now, verse 21. But, now though you've been with me all these years, what does that tell you? The flip side. Oh, the flip side is that now the righteousness of God without the law. See? Oh, we've got to put the law aside. And this righteousness of God without the law is manifested, and again, my definition for manifesting in Scripture is put in the spotlight, like under a microscope. And you turn on that high-powered lamp, and all of a sudden you see things you wouldn't see otherwise? All right, now this is what the Word of God is going to do for us when we step into the truth of it. It's like being put in the spotlight, and it is being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Now I always want people to understand, yes, I am a great proponent of Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles, and that all our scriptures, but those of you who have been with me over the years, you know I don't just isolate Paul's letters and teach only from them. We use the whole Scripture, Genesis through Revelation. Paul himself says that all Scripture is inspired of God and is profitable, so I don't want anyone to ever accuse me of just being narrowly a proponent of Paul. No. We use the whole Scripture, but unique to Paul's writings are these doctrines of grace. In fact, I shock people a lot of times, and I like to do that just to get them into the book, believe me. I'll say things just to get people shocked, and they'll say, well, I've got to look that up. One way to do it, I'll say, do you know that you can't find the gospel in John 3.16? Now that shocks people. Well, that's what I've heard since I was a kid. But now listen, just analyze the Scripture. You go back and you go through John's gospel chapter 3, beginning with Nicodemus and Jesus dealing with him, you can't find one word of what we would call the gospel. Now then, granted we can use John 3 .16, but what do we have to use to make John 3.16 come into full flow? Paul's gospel. You take Paul's gospel that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. You bring that into John 3.16 and bring about the fact that when God gave his only begotten Son, he went to the cross, he died, and he rose from the dead. Yeah, that's well and good. But to just simply use John 3.16 alone, the gospel is not in it. And this is where we have to recognize that these basic truths come from Paul, and then we can go back into other Scriptures and make applications. Another one is the favorite chapter used to win Jews, is what? Isaiah 53. But if we didn't have the knowledge of Paul's gospel, how much would anybody get of the gospel out of Isaiah 53? Nothing, nothing. What can you put together of, he was led to the slaughter and opened out his mouth? If you didn't understand how Paul just simply lays it out, that this was God's plan of salvation, see? And so here's where we have to be careful that you don't malign me for being too narrow, when actually all I'm saying is we use all of the Scripture. All right, now back to Romans chapter 3 in the few moments we've got left. Verse 22, this righteousness that he makes reference to in verse 21, this righteousness of God which is by faith, see? Not faith plus, not faith and, but by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that repent and are baptized. That's not what it says. Upon all them who keep the commandments, it's not what it says. Upon all them who join the church, it's not what it says. See what I mean? But upon all them that, what? Believe, see? Now I always have to think of a little sermonette I read years and years ago. I think I was probably just a teenager. Just a little short sermonette and the title of that was Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, dash, but be sure you believe. In other words, I don't adhere to some ease of believism, oh yeah, I believe that Christ died for me. I've accepted Christ as my personal Savior. I don't go for that. I want a person to know that they, with all their being, have understood that they're a lost child of Adam, and that when they believe that Christ died for them, shed His blood, was buried, and rose from the dead, and they really believe it, yes, then the Bible says that God moves in and makes that person a child of His and puts him into the body of Christ. There I came to it. That's how we get into the body of Christ, by our salvation. All right, let's read on here. Just a moment or two left now. Now, upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. No difference between what? Jew and Gentile. Verse 23, and I always call this the very first step of faith in our salvation process. All have sinned and come short. No one can say, but I'm good enough. I think I'll make it. God says none of us can. None of us will. And then verse 24, being justified. Now, I wish I had time to put it on the board, but I'll try to say it slowly enough, so maybe you can write it down, and those of you on television as well. Justification, justification is that judicial, now I'm going to say it slow, I see you're all writing. Justification is that judicial act of God. Now, when I use the word judicial, I mean just like a judge on the bench, hands down a decree, guilty, innocent, whatever. Justification then is when God the judge judicially declares the sinner, that person who recognizes, hey, I'm undone. I'm under the control of old Adam. All right, that judicial act of God decrees the sinner just as if he had never sinned. Now that's beyond our comprehension, and even though after we've been justified, we still are prone to fall and to sin, yet what does God tell us? We're justified, see? We're justified. He sees us as if we had never sinned. Came up in one of my classes the other night where people had, I hope, mistakenly heard someone say that we will one day come before the judgment seat of Christ as believers and have to answer for some of our sin. Never, never. Oh, our sins are forgiven, they're under the blood. Christ took care of it, and we will never have to stand before him with sin on our back. And I've even had people in my own contact when they've gone through some trying time, and they'll say, well, Les, is this because I've got some awful sin unconfessed? Well, you know what I ask them? Are you a child of God? Do you know it? Well, yeah. Well, then forget this idea, having sin on your back. It's gone. I think someone once told me once, an old black preacher liked to put it, they're buried in the deepest sea, and God put a sign over it, no fishing. And you know, I like that. But exactly, that's just exactly what it is. He has buried them in the deepest sea. He's removed them as far as east from the west. They're not going to come back and plague us. They're gone. All right. That's being justified now, then. Verse 24, freely, freely, without a cause. And how did God do it? By His grace, granting His unmerited favor through the redemption. Now, I think you all know, what does the word redemption refer to? Losing something and buying it back. And it's a scriptural term. And you see, when did God lose the human race? When Adam sinned. See? When Adam sinned, God lost us. We're all in Adam, remember. And it was there that God lost us. So now what does He have to do? He has to buy us back with a price. And Satan is a hard taskmaster. He's not going to let go of us easily. And this is the whole idea, then, of redemption, that God has to buy us back to Himself because He lost us in Adam. I hope I've got enough time. I'm going to try it. This word redemption here, especially in Romans, goes back to the Roman slave market in particular, I think, for a beautiful illustration. And the Greek word is agorazo. We're not going to concern ourselves with that so much because agorazo—now, we're talking about a slave market, by the way. And in that Roman slave market, just like in the stock market today, there were certain terms that applied only to the slave market. And these were the three that were usually exercised by wealthy Romans who would actually go down to the slave market, of course, and just sort of spend the day. I mean, it was a good pastime to be able to go down, and they could—agorazo, they could buy a slave and leave it in the market. And when they left it in the market, just like, I suppose, a stock trader can buy stocks at nine o'clock in the morning on the board of trade or on the stock exchange, and if one o'clock in the afternoon that market has jumped a couple points, what can he do with it? He can resell it. He's left it in the market. Now, they could actually do that with slaves. But the one we're most concerned about here in Scripture is the term ex-agorazo. Now, the term ex- always means out. So what they could do, they could buy a slave and take it out of the market, take it home. It was now his possession. And then they could exercise the third part with regard to slaves. They could let through him. They could set him free. Now, with that background, I always like to sort of give a picture. Here the Roman legions have just come down from Barbarian Gaul, northern Europe, and they've got this young teenage lad who has probably been beaten, he's been dragged several hundred miles by the Roman legions, and here he is in the slave market, just decrepit looking. But this rich, wealthy, benevolent Roman sees that young man and he sees something in him of worth. So what does he do? He buys him. And he doesn't just leave him in the market to trade again later, he buys him and takes him out of the market, takes him home, cleans him up, puts him in new clothes, and gives him light duty. And my, this young man has never lived so sumptuously, although he's a slave. And then one day this Roman master calls this young man into his office and he says, young man, you've been an ideal slave. I'm going to now give you your freedom. I have paid for your citizenship. You are free to go wherever you want to go. You're a Roman citizen. What do you suppose that young man would say? Master, there's no way that I could do that. After all that you've done for me, you bought me out of that awful slave market. And you want to remember the end of the slave market for those that weren't fortunate enough to get bought out was the Colosseum, the lions. And he said, you bought me out of that awful slave market. You brought me to your beautiful villa. You've put me in new clothes. You've cleaned me up. You've given me the best of duty. Master, I love you and I will never leave you. I'm going to serve you all the rest of my life. Now doesn't that say it all? Now that is what God rightfully expects from every child that he has saved. He has taken us out of the slave market of Satan. He has broken the bonds of sin. He has cleaned us up. He's given us a whole new outlook on life. He has given us the Holy Spirit. He's given us all the promises of an eternity to come. Now what should be our logical reaction? Lord, you've done so much for me. The least I can do is serve you and be your faithful, Paul used the term, bond slave. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a weekly Bible study. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries, a Bible study in your area, or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. Through the Bible with Les Feldick is viewer supported and your gift is appreciated. Thank you and be sure to tune in next time.