“If righteousness is by the law, the cross is redundant”, said Paul.
But God deemed Abraham’s faith righteous, so “if righteousness is by faith, is the cross still redundant?”
Of course not, but there is a kind of faith, called belief, which presumes that – as in, “I repented, I put up my hand, all paths lead to God”, etc.
Faith is not an abstraction. Hebrews 11:1 sees it as a substantive thing: a faith in something that makes that something real.
James helps with his “faith without works is dead”, implying an appropriate response. Paul chimed in with, the “obedience of faith”.
That implies faith in God’s way, not mere belief. No judge will accept me if I reject his remedy. After all, devils also believe and tremble.
The provision of God is the cross, by which sin is resolved, we are freed from the law and we enter a new life.
Real faith embraces a reality, not an idea, but it also makes it real to us.
Thus, we don't just believe Jesus rose, as in a ritual memory, we make it real through faith by reckoning ourselves dead, buried and risen.
(c) Peter Missing: bethelstone@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment