A few minutes ago I listened to John Piper’s message from the Together for the Gospel 2010 conference for the third time. When I heard it live then later as an mp3 download, my mind kept wandering; I struggled to bring my mind under subjection. Today, however, I truly listened, and the effect was wonderful and much needed.
In “Did Jesus Preach Paul’s Gospel?,” Piper unpacks Luke 18:11-14 and sets it beside Philippians 3:3-9. His overarching point is that justification by faith alone is essential to Christianity; we cannot trust in the work of God in us (e.g., fruit of the Spirit). On the contrary, it is the work of God in us that confirms our justification by faith (cf. Romans 4). If the fruit we bear were the root of our justification before God, then why are they fruit? Would not justification become the fruit and the work of God in us the root of our righteousness? He is saying that our righteousness, our righteous standing, is not our own—it is Jesus Christ’s. God imputes His righteousness to us. If Jesus Christ did not live a perfect (sinless) life and bear the Father’s wrath that we sinners (and we are all sinners) deserve, we are and have nothing. Jesus says,
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:5-8)
After listening, I could not stop thinking about the truth of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. I attempted to read a chapter in one of my books but had to close it. I had to stop, consider, and pray about what I had just heard.
In doing so, I was filled with joy and thanksgiving for the activity of Jesus Christ on the cross. I’m so glad He did it! Some song lyrics read, “O blessed Jesus, may we find a covert in Thy wounds. Though our sins they rise up to meet us, how they fall next to the merits of You.” He paid the ransom that I could not pay, and He gave me the merits—His merits—for eternal life with Him.
I recalled Romans 8:31-34:
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is seated at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
Christ Jesus is the one who died! Had it been anyone else, we would still be dead in our sins, still condemned. But Christ Jesus died for us! The perfect, sinless Son of God sent from the Father as our Messiah. We can have confidence in Christ Jesus. Who can be against us?
It gets better. Verses 35-39:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, not things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Do you get it? Not only does Jesus justify us, He keeps us! We have a firm foundation. We have a seal on our souls. His name is Jesus. More song lyrics: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…. On Christ the sold Rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand…. When He shall come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in Him be found dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the Throne.”
Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, so let’s live like it's true. Let's rejoice and have confidence. For,
“…God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus… who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel…” (2 Timothy 1:7-9a, 10a).
If Jesus, who is so powerful as to abolish death and bring life through the gospel, is for us, we have no reason to be afraid or ashamed.
And let’s remember that our justification is founded upon the life and death of Jesus Christ, His redemptive activity of grace, not upon our works of righteousness, what God has done in us. We are and always will be dependent on God.
One more implication from Romans 8:31-39 and the doctrine of justification by faith alone: Since we have beheld, understood, and believed this most glorious gospel and rest secure in Jesus Christ, we should have a desire to tell others about Him through the gospel message, with no fear and no shame, and clearly proclaim the doctrine of justification by faith alone when it is threatened. Look at Exodus 9:16 that Paul quotes in this passage: “’For your sakes we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered’” (v. 36). And Romans 1:16-17: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’ [Habakkuk 2:4].”
And in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 19-21:
“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised…. in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
In conclusion, consider Philippians 3:8-9:
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
I write these things to you to stir up your faith and affection for our Lord Jesus Christ, if in fact you are in Christ. If you approached this post cold, I pray that you are finishing this post ablaze. Study the Gospels and acquaint yourself afresh with Jesus. Listen to Piper’s message. Set your mind on the Truth and understand sound doctrine. Live it out.
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