"But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness," (Romans 4:5).
Morning, Matt:
God justified all men of life--as a free gift--in His Atonement, the ungodly included:
Romans 5:18---King James Version
18 Therefore as b
y the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one
the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
By absolving one from the condemnation of the Fall(justified of life)--God provided all men the OPPORTUNITY to inherit eternal life--as a free gift to all men.
So--may I ask of you--when you reference "faith"--is that a reference to a faith with works--or a reference to a faith without works?
I believe Paul's point in Romans4-- was not works of the gospel are independent of faith in obtaining salvation--but rather--Abraham didn't live under the Law of works(Mosaic Law)--as Abraham was 400 years prior to the Mosaic Law. (For Paul--"works" was usually a reference to certain rituals in the Mosaic Law--such as circumcision. James uses "works" as obedience in the gospel. That's confusing.).
IOW--Paul's conclusion was this---the Jews were running to father Abraham to claim their elite status, but Paul confirmed Abraham lived under the gospel of Jesus Christ--not the Mosaic Law,( as Abrama was 400 years prior to the Mosaic Law)--the very gospel Paul was attempting to bring to them, but they were rejecting in lieu of the Mosaic Law(works).
There were two separate justifications in the Biblical NT--one, a free gift to all men--where God delivered all from death and hell, as an automatic consequence of the Fall. That had to be done before Jesus could make His Blood effective to the second justification--the forgiveness of personal sins--unto life eternal--as a personal reception of eternal life. Not just the opportunity--but the personal reception of eternal life.
That came through our obedience to Christ,(faith)-- in walking in His Light:
1 John 1:7---King James Version
7 But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
IOW--once a Redeemer redeems one--they then have to meet His conditions of the Redeemer to remain redeemed, as He bought them with a price. If one is redeemed--and does not meet the Redeemer's conditions--they they return to debtor's prison--but for a different reason than what they were originally redeemed of, IE--they aren't condemned due to the Fall--but, instead--don't receive His Blood unto the remission of their personal sins. The first justification absolves all from the condemnation of the Fall--the second addresses personal sins, and whether God will apply His Blood for the remission of the personal sins.
As the scriptures show--all are no longer judged according to the Fall(justified freely from that--Christ alone)--but according to their own works:
John 5:28-29---King James Version
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth;
they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
