Alright, open your Bibles back again tonight to Romans
chapter 3. Romans chapter 3, and I'll read
verses 21 and 22. The Apostle records, But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that
believe, for there is no difference." Now, I can only hope tonight
that you will do as the Bible says that the noble Bereans did. And it says of them, that they
searched the Scriptures to see if the things that were spoken
of by the Apostle Paul, if they were true. If they were true. I want to talk to you tonight
about the faith of Jesus Christ. You know, religious people in
our day often speak of my faith. And their faith is, for the most
part, faith in their faith. Faith in the fact that they believe
something, or sometimes they refer to the faiths, the many
faiths. But the basis for God-given faith
is the faith of Christ. And the word faith is used in
at least three different ways in the Bible. It is used to speak of that gift
which God gives to His people and by His grace, wherein they
are enabled to believe the gospel. They are enabled by this gift
of faith to believe on Christ. We see it used many times like
that Paul says to the Colossians, for though I be absent in the
flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit, joying and beholding
your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. Used many times in that same
way. And then secondly, it is used
also to speak of the gospel. It is used to speak of that which
we believe. Paul writes to the Corinthians
and he says, examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. The faith. And then again he
says by the Apostle Jude, he says, Beloved, when I gave all
diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was
needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should
earnestly contend for the faith. which was once delivered unto
the saints, used a number of times as the faith, or the gospel,
or that which we believe, or that which the Lord's church
embraces and holds fast to. But if I am honest with the Scriptures,
and I allow them to say what they say, I believe it means
something else in this 22nd verse. I believe it has to do with just
exactly what the King James says it is. And that is the faith
of Christ. As a matter of fact, would you
even imagine that in this book it is spoken of with connection
to God and His view of Christ? Could that be right? Hold your
place here and turn over to Ephesians chapter 1, and look here in Ephesians
chapter 1, And verse 11, Paul says, "...in whom," that
is Christ, "...in whom also we have obtained an inheritance
being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works
all things after the counsel of his own will." that we should
be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. Now, whenever you use such language
as this, it pertains to the one who is nearest to it. And he's
talking about His glory, or the glory of God. And he says, the
glory of God, this God who Himself first trusted in Christ. So there is a sense in which
even of God Himself, faith is spoken of in His trusting all
things in the hands of His Son. the Lord Jesus Christ. But here in verse 22, Paul talks
about the faith of Jesus Christ. All through this book of Romans
thus far, as we did especially last week, we have been learning
about and talking about And the apostle is being led by the Spirit
in instructing us concerning the righteousness of God. So what is the first statement
here in verse 22? Except even the righteousness
of God and the which is is in italics, if you notice, added
by the translators, the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ. Now, all the way back over in
the first chapter of Romans, there in verse 17, Paul says
concerning the gospel, he says in verse 17, for therein
is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall
live by faith." Now, what does that mean? Well, it means, as
all of these verses do, just exactly what it says, the righteousness
of God is revealed by or out of the faith of Jesus Christ
unto the faith of the believer from faith to faith. Without a doubt, it has to do
with those who preach the gospel and therefore believe it, and
unto those who are enabled of God likewise to believe what
is preached. But it has to do primarily with
this righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ. It is revealed from that faith
of Jesus Christ to these whom He enables to believe it by faith. Now, hold on now. We find this in quite a few verses
in the Bible where the word faith is used in two different ways,
one referring to Christ and the other referring to believers. And they are set side by side
in one verse, and yet they are clearly distinguished. And I'll
tell you what, in all honesty, if we do not approach these verses
like this, we will be utterly confused and try to twist them
and make them to say things that they don't say, and they'll be
utterly confusing rather than clear and distinctive. Let me
show you one of those verses. Turn over to Galatians 2. Galatians chapter 2, and look
down with me in Galatians chapter 2 at verse 16. Now, this is just what the Apostle
says. This is not my view of it. This
is not my addition to it. This is just what he says. He
says, that a man is not justified by the works of the law. Now,
that's just exactly what Paul has spent the first whole part
of Romans 3 saying, that nobody has ever or could ever, whether
they be Jew or Gentile, ever be counted righteous by God on
the basis of what they do. There's none that doeth good.
There's none that seeketh after God. So he says the same thing
here, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Now, do you know that
you have got to really twist take out of context and rest
like so many Bible commentators do, you've got to take that word
or take this verse and twist it to make it say, but by the
faith in Christ. That is not what it says. Now,
I said that the two meanings are oftentimes in the same verse. We do find faith in Christ in
this verse, but that's not it. Look at it again. Knowing that
a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ,
that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by
the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified." Isn't that what it says? All
right, look down just a little bit further in verse 20. The Apostle says, I am crucified
with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God. who loved me and gave himself
for me." The faith of Jesus Christ. You know, it's no wonder that
so many verses such as these are misinterpreted in our day,
because everything And especially faith is so man-centered. Always the emphasis, not only
on man, but especially on what man does. And the whole notion
of being justified by faith has come to the point in our day
that it is simply in the eyes of most justified by the act
of faith. That cannot be. That absolutely
cannot be. Look over in Galatians 3. Now, you mark verse 16 of Galatians
2 and verse 20. And I want you to go home and
just keep reading them. and let the Spirit of God press
upon our hearts what He is saying here. But look down in Galatians
3 and verse 22. He says, But the Scripture hath
concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus
Christ, by faith of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe."
Now, what's in that verse? On the one hand, you have first
the faith of Jesus Christ. And on the other hand, you have
the faith of believers who are enabled by grace to believe on
Christ. But what he is saying here is
that the faith of Christ is and always will be, has been, must
be the basis upon which we are justified and the basis of the
righteousness of God. Turn over to Philippians chapter
3. Philippians chapter 3. Listen
to what Paul says. I love this portion of Scripture. If you look down in Philippians
chapter 3, listen to what Paul says in verse 7. He says, But what things were
gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ. Yea, doubtless,
And I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss
of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."
Now listen to this, "...and be found in Him." not having mine
own righteousness which is of the law." Now, I told you last
week that the apostle has been saying here that the righteousness
of God Paul sets forth as being apart from the law based on a
whole different principle. But listen now. He says, and
be found in him, in Christ, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ. What's first here? The faith
of Christ. The righteousness of God. which is of God by faith." Now,
you think about that. He is distinguishing here the
faith of Jesus Christ to the faith of His people when they
are unable to believe on Him. Now, what does God mean by the
faith of Jesus Christ? I promise you, if God enables
you to come to these verses that we've read without a preconceived
notion and idea, which is hard for us to do and we'll not do
apart from that, it'll be the same thing every time you read
it. And what it says, what this 22nd
verse says, 16th and 20th verse in Galatians
says, what this 9th verse in Philippians says is really just
what it says is that the righteousness of God was manifested and that
we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. Now, the apostle in Romans 14
In the midst of dealing with something else, he lays down
in one statement a principle that you can't get by. He says, Whatsoever is not of
faith is sin. Isn't that what it says? He doesn't say that's just the
way it is with us. He says, whatsoever is not of
faith is sin. And the Lord Jesus Christ came
into this world in the room instead of His people as a man. He stood before God as the man. And this is true concerning this
act of faith because there is no greater. Now, if you don't
hear anything else I say, then I don't want you to get this.
There is no greater act of faith or work of faith than the suffering
and the dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's right. There is no greater act or work
of faith than Christ dying on that cross in the behalf of His
people and His voluntary bloodshedding before God to save Him, save
them from their sin. That is the chief act of faith. That is the greatest work of
faith. Now, does not the Bible say,
Paul in Romans 5, he says, much more than being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him? Absolutely. It sure does. And does it not
also say, Paul writing to Titus, that being justified by His grace,
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life? Without a doubt. But the shedding of His blood
and the demonstration of God's righteous grace to every one
of His people is in that great act and work of faith, the faith
of Jesus Christ. Christ being obedient unto death,
even, it says, the death of the cross is the obedience of faith. That's what faith is. Faith believes. Faith is obedient. And his obedience
to the will of the Father is such that just like everything
else, without faith it is impossible to please God. Is that right? I didn't make that up. You can
read that in Hebrews for yourself. Without faith, it is impossible
to please God. Well, what was said of Christ
by God Himself? He said, this is my well-beloved
Son in whom I am well pleased. in order to save us, must, as
a man, do everything for us, everything that God requires. Now, there is no doubt in my
mind that if a person does not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
does not believe the truth of the gospel, they are lost. If they live in this world, and
they die apart from believing on Christ, believing on Him as
He is in the gospel, they'll perish. But if it be said of
those who are saved that they are those who believe, when could
it ever be said that we believed enough? Have you believed enough? I know I haven't believed enough.
I'm like that old man who struggled under the same weight of unbelief
that I struggle under myself, and who cried out, he said, Lord,
I believe, but help thou my unbelief. When could I ever believe enough? But the Lord Jesus Christ believed
enough. He believed God. As a man, he believed God. And as he believed God, the Father
is pleased not only with him, but with everything he did, most
especially and particularly dying as the substitute of His people
on the cross. Now, you turn over to Hebrews
chapter 2. I may just make everybody confused. Maybe I'll make you confused
enough you'll go home and look for yourself. But look here in
Hebrews chapter 2, beginning in verse 10. For it became him, for whom are
all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons
unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he
is not ashamed to call them brethren." saying, I will declare thy name
unto my brethren. In the midst of the church will
I sing praise unto thee, and again I will put my trust in
him." Now, who's talking to him? The Christ, the Messiah. He said, I'm going to praise
him in the midst of the congregation. I'm going to care for the children
which God has given me. I'm going to declare His name
unto my brethren. And again, I'll put my trust
in Him. Now, I know this. The basis of all real trust in
Christ is, number one, because of God's trust in Him. And number
two, because in his trust toward God, because he believed God. Now, you just stop and think
about that. Look over here in verse 3, I mean chapter 3 and
the second verse, or first verse. partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ
Jesus, who was faithful to Him that appointed Him." Who was faithful to Him that
appointed Him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. You see, here in Romans 3 and
elsewhere, the righteousness spoken of here did not come from
any kind of legal obedience, but the obedience of faith. What characterizes faith? I'm
not talking about commentary faith, I'm talking about the
faith that's spoken of in this book. He says it's that faith
that works by love. That's the only faith there really
is. That's why when men are called upon to render some kind of obedience
to God out of a promise of reward or a threat of punishment, that's
not faith. It's that faith that works by
love. And that's just exactly the faith of Jesus Christ. He did everything He did. Right down to the last moment
that His breath and blood flowed out of Him, He did everything
He did in faith to God, in love to the Father. and love to His people. He willingly, voluntarily suffered. Now think about this. All the
time trusting the Father, believing that God the Father would do
all that He had pledged to do in that everlasting covenant. There was never a time when he
stopped in that march and walked as he set his face as a flint
toward Jerusalem. He stopped and said, I can't
go on any farther. He's never found questioning
God as to the truthfulness or the faithfulness of God in performing
all that he said that he would do in that covenant. He believed
the Father. And as a man, he laid down his
life, and he did so fully believe him
that God would justify all he died for. that He would put away
all their sins because of His death, and that He would receive
each one of them as Christ Himself. Just think about it. If there's ever been anybody
that believed God from His very first, all the
way, to that awful crucifixion. He always pleased the Father. He always believed the Father.
And he always believed that God, it was impossible for him not
to, but he always believed that God would in agreement do just
exactly in every jot and detail and tittle, everything which he had pledged himself
to do through the dying of Jesus Christ. That's the faith of Christ. And that's what God-given faith
rests in. You can say, and it would be
surely accurate, that he is faithful that we could talk about His
faithfulness. But it doesn't say much about
His faithfulness in these verses. It says, the faith of Christ. And I thought about it. What a remedy for my unbelief. What a sweet breath of fresh
air in the face of my constant doubt and fear and unbelief. He says no matter what happens,
He abides faithful. I'll let people talk about my
faith all they want to, because on my best day, on that
day when it would be seen maybe that I had believed the most, It would still be riddled with
unbelief. But not the faith of Christ.
Not the faith of Him. As a matter of fact, in the Psalm,
it is said of the Christ. The same thing also is said in
the Gospel of Matthew. They said this about the Christ. Psalm 22. He trusted on the Lord. that
He would deliver him. He trusted in the Lord that He
let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in Him. That's what
the psalmist said that they would say. Guess what they said in
Matthew 27? He trusted in God. Let him deliver him now, if he'll
have him, for he said, I am the Son of God. He trusted in God. He trusted
the Lord that he would deliver him. Let me ask you this. Did
he deliver him? Oh, he did deliver him. That's
the faith of Christ. And that's just exactly what
it means when it says in Habakkuk, so far back, that the just shall
live by faith. Now, who's the just? Peter said Christ suffered the
just for the unjust. But now, here's the best part
of that. Paul, if he be the writer of
Hebrews, says in Hebrews 12 that believers
are to run with patience the race that is set before them. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith." Now, the translators, they had
that little R in there. That's not what it says. Looking
unto Jesus. What is that but believing? Looking
unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of faith. I wonder what he'll say after
that. "...who for the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set
down at the right hand of the throne of God." Now you tell
me, as a man, How could he ever, having reduced
himself to such limitation, how could he ever, as a sinless man,
have looked with such anticipation that it brought a joy to him except that he believed God? the faith of Christ. You see, actually, what it amounts
to is this. The just one and the justified ones live by
His faith. That's what it amounts to. Because it's going to be known
by everyone, and I believe not too many days
hence, that it was all in Christ and by Christ, plus nothing. He did everything He did. What
did He do? I came to do the will of Him
that sent me. Well, it sure looks like an awful
end you're headed for. Yes, it does. But I believe God. Isn't that what Paul said in
that Europe in the wind? Ship breaking up all around him,
sailors falling overboard, thrown off all the tackle, the wind
raging and the waves crashing and all that. He stands up and
he said, I believe God. that it shall be as he hath said." The greatest example of that
is the Lord Jesus Himself, Christ. He is the one, Paul says in Ephesians
3, the one in whom we have boldness and access with confidence. by the faith of Him. Not just by faith in Him, but
by the faith of Him. Now, you can go, I promise you,
you can probably go to your best commentary, your old trusted
standby one, and you're going to find just about every one
of them changing what God actually says. and making it to be faith in
Christ. But I promise you this, and I'm
sure that the King James, this authorized version, is most accurate
on this for sure, that every time you go back to verse 22
of Romans 3, And every time you go back to
Galatians 2 and verse 16, Philippians 3, 9, it is still going to say,
the faith of Christ. Look back at Galatians 2. I tell you the Scriptures. When
the Spirit of God teaches us and bears witness to the truth
of a passage of Scripture, it's like somebody has just took the
chains off of you. And I believe that most of us
as believers, we spend our whole life experiencing this. All these
passages we come to and we listen to the words of men and we come
with preconceived ideas. We don't even need to study this
or look at it because we already really know what it means. No,
we don't. If we've not been taught of God, we don't know anything. But everyone
who's taught of God, everyone who's learned of the Father,
Where do they go? They go right straight to Christ. All right, look at this. Galatians
2 and verse 16 again. Knowing. Some people are afraid to say
we need to know anything. We need to know something. This
is the knowledge of God-given faith. Knowing that a man is
not justified by the works of the law. It doesn't even say, knowing
then that a man is not justified by his doing of the works of
the law. No, that's not what it says. He says, knowing that
a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. who out of love, not law, obeyed,
kept, followed to the nth degree everything that the Father commanded
and required of him as the mediator, as the surety, as the redeemer, plus nothing. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ. Now, what faith is that? That's
the faith God gives His people. But you mark this down. The faith
of Jesus Christ is the cause of the faith of all His people.
That's just the way it is. That we might be justified by
the faith of Christ. That is His blood. That is His
Word. That is His death. That is God's
grace. And not by the works of the law. I don't know how many times And
that phrase, or something very similar to it, is spoken of by
the Apostle Paul in the Epistles. And not by the works of the law. And then every commentator says,
that is not our obedience to the law. That's not what it says. It says,
and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. The righteousness of God, as
I said last week, is on an entirely different footing and standing
rather than the law. He said, righteousness or justification
without or apart from the law. That's what I'm interested in,
the righteousness of God. And it has to do with all that
Christ is and all that He did, but especially. His suffering and death and bleeding,
which is the greatest, most magnificent act, if you will, or work of
faith that ever has been or ever will be. By the works of the law, though,
no flesh. You think we've got some kind
of different kind of flesh that that doesn't fall under? No. By the works of the law, not
by Christ's obedience to the law or my obedience, by the works
of the law shall no flesh be justified. Here is the righteousness of
God. What does Paul say in our text? But now the righteousness
of God without the law is manifested. Oh, it was witnessed to by the
law and the prophets, but there's no righteousness
in any way connected to the law. But what, of course I told you
this last week, what did the law and the prophets, in total
agreement with one another, what did they witness to? It says
the righteousness of God. What did the law say? Sacrifice,
shed blood, death of a substitute. What did the prophet say? Well, He's coming, and they're
going to kill Him. He's going to bring in everlasting
righteousness. He's going to make an end of
sin. He's going to suffer. He's God's Lamb. No, He's not
coming to obey what Moses was given. He's coming to die. He's coming to die. Ought not,
he said, you fools and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken. Ought not the Christ to have suffered and
enter into His glory. That's why the gospel is so marvelous. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith. The righteousness of God
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all them that believe side
by side. But don't get them mixed up. Our Father, tonight we pray that we would have no teacher
but your Holy Spirit, that we would truly, Lord, make
the Scriptures our only rule of faith and practice. that it would truly be in our
heart this desire to let God be true and every man a liar. Lord, we ask tonight that we
might be enabled to see, to rest in, to rejoice in the faith of
the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that you would give us
faith, that we might believe on him,
that we might trust his bloodshed, that we might trust his great
work of faith as all our righteousness, yea,
even the righteousness of God, that we are made in him. We thank you for your mercy to
us beyond anything we can imagine. And we pray, Lord, that we might
look solely unto Him. We pray that you would bless
and help us in all our difficulties. Bless each and every one of your
people. Bless these brethren that are
in faraway places, and yet we rejoice to know they're not beyond
your eye and hand. Bless and help all the troubles
and the trials and the afflictions of your redeemed people. Bless all our brethren who labor
to preach the gospel, and all their difficulties and weakness
were nothing but a bunch of clay pots that had been entrusted with
a treasure. And we're way above our heads.
We pray that you'd uphold us by the hand of your grace. Carry forth your purpose in this
world and call out your sheep." What a delight it is to us to
see another one of them brought to confessing and believing on
the Lord Jesus Christ. Help us, Lord, we pray. Receive tonight our thanks, feeble
as they are. Teach our minds and increase
our faith that we might believe the truth
as it is in Christ. We rejoice in Him and we praise
You. I ask that You bless and watch
over us in the remainder of this week and all our days until You
draw us into Your bosom. And we are enabled to rejoice
face to face with Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. Bless your word as it goes forth. For we pray in Christ's name,
Amen.