Salvation: By Works?

Actually, It is because of God's Justice, that His Grace can be that simple. There are many people who believe that because God is a just God, there is no way that He can allow people to sin, and then simply believe on the name of Jesus, and be forgiven of those sins. Many believe that God requires us to pay the penalty of our sins, no matter what. This is many times where the belief of purgatory exists, that after death, purgatory "cleanses" us from our sins, and is a way of our making amends for the wrong things we've done. But as we learned just before, even our best righteousnesses are considered filthy rags. Therefore how can we possibly do something good enough to make up for our sins?

The fact of the matter is, that if God did require us to work to redeem ourselves, even a little bit, His Justice would not be satisfied, but rather would not be just at all. We are all sinners, and without Christ are all going to Hell. This is because of one man: Adam. Adam's fall, his disobedience, caused all creation to fall as well. Because of Adam's sin, we are all sinners, and are all worthy of death:

Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"

Because by one man, Adam, all were automatically clothed in sin, God in His Justice and Righteousness, could not have the redemption come by any different manner. By One Man sin entered into the world, and sin passed upon all those who were descended from Adam. By One Man, sin is justified, and righteousness is imputed upon all those born again after Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

This is the True Justice of God, that if He required that by one man judgment for sin passed onto all born after him, it can only be required that likewise, by ONE MAN justification is given unto all born again of the Spirit, after Jesus.

Romans 5:17 "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. . ."
Romans 5:18 "Therefore as by 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."
Romans 5:19 "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."

This important truth of God, is so that none can say before the Lord on the day of Judgment "How can You be just if You require me to pay the penalty because of Adam's sin? How can You impute death to me, because of another man's disobedience?" To that, God will say "I can, because I also offered you redemption from the penalty of sin, by Jesus' perfect and sinless life. I can, because I gave you the option of Life, by 'another Man's' obedient sacrifice! I didn't require you to make amends, only that you be born of the Spirit, having Faith in Jesus Whom I sent."

By One man did it all start, and by One Man did it all end. Though when Jesus paid the price for our sins, not every human soul was given forgiveness and life. Just as we had to be born after the flesh to have sin imputed on us, we must be born after the Spirit in order to have forgiveness for those sins, and righteousness imputed on us. This is what Jesus was speaking of in John chapter 3.

John 3:5 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."("born of water" is not referring to infant baptism or baptismal regeneration!)

The Kingdom of God spoken of here by the Lord Jesus is not necessarily Heaven, but rather Salvation (As "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation" shown in Luke 17:20 and other parables of our Lord explaining the Kingdom of God). Our Lord later explains just how a person is born again, born of the Spirit:

John 3:15-16 "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

That is the True Justice of God. Not that we each individually have to pay for our sins so we can be redeemed and saved, but that we merely have to believe on the name of the Lord Jesus, to follow Him, the Son of God. That, is how we received True Salvation!

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