In the bustling noise of competing messages and doctrines, the Apostle Paul's words in Galatians 3:5–6 echo like a timeless beacon: "Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’”
The essence of these words resounds through the corridors of time, reminding us of the profound importance of preaching, hearing, and believing the true gospel. It is the key that unlocks God’s power to rescue us from every area of defeat in life. But amidst the myriad of teachings, how do we discern the genuine gospel from mere imitations?
Let’s turn our gaze to the book of Jude, where the Apostle urges us to "contend earnestly for the faith." The faith he speaks of is not a vague concept but a specific truth—the cornerstone of Christianity. It is the faith that centers on "justification by faith," the divine act of being made righteous before God through unwavering faith in Christ Jesus. This, my friends, is the crux of the gospel—the good news that distinguishes it from all other messages.
Yet, in the landscape of contemporary preaching, the simplicity of this gospel often gets entangled in a web of conflicting ideas. Justification by faith is sometimes overshadowed by the notion of justification by works. The message of grace through faith is preached, but it's swiftly followed by the insistence that one must maintain salvation through works. The call to right living becomes a condition for God's favor. However, let's be clear: right living is crucial, but it is not the gospel. It is the outcome of believing in the gospel.
Jude uses a powerful term, "epagonizomai," translated as "to agonize for." We are called to agonize for the faith, to fight fiercely for the truth that we are justified by faith and not by works. This is the real gospel worth contending for.
Delving into Romans 1:17, we discover that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God from "faith to faith." It is not a transition from grace to works; it is a continuous journey of faith. The gospel unveils the righteousness of God, not our sins. Understanding this liberates us from struggles with sin, addiction, and bondage.
Living by faith doesn’t mean a shift from grace to performance to maintain salvation. It is a perpetual journey of faith, from one level to another, until we see Jesus face-to-face. It's not a call to negate good works or holy living; rather, these become natural outcomes of living from faith to faith. They manifest when we believe in the gospel—the good news that we are justified, made righteous, and blessed through faith in Christ alone.
So, let us embrace this profound truth and stand firm, contending earnestly for the faith. The gospel of justification by faith is not just good news; it is the transformative power that propels us from faith to faith until we behold the face of our Savior.