THE GOSPEL~ Righteousness by Faith

We have been warned:

2^nd Thessalonians 1:7-8 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

When was the gospel preached?

Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Awe ha, so here we have it in black and white.  The gospel was preached to them…  Them being the folks of our faith, the patriarchs.    Paul taught that the gospel was also preached to Abraham.

Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

So this tells us that the gospel was taught ‘before’ the cross.  Why didn’t the gospel profit them?  If Abraham believed by faith, didn’t the gospel profit him?

Česky: Kříže – symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a jeho ukřižování (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The gospel is euaggelion.  The phonetics are, yoo-ang-ghel’-ee-on  described as a reward for good tidings, good tidings a. the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, and subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom. After the death of Christ, the term comprises also the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for the men in the kingdom of God, but as restored to life and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the kingdom of God.  The glad tidings of salvation through Christ.   The proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ.  The gospel, good news to humans, a reward for good tidings.

Leviticus 23: 1-4 Le 23:1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

Here we find that the Feasts of the LORD are to be proclaimed.  Why? Because these appointed times and seasons declare the gospel.

 Matthew 5:17-19 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

1^st John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

John is telling us here not to let anyone deceive us but that we are to practice righteousness ,  yet James tells us that we can’t do our righteousness by faith only.

James 2:21-26 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Romans 10:5-8  For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

Moses described righteousness which is ‘of the law’. The man that does the things written in the law shall live by them.  The chain of reasoning then is that righteousness is attained by keeping the statutes of God and the judgments will follow. Cursed if we do not do them and blessings if we do them.  Do what? Righteousness results from obeying God’s statutes and judgments.  Living by them is the same as attaining Life.  Paul said this elsewhere. 

Galatians 3:10-11 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

For as many as are as are from works of legalism, they are under the curse; for it has been written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide in all those things which have been written in the scroll of the Torah, (Teachings of God) to do them.  We might ask, where was it written?

Deuteronomy 27:26 Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

No one is made righteous in God by legalism is clear because ‘The righteous shall live by faith’, and legalism is not by faith, but ‘the one who does these things will live by them’.  Them what?

Leviticus 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

Should there be any doubt whatsoever, righteousness that results from obeying God’s statutes and judgments leads to eternal life. That is the ‘them’.  The verse says, ‘he shall live by them’. To make this a stronger statement Paul says ‘the man which doeth those things (the law) shall live by them’ the statutes and the judgments which culminates, ‘the law‘.  The statutes are the boundary, the judgments is what is prescribed should anyone go beyond the boundary. 

Deuteronomy 30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Paul says it this way.  Romans 10:8-9 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Deuteronomy 30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Paul says that there is no difference for the Jew or the Greek, we all have to have faith and believe and confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.

Romans 10:12 ¶ For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

But why is it so important that Jesus be raised from the dead? Why wasn’t this same gospel profitable to Abraham?

Deuteronomy  30:11-13 ¶ For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.  It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?  Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?

No human effort is needed to bring Torah from heaven or across the sea.  No human effort is needed to bring Messiah up from the dead because God has already done this.  In other words, there is nothing we can do to bring Torah from anywhere either because God has already done this as well.   Self-effort is neither possible nor necessary because both were given by the grace of God, without human existence.  The Torah was never hidden and never far off. The very word from the mouth of God will ‘always be’. 

2^nd Timothy 3:15-17 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 

That which we have heard from the mouth of God,  the whole of the Bible is to teach and instruct us in righteousness and we are not to be deceived by anyone who tells us that the law has been done away with because ‘ALL’ scripture is given by inspiration of God.  Faith is what makes the gospel profitable, faith in God who would bring it into existence and offer the gospel to all humankind.  The gospel preached, as well as unto them was not profitable to them because they did not mix their faith with what they heard and begin to do what they heard. (Repent and turn away from sin, ergo The Gospel)

Abraham did, therefore his faith was accounted to him as righteousness. Abraham put his faith into action. Faith without works, (ACTION) is dead faith.

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