TEACHING

Daryl Wood

(Daryl is a fivefold teacher on the Kingdomquest apostolic team.)

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH

For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Rom. 4:3, NKJV)."

Purposing to clarify the gospel, man has come up with an assortment of means and techniques that have become the staples for an introduction to "church life," at least as most of us know it. From tracts purporting to define the road of salvation to the "altar call" and praying the "sinner’s prayer," much effort has been put forth to distill what is found in the Scriptures down to the bare essentials of the good news. (Never mind the fact that the "essentials" vary markedly from one church group or denomination to another!)

These means provide a structured approach for would-be soul-winners, and with it an inherent method for quantifying the success of evangelistic efforts. While they can be effective tools toward the goal of leading the lost to Christ, most of these methodologies actually complicate and sometimes even distort the essence of the gospel message, which is this:

The empty, restless, and twisted soul, who is presently cut off from the life of the Father who created him, is hereby invited to come into His presence and enjoy friendship with the God of the universe, as well as to partake of all of the benefits afforded by properly relating to Him as Lord and King. Christ Jesus has risen from the dead, He is alive forevermore, and He rules and reigns!

The starting point of this new life is found in being reconciled to God as one joyfully bows to His rule. When the Bible states that "Abraham believed God" it is referring to the fact that he yielded control of his life to God, and trusted Him in a very practical sense. It is not referring to a mere intellectual acknowledgement of His existence, since even the demonic hosts offer that much (James 2:19). Rather, Abraham came into a trust-relationship with God that entailed a surrender of any further right to pilot his own affairs. He was no longer his own; he belonged to God.

An interesting question comes up regarding exactly when this surrender occurred. Some posited that the rite of circumcision marked its commencement, hence the following address from Paul:

Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised (v. 9-12, NKJV)."

Clearly, this passage emphasizes three times that Abraham’s trust, or faith in God, secured a right relationship with his Creator prior to his receipt of circumcision. True, his performance followed his faith, and gave evidence of its authenticity. Yet, no work or effort of his own earned him the right to be reconciled with God. Rather, God reached out to Abraham, and the latter opened his heart to the Greater One.

While all of this is widely accepted concerning Abraham, its implications for both the early church and the contemporary one are not readily grasped. Since Abraham enjoyed friendship with God based on merely trusting Him, what does this say about other Bible characters, such as Cornelius, for example? Could it be that this ". . . devout man . . . who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always (Acts 10:2, NKJV). . . " already had a right relationship with God prior to Peter’s visit? Certainly, God’s testimony concerning him was that his prayers and alms had come up for a memorial before Him (v. 30, 31).

Undoubtedly, the same was true about a Jew named Apollos, who was noted as an eloquent man, mighty in the Scriptures.

This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John (Acts 18:25, NKJV).

He had a proper relationship with the living God prior to being taken aside by Aquila and Priscilla so that they could more accurately explain to him the way of God. He was already on the right track, even before his understanding was further enhanced through their instruction. With a fuller revelation of God, he now did something that he could not have done previously:

". . . he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he vigorously refuted the Jews, publicly showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ (v. 27b- 28, NKJV).

A similar circumstance existed for the twelve disciples from Ephesus who were, though they had not yet received the Holy Spirit, believers (Acts 19:2). When questioned, they clarified that their baptism had merely been John’s.

Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (v. 4-5, NKJV).

Others, such as the unnamed Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8: 26-40) and Lydia, a worshipper of God (Acts 16: 11-15), already had tender hearts toward the Lord before receiving clear instruction regarding the resurrected Christ. This does not diminish the full impart of the gospel message, but rather it clarifies the fact that inception of life in God is connected to entering into a relationship of trust and surrender to Him. At times, the revelation of a young believer will be very incomplete and needful of development through the full gospel message. Still, he is accepted by God if he is relating to Him honestly, with fear and simplicity of heart.

Eight days after Jesus’ birth his parents brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. At that time they encountered Simeon, a man who was ". . . just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple (Luke 2: 25b-27a, NKJV)." He took Jesus into his arms and blessed God as he prophesied over the Christ child.

They next met a prophetess named Anna, ". . . a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem (v. 37a-38, NKJV)."

Holy men and women who lived prior to the cross rejoiced in God and walked in proper association with Him. They enjoyed the same righteous standing before Him and many of the same covenant benefits of that bond as did post-resurrection saints. Being born prior to Christ’s arrival did not disenfranchise them.

After Christ’s departure into the clouds, there were God-fearing people who had not yet heard of the fulfillment of the Messianic promises through Jesus Christ. As noted previously, these also attained right standing before God. They were not denied His acceptance because they had not heard the full gospel story.

Finally, there is clear indication that similar scenarios exist, and have existed, with those who are numbered among the Gentiles (i.e., heathen). Cornelius and his household, as well as the centurion whose servant was healed by Jesus, are examples of this.

. . . for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things contained in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness . . . (Rom. 2: 14-15b, NKVJ).

The concluding significance of this matter is that righteousness does not come to a man through his mental acceptance of historical facts (e.g., Jesus was born of a virgin, died on the cross, was resurrected from the dead, and so on.) As critical as these truths are to the Christian faith, one’s mere nod to their reality does nothing to establish him in righteousness. Today, many know about Jesus, but don’t know Jesus. Conversely, even today it is conceivable for one to relate properly with God and enjoy righteous standing with Him prior to a well developed understanding of God’s plan of redemption. The deciding issue is one of the heart. It hinges on whether one is fully yielded to God to the extent that he has received light, or an understanding of Him. Now, as always, the Lord is after the hearts of men, not their completion of religious rituals. Those with a proper heart toward Him enjoy right standing with Him; those lacking a proper heart relationship with Him do not—irrespective of whether or not they have gone to the altar and sincerely "prayed the prayer" once upon a time. One real travesty of modern-time religion has been the presumption that the conversion of men and their subsequent life in God are more or less a function of a mental phenomenon accompanied by orthodox actions, rather than what they actually are—lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and wills that humbly acquiesce to the Master.

It is essential to note that all who genuinely walk uprightly before God, though they might be limited in their revelation of Him, readily respond to Christ in specific, upon apprehending Him in greater light. Hence, Cornelius and company were baptized in the Holy Spirit before Peter could even conclude his presentation of the gospel!

Abraham, though living hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, received the gospel nonetheless (Gal. 3:8). From the ram caught in the thicket to the promise of universal blessing on mankind through his seed, this friend of God knew Christ. He exercised his faith by looking forward to the promised Messiah in much the same way that those of us today look back to the finished work of Christ and believe what He said. Abraham knew that God had a plan for the redemption for mankind. This is why Jesus said to the Jewish leaders, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad (John 8:56, NKJV)."

What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written:

"Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense;

And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame (Rom. 9: 30-33, NKJV)."