The Wednesday Word ~ 22 January, 2025 A.D.

The Gospel and Faith, Part I

by D.G. Miles McKee

“Therefore, being justified by faith we have peace with God....” -Romans 5:1 [KJV]

Here´s a question, does God look for faith in a believer and then, upon seeing it, declares them not guilty? Well, if you were to believe what some Christians say about this matter you would answer,” Yes, absolutely yes!” But that answer is a grim error. The finished work of the gospel knows nothing of the sort!

 Saving faith is not a quality within us. We are saved entirely by a work which was accomplished outside of and apart from us. Faith takes a hold of the perfect salvation which has already been accomplished on our behalf by the Lord Jesus.

Faith acknowledges that all things necessary to make us accepted before God have already been accomplished in the substitutionary work of Christ Jesus.

Faith takes hold of the good news that in our name and on our behalf, Jesus Christ lived, died and rose again.

Faith sees that Jesus as our substitute and representative has met and fulfilled every legal and righteous requirement needed to restore us to God. Faith sees that the Christ event is sufficient and complete and that nothing whatsoever can or needs be added to it. We must never think that faith is a quality in us that saves us.

Faith embraces the fact that Jesus Christ alone saves. Faith sees that Jesus is enough.

Faith sees that Jesus is perfect.  

Faith sees that Christ’s work is complete. Since nothing can be added to Christ’s finished work, then salvation is not a matter of Christ plus faith.

Where so many depart from the gospel is that they believe their faith makes them accepted to God. But faith does not make us accepted to God. We are only accepted in the acceptable One, Jesus Christ. We must be clear about this.

Although we are saved through faith, faith is not our Savior. Our Savior is Jesus Christ alone. Our salvation is in Him alone!

He is the object of our faith.

He alone is the Savior.

What faith does is to take a hold of Jesus and His accomplishments and make them our own.

Faith grasps that our righteousness is not in ourselves but rather outside of us in Christ Jesus. But faith neither brings salvation into existence nor does it produce the righteousness by which God justifies us. What faith does, however, is to take something already in existence and enables us to reckon it as our own!  

Faith is dynamic and continues to grow as it is bathed in the Gospel. Romans 10:16 says, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. Notice how the “WORD of GOD” and the “GOSPEL” are equated in this passage. They are one and the same! 

Faith will grow, therefore, as the gospel is expounded! The preaching of the gospel always brings and generates faith. This is why we must get away from the idea that the message of Christ is only for evangelistic meetings! The Gospel is every bit as much for the believer as it is for the lost!

And that´s the Gospel Truth!


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