“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30
Just as there is only one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, so there is but one acceptable, and “right” way to God. It is that of faith. However, it is a faith that does not have its origin or essence in sinful man, for not only is it a gift of God, it is the very “faith OF the Son of God,” in its essence and acceptableness before God. Why is this so?
Just prior to the declaration of the work of God, not only saving us from the wrath to come, but actually putting us IN CHRIST, and making Him to be everything good and holy to us, the Lord through the Apostle declares this: “…that no flesh shall glory in His presence.” (1 Cor.1:29) This means that the work of redemption by Christ is singular, and applies to Him and Him alone as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, giving us access to the Father by His precious blood. In the book of Revelation, we see in chapter five where the Lamb of God approaches the throne of the Father. Just prior to doing so, a strong angel proclaimed with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” (5:2) The answer to that question was very simple: “no man in heaven, nor in earth.” Why is this vision so very important? It reveals to us that Christ alone is the Redeemer. Man has nothing to do with this except, by the grace of God, to respond to Christ’s call. But even that, he cannot do in and of himself. The Apostle John tells us in his gospel, that as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.” (1:12) He then adds: “…which were born, NOT of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD. This is exactly what the Apostle was writing to the Corinthian believers about: “…BUT OF HIM are ye in Christ Jesus.” The work of God in salvation, where the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, are all working in perfect unison, is just that…the work of GOD, and not of man. Man cannot lay his hand to it in any shape, form, or fashion. He is totally excluded from this matter, except to be, by the grace of God, the recipient of the work of God. Why then is faith so very important? From the writing of his book, around the 7th century before Christ, Habakkuk would write this word of the Lord: “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” (Hab. 2:4) In Paul’s epistle to the Romans, he writes of “the law of faith.” (3:27) He speaks of the truth that a sinner can only be justified, and have peace with God, by faith…not by his works, or anything that has its origin or essence in sinful man. If man is to live, to know sins forgiven, and be a receiver of the eternal life that Christ gives, then he can only RECEIVE it by faith…a faith that is given, in answer to the cry of the lost sinner’s heart to God for His mercy. One of the great truths of God’s dealings with sinful men, in order to bring them to saving faith, is the fact that He creates within them a thirst for the truth, or Himself, or a consciousness need for something, perhaps man not knowing at that point that it is for God. It is when that thirst, or conviction of sin, becomes acute that the sinner cries to God for forgiveness of sin, and the intervention by the Spirit of God to save his soul. It is by grace that God GIVES the gift of faith to be saved.
Dear Father, Thou hast provided a singular way for man to know Thee. Grant us this faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.