The Gospel of Peace, Faith to Faith

The Gospel of Peace

Faith to Faith

The weakness of modern Christianity traces back to the foundation of our belief system.

Everything we believe is slanted in the direction of and interpreted by our foundational beliefs.

Our one and only foundation should be the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The slight deviations from what happened at the cross are what create confusion and destruction in the major areas of our lives.

There are many things we believe about the cross that may not really seem significant until we weave them into our daily lives.

Then, in that setting, we end up miles away from our desired destination in Christ.

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for the salvation of everyone who believes, of the Jew first and of the Greek as well.

The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

It should produce the salvation of God.

Salvation is the full benefit of God’s provision.

If what we believe is not producing salvation, then we must face the truth.

Either we do not believe the truth, or maybe what we do believe is not true.

The good news of Jesus is that righteousness is now a free gift.

Any deviation from this is not good news.

Christians have so compromised the Gospel that today we have no more than the ancient Jews.

That was what Jesus has accomplished for us.

Rom 1:17 For in the gospel God's righteousness is being revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, "The righteous will live by faith."

Righteousness is not revealed from faith to works.

Many Christians actually believe that Jesus saves you, but that your works make you righteous.

Many Christians do not believe that righteousness begins with faith and ends with faith.

Faith-righteousness should be woven through every thread of our belief system.

The moment we depart from faith-righteousness, we have departed from the Gospel.

It must be the basis for all we are, all we hope to be, and all we will receive from God.

Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

In other words, this work was begun in you by the Spirit of God, and it can be completed only by the Spirit of God.

Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Gal 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

In other words, when you first received the Spirit, was it because you believed what you heard or because you earned it by keeping enough of the law?

We must continue in Christ the same way we began in Christ – rooted and grounded in faith.

This issue of righteousness is the stumbling block of the Gospel.

Rom 9:30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

Rom 9:31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

Israel wanted to find righteousness, but could not find it.

The Gentiles weren’t looking for righteousness, but found it.

Rom 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone;

The Gentiles were willing to accept righteousness as a gift.

That response if faith.

The Jews were not willing to accept that it was a gift.

They sought to earn righteousness by their performance.

In v32 is the utmost importance: “for they stumbled at that stumbling stone.”

Jesus Himself is not the rock of offense.

Jesus, as our righteousness, is what offends and causes those who will not believe to stumble.

They stumble because of their unbelief concerning righteousness.

Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

When a person believes on Jesus as his righteousness:

-         They will not stumble.

-         They will not be ashamed.

-         They will not be confounded.

But those who do not believe will stumble.

They rejected the cornerstone, Jesus, as our righteousness, is the Cornerstone of Christianity.

Anything else will produce a faulty foundation.

1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

We should:

-         Continue in our Christian life.

-         Grow in our understanding of God.

-         Grow in good works.

But all these things should be built upon the foundation of faith-righteousness.

Every good Christian should:

-         Live a godly life.

-         Bear fruit.

But the moment these things become our hope and confidence for being accepted by God, they are no longer gold, silver, and precious stones.

Because they are not built on the foundation, they are wood, hay, and stubble.

All promises of God are true, but they will not stand when built on a faulty foundation.

We are like people who have tried to build skyscrapers on mud puddles.

When the building falls, we question the validity of the promise.

The promises of God are good, but they must be built upon the sure foundation of Jesus as our righteousness.

Our every belief must be built upon faith-righteousness.

The only righteousness that qualifies us for all the promises is Jesus’ righteousness.