In Romans 3:21 we read of the revelation or manifestation of the righteousness of God in the Gospel – the glorious ‘but now’ of Romans 3. This wonderful, foundational, truth of the Gospel through which the sinner is justified by having the very righteousness of God imputed to him as a result of the death of Christ on his behalf is expounded from Romans 3:21 to 26. In verse 22 we read of just how the righteousness of God is brought to light in the gospel.
“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference”
How was this righteousness manifested? How did God reveal His righteousness in the Gospel? He revealed it by the “faith of Jesus Christ”. It was the faith of Christ which brought the righteousness of God to light in the Gospel. A glorious truth – but one so often overlooked and neglected by many. This phrase “by faith of Jesus Christ” is very significant, and is one that we find repeated in several other passages of scripture in various forms. For example in Galatians 2:16, a passage which also refers to our justification through the work of God in Christ, we read the following:
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
But what is the ‘faith of Jesus Christ’ and just how did that manifest the righteousness of God in the Gospel?
Mistranslations considered
Well, before answering that question, sadly we need to take some time to brush aside the obscuring of this glorious truth in many modern translations of the Bible. Not all translations have rendered the phrase with the same accuracy as the Authorised Version of the Bible, and for this reason quite a degree of confusion has been caused regarding the truths brought out in these passages. Indeed rather than revealing the righteousness of God in the Gospel through the faith of Jesus Christ, these mistranslations of the Bible have all but hidden it!
Most modern ‘translations’ of the Bible, including the NIV and the NKJV, have altered this vital phrase to read ‘faith in Jesus Christ’ which gives a very different meaning to the verses. But why have the translators chosen to alter the passages in this way?
Well it is difficult from merely examining the Greek grammar or syntax alone, when the phrases are taken in isolation, to be entirely sure of the translation and this has perhaps led to some of the differences in translation. However when the context of the passages is considered it is quite clear that the Authorised Version of the Bible and its predecessors such as The Great Bible, or Tyndale’s Bible have rendered the passage correctly. The Holy Spirit in these verses is speaking of the faith of Christ, not of our faith in Him.
But it isn’t so much differences regarding the contextual meaning of the phrases in the Greek which have led to the modern mistranslations, but theological interpretation. This, more than anything else, has affected how these verses have been translated in most modern Bible ‘versions’. This, despite the overwhelming weight of evidence from the Greek resting entirely on the side of translating the phrase as ‘faith of Christ’. In the original Greek wording, for example, it may be contended that there is a certain ambiguity about the words which might lend themselves to be understood in more than one way. But such an understanding is only retained if the passage is translated using ‘of’. The English phrase “faith of Jesus Christ” could be understood more than one way, for example as Christ’s personal faith or faithfulness, or that faith we have which comes from Jesus Christ. However if translated “faith in Jesus Christ” only one understanding is allowed for – our faith in Jesus Christ. Hence those who have translated the passage in this way have forced upon it their own interpretational decision of what the phrase means which effectively rules out the reading of the passage as meaning the personal faith (or faithfulness) of Christ. In such an instance interpretation has come before the translation of the text, rather than interpreting the meaning of the text after translation.
This sets a dangerous translational precedent which is destructive to the truth which the Holy Spirit sets forth in these, the most doctrinal of passages. Few passages of scripture call for more careful, faithful, discerning and Spirit led wisdom in translation than Romans 3:22 or Galatians 2:16. Do these modern translations which have altered the rendering of these passages, casting doubt upon their meaning, demonstrate such wisdom on the part of their translators? It would appear not.
The accurate and faithful translation of these passages is certainly to render them as the ‘faith of’ Christ, as it was always translated in the various English versions of the Bible up to the 19th century, including the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, Tyndale’s Bible, and the Authorised Version (KJV). It is the modern versions, influenced by erroneous theological thought (which places justification as conditional upon our faith, rather than being surely accomplished by God in Christ for all His people), which have switched to rendering ‘of’ as ‘in’. But a translation should translate what the original says! Interpretation of the result should then follow, as guided by the Holy Spirit. But Bible translations should be just that – translations of the words in the original language which the Holy Spirit wrote.
The original Greek from which the English is translated is the phrase ‘Pistis Christou’, which is a genitive, and in the context, a subjective genitive, meaning that the faith spoken of is that belonging to the subject, even Jesus Christ. It is His faith which is in view here. The evidence for the wording being a subjective genitive, referring to faith belonging to, and personal to, Jesus Christ, is backed up by similar grammar used elsewhere in the New Testament. There are many other verses referring to things which are personal to Christ or to God (eg. The ‘hand of God’, the ‘face of Jesus Christ’, etc.) which are worded in identical grammar in the Greek as with ‘Pistis Christou’ (the Greek construction used in Romans 3:22 and Galatians 2:16, meaning “faith of Christ”). Few would question those translations but when it comes to “faith of Jesus Christ” doubt is cast upon it. Why? Because the theological leanings of a number of modern ‘scholars’ prevent them from comprehending just why these verses refer to Christ’s personal faith. They think the writer must mean our faith in Christ. But in this they have stumbled, and rather than translating the text they have interpreted it, and obfuscated the truth from the readers of their mistranslations, and in so doing have shifted the focus away from that objective truth in the Gospel to that which is subjective in relation to it. But the text should be translated “faith of Jesus Christ”, for it is by the faith of Christ that the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel.
Faith or faithfulness
So, having considered the correct translation of the passages themselves, let us begin to consider the meaning of the phrase itself. What is to be understood by the phrase in these two verses? Does “faith of Jesus Christ” refer to faith which comes from Christ, or to Christ’s personal faith, or even to His faithfulness?
Firstly, Romans 3:22 is not referring to faith which comes from Christ, or that we have in relation to Him. Whenever the Apostle Paul wanted to refer to our faith or our believing he was very specific in the Greek he used. He knew perfectly well how to speak of our believing, or our faith in Christ, in contrast to the faith of Christ Himself. Compare in the AV/KJV verses such as Galatians 3:26, Ephesians 1:15, Colossians 1:4, or even the phrase “we have believed in Jesus Christ” in Galatians 2:16 in contrast to “the faith of Jesus Christ” in the very same verse. The underlying Greek differs, and it differs for a reason. When Paul writes “faith of Jesus Christ” he is not referring to our faith in Him, whether that faith originates from God, from Christ, or not. He is referring to Christ’s own faith in God.
What about the translation of the Greek word ‘pistis’? Does this refer to Christ’s faith or His faithfulness? The same Greek word can be translated into English with either meaning but whilst theological bias again leads some, who might concede that the AV has translated the passage correctly, to speak of Christ’s faithfulness in regard to Romans 3:22, the fact remains that virtually all English translations render the word as faith, just as they do when speaking of a believer’s faith. Not only this, but given that faithfulness has to do with obedience, with works, whereas faith has to do with belief, trust and submission, the contrast demonstrated in Galatians 2:16 between the works of the law and the faith of Jesus Christ points to the fact that it is not faithfulness but faith which is in view, which is being contrasted with works. The AV/KJV has translated the phrases correctly. Romans 3:22 refers to the “faith of Jesus Christ” – ‘pistis’ usually being translated as faith elsewhere in the New Testament.
The righteousness of God revealed
So if the correct translation of Romans 3:22 is “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference”, what does this phrase actually mean? Does it really mean that the righteousness of God is manifested by the faith of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-22)? That we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16)?
Yes. That is precisely the meaning of the passages. It is the faith of Jesus Christ which brought to light the righteousness of God, by which we are justified. The righteousness of God was manifested, revealed, brought to light, by the faith of Jesus Christ.
But one may answer that we are justified by the blood of Christ, by His death on the cross. And that is quite true – we are. But Christ’s death on the cross, His blood-shedding was a work of faith, an act of faith. It was the “obedience of faith”. Not obedience to the law, but the obedience of faith. The law didn’t demand that one lay down his life for another – but Christ’s faith revealed such love for His people, that while they were yet sinners He laid down His life for them. It is this which we see in the Gospel. It was by faith that He lived (“The just shall live by faith” Romans 1:17) and by faith that He died (Hebrews 12:2). Hence we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. By that substitutionary death which He died as an act of faith on behalf of those people whom He loved and gave Himself for (Galatians 2:20).
Likewise the righteousness of God is manifested by the faith of Jesus Christ, because it is through the manifestation of this righteousness that we are justified, made righteous, before God. Christ lived a perfect and sinless life. His life which He lived from conception and birth unto death was characterised by faith. He lived a life in constant communion with the Father, doing the will of the Father, not His, in perfect and willing submission. He completely submitted to the Father, trusted in Him for all things, looked to Him in all things, and walked before Him with His eyes fixed upon God. Christ was the “Just One” and “the just shall live by faith”. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), yet Jesus pleased his Father in all things that He did (“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”). Romans 14 tells us that “what is not of faith is sin”. Clearly then, Christ, the sinless one, lived by faith, for He never once sinned. It is by faith that He pleased God, by faith that He lived, and by faith that He died.
When He died, Christ’s faith looked to God to lay upon Him the sins of all His people, to make Him to be sin for them, and to judge those sins according to the righteousness of God in order to blot out all the sins, and all the sin, of His people, that they might become the righteousness of God in Christ. In so doing the righteousness of God was manifested and God the Father rewarded the faith of His Son by justifying His people, purifying them as His Bride, a Bride without blemish, fit for a King.
The righteousness of faith
Romans 10 contrasts two types of righteousness: the righteousness of the law (Romans 10:5), which is about ‘doing’ (“Do this and live”), and the righteousness of faith, which springs from believing (“…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” Romans 10:9). It is this ‘righteousness of faith’ which is revealed in the Gospel – the “righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ”. This righteousness springs from faith. Through it is the fulfilment of all the law’s demands but it is characterised not by legal obedience but by the obedience of faith. Faith characterises it. And Christ revealed it in the Gospel through His faith. For we are justified not “by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). Hence in Paul’s statement about the Gospel of Christ in Romans 1:16-17 he says:-
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
What a summary of the Gospel! It is the power of God unto salvation. Why? Because therein, in the Gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed. How is it revealed? From faith to faith. But what does that mean? Well, once the fact of Christ’s own faith be recognised, this phrase ‘from faith to faith’ which has puzzled many a commentator (*) becomes much plainer to understand. The righteousness of God is revealed from faith – but whose faith? It is revealed to faith – but what faith is this?
The meaning of Romans 1:17 is this. It means that the righteousness of God was revealed from, or out of, Christ’s faith, unto our faith. Christ manifested the righteousness of God by His faith (Romans 3:22), and we come to see and believe in that righteousness (and that one great act of righteousness which Christ did in laying down His life on the cross to justify many by His blood) through faith. God gives us faith to see the righteousness of God revealed by Christ’s faith, within the Gospel.
It is this revelation, this manifestation of the righteousness of God which is described in Romans 3:21-22. For the righteousness of God is not simply revealed by the Gospel to our faith subjectively, but it is actually revealed in the Gospel objectively. It is that revelation, objectively in the Gospel, by the faith of Christ, out of which the righteousness of God is revealed to our faith subjectively: “from faith to faith”. Hence we can see the importance of the correct translation of these passages in the scriptures and how the mistranslations of modern versions undermine the truth here, because they seek to take that revelation of the righteousness of God which is objective in the Gospel, and make it merely subjective to the faith of the believer. Yet the scriptures plainly state that the “Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation” because therein, in the Gospel objectively, “is the righteousness of God revealed”. Yes, this revelation is in the Gospel. How? Firstly by Christ’s life. His very life exhibited the righteousness of God. But secondly, in His death when He brought that righteousness to light in judgment against the sins of His people as He looked to His Father by faith whilst suffering upon the tree. This is what revealed the righteousness of God – The faith of Jesus Christ – And it is this revelation of righteousness in the Gospel which God’s people are brought by faith to believe in. Hence Paul writes that the righteousness of God is revealed “from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith”.
This phrase “The just shall live by faith” is absolutely central to the Gospel. It characterises it. It is at the heart of it. The just shall live by faith. Christ lived by faith. He justified us by His death, by His faith. His death was an act of His faith. And by it He justified His people, hence they too live by faith. By Christ’s glorious act of faith at the cross dead sinners are brought to life. That justifying work later to be brought home to these people in their experience, by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit who gives them faith to believe it. Their lives then follow, as it were in the footsteps of Christ, as those who live by faith. The ‘just ones’, who like the ‘Just One’ before them, live by faith.
Who can question that Christ’s life was lived by faith? Or that He died as an act of faith? Psalm 22 describes His sufferings and the whole language of that psalm is of faith, of trust in God. Likewise from Hebrews 10:38 through to Hebrews 12:2 we read an exposition of the same phrase taken from Habakkuk 2:4, “The just shall live by his faith”. Hebrews 10:38 quotes that and the next chapter goes on to define faith, to show that “without faith it is impossible to please God”, and to enumerate many wonderful instances of lives lived by faith. What made the deeds of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab and others pleasing to God, was that they sprang from faith. By faith!
Christ, our forerunner
That chapter brings us to Hebrews 12:2, where it reaches its focal point, its summit: Christ. Here the attention is centred on that great forerunner of faith, Jesus. It is not simply that He is the object, or end, of man’s faith, but He is the “Just One” who ran before us, living by faith. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith”. ‘Our’ here has been inserted by the translators. Also ‘author’ and ‘finisher’ are merely two words used to translate Greek words which have much fuller meanings. A better, more descriptive, translation might be “Looking unto Jesus the chief [or captain] and end [or object] of faith”. We look to Jesus who is the ‘end’ or object of [our] faith, but He is also the chief of faith, the captain or forerunner of faith. He is the One who went before us, who lived by faith, whom we follow.
And what did Christ do by faith? We read in chapter 11 of what Noah did by faith, of what Abraham and others did ‘by faith’, but what main thing did Christ do ‘by faith’? We read “…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
That is what Christ did by faith – He endured the cross, despising the shame. Why? “For the joy that was set before him”. What joy? To justify all those whom the Father had given unto Him from before the foundation of the world. To be united in resurrection life with His bride, the church. To live for ever in eternal bliss with all those justified by His blood. That was His joy, His satisfaction. “He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11.
In laying down His life for sinners Christ trusted His Father with complete trust, complete knowledge (“by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many”), complete faith, counting Him faithful who had promised. He believed that God would lay all the sins of His chosen people upon His Son and that in Christ’s bearing them and taking their just punishment that those people would be really, truly, justified through His death. Christ had perfect faith in His Father and in that covenant they made before the foundation of the world. When in Gethsemane the Son of God was faced with the cup which He would soon drink, though such an awful prospect awaited Him, His faith did not shrink from it, but He willingly submitted to the Father’s will. And when, on the cross, He drank of that very cup, bore the sins of His people, and was beaten and bruised by the outpouring of God’s wrath against them, forsaken of Him in whose bosom He had dwelt, did Christ’s faith fail Him? No, He endured to the bitter end. He had perfect faith, perfect trust, that on the third day God would raise Him from the dead, and on the third day, rise from the dead He did in triumphant victory having justified His people for ever! Yes, Christ’s death was the most wonderful work of faith there has ever been. Perfect faith, from the perfect man, the Last Adam!
Justified by the faith of Christ
Finally, take another look at Galatians 2:16:-
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
How is a man justified? By the works of the law? No. By the faith of Jesus Christ. Not by faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith doesn’t justify us, it is Christ’s death by which we are justified. Then ‘by the faith of Jesus Christ’. Why? Because His death was an act of that faith.
And what is a result of being justified by Christ’s death, by His faith? The result is that “we have believed in Jesus Christ”. Our belief doesn’t justify us, it is a result of our justification, inwrought by the Spirit. Our belief brings us to an experimental knowledge of our justification before God subjectively in which God declares a sentence of justification in our hearts, but it is God that justified us objectively in the Person of His Son, who shed His blood for His people. And when Christ shed His blood for that people the righteousness of God was unto all of them from that very moment, to be applied by the Spirit upon all of them when they believe, “even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference”. For we are justified, not by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ …
“…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Oh, may God give us grace to both see the glory of His work in Christ, that work of faith by which He justified His people for ever, and believing, to walk by faith, looking unto Jesus, “the author and finisher of faith”.
Amen.
…….
(* One common interpretation of the phrase ‘from faith to faith’ in Romans 1:17 is that it refers to the believer’s faith which, it is said, goes from one measure of faith to another, greater, measure. The problem with such an interpretation, however, is that the subject of Romans 1:17 is not the believer or his faith, but the righteousness of God, and how that is revealed in the Gospel. It is the revelation of the righteousness of God which is ‘from faith to faith’, and, as is shown in this article, this righteousness is revealed from (by, or out of) the faith of Jesus Christ unto the faith of the believer.)
RELATED AUDIO MESSAGES
“The just shall live by faith” Hebrews 10:38
“I have preached righteousness in the great congregation” Psalm 40:9
Thank you, Ian, for this! It helped so much-especially the
verse Rom 1:17 “from faith to faith” I feel this finally all makes
sense and is faithful to God’s Word. God bless you!!
Linda
I believe the faith of Jesus Christ has the power to save. It is a supernatural faith(a perfect faith). The power that comes from God through Jesus Christ is given to the believer by the power of His Holy Spirit. Man cannot be Holy without that power and without Holiness no one will see the Lord.
Thank you and may God bless!
I have read and posses many books on scripture, studies, lessons, sermons, I have audio and vedio tapes with sermons, I have benefitted by all of them – after all, it is all about and on the Word of GOD.
But this article on ‘The Faith of Jesus Christ’ is definately the very best, specially on faith, all along in my life I have lived and prayed with my faith in Jesus Christ, but now there is an entirely new,powerful and truthfull dimension on the subjest of faith – and that is the ‘FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST’ this revelation was the missing link in my prayer life.
Thanks, from now onwards I will be approaching GOD our Father with the faith of His only begotten Son and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Lionel
This article about ” The faith of Jesus Christ ” is very clear and very sound. His faith in the covenant word of His Father and in His redemptive work of grace is the basis of my justification. I accept The Faith of Jesus Christ. He gets all the glory. I rest in The Faith of Jesus Christ. He is the originator and the finisher of Faith.
Bless you and peace be upon you…….Ambassador.
Je suis heureux de savoir l’existence d’un si bon site de recherche. Je vous félicite pour tout le travail que vous faite pour l’avancement du règne de Dieu. Bon courage.
Je profite de l’occasion pour vous soumettre cette demande:
“Jésus avait-il la foi?”
Si oui, “Quelle est l’implication de sa foi sur notre foi de baptisés?”
Je serai heureux heureux d’avoir une suite à ma demande. Ciao!
Thank you
for explaining the Faith of Jesus Christ in clear terms. I have used the concordances and lexicons and with my basic understanding of the Greek, I have been still wrestling with that question. Hallelujah this takes the burden off the legalist burden off my back. If we are justified by our faith in Christ. In all that pistis means, which can mean our faithfullness, we are back to a legalistic frame of mind. I know I am not as faithful as our Lord. If it is up to my faithfulness or belief that motivates my faithfulness, I know I am doomed. But we are justified by Him, totally by what Jesus did FOR us. Hallelujah!
It is so easy to get tripped up with the works mentality. I always think “what did Jesus do?” when people are thinking “what would Jesus do?” I pray that the revelation of the awesome Grace in the gift of Jesus’ faith inspires me to love and all the believes to love and be more and more like Him.” But first may Christians see what Jesus did! Thanks
Fred Schuster
A very well thought-out article. Having written on this topic in seminary I came very much to appreciate the interpretive ambiguity of the Greek in these contexts. While I agree with your premise in most cases, the case against “faith in Christ” is still a bit sketchy. It may very well be a contextually interpretive decision on the part of translators, but still has some credibility in the contexts. But excellent article focusing on the “faith of Christ,” which is neglected so often in modern Scriptural interpretation. “Faith in Christ” so commonly becomes ingrained in the “prolegomena” of so many churches. Thanks.
thanks for the article, i still don’t see how it changes the big picture in the gospel, does it?
Well Mark, for one thing, it demonstrates that righteousness does not come by the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ, as we read in Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain”.
Thanks for the well written article.
If faith is a gift from God (Father and/or Son), isn’t our gift of faith from Him traceable to the same faith of the Father and/or of the Son – Jesus the Christ?
God can give us gifts from all things that He has, including faith. We don’t generate faith, but faith is a gift from God; any measure of our faith is the measure of faith we receive from Him.
We really need to know what this “faith” of God and/or Jesus Christ is, which faith imputes righteousness.
Thanks for your explanation of “from faith to faith”. In the manifestation/revelation of righteousness from faith to faith, won’t it correspondingly mean that the same righteousness revealed in the faith of Jesus Christ is manifested/revealed in His faith we receive from Him?
I believe it is; it is that righteousness of the faith of God/Son that is imputed unto us.
The gospel of faith reveals the righteousness of faith because both (gospel and righteousness) render the same tangible thing.
The gospel is the good news declaring a certain tangible thing, just like a tangible child is the good news declaring the tangible union between a husband and wife.
That tangible child, who is the good news declaring that union, is the righteousness (doing of right thing made manifest) of that union.
That tangible child, who is the gospel and righteousness of the union, is the power unto the salvation of that union – see 1 Tim. 2:15.
So, merely speaking about the good news is not sufficient, but declaring by tangibly showing the righteousness of faith is the power of the gospel of faith.
Thank you and God bless all of you!
Thank you for a well-written explanation of the original and true meaning of this verse. I found it to be instructive in our reading Philippians 3:9.
Wonderful gospel truth that bring comfort and security to His people!!!
I was looking for confirmation that Christ’s faith is imputed to God’s people just the same as Christ righteousness is imputed to God’s people.
Luther wrote something that goes like this: It is the faith of Christ’s to do the will of the Father and the faith of the Father to raise Christ to sit at His right Hand to Rule.
This is the Perfect faith the God graciously imputes to His people the same as He imputes Christ Righteousness.
This is beautiful love, security, refuge, complete dependence on God to perform all things for us.
It is the only way for anyone to be saved is for God to do “all things through Christ” for His people’s salvation.
Thank you for the in depth article.
I must read again, and again. But, I’m so happy to find confirmation.
God Bless
Thanks for this great “putting together” of Scripture. I have reached very similar conclusions in recent years by meditating on these very verses (and others).
I would add a comment regarding Habakkuk 2:4 quoted in Romans 1:17. Paul says, “Just as” it says in Habakkuk 2:4. All the versions of the Septuagint that I have read contain a word that is not quoted by Paul, but I believe is understood by Paul – “My.” “But the righteous one, by My faith he will live.” This isn’t referring to the way a person lives his life (the Scriptures use the word “walk” for that meaning). It is referring to living as opposed to dying. And God says it is by His faith that the righteous one will live, and not perish.
This also helps us to understand Galatians 2:20. Paul says that he lives (is alive, as opposed to dying) “by the faith of the Son of God…” This is the same as the point you have been making.
I also suspect that when Paul said in Ephesians 2:8 that “By grace through faith you were saved,” he meant “when Christ died and was raised” (see the preceding verses to see this context for Paul’s statement). I don’t believe he meant “you were saved at the moment you believed” as the verse is commonly interpreted. I could not have reached such an understanding if I had not first been enlightened as to the very interpretation you express here.
This interpretation is also strengthened by the parallelism between justification and reconciliation employed by Paul in Romans 5. Note Romans 5:1, “Therefore having been justified by faith [Jesus’ faith expressed in his death], we have peace with God [reconciliation].” Also notice that the previous verse (Romans 4:25) says that Jesus “was raised because of our justification” – that is, that His death justified us.
Dear Ian,
This is the first time that I am visiting your website. I have been studying the book of Romans, and have now reached chapter 3. I was not satisfied with the comment which the author of the study guides made about verse 21 and the faith of Jesus, which he said meant faith in Jesus. My knowledge of the English language does not tell me that ‘in’ and ‘of’ mean the same thing, so I did some research which was not very rewarding. Even the Bible commentary was talking about subjective vs objective faith and saying this had more to do with the believer’s faith in Jesus, which I did not agree with. In Revelation we are told that those who overcome in the end have the faith of Jesus, and this could not be the same thing as having faith in Jesus. I could not find anywhere a satisfactory explanation of what it meant to have the faith of Jesus, or what having the faith of Jesus really meant, since some do believe that it means the faithfulness of Jesus, which is not the same thing. I was therefore very hesitant to approach my class with an explanation, which would have been based on Jesus implicit trust in His Father’s love and care for him, e;g in episode of him sleeping through the storm; not fearing the demonic madmen whwo rushed out from the tombs, no fear of His enemies, going to the cross and dying without knowing if He would ever see His Father’s face again, because of the separation that taking the sins of the world on himself had caused. I fully udnderstand that God accepts us because of what Jesus did else we would have no hope, but explaning to others what i think the faith of Jesus is, I did not think couldstand up to the faith in Jesus thing, so I am very grateful for you lucid and exlicit explanation. Now I can go to my class with more confidence in explaning the whole senario of what Paul was trying to say. Thank you so much for this exegesis, if I may call it that. may God continue to give you wisdom and you endevour to let the full truth of the gospel be known.
Gweneth Oburota, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Hi Ian,
Thank you so much for writing this article.It has cleared my understanding of the real faith by which we are saved and that is the faith of Jesus Christ who is the lamb of God ,the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.He is the captain of (our) faith.Trusting and being loyal to Jesus Christ absolutely we can have eternal life.
Hadayat Din
So His faith is resulting in our faith.
His works of faith resulting in our works of faith.
Hi Ian Potts. Thank you for sharing your posting about the Faith of Christ Jesus. I want to add you to my facebook and receive your notes or postings if I may. Thank you
I want to be the first in 2011 to say this article has touched many hearts over the period of 5 yrs, since 2007. Christ has done it all for those who have and will have faith in Him, through His act of righteousness. That, being His entire life till the monent of His last breath. His Faith has made it possible for those that would come to believe on Him.
Thank you for a great article. Again I side with the KJV over any other.
Vini
dear brother in Christ:
God gave the same truth to me and I preached it last sunday. it was only today that I read your article. John MacArthur’s Lordship salvation places so much stress on man’s faith in Christ, overloading it with a commitment to Christ and submission to His Lordship, not seeing that in contrast to Christ’s faith it is so insignificant. A simple faith in Christ, and His own faith, is what saves and nothing more. Galatians 2: 19-20 also points out the wonderful truth that it is also Christ’s faith which will sustain the believer even when his own faith wanes and fails him.
Glory to God for this powerful truth whcih saves!
Thank you for your article. You express it beautifully when you explain that Christ’s death was “Not obedience to the law, but obedience to faith”.
I wonder whether we might consider His resurrection in the same manner? So often I hear the resurrection spoken of as a display of God’s power over death and it is most wonderfully that. But I consider it to be more than that. It seems to me that it is firstly a display of God’s justice, given as Peter says; it was not possible that death should retain God’s Holy One (Acts 2:24-27). Christ was raised because death is the punishment for sinners. Christ being sinless it was firstly an act of God’s justice that Jesus should rise from the dead.
Moreover since “the just shall ‘live’ by faith” might it be that not only Christ’s death but His resurrection was also an act of faith on His part? Since, although having authority to raise Himself from the dead (John 10:17-18), He waited for The Father (Rom 6:4) and the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:11) to join with Him that His resurrection may be a Trinitarian achievement.
Your use of Hebrews 11 also invites us to see Christ’s resurrection as an act of His faith, since “faith is the substance/foundation/building block (hupostasis) of things hoped for” (Heb 11:1) and to the Hebrew the hope of Israel was the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6, 24:15, 26:6-8). To miss the sense of resurrection in Hebrews 11 is focus on the achievements of its heroes and not the reason that they were heroes. For even though they did remarkable things by faith they died not having received the promise (Heb 11:13 & 39) in order that they would “receive a better resurrection” (Heb 11:35).
Thus to rest in the faith of Christ is to rest in Him as our Resurrection (John 11:25). The Just One not only died by obedience to faith but was raised in the same manner.
Right on, Ian! If we have saving faith it was given to us by God as a gift. (Eph 2:10)
We are right to thank Him for our food, health and family: How much more should we thank Him for our faith!
-Mike
I shared this on my facebook. and I would love to be your friend on facebook
Yes, the ‘just man shall live by my faith’ as it says in the Septuagint. ‘The just shall live by his faith’ as it says in the Hebrew translation.
When we can grasp the enormity of this truth, that as we abide in Jesus Christ, we are abiding in the very faith of the Son of God, the very same faith which he had in His own heavenly Father when he was on earth. This faith is the faith of obedience. This faith of Jesus Christ is the faith in which he said yes, to God’s will. This faith is the one in which Jesus said, “If it be possible let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not my will, but thy will be done.”
Awesome! This is Exactly what the Holy Spirit has revealed to me.
I am preparing a message”
Faith OF Jesus
Hope OF the Holy Spirit
Love OF the Father
Showing that the Faith, Hope and Love that the Scriptures refer to that we MUST have are not from US but are in fact ONLY found in the GODHEAD.
And so we must indeed be infilled with all 3 of the Persons of God that we may then operate; Live by Live Through that EXACT SAME Faith Hope and Love….
While I was happy (well a bit nervous) to “Go it alone”, this article has helped a lot…
Thank you for Your Faithfulness!
There is so much to glean from holy scriptures regarding the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. For instance, the faith that was revealed to us when Jesus Christ came to this earth Gal.3:23-25:
23 “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. ”
Notice too, how Habakuk 2:3-4 from the Septuagint is quoted in Hebrews 10:37-38:
37For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
38Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
This expression, ‘my soul shall have no pleasure in him’ is unique to the N.T. and is conversely quoted in Matthew’s gospel when speaking of how God’s Son is pleasing to his heavenly Father:
Matthew 12:18: “Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.”
So we must assume that our Lord Jesus Christ was pleasing to his Heavenly Father because of his complete trust, or faith in his Heavenly Father.
So let us agree with the apostle Paul who says that we have the same spirit of faith as the one who said in Ps.116 “I believe and therefore speak”, which from other scriptures most likely is a Messianic verse.
2 Cor. 4:13-1413:”We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.”
For as Peter said on the day of Pentecost in speaking of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. “God loosed him from the pangs of death, for it was not possible for him to be held by it” And, ‘thou will not leave my soul in sheol, neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption”
So let us abide in our Lord Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith:
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
And also remember that the great faith scripture quoted from Hab. 2:4 is preceeded by verse 3: “For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. ”
This scripture is not only speaking of his first coming, but also is speaking of his second coming at the time of ant-christ. It would seem that Hab.2:5 onward is speaking of the anti-christ. So, we are wise to consider what Jesus Christ said in the gospels, “Nevertheless, will the Son of Man find faith when he comes ?”
faith is the glue that fixes us to the vine. It is faith that comes from Jesus not a work of ours. If we make faith ours it is carnal and this pseudofaith is antichrist-´faith´, doesnt receive Jesus in the heart.
We first have to die to ourselves and than live in the faith of jesus himself which he gives us:
galatians 2:20 the greek says this:
´ and the life i know live in the flesh i live IN (!) the faith of jesus.´….
&
´Where than is boasting: it is excluded on the basis of the law of faith….´
&
´And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace´ acts 18:27
other good article about faith of-in Jesus:
http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/bible/faithof.html
God bless you brother, it was a blessing to me to read your comments on the faith of Jesus…I agree..the problem I am having is with a brother who says with vigor and anger that Jesus could never become sin on the cross. I am thinking he is confusing belief and faith as being the same thing. He maintains that the verse in II Cor is a bad translation. He can’t prove it but he maintains that where it states Jesus became sin should read sin offering. The greek is sin the same word as in the first part of the verse which states that Jesus did not sin. Can you comment? Thank you.
Larry, thanks for your comments. 2 Corinthians 5:21 is rightly translated in the AV – it does not refer to being made a sin offering, but being made sin, as contrasted with the righteousness of God which believers are made to be in Christ. You are quite correct.
Regarding that subject, I preached on that verse a while back and you may wish to listen to the message at: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=7510431180
Also, the article on this site regarding Romans 5 and substitution cover that subject also. See https://thegospelofgod.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/substitution-reconciled-to-god-by-the-death-of-his-son-romans-510/
Great revelation!!
I have been a Christian for 16 years, went to many churches, heard thousands of sermons and end up confused as to whether it’s really by grace or by works of faith in Christ. For the past 2 weeks, I was convinced it was the latter after studying the scriptures presented by the Quakers. I thank God for leading me to your website…the burden of heaviness has just been lifted and I believe the fruit of the Spirit will manifest in due time as I trust in the faith of Jesus Christ for my salvation. Let the world rejoice!!!
John
John – I rejoice with you. Salvation is of the Lord – all of grace. May you know the Lord’s hand upon you as He leads you into all truth – that truth which sets us free.
Ian
Thanks so much ian. I have been going to a bible study for five years now we definitely believe in the fath of Christ, and we study onl the original king James version. The night I first read in gal. 2verse 16 about the faith of Chris I no that was the moment I believed and received the gospel of Christ. Paul wrote thirteen letters to us gentiles praise the lord . Paul was a great apostle he really suffered for the lord Jesus Christ. Jesus knew that he would go to hell for three days and three nights. He suffered every thing that we should. He was buried in hell for our offences and raised for out justification. This faith of is hidden to most of the world by the god of this world satan. 2cor verse three and four. If our gospel be hid it is hid to those that are lost less the glorious gospel of Christ which is the image of God should shine into them. God forgave us for Christ sake. Since I was saved I never again have asked for forgiveness because I know I am forgiven past present and future. God will not impute our sins against us. We that are saved serve two laws, the law of sin in our flesh, the law of God in our mind. We that have the spirit of Christ in us God can only see us one way, holy and before him in love amen.
At first, I was a little bit skeptical of this article, as I thought it was going to be an overstatement that our faith isn’t even of importance. I really did like how it was tied around to the fact that our faith is a gift from God and began with Jesus. Well done!