justification – God Breathed Words

Posted on November 1, 2023November 2, 2023 by christianwordsblog

SINNER

^‘I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’ (Luke 5:32)

Challenged as to why Jesus associates with sinners, Jesus’ reply no doubt stunned the Pharisees who studiously upheld the Law of Moses and thought themselves ‘righteous’, that is, in a place of right standing with God.

The word that translates ‘sinners’ is the Greek adjective (substantival – acting as a noun) ἁμαρτωλός hamartólos, literally ‘falling well-wide of the target’, but here stands for the most blatant and inveterate of transgressors.

Who is Jesus speaking about? Every single human being that ever lived apart from himself.

Posted on July 29, 2022July 29, 2022 by christianwordsblog

STRONGHOLD

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

Paul identifies ‘strongholds’ – the Greek is ὀχύρωμα ochuróma, literally ‘fortress’ – which means conceptually and in context, ‘a place of refuge from reality’; in other words, Paul is speaking about inner desires, wishes, dreams and fantasies, alongside any other idolatrous and rebellious notions to which the follower of Christ may cleave. These are inner and personal fastnesses that resist the Holy Spirit, and he says that the individual is to seek them out in themselves and tear them down.

Posted on April 28, 2022April 28, 2022 by christianwordsblog

SANCTIFICATION

I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17:15-19)

In his final, extended prayer for his disciples, Jesus asks his Heavenly Father to sanctify them. The complexity of this prayer is revealed by understanding that ‘sanctify’ translates the Greek verb ἁγιάζω (hagiazó), which means ‘to make holy’ but also has the plainer meaning ‘to set apart’.

Posted on February 25, 2021February 25, 2021 by christianwordsblog

PLEASING (GOD)

without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

The verb that is translates ‘to please’ is εὐαρεστέω euaresteó and means ‘to be well-pleasing’, which be extension could be ‘to render good service’. This verse reads literally:

and apart from faith it is impossible to please well, for it behoveth him who is coming to God to believe that He is, and to those seeking Him He becometh a rewarder. (YLT)

The writer of Hebrews clarifies an eternal truth, that the unregenerate, that is anyone that is not granted salvatory faith, can never do anything to gain to God’s favour.

Posted on December 30, 2020December 30, 2020 by christianwordsblog

STRUGGLE

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. (Hebrew 12:4)

The Greek word translated ‘struggle’ is ἀνταγωνίζομαι antagónizomai, from anti ‘against’ and agónizomai ‘contend with’, whence English derives the verb ‘to agonise’. The common usage of agónizomai was in the context of warfare or an athletic contest, and it refers to the physical, mental and emotional exertion in contending with an enemy.

The writer of Hebrews references Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, who –

knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:42-46)

Posted on July 17, 2020July 17, 2020 by christianwordsblog

JUSTIFY

Apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:21-24)

The word translated ‘justify’ is δικαιόω dikaioo which is word taken from a legal setting, dike is ‘to be proved right’ or ‘to gain judicious approval’. The word translated above as ‘righteousness’ as the noun based on the same root, δικαιοσύνη dikeaiosune.