Believe In Jesus

Translating from Greek can be tricky but there are times when translations are clearly incorrect. Words can be added or left out, etc. An example is Romans 3:26,

Rom 3:26  ToG4314 declare,G1732 I say, atG1722 thisG3568 timeG2540 hisG846 righteousness:G1343 that heG846 might beG1511 just,G1342 andG2532 the justifierG1344 of himG3588 which believethG1537 G4102 in Jesus.G2424

If you notice there is no Greek word for "in" in the text. It is added.

The text actually says "which believeth Jesus".

The emphasis is actually on the words Jesus spoke or the truth spoken of him.. Sometimes the word "in" is in the text of other verses, but usually from a different word. There are no words in the text that actually mean ""in". Because of this, we can question translations or commentaries that see the verse as faith only, or a faith that only looks at Christ's past acts in redemption.

The antecedent to belief is the Gospel, not just past acts but all of Christ's future glory. It isn't belief in Christ as the Son of God, only, but requires belief in the entire Gospel. Living by faith means living by the entire Gospel. This is why premillinialism is dangerous, it denies major tenets of the Gospel like the current reign of Christ.

Rom 1:15  So,G3779 as much as in me is,G2596 G1691 I am readyG4289 to preach the gospelG2097 to youG5213 thatG3588 are atG1722 RomeG4516 also.G2532

Rom 1:16  ForG1063 I am notG3756 ashamedG1870 of theG3588 gospelG2098 of Christ:G5547 forG1063 it isG2076 the powerG1411 of GodG2316 untoG1519 salvationG4991 to every oneG3956 that believeth;G4100 to the JewG2453 first,G4412 andG2532 alsoG5037 to the Greek.G1672

Rom 1:17  ForG1063 thereinG1722 G846 is the righteousnessG1343 of GodG2316 revealedG601 fromG1537 faithG4102 toG1519 faith:G4102 asG2531 it is written,G1125 (G1161) TheG3588 justG1342 shall liveG2198 byG1537 faith.G4102

Salvation being the eternal act when Christ returns to save us eternally. We are in a saved state, but salvation is still future. The Gospel is not wholly fulfilled as Paul states in I Corinthians 15. The coming of Christ is future. It is this future Paul is writing about.

Guzik's commentary on Romans 3 incorrectly says faith looks back at acts completed, in the context the death of Jesus. He also says faith never looks forward, He quotes Morris and Newell,

i. Through faith “points to the fact that faith is not a merit, earning salvation. It is no more than the means through which the gift is given.” (Morris)

ii. “But faith is not ‘trusting’ or ‘expecting’ God to do something, but relying on His testimony concerning the person of Christ as His Son, and the work of Christ for us on the cross . . . After saving faith, the life of trust begins . . . trust is always looking forward to what God will do; but faith sees that what God says has been done, and believes God’s Word, having the conviction that it is true, and true for ourselves.” (Newell)

By defining faith in this way he tries to say Paul can only be speaking of Christ and the cross. Faith, however, does indeed look forward in many cases. Abraham looked forward to a new city when sojourning. Noah built the ark looking forward to the flood. Abraham offered Isaac believing God could raise him. There are too many examples to name.

Heb 11:7  By faithG4102 Noah,G3575 being warned of GodG5537 ofG4012 things not seen as yet,G3369 G991 moved with fear,G2125 preparedG2680 an arkG2787 to the savingG1519 G4991 of hisG848 house;G3624 byG1223 the whichG3739 he condemnedG2632 theG3588 world,G2889 andG2532 becameG1096 heirG2818 of theG3588 righteousnessG1343 which is byG2596 faith.G4102

Heb 11:8  By faithG4102 Abraham,G11 when he was calledG2564 to go outG1831 intoG1519 a placeG5117 whichG3739 he should afterG3195 receiveG2983 forG1519 an inheritance,G2817 obeyed;G5219 andG2532 he went out,G1831 notG3361 knowingG1987 whitherG4226 he went.G2064

Heb 11:9  By faithG4102 he sojournedG3939 inG1519 theG3588 landG1093 of promise,G1860 as inG5613 a strange country,G245 dwellingG2730 inG1722 tabernaclesG4633 withG3326 IsaacG2464 andG2532 Jacob,G2384 theG3588 heirs with himG4789 of theG3588 sameG846 promise:G1860

Whereas Guzik contends faith does not look forward to a promise, the opposite is true, faith can look backward to that completed or forward to that which is promised. Romans has in mind both past, present, and future faith about Christ. see Romans 8

Thus Acts 2:38 can be of faith, looking forward to a promise. Faith is necessary after the promise given, but the promise is unfulfilled. The promise is past, fulfillment is future to those needing to obey the promise.. Faith in Jesus can be his conception, baptism, teaching, death, resurrection, ascension, and even him coming back for Christians. Faith includes his promises.

Act 2:38  ThenG1161 PeterG4074 saidG5346 untoG4314 them,G846 Repent,G3340 andG2532 be baptizedG907 every oneG1538 of youG5216 inG1909 theG3588 nameG3686 of JesusG2424 ChristG5547 forG1519 the remissionG859 of sins,G266 andG2532 ye shall receiveG2983 theG3588 giftG1431 of theG3588 HolyG40 Ghost.G4151

Act 2:39  ForG1063 theG3588 promiseG1860 isG2076 unto you,G5213 andG2532 to yourG5216 children,G5043 andG2532 to allG3956 thatG3588 are afar off,G1519 G3112 even as many asG3745 G302 the LordG2962 ourG2257 GodG2316 shall call.G4341

Though Guzik has an agenda to distance faith from expecting God to do something, expecting something would be a virtue in his estimation, he wants to say faith is not a virtue at all. Their agenda requires they prove faith is no righteousness at all, then salvation would then be by our righteousness. This is false. An example, you have a car but no gas, you could go nowhere unless someone supplied the gas. Grace does not mean totally separate from our own action, it is of grace because our car would have no power without the gasoline. Thus, we could not get any where based upon our own power. After receiving the gas we do drive the car in the direction that leads to our destination.We may supply a part, but have no ability to comlete a promise without the power..

Man has virtue, but virtue alone can't save. Plus, even virtue does not change our sins. Virtue does not of itself overcome sin. We do not have to render man virtueless to say we need Christ to overcome sin. Virtue alone can't save us, we do not have to disprove our virtue. God gave us the ability for good when created. We do good and bad.

Faith only always denies faith is a virtue or a work, once admitted faith is something we do, well, faith only falls apart. It is a false theology. But, equally false with Catholicism.

Faith is in the law and it is a work. It is something we do according to Christ.

Mat_23:23  WoeG3759 unto you,G5213 scribesG1122 andG2532 Pharisees,G5330 hypocrites!G5273 forG1063 ye pay titheG586 of mintG2238 andG2532 aniseG432 andG2532 cummin,G2951 andG2532 have omittedG863 theG3588 weightierG926 matters of theG3588 law,G3551 judgment,G2920 (G2532) mercy,G1656 andG2532 faith:G4102 theseG5023 oughtG1163 ye to have done,G4160 and notG3361 to leaveG863 the otherG2548 undone.G863

According to Jesus, having faith is something we do. Faith is part of the righteousness of the law. Just because we meet a requirement of the law does not mean we deserve salvation, we still need Christ.

Salvation cannot be faith alone, we still need Christ's sacrifice. Faith cannot be our only part, for faith causes us to act to receive the promise. God left his word for us to act upon. God's promise is not always fulfilled by faith, we may have to do something to fulfill it.