Chp.44 - In Vain The Jews Promise Salvation Through The Law

“For thus, so far as you are concerned, I shall be found in all respects innocent, if I strive earnestly to persuade you by bringing forward demonstrations. But if you remain hard-hearted, or weak in [forming] a resolution, on account of death, which is the lot of the Christians, and are unwilling to assent to the truth, you shall appear as the authors of your own [evils]. And you deceive yourselves while you fancy that, because you are the seed of Abraham after the flesh, therefore you shall fully inherit the good things announced to be bestowed by God through Christ." Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, p. 216). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. We continue to be confronted with Justin's judgment of the faith that marked out the Jews for a particular type of condemnation. The Jews had a strong confidence in their lineage and customs that pertained to the covenant that Abraham made with God and was reestablished in Moses. But in spite of all this special revelation they had lost the heart of Abraham's faith. Therefore Justin labors hard here to identify the hardheartedness of this type of faith. The Jews understood their salvation after the flesh, but the God fearers, who were Gentile converts, placed their confidence in the practice of the Jewish customs. Even if these were to receive the facts concerning Christ as Yahweh, and still hold onto these particular confidences, they would forfeit the work of Christ for sinners. In other words, the Judaizers placed their trust in their physical election as a nation and that their works were sufficient to have peace with God, and Christ was addition to their system of justification, not their sole justification. In this, the God fearing Gentiles were led astray to destruction; because these things are not "in Christ". Paul asks the question of what or who can separate the elect of God from God's love? The answer to this question is God himself can separate the elect from the love of God. Because these Judaizers, who understood election and the covenants, did not receive the promises of this truth based on how they relate to Christ, and these will lose their self-professed justification and assurance on the day of the Lord's appearing. Paul's point in Romans 8 is that it is Christ who justifies. And therefore in the grief of his heart for the lost he proclaims Christ as Sovereign in chapter nine. But he speaks to the hardened heart that would ask the question of why should anyone bother doing any good if God has a fixed number of persons made for the glory of heaven and to the dishonor of hell. This a question that is not asked from a saving faith, but from a faith that damns. Those who come to Christ for salvation must come to Him on His terms. They must not seek favor in their performance of obedience, for this of itself is a disobedience to the faith that saves. It is impossible to please God without faith, but a faith that saves is a faith that believes that every word of the Lord is pure; a diligent faith that believes God as He has revealed himself in the exclusivity of the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, we come to God as He exists in Christ alone. But we are to notice Paul's heart and love for those who are separated from this elective love. Paul has a love and compassion for this lost man who asks this question in the hardness of this heart. But he answers it by calling this man not to put his confidence in election alone, but in the God who justifies. This man is to examine his heart in the brightness and light of the revealed truth. Rather than take pride in a Jewish heritage, he was to examine himself and make his calling and election assured by testing his own understanding against the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than asking the unbelieving question of, "What then is the point of doing good," he is to diligently seek Christ until this love of God is poured into his heart. He is to pursue this relationship by faith and not by works. He is to close his mouth and listen to the Word of God until the Word of God transforms his heart to do these works out of love for God in the assurance of the Holy Spirit.

This Judaizer's mouth must be stopped by the condemnation of the doctrine of Christ. This kind of faith will not obey until the heart has received a whole Christ. Christ himself must silence this man's ignorance and unbelief. But if he turns his heart from hearing the truth concerning Christ, his condemnation will be just, and the Law and Prophets will rise up and judge him in the last day.

"For no one, not even of them,11 has anything to look for, but only those who *in mind* are assimilated to the faith of Abraham, and who have recognised all the mysteries: for I say,1 that some injunctions were laid on you in reference to the worship of God and practice of righteousness; but some injunctions and acts were likewise mentioned in reference to the mystery of Christ, on account of2 the hardness of your people’s hearts." Justin Martyr. (1885). Dialogue of Justin with Trypho, a Jew. In A. Roberts, J. Donaldson, & A. C. Coxe (Eds.), The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (Vol. 1, pp. 216–217). Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company. The mind of faith that is against Christ cannot please God and therefore we must have these "things" reconciled in the mind of Christ; for his mind is at peace with God. Those who are "in Christ" have this mind and come to God for those things which make for peace, and not for selfish gain. The mind that is hostile to God brings men under the condemnation of the law and make themselves judges of the law, who do not preach liberty in Christ (James 4:11). They lower the standard to make themselves acceptable to God and condemn those who live not by their standards. These are imposters and forfeit or separate themselves from the love of Christ: Galatians 1:6–10 (NKJV) 6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. We see Paul's heart for the "lost" in both of these "curses" that he pronounces upon himself, in Romans 9 and again here, if he should preach another gospel or another Christ. In loving the lost, he loves the church equally, and shows no favoritism. Because the true church is made up of those who were once separated from the promises of God, and those who would seek to separate anyone from the promises of God are those who have been severed from Christ (2Tim.2:10) and know not the heart of God. Do you desire to know if your are one of the fixed number of God's elect? Preach Christ until the world spits you out; for if you preach Christ you will be like refreshing water in the mouth of God (Matt.10:42;Rev.3:15-16). These things cannot be reconciled in the mind that is hostile to God, therefore if you find yourself at enmity with God you must submit to the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:12–16 (NKJV) 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. Romans 8:6–11 (NKJV) 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. God doesn't want us thinking his thoughts for him, but his thoughts after him: Isaiah 55:8 (NKJV) 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. To made in the image of his glory we must have his Spirit abiding in the thoughts of our heart. If left to our own thoughts we would be no closer to God than the animals, but "in the beginning" when God made mankind his thoughts were upright and towards or "after" God, and after he sinned his thoughts became futile and died. Adam's offspring were not darkened in their understanding but were without understanding. God was in none of their thoughts. But in Christ we are restored to a pattern of thinking that exalts God and brings peace between the two natures. In Christ our nature has died (been judged) and our minds are now made (transformed) one mind with God. Our soul and image is restored to its first love and glory. But this is only made effectual in Christ.

Apart from this mind there is no life abiding in us; the life that is lived apart from Christ is sin leading towards death. Those who observe the creation honestly, know a Creator; but they know not the faithfulness of this Creator and seek to create a god fashioned after their own thoughts and understanding. When we study Greek mythology we see more of the depravity and futile thoughts of man in these images than we see of the divine nature and existence of God. But when confronted with the doctrine of Christ we see more of the divine nature of God in one man (the Lord Jesus Christ) than can be seen in all the pagan gods put together. Therefore God must be found only in the exclusivity of the Lord Jesus Christ whose mind is the exact representation of the invisible Creator: Colossians 1:9–18 (NKJV) 9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Salvation cannot come through the election of a nation or a church nor of a mere man, but of him who was elected for the preeminence of this glory (Jonah 2:9;Lam.3:26).