Justified by Faith
Paul argued that people are justified (set right with God and put into a right relationship with him) not by observing the demands of the Torah, but by faith in Jesus. The sort of faith Paul promoted was not simply mental assent to an idea, but loyalty to Jesus as King and trust that the promises of God are being fulfilled in Christ. On this basis alone, both Jews and Greeks can be in right relationship with God. As with the rest of the letter, Paul’s motive in writing was not merely theological accuracy (as important as that is), but Christian unity. He wanted peace between Jews and Gentiles. We also need to realize that we believe about theological ideas— grace, justification, salvation, and covenant—affect how we live and treat others. (Scripture: Romans 3:21-26)
 |