“What Is a Christian?” Part 25” by Romans
We are continuing in our current Series, “What Is A Christian?” Last week we completed our review and examination of our being children of God. At the end of last week's discussion, we saw the introduction of the new facet of Faith that we will turn our attention to. Faith was introduced into the discussion in Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
The Christian faith is fundamentally rooted in two intertwined concepts: faith in Jesus Christ and the belief in being children of God. Galatians 3:26 encapsulates this beautifully. It is worth a second read: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”
Over the years in presenting these Discussion, I have repeatedly quoted the Apostle Paul's words to the Church as Ephesus (and us) regarding the former status and condition of us all as being on the outside looking in, and being in and of the world before we came to Christ. He wrote, “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11-13).
Matthew Henry writes of this: “In these verses the apostle proceeds in his account of the miserable condition of these Ephesians by nature. Wherefore remember, etc., Ephesians 2:11. As if he had said, “You should remember what you have been, and compare it with what you now are, in order to humble yourselves and to excite your love and thankfulness to God.”
Note, Converted sinners ought frequently to reflect upon the sinfulness and misery of the state they were in by nature. Gentiles in the flesh, that is, living in the corruption of their natures, and being destitute of circumcision, the outward sign of an interest in the covenant of grace. Who are called uncircumcision by that, etc., that is, “You were reproached and upbraided for it by the formal Jews, who made an external profession, and who looked no further than the outward ordinance.”
Note, Hypocritical professors are wont to value themselves chiefly on their external privileges, and to reproach and despise others who are destitute of them. The apostle describes the misery of their case in several particulars, Eph_2:12. “At that time, while you were Gentiles, and in an unconverted state, you were,” 1. “In a Christless condition, without the knowledge of the Messiah, and without any saving interest in him or relation to him.”
It is true of all unconverted sinners, all those who are destitute of faith, that they have no saving interest in Christ; and it must be a sad and deplorable thing for a soul to be without a Christ.
Being without Christ, they were, 2. Aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; they did not belong to Christ's church, and had no communion with it, that being confined to the Israelitish nation. It is no small privilege to be placed in the church of Christ, and to share with the members of it in the advantages peculiar to it.
3. They are strangers from the covenants of promise. The covenant of grace has ever been the same for substance, though, having undergone various additions and improvements in the several ages of the church, it is called covenants; and the covenants of promise, because it is made up of promises, and particularly contains the great promise of the Messiah, and of eternal life through him.
Now the Ephesians, in their gentilism, were strangers to this covenant, having never had any information nor overture of it; and all unregenerate sinners are strangers to it, as they have no interest in it. Those who are without Christ, and so have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant, have none in the promises of the covenant.
4. They had no hope, that is, beyond this life - no well-grounded hope in God, no hope of spiritual and eternal blessings. Those who are with out Christ, and strangers from the covenant, can have no good hope; for Christ and the covenant are the ground and foundation of all the Christian's hopes. They were in a state of distance and estrangement from God:
Without God in the world; not without some general knowledge of a deity, for they worshipped idols, but living without any due regard to him, any acknowledged dependence on him, and any special interest in him. The words are, atheists in the world; for, though they worshipped many gods, yet they were without the true God.
The apostle proceeds (Ephesians 2:13) further to illustrate the happy change that was made in their state: But now, in Christ Jesus, you who sometimes were far off, etc. They were far off from Christ, from his church, from the promises, from the Christian hope, and from God himself; and therefore from all good, like the prodigal son in the far country: this had been represented in the preceding verses.
Unconverted sinners remove themselves at a distance from God, and God puts them at a distance: He beholds the proud afar off. “But now in Christ Jesus, etc., upon your conversion, by virtue of union with Christ, and interest in him by faith, you are made nigh.” They were brought home to God, received into the church, taken into the covenant, and possessed of all other privileges consequent upon these.
Note, The saints are a people near to God. Salvation is far from the wicked; but God is a help at hand to his people; and this is by the blood of Christ, by the merit of his sufferings and death. Every believing sinner owes his nearness to God, and his interest in his favour, to the death and sacrifice of Christ.”
The Word of God presents a step-by-step path that we follow in becoming Christians. Step 1: Faith in Jesus Christ. The first step in becoming a Christian is having faith in Jesus Christ. John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This verse underscores the importance of faith in Jesus Christ as the path to eternal life.
To the best of my memory, for the first time since June, 2009 when I began theseDiscussions, I am going to provide a Commentary on John 3:16, namely The Pulpit Commentary. It is pointed out that these very familiar words are found within a discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus who came to Him by night. But, for the first time, we have to wonder were these Jesus' words being quoted, here, or did John insert them as a commentary of his own?
The Pulpit Commentary speaks to this as it comments: “"The gift of God." This is the language either of our Lord himself or of the evangelist. If these are Christ’s words, they contain his authoritative testimony to his own declaration. If they are the words of John, we have in them the inspired judgment of one who was in most intimate fellowship with Jesus, and who was peculiarly competent to represent his Master’s work in accordance with that Master’s own mind.
Familiar as this comprehensive and sublime utterance is to all Christians, there is danger lest it should become trite, lest it should fail to impress our minds with its most amazing import. Obvious as are the several aspects of the central truth of Christianity here presented, it may be well to bring them successively before the mind.
I. THE MOTIVE WHICH PROMPTED THE GIFT. This was love, an emotion which some think too human to attribute to the Ruler of the universe. But we are justified in believing that we ourselves are susceptible of love only because God has fashioned us in his own likeness. Love is distinguishable from goodness as having more of the character of personal interest. And the relations between God and man being considered, love here must be understood as involving pity and also sacrifice.
And whereas human love is often intense in proportion to its narrowness and concentration, Divine love is all-embracing - includes all mankind. This, indeed, follows from the origination of this love in the Divine mind. It was nothing in mankind except their need and sin and helplessness which called forth the benevolence of the heart of the heavenly Father.
II. THE PRECIOUSNESS OF THE GIFT. Great love found its expression in a great gift, worthy of the generous and munificent Benefactor of mankind. The use of the appellation, "only begotten Son," seems to point to the estimation in which Christ was held by the Father, in whose view none was to be compared with Christ. It is not easy for us to realize the value set upon Christ by the Father; but we can look at this gift from our own side, and can form some judgment of the worth of the Lord Jesus to our humanity.
Because he was the Son of man the Friend of sinners, and because he was this in his humiliation, and is this in his glory, therefore he is dear and precious to the hearts of those whose nature he deigned to assume, whose lot he deigned to share. He who withholds no good thing from men, withheld not, spared not his own Son, but gave him up for us all.
III. THE INTENTION AND PURPOSE WITH WHICH THE GIFT WAS BESTOWED. As here presented, this was twofold. 1. The aim was one of deliverance, to secure men from impending condemnation and perdition. 2. It was also an aim of highest beneficence, we must understand, not the mere continuance of existence, but the perpetuity of the highest well-being - that life which truly deserves the name, and which, being Divine, is also imperishable.
IV. THE CONDITION UPON WHICH THIS GIFT MAY BE ENJOYED. A moral, spiritual gift cannot be bestowed, as can a material boon, independently of the character and religious position of the beneficiary. The greatest gift of God is conferred, not upon the deserving or open the fortunate, but upon the believing.
Concerning this condition of faith, it should be remarked that it is (1) indispensable upon God’s side, for he is honoured by the grateful acceptance of his free and precious gift. And it is further (2) indispensable upon man’s side, for the gift must be accepted and appropriated by those for whom it is intended. He who rejects Christ cannot benefit by Christ; it is faith that links the soul to the Savior.
APPLICATION. The word "whosoever" is here employed in order to point out that, in the Divine compassion there is no limitation, in the Divine offer there is no restriction. There is nothing in the purposes of God, nothing in the condition prescribed by Divine wisdom, which can exclude the meanest or the vilest, if only penitent and believing, from the enjoyment of this incomparable gift.”
Returning to our process from being on the outside looking in, to being God's adopted children, we come to Step 2: Becoming Children of God. Once we have faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the power become children of God. We read in John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power [“right,” NKJV] to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” This verse emphasizes that faith in Jesus Christ grants us the privilege of becoming God’s children.
Albert Barnes says of this, “To as many as received him - The great mass; the people; the scribes and Pharisees rejected him. A few in his lifetime received him, and many more after his death. “To receive him,” here, means to “believe” on him. This is expressed at the end of the verse.
Gave he power - This is more appropriately rendered in the margin by the word “right” or “privilege.” Compare Acts 1:7; Acts 5:4; Roms 9:21; 1 Corinthians 7:37; 1 Corinthians 8:9; 1 Corinthians 9:4-5.
Sons of God - Children of God by adoption. Christians are called sons of God: 1. Because they are “adopted” by Him, 1 John 3:1; 2.
Because they are “like Him;” they resemble Him and have His spirit; 3. They are united to the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, are regarded by Him as his brethren Matthew 25:40, and are therefore regarded as the children of the Most High.
On his name - This is another way of saying believeth in “him.” The “name” of a person is often put for the person himself, John 2:23; John 3:18; 1 John_5:13. From this verse we learn: 1. That to be a child of God is a privilege - far more so than to be the child of any human being, though in the highest degree rich, or learned, or honored. Christians are therefore more honored than any other persons.
2. God gave them this privilege. It is not by their own works or deserts; it is because God chose to impart this blessing to them, Ephesians 2:8; John 15:16.
3. This favor is given only to those who believe on him. All others are the children of the wicked one, and no one who has not “confidence in God” can be regarded as his child. No parent would acknowledge one for his child, or approve of him, who had no confidence in him, who doubted or denied all he said, and who despised his character. Yet the sinner constantly does this toward God, and he cannot, therefore, be called his Son.”
Step 3: Living as Children of God. As children of God, we are called to live according to His will. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus instructs, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” As God’s children, our lives should reflect His love and goodness.
Living as children of God, and letting our light shine so that our Father might be glorified is explained by the Preachers' Homiletical with these words: “'Light' is a special type of the Deity. “God is light”—signifying that God is the source of purity, beauty, joy, and glory. In the strictest sense, Christ Himself is “the Light of the world.” Christ’s satellites—by whom, in virtue of their recipient relations to Him, they hold forth the Christly light—reflect it, and shed it on men.
As the moon or stars reflect the light of the sun, so the followers of Christ reflect His light; teaching us: 1. That the Christian’s light is derived. 2. The Christian is a light-reflector.—The Christian life reflects the great Exemplar and Saviour of the world. Christ shines through His people. 3. The Christian is a light-diffuser.
II. The moral obligation enforced.—“Let your light,” etc. The words imply that effort is necessary to develop the proper influence of the Christian character. Either from want of moral courage, or want of fidelity to truth and profession, or spiritual indifference, we may hide our light under a bushel.
1. Shine.—That which does not shine is not light. 2. Shine brightly.—“So shine.” The light of some of the stars is not large in volume, yet very bright. It is not the largeness of our endowments we have to consider, but the transparent lustre of our life. There should be nothing in us to hinder the light. In Christian perfection or character that shines brightly there must be seven prismatic colours—all the beatitudes—which compose the pure ray of Christly light.
3. Shine conspicuously.—“A city that is set on a hill,” etc. 4. Shine constantly—Fitful Christians do very little good. It is not the blazing comet or the wandering star that guides the mariner; but the fixed star. 5. Shine usefully.—“Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel.” We do not light a candle in open day or in twilight, and then put it out when it is dark, though in religion this kind of thing is frequently done, in the presence of the world.
III. The supreme end designed.—“That they may see your good works, and glorify,” etc. 1. That the chief end of the Christian life is to glorify God.—There are some painters whose favourite works are portraits of themselves. There are many writings whose central figures are the authors. Here God, not self, is the emphatic end of all our actions.
2. That such a noble end in our life is manifested by “good works.” 3. That such good works seen in Christian people are calculated to induce others to glorify God.—J. Harries.
Matthew 5:14.Christians the light of the world.— I. In what respect Christians are compared to the light. 1. In what respect men are said to be in darkness.—In respect of the darkness (1) of ignorance; (2) of error; (3) of unbelief; (4) of inconsideration; (5) of vice.
2. In what way Christians ought to be instrumental in bringing men out of this darkness.—(1) By teaching. (2) By controversy where sufficient skill and knowledge are possessed. (3) By testimony (Mark 5:19; John 4:29). (4) By exhortation. (5) By reproof (Leviticus 19:17; Galatians 6:1). (6) There is one way more universal than any of the rest, and perhaps more directly here meant, i.e. the light of good example.
II. What is implied by this addition “of the world?”—1. That the bounds of the church were to be enlarged, that the Gentiles were to be called in to be partakers of the glorious light of the gospel. 2. That those very persons who were now our Saviour’s auditors, should have the honour to propagate the gospel all the world over.
3. That they must be much more eminent and exemplary, to become lights of the world, than the Jews, who were only lights of that particular country of Judæa; as a great room requires a greater illumination, to enlighten it, than a smaller one.—Jas. Blair, M.A.
The analogies of light.— I. Christian life, like the light, is active.—Light, like heat and sound, is not a substance, but a mere motion. The waves of light are very small, but their motion is inconceivably rapid. The vitality of religion is maintained by effort.
II. Christian life, like the light, is pure.—Water and fire are often used as representions of things pure and holy. Water cleanses and fire purifies. But water becomes less pure itself by washing, and fire, while it purifies one metal, contaminates other objects, by evaporating the impurities, or by making them combine with other bases at a high temperature. Water comes into contact with filth, dissolves it and carries it to a locality that was pure. Fire attacks the scene of corruption, turns all to vapour and noxious gases, which become injurious to life all around.
But look at light! It comes beautiful and pure from the sun. It enters some scene of corruption, and mingles with decay and death; and then it passes on in its glorious pathway, having brightened and blessed every object in its way. It goes, however, as it came, absolutely pure. Real Christian life is not injured by contact with sin. The history of Christian enterprise shows that the holiest men are those who, for the sake of Christ, have often come in contact with most unholy scenes.
III. Christian life, like the light, is life-giving.—Plants grow towards the light. While the light fosters and feeds the growing vegetation, it only acts as an instrument in the hands of God. The Christian church is destined, instrumentally, to convert the world.
IV. Christian life, like the light, is silent in its mode of operations.—The sun rises, and without a whisper or sound, chases the darkness away. The noise of a growing forest would not destroy an infant’s sleep. Thus, God carries on His work of grace.
V. Christian life, like the light, has various forms.—Light has colours and an immense variety of shades, and yet is every shade of colour truly “light.” It is the fault of some men that they will not recognise as religion anything which does not shape itself according to the form which religion has taken in themselves.—Evan Lewis, B.A., F.R.G.S., F.E.S.”
Finally, Step 4 in our transformation from aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel to being adopted children of God through Faith is this: The Role of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in our journey as God’s children. Romans 8:14-17 states, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”
We looked at this in detail in our last Discussion. Our focus, tonight, is the faith necessary for this transformation from our status as enemies to our becoming children to take place. The first question about Faith that I want to answer is, “How Do We Obtain Faith?”
The Preacher's Homiletical tells us, “Romans 10:17. Faith’s production and productions.—It is not sufficient to know the Bible intellectually, or to have its records stored in the memory. Many people can say perfectly the catechism of their Church, but are destitute of true religion.
Knowledge may play about the head, while the heart is unaffected and unimproved. True faith touches the heart. True faith is emotional, as well as intellectual. Faith must work by love and purify the whole nature.
I. How is true faith produced?—By what is heard through the blessing of the Holy Spirit. The thing heard is through and by the revelation of God. 1. The source of true faith is the word of God. In these days the word of God is producing unbelief in many quarters. Do we say producing? Should we not rather say that the unbelief is there, and the word of God is used maliciously for the purpose of fostering the prior unbelief?
The word of God is the source of true faith to all the true-hearted. There is in connection therewith, in its external and internal evidences, sufficient to produce faith. 2. The channel of true faith is hearing. We must hear, not to cavil, not to be pleased, but to find profit.
We must hear as the man listens to a will being read, as a man waits to hear the sentence of the judge. We must hear as for eternity. The Holy Spirit attends the word and opens the heart. Let us pray and seek for the divine Spirit, so that we may hear and live.
II. What does true faith produce?—1. It produces salvation. Faith is not salvation, but the means by which we become or realise that we are saved. Faith is not Christ, but the hand that lays hold on the Christ. Faith is not the fruit, but that by which we pluck the fruit and are refreshed. Faith is not the blessing, but that without which the blessing cannot become ours.
2. It works obedience. So that to say that the faith of the gospel is destructive of morality is to argue ignorance. Faith produces prompt obedience; the faithful have been the most moral and virtuous. 3. It is the helpmeet of simple confidence in God our father. The children of the faith are the trustful children of God.
They feel God; they hear His voice in all sounds of sweetness; they trace the impress of His feet in all things and shapes of beauty; they are not afraid of a besetting God; they march through dangers with undaunted courage. 4. It inclines them to obey and follow their Guide, and thus they come safely to their journey’s end.
The man who by faith has found salvation in and by Christ will be inclined to follow Him heartily. Let us hear, believe, and live the highest and the noblest life. A life of holiness is the best test of the sincerity of faith.”
We know now, that the Word of God, Itself, is our Source of Faith, but I hasten to add that the Apostle John refers to Jesus as the Word of God John 1:1 and Revelation 19:13. We are also told that Jesus is the “author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).
Albert Barnes writes of this, “The author and finisher of our faith - The word “our” is not in the original here, and obscures the sense. The meaning is, he is the first and the last as an example of faith or of confidence in God - occupying in this, as in all other things, the pre-eminence, and being the most complete model that can be placed before us.
The apostle had not enumerated him among those who had been distinguished for their faith, but he now refers to him as above them all; as a case that deserved to stand by itself. It is probable that there is a continuance here of the allusion to the Grecian games which the apostle had commenced in the previous verse.
The word “author” - ἀρχηγὸν archēgon - (marg. beginner) - means properly the source, or cause of anything; or one who makes a beginning. It is rendered in Acts 3:15; Acts 5:31, “Prince”; in Hebrews 2:10, “Captain”; and in the place before us, “Author.”
It does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. The phrase “the beginner of faith,” or the leader on of faith, would express the idea. He is at the head of all those who have furnished an example of confidence in God, for he was himself the most illustrious instance of it.
The expression, then, does not mean properly that he produces faith in us, or that we believe because he causes us to believe - whatever may be the truth about that - but that he stands at the head as the most eminent example that can be referred to on the subject of faith.
We are exhorted to look to him, as if at the Grecian games there was one who stood before the racer who had previously carried away every palm of victory; who had always been triumphant, and with whom there was no one who could be compared. The word “finisher” - τελειωτὴν teleiōtēn - corresponds in meaning with the word “author.” It means that he is the completer as well as the beginner; the last as well as the first.
As there has been no one hitherto who could be compared with him, so there will be no one hereafter; compare Revelation 1:8, Revelation 1:11. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the first and the last.” The word does not mean that he was the “finisher” of faith in the sense that he makes our faith complete or perfects it - whatever may be true about that - but that he occupies this elevated position of being beyond comparison above all others.
Alike in the commencement and the close, in the beginning of faith, and in its ending, he stands pre-eminent. To this illustrious model we should look – as... one who had been always so successful that he surpassed all competitors and rivals.”
By Faith, Christians are the children of God. Now that we know that the Word of God and Jesus are our Sources for Faith, our next logical question is, “What is Faith?” And that is the question that I plan to answer as we continue, God Willing, in this Series next week. I invite all of you who are hearing or reading my words to join us next week at this same time and place.
This concludes this evening's Discussion, “What Is A Christian? Part 25.”
This Discussion was presented “live” on July 10th, 2024.
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