By Marko Kiroglu

SALVATION & JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH

Justification in the presence of God and salvation from the consequences of our rebellious and sinful nature is the need of every person.

In Romans 7 Apostle Paul reminds us that all of humanity struggles with a sinful nature. Paul was one of the most learned men of his time. He knew the law of God and the Holy Scripture very well. And still, he says that he cannot help himself in regards his sinful human nature. In spite of all his learning and service unto the Lord, he struggled with his sinful nature, his sinful flesh. This is true for all of us. 

And I want to remind you of this. Maybe you are struggling with various frustrating sinful things in your life, just like Apostle Paul. You know what is right. You know what God expects of you. You know what the Bible says. But in spite of the fact that you know all of that, you still cannot completely stop doing what is wrong, and still fail to do what is right. That is the frustrating and disappointing point Apostle Paul is making in Romans chapter 7.  At the end of this chapter, after Paul explains his frustration, he then asks who will save him from his wretched body, from his wretched flesh within which he dwells? And that is so true for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. 

If we’re honest with ourselves, we will realise we are exactly in the same place where Apostle Paul was. None of us is any better than him in this regard. The more we read the Bible, the more time we spend with God, the more we learn about the character of God and the standards of God - God’s holiness and what God expects from us. But this knowledge alone cannot automatically transform us. On the one hand we learn about God and His expectations, but on the other hand we still struggle to get there. In fact, the more we try, the more we realise that we are failing. That is the problem we all face just like Paul in Romans chapter 7.

And then we come to Romans chapter 8. In the first verse of Romans 8 we read this: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. (NIV) This verse, in the light of the discussion in chapter 7, simply says that in spite of the fact that we now know what God expects of us and we fail to meet God's expectations, we are not under condemnation because of our faith Christ. In other words, although, we want to do what is right, we cannot keep doing what is right, instead we keep doing what is wrong, even though we hate what is wrong. In spite of this great problem we face with our sinful nature, Romans 8:1 says that there is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ. 

This fits perfectly in the narrative of the rest of the Bible. Previously we learned - that we are saved by grace, because Christ died on the cross for our sins. Not because of our good works. Not because of our religious perfection. Not because we are doing some things better than other people. No, not at all. Any person is saved through faith in Jesus Christ by the grace of God as we read in Ephesian 2:8-9: 

"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." 

Furthermore, here is what God says in Romans 10:9-10:

 "if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved."

SANCTIFICATION & GOOD WORKS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

Salvation and justification is by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works or religious perfection. However, on top of salvation and justification by faith, the believer also needs to go through sanctification and doing the good works and deeds that God expects from us. That, my friends, that great and miraculous work of sanctification can only be done by the Holy Spirit. No human, by his own religious efforts and performance can sanctify himself or please God by his good works. Even Apostle Paul could not succeed in doing it as we have seen in Romans 7. 

In Romans 8 from verse 2 to 11 we read that - if we walk by the Holy Spirit, if the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us and transforming our hearts, we will start doing the works of the Holy Spirit. 

In other words, sanctification is the work of transformation, or as some would say, "regeneration" that the Holy Spirit performs in believers who would allow Him. 

This is very important. It’s so deep in its essence that it’s difficult to summarise it. Basically these 10 verses (Rom 8:2-11) say that anything good and beautiful that we can possibly do, is actually because of the Holy Spirit that is in us and that is changing our hearts and that is leading us to do what is good and what is beautiful unto God.

In Galatians 5, we are reminded again how all the natural works of a human is sin and rebellion in the light of God's holiness. As we have seen in Romans 7, even after some become a believer, that sinful human nature is still there in total rebellion against God. However, when the Holy Spirit comes upon a believer, fills him and begins the work of transformation in him, only then can he/she begin to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Pay attention to the wording in the verses below, all that is good and acceptable unto God is not the work of human flesh nor human efforts but the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I want to remind you of Galatians 5:16-26:

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another."

This is also perfectly in line with what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and what happened on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Even the apostles and first followers of Christ who walked, talked and even shared a meal with Christ did not have the ability or the power to transform themselves or to be witnesses of Christ until the Holy Spirit came upon them. When the Holy Spirit came, He began the work of transformation (regeneration) in them and also empowered them to be the witnesses of Christ, in other words, to do the good works that God expected from them. The same truth goes also for you and me today. Without the Holy Spirit coming and working in our hearts we cannot experience transformation (regeneration) nor can we produce any good works. Thus all and any good fruit or works a believer produces is not due to his abilities or personal efforts but by the power of the Holy Spirit alone. 

No one, not even the believers of Jesus Christ who are saved and sanctified by faith and through the grace of God, has the ability to please God without the work of the Holy Spirit in their heart. This is important to understand. Nobody can please God by their own religious acts. None of us can do what is right and what is good in the eyes of God with our own efforts, with our own religious discipline or religious rigor. We don’t have what it takes to be able to do that. Instead we will only end up doing what is wrong and what is detested by God. 

But the moment the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and fills us, He starts working in our hearts, gradually, slowly but surely. The Holy Spirit makes saints and servants of God from sinful people who have been saved by the grace of Jesus Christ. 

So then, in the light of this truth you can see that, baptism of the Holy Spirit and thereafter walking or living by the guidance of the Holy Spirit is an indispensable part and parcel of the life of anyone who wants to please God and live holy. 

In other words, no true holiness can be attained without the Holy Spirit. Although salvation and justification can be attained by faith in Christ by anyone, holiness and pleasing service unto God can be achieved by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.