FAITH OF CHRIST

In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the FAITH OF HIM – Ephesians 3:12

As important as faith IN Christ is, there is a more fundamental pedestal – the Faith OF Christ, the faith OF the Son of God! Our “faith IN Christ” is the result of “the faith OF Christ,” by which we have righteousness with God. My access, boldness and confidence before God do not derive from my repentance or my faith, both of which are divine gifts, but from the Faith of Christ (Eph.3:12). All my hope before God is based on the DOING, DYING and RISING of the Lord Jesus Christ, my eternal Saviour. The song-writer said: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness!”

Jesus answered all the claims of Divine Justice against me. Neither my repentance nor my faith secured my pardon and perfect standing before God. No, I received those gifts of grace because pardon and perfect standing – Righteousness – had been secured by my Substitute! Justification had been accomplished by Christ in the court of heaven; hence I can now be justified in the court of my own conscience by faith in Christ. Paul uses this phrase, “the faith of Christ,” seven times in his writings (Rom 3:22; Gal. 2:16, 20; 3:22; Eph. 3:12; Phil. 3:9), each referring to justification accomplished for us by Christ!

We have been conditioned to think of faith only in connection with ourselves. That’s why for many, faith is a “struggle” rather than a “Rest”! True faith looks away from SELF to CHRIST, and looking to Christ, we see our justification fully accomplished in Him and are justified by Him. Trusting Christ, we receive complete, final, full justification in Him and have peace with God (Rom. 4:25-5:12). Only the faith of Christ can produce the “righteousness of God…unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom.3:22). “But the scripture hath concluded all under sin; that the promise by FAITH OF Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe” (Gal.3:22).

The Faith of Christ operates through identification with Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection. Paul was a conscientious, zealous, sincere, law-keeping, religious man. He gave up all of this, and expressed a passionate desire to win Christ and “be found - in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the FAITH OF Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” (Phil. 3:9). It was on this basis that Paul affirmed: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the FAITH OF the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal.2:20). That simply means: I live before God, not by my faith but by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Christ LIVES IN me. Christ IS my life (Col.3:4). Christianity is more than a religion; it is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory (Col.1:27); Christ formed in you; and Christ seen through you!