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FROM FAITH TO FAITHWhat God believes concerning us is our exclusive source of faith, He is the authorand conclusion of our faith, we are saved by grace through faith, and even ourfaith is not from ourselves. Jesus gives definition to what God believes about us.This takes our faith beyond mere presumption or wishful thinking.In the mind of God Jesus was in fact the last Adam, the Adamic race died in Hisdeath. One died for all therefore all have died. 2 Cor.5:14,16, 17-21. Mankind’sco-inclusion also in His resurrection is the testimony of our new birth andacquittal. “Can a people be born in one day, a nation be brought forth in amoment?” Isaiah asks, Is 66:8. “After 2 days He will revive us on the 3rd day Hewill raise us up, says Hosea in chapter 6:2, Paul sees this and writes Eph.2:5,God made us alive together with Christ, while we were still dead in our sins,before we heard or believed the truth something already happened to our utmostadvantage! Our sins resulted in His death; our innocence resulted in Hisresurrection, Rom 4:25. Peter says that we were born anew into a living hopethrough the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, 1 Pet 1:3.If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in yoursins. 1Cor 15:17For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.1Co 15:21For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1Co 15:22While we live in ignorance and unbelief the veil remains, and the word profits usnothing. 2Cor 4:4 Heb 4:2.As representatives of this great announcement we are God’s ambassadors pleadingwith urgent persuasion with all of mankind to be what God already qualified themto be, reconciled. (Note, not to become reconciled but to be...)In Rom 10 Paul emphasises the effect of the word of faith that he preaches, theword that reveals the finished work of Christ in justifying the human race, bringsfaith that resonates in the heart of the hearer and spontaneously echoes in hisconversation. The religious mindset of the Jew has snared and distracted him inhis own constant and clumsy efforts to justify himself through good works, ratherthan believing that Jesus indeed was the Christ, and that in Him God has alreadyjustified them; this has veiled the revelation of Christ from them. Already inRom.1:16,17 Paul sets the stage for the revelation of God’s righteousness whichis from faith to faith. What God believes about us persuades us. God believes thatthrough His one act of righteousness, the obedience of the one man Jesus Christ,He redeemed the human race from their sins; the Lamb of God took away the sins ofthe world. This is the very ingredient of the Good news of great joy that belongsto the whole world.To announce this news to everyone is our priority privilege; to let the world knowhow forgiven, innocent, delivered and healed they already are.We often reduce the conversion experience to a magic formula, “believe in yourheart and confess with your mouth...” I believe this scripture sums up the faithresponse to the proclaimed word but was not written to become a recipe reference.In Acts 14:1 Luke says that Paul preached in such a way that many believed!Neither Jesus nor Paul used a sinner’s prayer method to lead people to faith. Whentruth is proclaimed and understood, faith comes and faith bears witness in thehuman heart and a new confession follows, one that spontaneously acknowledges thesupreme achievement of Jesus Christ on our behalf, Jesus is indeed the one whomasterfully heads up our reconciliation and union with our Maker!The moment someone sees how fully represented and included in the good of the Goodnews they already are, faith follows automatic. In our being we are the god-kindand therefore faith compatible!Check these references from Romans, the Mirror Translation,www.mirrorreflection.net
 
Romans 1:16 This is why I am not at all modest or embarrassed about the good newsof Christ, I make no apologies. The powerful rescuing act of God becomes evidentin everyone who believes. This salvation which was first declared to the Jews isnow extended to the Greeks on equal terms.1:17 The secret of the Gospel is this: God did it right in Christ; therighteousness of God means that what happened in Christ, happened to us. His faithignites ours. (From faith to faith) He is convinced about mankind and nowpersuades us to believe what He knows to be true about us. The prophets wrote inadvance about this life of righteousness which would be based on faith and not onpersonal performance. (Hab.2:4)3:21 (This brings me back to the theme of my ministry, chapter 1:1, 2, 5,16,17.)Right now the righteousness of God (the fact that God succeeded to vindicatesinful mankind in Christ) is boldly declared and defined in vivid contrast to theinability of man to do it himself (to be righteous by keeping the law.) Thisrestored standing of man is what both the law and all the prophetic writingsanticipate and confirm. (God’s dealing with man is based on the fact that man’sconscience continues to bear witness to his original design. Rom.7:22)3:22 Jesus is the embodiment of God’s faith in man. The righteousness of God isnow on display in such a way that all may believe, regardless of who they are,there is no distinction.3:23 The same mass of mankind that was once reduced to an inferior identitythrough their sin,3:24 is now gifted with acquittal on the basis of the ransom paid by Jesus Christfor their liberation.3:25 Jesus is the public exhibition of God’s mercy. His blood persuades mankindthat God has dealt with the historic record of their sin.He has done it in such a way that His own justice is satisfied. All along Godrefused to let go of man.3:26 At this very moment His act of righteousness is pointing mankind to theevidence of their innocence, with Jesus as the source of their faith.3:27 The law of faith cancels the law of works; which means there is suddenlynothing left for man to boast in. No one is superior to another.(Bragging only makes sense if there is someone to compete with or impress.)3:28 This leaves us with only one logical conclusion, mankind is justified byfaith and not by their ability to keep the law.3:29 Which means that God is not the private property of the Jews but belongsequally to all the nations. (While the law excludes the non-Jewish nations, faithincludes us all on level terms.)3:30 There is only one God, He deals with everyone, circumcised or uncircumcisedexclusively on the basis of faith.3:31 No, faith does not re-write the rules; instead it confirms that the originallife-quality meant for mankind as documented in the law, is again realised.4:24 God had us in mind. The same logical conclusion is now relevant to everyone’sfaith. The resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead is the consummation andchief ingredient of faith.4:25 Our sins resulted in His death; our innocence resulted in His resurrection.5:12 One man opened the door to sin, sin introduced (spiritual) death; both sinand (spiritual) death had a global impact, no one escaped its tyranny.5:13 The law did not introduce sin; sin was just not pointed out yet.5:14 In the mean time (spiritual) death dominated from Adam to Moses, (2500 yearsbefore the law was introduced) no one was excluded; even those whosetransgressions were different from Adam’s. The fact is that Adam’s offence set sininto motion, and its mark was globally transmitted and stained the whole humanrace.5:15 The only similarity in the comparison between the offence and the gift, isthat both Adam and Christ represent the masses, their single action thereforebears universal consequence. However the difference in effect is vast, one leadsto (spiritual) death, the other to limitless life.
 
5:16 The difference between the two men is further emphasised in that judgementand condemnation followed a single offence, whereas the free gift of acquittal andrighteousness follows innumerable sins.5:17 If (spiritual) death saw the gap in one sin, and grabbed the opportunity todominate mankind in Adam, how much more may we now seize the advantage to reign inrighteousness in this life through that one act of Christ, who declared usinnocent by His grace. Grace is out of all proportion in superiority to thetransgression.5:18 The conclusion is clear: it took just one offence to condemn mankind; one actof righteousness declares the same mankind innocent.5:19 The disobedience of the one man exhibits humanity as sinners, the obedienceof another man exhibits humanity as righteous.5:20 The presence of the law made no difference, instead it merely highlighted theoffence; but where sin increased, grace superseded it.5:21 (Spiritual) death provided sin its platform and power to reign from, nowgrace has taken over sovereignty through righteousness to introduce unthreatenedlife under the Lordship of Jesus Christ over us.6:8 Faith sees us joined in His death and alive with Him in His resurrection.6:9 It is plain for all to see that death lost its dominion over Christ in Hisresurrection, he need not ever die again to prove a further point.6:10 His appointment with death was a once-off. As far as sin is concerned, He isdead. This is the final testimony of the fact that sin’s power over man isdestroyed. Now it is all life as far as God is concerned. His life reveals anuninterrupted union with the life of God.6:11 This reasoning is equally relevant to you. Make the calculation, you died andare now alive unto God. You are absent to sin and present with God in Christ Jesuswho is our Master.6:12 You are under no obligation to sin, it has no further rights to dominate yourdead body. Therefore let it not entice you to obey its lusts.6:13 Do not let the members of your body lie around loose and unguarded in thevicinity of unrighteousness, where sin can seize it and use it as a destructiveweapon against you; rather place yourself in readiness unto God, like someoneresurrected from the dead, present your whole person as a weapon of righteousness,(enforcing God’s grace claim on mankind in Christ.)6:14 Sin was your master while the law was your measure; now grace rules. (The lawrevealed your slavery to sin, now grace reveals your freedom from it.)6:15 Being under grace and not under the law most certainly does not mean that younow have a licence to sin.6:16 As much as you once gave permission to sin to trap you in its spiral ofspiritual death and enslave you to its dictates, the obedience that faith ignitesnow, introduces a new rule, rightness with God; to this we willingly yieldourselves. (Righteousness represents everything that God restored us to, inChrist.)6:17 The quality of teaching that your heart embraced has set a new standard tobecome the pattern of your life, the grace of God ended sin’s dominance.6:18 Sin once called the shots; now righteousness rules.6:19 I want to say it as plainly as possible, so that the most simple-mindedamongst us can understand the parallel: you willingly offered your faculties toobey sin, you stained your body with unclean acts and allowed lawlessness to gainsupremacy in all of your conduct; in exactly the same way, I now encourage you topresent your faculties and person to the supremacy of righteousness to findunrestricted expression in your lifestyle. Sin had the full use of your body then;now righteousness does.6:20 You were sins’ slaves without any obligation to righteousness.6:21 I know you are embarrassed now about the things you used to do with yourbody; I mean was it worth it? What reward or return did you get but spiritualdeath? Sin is a cul-de-sac.6:22 Consider your life now; there are no outstanding debts, you owe sin nothing.
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