Page 25 - lifeandgrace
P. 25
Identity II (paragraph format)
(Birth versus Performance)
By Rene P. Brown
Man’s ideas about relating to their god usually revolve around having a performance which will
please him, whoever god might be. Regardless of whether it is Islam or Buddhism or Hinduism or native
religions, man’s idea is to so walk on the earth as to please the god he has set up in his own mind.
Performance in his own strength as a way of pleasing the god is at the center of those religions. But
Christianity is about a relationship based on faith, not performance. Yes, we believers desire to please
God, but it flows out of our love for Him, and His love for us. It is not to gain anything from our God, but
a loving response to Him.
Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, never intended His relationship with man to be performance based
as a means of righteousness. It was always to be based on FAITH. (Rom 4:3 RSV) "For what does the
scripture say?” Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. It had nothing to do
with performance. In fact, Abraham was a liar and endangered his own wife by lying in Genesis 12:13-19
to Pharaoh. He did it again in Genesis 20:2 to Abimelech. Also, he passed on the iniquity to his son Isaac
as he lied in the same way in Genesis 26:7.
In spite of this sin, Abraham was righteous because righteousness was imputed to him based on his
faith. It was not based on his performance, that is, lack of sin, as he indeed did sin. From the context it
seems obvious that God loved Abraham and Isaac his son and also Jacob, his grandson. The basis of the
relationship was faith, not their actions. Jacob was a schemer, a cheat, a thief, and yet, he believed God,
and it was also reckoned to him as righteousness. Abraham did nothing to justify himself. He merely
believed God, and God received that faith and in turn reckoned righteousness to Abraham. Abraham is
the father of all who have a faith relationship with Yahweh, the God of Israel, our Creator, that is, a
relationship not based on works but on faith.
Most of the church understands that our righteousness is based solely on the blood of Jesus Christ,
God’s own Son, who died on Calvary on the cross for our sins. Through this one act, God was reconciled
to the whole world. 2Cor 5:18-19 (RSV) "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to
himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to
himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."
The entire basis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ rests on the structure that man could do nothing to save
himself, that God had to do it all for him. It was because of one simple reason: Man in his fallen, sinful,
sinner identity could do nothing that would please God enough to allow God to fellowship with man, any
man. Nor could his sins be forgiven. There was no performance by man involved in this provision which
God made for man’s salvation.
Now when a man believes on the name of the Lord Jesus, accepts His sacrifice to wash away his sins
that man is justified in the sight of God entirely because of what Jesus did. All man can do is to trust in
God that God indeed has made that provision for our salvation. Rom 10:9-10 (RSV) "because, if you
confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. 10For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so
is saved." Eph 2:8-9 (RSV) "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own
doing, it is the gift of God-- 9not because of works, lest any man should boast." Eph 2:5 (RSV) "even
when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been
saved)," Even our faith is a gift of God!
(Birth versus Performance)
By Rene P. Brown
Man’s ideas about relating to their god usually revolve around having a performance which will
please him, whoever god might be. Regardless of whether it is Islam or Buddhism or Hinduism or native
religions, man’s idea is to so walk on the earth as to please the god he has set up in his own mind.
Performance in his own strength as a way of pleasing the god is at the center of those religions. But
Christianity is about a relationship based on faith, not performance. Yes, we believers desire to please
God, but it flows out of our love for Him, and His love for us. It is not to gain anything from our God, but
a loving response to Him.
Yahweh, the God of the Israelites, never intended His relationship with man to be performance based
as a means of righteousness. It was always to be based on FAITH. (Rom 4:3 RSV) "For what does the
scripture say?” Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. It had nothing to do
with performance. In fact, Abraham was a liar and endangered his own wife by lying in Genesis 12:13-19
to Pharaoh. He did it again in Genesis 20:2 to Abimelech. Also, he passed on the iniquity to his son Isaac
as he lied in the same way in Genesis 26:7.
In spite of this sin, Abraham was righteous because righteousness was imputed to him based on his
faith. It was not based on his performance, that is, lack of sin, as he indeed did sin. From the context it
seems obvious that God loved Abraham and Isaac his son and also Jacob, his grandson. The basis of the
relationship was faith, not their actions. Jacob was a schemer, a cheat, a thief, and yet, he believed God,
and it was also reckoned to him as righteousness. Abraham did nothing to justify himself. He merely
believed God, and God received that faith and in turn reckoned righteousness to Abraham. Abraham is
the father of all who have a faith relationship with Yahweh, the God of Israel, our Creator, that is, a
relationship not based on works but on faith.
Most of the church understands that our righteousness is based solely on the blood of Jesus Christ,
God’s own Son, who died on Calvary on the cross for our sins. Through this one act, God was reconciled
to the whole world. 2Cor 5:18-19 (RSV) "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to
himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to
himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."
The entire basis of the Gospel of Jesus Christ rests on the structure that man could do nothing to save
himself, that God had to do it all for him. It was because of one simple reason: Man in his fallen, sinful,
sinner identity could do nothing that would please God enough to allow God to fellowship with man, any
man. Nor could his sins be forgiven. There was no performance by man involved in this provision which
God made for man’s salvation.
Now when a man believes on the name of the Lord Jesus, accepts His sacrifice to wash away his sins
that man is justified in the sight of God entirely because of what Jesus did. All man can do is to trust in
God that God indeed has made that provision for our salvation. Rom 10:9-10 (RSV) "because, if you
confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. 10For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so
is saved." Eph 2:8-9 (RSV) "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own
doing, it is the gift of God-- 9not because of works, lest any man should boast." Eph 2:5 (RSV) "even
when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been
saved)," Even our faith is a gift of God!
