A Trying Day

by Mike Ratliff

My wife had surgery today. It was carpel tunnel surgery on her right hand. She had the left had done about six weeks ago. In any case, we were at the hospital from about 8:30am this morning until the middle of the afternoon. While I was waiting for the surgery to end and rejoin my wife in the recovery area I was bombarded by a series of bizarre posts and questions from a person who’s theology could best be described as 100% work’s righteousness based upon cherry picked, out of context passages to support his “theology” then when I responded by placing that passage in the correct context and with passages that showed the exact opposite point he was trying to make he would accuse me of making scripture argue against itself as per the following:

“Scripture does NOT argue against scripture!, but every pontificator of substitutionary atonement resorts to that tactic as a defense. “But now a righteousness from God has been made manifest, apart OF law” Greek does not have prepositions and some foolish and stupid translator picked the wrong one! Romans 2:13 is NOT a false statement. DO NOT MAKE THE SCRIPTURE ARGUE AGAINST ITSELF UNDERSTAND!?”

No matter how I responded showing the wonderful truths of Justification by Grace alone through Faith alone as God’s gift, this is how he always responded. Then I decided to translate Romans 2:13.

13 οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἀκροαταὶ νόμου δίκαιοι παρὰ [τῷ] θεῷ, ἀλλʼ οἱ ποιηταὶ νόμου δικαιωθήσονται. (Romans 2:13 NA28)

13 For the law hearers are not just with God, but the law doers will be justified. (Romans 2:13 translated from the NA28 Greek text)

Hmmmm, doesn’t that sound familiar?

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25 ESV)

Of course, we could expound the rest of James thesis of James 1 and 2 and see that genuine faith produces good works, which is what Paul tell us in Ephesians 2:10 that we who are Justified by grace through faith as God’s gift are, “are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them“.

My wife is doing fine and I am not in the least intimidated by this “heretic” whom the enemy is attempting to use for whatever reason to attack me and this ministry. I have blocked him from commenting for he refuses to follow the rules. I do ask that you continue to lift us up in prayer for my wife’s healing and that God will continue to use me according to His will all for His glory.

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

 

 

 

The Doctrine Of Justification By Faith

by Mike Ratliff

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV)

The Protestant Reformation was used by God to restore the lost doctrine of Justification by Faith. Also, all of the reformers were adamant that the Bible be available to all people in a language they could read and understand. The Roman Catholic Church of that era was apostate and taught a corrupt gospel based on works. The Bible was kept locked up and away from non-scholars. It was always read verbally to the people in Latin, which few understood. As the Bible was translated from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into German, English, French, etc. the doctrine of Justification by Faith became central. Why would our enemy and his seed seek to bury this doctrine within religion?