Galatians 3:11
11 But [de] that [hoti] no man [oudeis] is
justified [dikaioo] by [en] the law [nomos] in the
sight [para] of God, [theos] it is evident: [delos] for,
[hoti] The just [dikaios] shall live [zao] by [ek] faith. [pistis] KJV-Interlinear
11 Now that no one is justified
by the Law before God is evident; for, " The righteous man shall live by
faith. " NASB
Quoting from the Old Testament again, Hab. 2:4, Paul
herein again states and confirms his argument that no person can be justified
by the law, but that there is only one way of justification, and that way is by
means of faith and faith alone.
Justification occurs in two phases. The first phase is of course salvation,
wherein when you believe in Christ then you are saved and bound for heaven
instead of the Lake of Fire. This takes
but a moment in time.
The second aspect of justification is the spiritual
edification or structure that is constructed within your soul, as God through
doctrine and the spiritual life, brings you to a point of completion. This takes the rest of your life.
Salvation is not your completion, it is merely a
new birth, thus it is said when you believe in Christ, that you are born again.
And it should be obvious that when you are born,
the next aspect of your life is to grow up. This is true for your physical life
and it is true with your spiritual life. Birth takes a very short time. The rest of your life takes years and years
and years.
No one is born complete.
After you have been born, you have to learn how to
speak and to read and write and think and on and on. The spiritual life is the same.
Granted you may know a great deal of biblical
information, even the complete stories that are in the bible prior to being
saved, but when you are saved, even at an older age, your spiritual life is
just getting started. That knowledge in
your mind is academic knowledge, not spiritual edification. And spiritual edification takes time and the reconstruction
of all of that knowledge in your soul in a spiritual form with spiritual
results.
Faith is the key.
Faith is Gods work within you, not your work within yourself.
The Law represents the energy of ones own effort
for oneself, hoping that God will approve of your own efforts. But not so. Works lead to nothing.
Faith is the one and only mechanism of functioning
and advancing within Gods plan, and ones own spiritual life.
