Roger Duke
Feb 272 min read
Roger Duke
Feb 272 min read
February 9 - I Believe His Righteousness is Received by Faith
Roger Duke
“And he [Abraham] believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness”
Genesis 15: 6.
This entry is taken from Daily Readings - John Bunyan a 366 day devotional edited by (and posted with permission from) Roger D. Duke, Scholar-in-Residence at Stage & Story, and published by Christian Heritage Press.
Each month focuses on a different book or writing by Bunyan. For February: My Confession of Faith (or A Confession of My Faith and a Reason of My Practice, or, With Who, and Who Not, I can Hold Church-fellowship, or the Communion of Saints)
I believe that the offer of His righteousness, as tendered in the Gospel, is to be received by faith. We are still in the very act of receiving it, judging ourselves sinners in our selves. Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death. I thank God through Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. The Gospel is preached in all nations for the obedience of faith. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (a sacrifice to appease the displeasure of God) through faith in his blood. [This] declares his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed [over by] the forbearance of God. To declare . . . at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth on Jesus. Therefore, men and brethren, . . . this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Romans 7: 24; Act 16: 31: Romans 3:24-25: Acts 13: 38-39).
I believe that this faith, in respect to the imputation of this righteousness avails for justification before God. It is put forth itself in such ways as purely respect the offer of a gift. It is received, accepted, embraced, and trusted. As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (John: 12; 1; Timothy 1: 15; Hebrews 11: 13; & Ephesians 1: 13).
John Bunyan was a preacher, theologian and author, whose best-known work, The Pilgrim's Progress, has challenged and influenced readers for almost 350 years.
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