Prax said:
We are justified by faith alone
before God who alone knows the heart. We are justified by works
before our peers. Abraham was justified
by a faith alone before God. Any action which subsequently brought justification was for the benefit of men who looked back on his life. If Abraham was justified by works (which he was) he had whereof to glory, but not before God (
Romans 4:2).
It is this peer justification James speaks about. The visible outcroppings of our faith which manifest our heart condition to our peers. Paul deals with a justification before the Almighty. He deals with our declaration of right standing before God which takes place in the invisible confines of the soul.
Mizpeh and Prax, by placing faith in the word of God we set to seal that God is true.
John 3:33He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
Those who accept the record God gave of his Son verify the sovereignty of God by acknowledging the sovereignty of his word. Those who do not "make God a liar."
1John 5:10He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
An acceptance of God's word as sovereign is a reestablishment of Lordship. When man ate of the tree in the garden he chose to place his own word above that of God thus transferring Lordship to himself. The first commandment is not to have any gods before the Almighty. By denying God's word, man made himself god. We only transfer Lordship back to the Almighty when we again allow his word to be placed above ours. Our submission to his word is an acknowledgment of YHWH's LORDSHIP.
Righteousness is imputed to those who accept God's word/testimony. God loved us enough to send his Son to die for our sins. To reject the word of this wonderful testimony is to spit in the face of the Almighty. This is the only testimony (the record God gave of his Son) which will bring the imputation of righteousness.
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