AN IMPORTANT POINT
Another bit of information you can totally ignore if you wish!!!
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Please note: The phrase "righteousness BY faith" does not occur in the book of Romans.
There it is always written: "...the righteousness OF faith..." which means the righteousness or the actions of rightdoing, which are the legitmate PRODUCT of faith, for righteousness is DOING things.
However, "justification by faith" is a common expression in the letter and this refers to the experience of receiving the gift of the righteousness of God without attempting to earn it. This latter experience is also called
"rebirth",
"the exchange of natures",
or "putting on the new man" .
It is important that these two quite different experiences (imputed and imparted righteousness) be kept separate and distinct in the reading of this letter because there is a false teaching which claims that righteousness (the righteous actions of keeping the Law) are totally imputed to the saint’s account and are not actually necessary in the life. It is sometimes called "righteousness BY faith". But God says,
"Little children, let no man deceive you. He that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous... let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth". 1 John 3:7-18.
The words "righteousness by faith" are found only once in the entire king James Bible, and there they simply mean that we wait BY FAITH for the HOPE of righteousness, which in this case is redemption.
"For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith". Galatians 5:5. New King James version.
"For it is by faith that we await in his Spirit the righteousness we hope to see". J. B. Phillips’ translation — (emphasis in the original).
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On to the Letter to
the Romans - Chapter One
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