If it's true that justification is by faith alone, apart from works of the law, how do you

live this out? How do you endure till that happens? How do you serve in such a way as

to make God look great and not you? How do you live by the faith that you

were justified by? How do you live by the faith you're justified by? That's the

question John Piper answers in this episode of Light and Truth. This sermon was

originally preached at a 2002 ministry gathering in Venice, Waiteland.

Now to the one who works, his wages are not reckoned according to grace but

according to debt. That's a literal translation. If you work for God, if you try

to get fixed by working for God, even in the mission field, you will not have

grace. You will have debt. You say, okay, pay me wages, God, because I'm working for

you and you'll get wages and the wages from God are one thing, death. The only good

thing you can get from God is a gift. If you want wages, you die. If you want a gift,

you can have it. If you believe in for it, which is why he goes on in verse 5 of chapter 4 to

the one who does not work, but here's the alternative. Trusts him who

justifies the ungodly. His faith is counted as righteousness. That's why I say and

that's why the Protestant Reformation has always said justified by faith alone,

apart from works of the law. In fact, chapter 3 verse 28 said that, chapter 3

verse 28, we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. You cannot

improve your standing with God by works of the law because Christ is your standing with

God. When you trust Jesus, you're united to Jesus and Jesus righteousness becomes your

righteousness and your sin becomes his sin. Two verses to show that. 519. Romans 519. As

by one man's disobedience, the many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience, the

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