ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu’apulelulu Me 26, 2022

THE MERIT OF WORKS CEASES

FAKANGATA ‘A E NGAUE’I ‘O E FAKAMO’UI

ROMANS 3:21-24

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

LOMA 3:21-24

Ka ‘i onopooni kuo fakae‘a ha fakatonuhia mei he ‘Otua, ‘a ia ‘oku ta‘ekau ai ‘a e lao, ka ‘oku ‘i ai ha lau ki ai ‘i he Lao mo e Tohi palōfita. ‘Io, ko e fakatonuhia mei he ‘Otua ‘oku fou mai ‘i he tui kia Sīsū Kalaisi ki he kakai kotoa pē ‘oku tui. He ‘oku ‘ikai ha fai kehekehe; he kuo fai angahala kotoa pē pea ‘oku ‘ikai te nau a‘usia ‘a e hōifua ‘a e ‘Otua; ka nau ma‘u foaki pē ‘a e fakatonuhia ‘i he‘ene ‘ofa pē ‘a‘ana, ko e me‘a ‘i he totongi huhu‘i ‘a ia kuo ‘ia Kalaisi Sīsū.

 

Sola Fide - Faith Alone - Ko e Tui´ pe    

Whosoever obtains righteousness by works, his merits come into account before God. But we apprehend righteousness by faith, when God freely reconciles us to Himself. Whence it follows that the merit of works ceases when righteousness is sought by faith; for it is necessary that this righteousness should be freely given by God, and offered in His Word, in order that anyone may possess it by faith.

To render this more intelligible, when Moses says that faith was imputed to Abram for righteousness, he does not mean that faith was that first cause of righteousness, but only the formal cause; as if he had said that Abram was therefore justified, because, relying on the paternal lovingkindness of God, he trusted to His mere goodness, and not to himself, nor to his own merits. For it is especially to be observed that faith borrows a righteousness elsewhere, of which we, in ourselves, are destitute; otherwise it would be in vain for Paul to set faith in opposition to works, when speaking of the mode of obtaining righteousness.

JOHN CALVIN

Ko ia pe ‘oku ne pehee ‘oku ne ma’u ‘a e ma’oni’oni ‘i he’ene ngaue, kuopau ke fakamaau’i ‘a e ola ‘o ‘ene ngaue ‘e he ‘Otua. Ka ko kitautolu ia, na’a tau ma’u ma’oni’oni fou ‘i he tui, ‘i he taimi na’e fakalelei ai kitautolu ‘e he ‘Otua kiate Ia. ‘Io, na’e fakangata ‘a e ngaahi ngaue ko eni, ‘i he taimi na’a tau ma’u ma’oni’oni ai ‘i he’etau kakapa ki he Tui; he ko e ma’oni’oni eni ia na’e foaki ta’etotongi ‘e he ‘Otua, fou ‘i he’ene Folofola, koe’uhi ke ma’u ia ‘e he taha pe ‘e tui.

‘I hono toe fakalea ke mahino ange, ‘i he taimi na’e hiki ai ‘e Mosese ‘o pehee, na’e tui ‘a ‘Epalame pea lau ia ma’a ne ma’oni’oni, na’e ‘ikai ‘uhinga ia, na’e fakatupu ‘e he tui ‘ene ma’oni’oni, ka ko e founga pe ia; na’e hange pe ko ha’ane pehee mai, na’e fakatonuhia’i ‘a ‘Epalame, koe’uhi ko ‘ene fakafalala ki he ‘ofa faka-Tamai ‘a e ‘Otua, mo ‘ene angalelei, ‘o ‘ikai falala kiate ia pe, pe ki ha’ane ngaue. He ‘oku kole ‘e he tui ‘a e ma’oni’oni mei ha potu kehe, he ko kitautolu ia, ‘oku tau hala ‘ataa; ko e ‘uhinga ia na’e ‘omi ai ‘e Paula ‘a e tui ke mahino ‘oku tu’u fehangahangai mo e ngaue, ke mahino ko e founga pe ia ‘o hono ma’u ‘o e ma’oni’oni, ka ‘oku ‘ikai ko e tupu’angaa ia.