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Justified By Faith
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whenever an apostle says, “we” he does not mean “we humans.” He
means “we believers.” Justification takes place only for believers now
before death. After death, it’s too late. Now is the day of salvation. Behold
now is the accepted time. All unbelievers will be found guilty.
To be justified means to be forgiven and found not guilty, just as if we
had never sinned. Peace with God comes only through our Lord Jesus
Christ. There is no other way to be justified before God and to be saved.
Do you want to be wrong?
Every man wants to be right. Every man wants to be justified. Just let
someone accuse him and watch how he defends himself. The natural man
tries to justify himself by excusing his sin or looking for loopholes. That is
the opposite way to be justified before God. God’s way is to side with God
against yourself. Jesus said, “Agree with your adversary quickly lest you
get handed over to the tormentor.” We are not justified by faith in
ourselves. That only makes us even guiltier.
That does not mean we should say we are guilty if we’re not. Even
Job presented his self-defense. But to be in denial when we are guilty is
another matter.
Denial brings condemnation. Confession brings forgiveness.
Defensiveness makes God your enemy. Contrition makes Him your friend.
If you had been the king of Israel and the prophet pointed his
accusing finger at you and said, “Thou art the man,” how would you
respond? Most kings would kill the prophet. David fessed up and sought
mercy. He said, “Have mercy on me, O God… [2] Wash me… and cleanse
me from my sin! [7] Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:1-7 ESV)
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The Way To Not Be Justified
is not by grasping for biblical proof texts and rationalizing our way into
feeling good about ourselves. Nor does it come by faith in faith. Nor does it
come by comparing ourselves with others. Isaiah said, “Woe is me! For I
am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” (Isaiah
6:5). Rather than comparing himself with others to justify himself, he saw
his guilt for just being a part. It only added to his guilt.
Only God can justify the sinner. It will never come by justifying
ourselves. A man asked Jesus what he needed to do to be justified. Jesus
said, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” “But he, desiring
to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)
When people do that, they are actually at war with the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit’s purpose in using the Law to convince the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgment is to shut every mouth pronounce all the
world guilty before God.
Jesus said, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many
mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never
knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:22-
23). The Lord knows those who are His. On judgment day every mouth
will be shut because they will at last be convinced, but too late.
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How Is Justification Possible?
Since all have sinned and come short of God’s glory, how can such a
thing be? How can a just God justify sinners and still be just?
To understand that, we have to know what God is like. Moses asked
God, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my
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goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The
LORD.’ [I AM] And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will
show mercy on whom I will show mercy. [on His terms only] [20] But,” he
said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” [21] And
the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on
the rock, [22] and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the
rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. [23] Then I
will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not
be seen.” (Exodus 33:18-23) “The LORD descended in the cloud and stood
with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. [6] The LORD
passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful
and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness, [7] keeping steadfast love for [a thousand generations],
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means
clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the
children's children, to the third and the fourth generation” (Exodus 34:5-
7). When you see that, you see God’s glory.
By No Means Clearing The Guilty
God forgives sin but by no means clears the guilty. What does that mean?
Isn’t forgiving sin the same as clearing the guilty? It means that God by no
means excuses sin. The world says, “Oh, it’s not that serious. God
understands. He’s not like the Bible says.” God only forgives sin when
satisfaction is met.
Satisfaction is called Atonement
In order for God to forgive sin, public justice must first be satisfied.
Man committed sacrilege when he robbed God in eating of the God’s tree.
The penalty is death. The man, Christ Jesus paid that penalty and made
restitution for man. “The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all”
(Isaiah 53:6). That’s called, “the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
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Justification flows from the redemption that is in Christ. In that
redemption, the guilty sinner trades places with the spotless Lamb of God.
He who knew no sin became sin that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. That is the only possible way anyone can be forgiven.
Satisfaction must be made.
But satisfaction is two fold. Just because Christ’s sacrifice makes
satisfaction for all men, that satisfaction must be met with a similar
sacrifice; a broken and contrite heart. David said, “For you will not delight
in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt
offering. [17] The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and
contrite heart, O God, you will not despise… [19] then will you delight in
in burnt offerings…” (Psalm 51:16-19) Only after the sacrifice of a broken
and contrite heart is offered will the Lord delight in outward sacrifices.
And only then will satisfaction be complete.
You Will Not Delight In Sacrifice
What if David had thought, “Oh well, I’ll just go and offer a burnt
offering and surely God will understand and forgive me. Didn’t He promise
that in Leviticus?” Or today, “What if I just say 50 ‘Hail Mary’s?” Or, “What
if I give all my goods to feed the poor?” No, The Lord will not be pleased
with such burnt offerings. He demands a broken spirit, a broken and
contrite heart. When God sees that, He forgives and justifies the ungodly.
He does not justify those who think they are righteous. He came not
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Justification Alone Saves From God’s Wrath
[9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall
we be saved by him from the wrath of God. If a sinner has not been justified,
he is still under God’s wrath. God is angry with him. God is mad at you if
you have not been justified. The Bible says the friend of the world is the
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enemy of God. And what is the world? It’s the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eye (greed), and the pride of life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 calls it,
Only justified sinners can
Hear His Voice God showed Ezekiel a valley of dead dry bones and said, “Son of man, can these bones live? Prophesy to them and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord?’ Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. These bones are the whole house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:5). Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice and they follow me.” The word of God has the power to either kill or to give life. It kills those who can’t hear it and gives life to those who do hear. It even has power to make deaf ears hear. “O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD… Behold, I will cause breath [My Spirit] to enter you, and you shall live.”
Justified By Faith
The MessagePastor Ron Smith
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have
been justified by faith, we
have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Do you want to be wrong?
“Agree with your adversary quickly lest
you get handed over to the judge”
(Matthew 5:25).
Denial brings condemnation.
Defensiveness makes God your enemy.
Confession and contrition make Him your
friend.
The Way to Not Be Justified
Not by grasping for biblical proof texts.
Not by faith in faith.
Not by comparing ourselves with others.
Not by justifying ourselves.
How Is Justification Possible?
“…by no means clear the guilty, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers on the children”
(Exodus 34:5-7).
By No Means Clearing the Guilty
God by no means excuses sin.
Atonement
“The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us
all” (Isaiah 53:6).
Satisfaction Is Two Fold
Christ’s sacrifice must be met with a similar
sacrifice: a broken and contrite heart.
You Will Not Delight in Sacrifice
50 ‘Hail Mary’s’?
All my goods to feed the poor?
Burnt offerings?
Justification Alone Saves from God’s
Wrath
God is mad at you if you have not been
justified.
Hear His Voice
“O dry bones, hear the word of the
LORD…and you shall live.” (Ezekiel 37:5).
Justified By Faith
The MessagePastor Ron Smith
Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have
been justified by faith, we
have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus
Christ.