Justification

Justification

Theme: How God wills for man to be justified before Him. Romans 4:5-12

INTRODUCTION

A. In the next few weeks we will look at some various words or phrases that are often misunderstood by many professing Christians:

1. Justification.

2. Falling from grace.

3. Redemption.

C. There are errors taught regarding justification:

1. Teachings that man has no integral part regarding his salvation.

2. Others loosely believe that as long as you’re “morally upright” God will bring you into His eternal heavenly kingdom.

3. Still others practice a “merit” oriented salvation.

D. Thus, we shall look at what the Bible (whole counsel of God) teaches regarding justification.

II. JUSTIFICATION = TO STAND RIGHTEOUS

A. Defined: To be just, be righteous.

1. Technically, it refers to one’s standing with regard to uprightness. Deut. 6:25

2. Only doers of law stand justified/righteous. Cp. Rom. 2:13

3. One who breaks the law is no longer able to stand justified/righteous. Jas. 2:10

B. The overall concept of justification regarding our relationship with God:

1. Through the law…no one stands justified before God. Rom. 3:9-10; Gal. 3:11

2. Apart from the law, however, God can make one to stand righteous before Him. Rom. 8:33

3. God chooses a combination of His grace and man’s faith as the means of our standing justified before Him.

a. His grace…through the blood of Jesus. Rom. 5:9

b. Man’s faith in Jesus. Rom. 5:1-2

C. Side note: some who try to be “justified before God.”

1. Actually seek to be justified before men. Cp. Rom. 10:1-3

2. Others seek justification by doing what is right in their own eyes. Cp. Deut. 12:8

III. BECOME JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD

A. Before one can be justified before God:

1. He must stand before His judgment seat (not necessarily referring to the Day of Judgment, but the current state of the soul).

a. Knowing the guilty stand before God as sinners. Rom. 3:21-26

b. Consequently, sinners justly deserve a judgment of death. Rom. 6:23

2. As a result, there is a need by which a condemned sinner must be made righteous before God if he is to have fellowship with Him. Rom. 4:5-8

B. Those who are justified before God.

1. Those who are of faith. Rom. 5:1; Rom. 3:28 (cp. Rom. 10:1-4)

a. Those of faith are doers of the word. Rom. 2:13

b. Thus, faith and its manifestation equates with justification. Jas. 2:20

2. Those justified by faith are justified by Christ’s blood. Rom. 5:9; Rom. 3:25

3. Those who receive Christ’s blood are justified by grace. Rom. 3:24

CONCLUSION

A. You see God has His work in our being justified before Him.

B. Yet, through His divine will, he wills for man to do his part in being justified before Him.