STUDY No. 24 - BEING JUSTIFIED

Justification is an act of grace on the part of God to the sinner. God pardons his sins and accepts the sinner as righteous, for the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him and received by faith. Justification produces no change in a person: it is rather the act of the JUDGE who declares that the LAW is satisfied.

Consider carefully this verse:

Because the sinless Saviour died,
My sinful soul is counted free,
For GOD the Just is satisfied
To look on HIM and pardon me!
Repentance and faith in Christ are the necessary starting point leading to the remission of the judgement or penalty. Pardon is justly provided and offered. But except the sinner makes proper application to receive it, he or she must be punished and pay the full penalty personally.

SOME SCRIPTURAL DEFINITIONS OF JUSTIFICATION

Do look up and consider each verse carefully before you read the notes that follow:

Romans 3:23, 24 - Declared righteous freely, for CHRISTs sake.

Romans 5:11,15-21 - We receive this new standing before God and by God! His gift!

Justification involves:
2 Corinthians 5:19 - God not imputing our sins to us,
2 Corinthians 5:21 - God imputing to us the righteousness of Christ.

This is why we can sing

"No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!"
and
"There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in."

WHAT IS THE GROUND OR BASIS OF JUSTIFICATION?

The fundamental ground is of course the Righteousness of Jesus Christ

His blood was shed - 1 John 1:7
His body was broken - Matthew 26:26-28

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He died that we might be forgiven
This is the central truth of the Christian faith. It needs to be effectually believed personally. Nobody has it by nature.

Peter wrote (1 Peter 2:7) "Unto you therefore which belleve he is precious."

Notice Paul’s argument in Romans in order to grasp a clear concept of the GROUND of justification.

(a) The great theme is stated: The just shall live by faith.
 

 Habakkuk. 2:4  Romans 1:17  Galatians 3:11  Hebrews 10:38

All other religions teach and are based on  "works of righteousness that we have done."
Contrast this with what Titus 3:5 actually says.

(b) All have sinned and all are guilty before God - Jews and Gentiles alike:
 

 All stand in need  Romans 1:18 - 3:20
 All are condemned  John 3:18
 All face judgement - unless a substitute is found for them

(c) Righteousness only comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Romans. 3:21-31)

This wonderful revelation of the grace of God should be read with earnest prayer for God to give understanding.

Notice again: NOT BY WORKS, BUT BY FAITH

Abraham, you will notice, was justified by faith. Romans chapters 4 and 5 are a masterly presentation of this gospel of the grace of God. Who but God Himself could conceive of such a plan of salvation and justification? Misunderstanding of ’justification by faith’ will lead to all kinds of false doctrines and useless self-efforts.

WHAT ARE THE BLESSINGS OF BEING JUSTIFIED?

Romans 6:14-23 - We are dead to the law. What does this mean? That it has no claim on us? Why has it no claim?

You may need to ask an older Christian these questions to get help.

Galatians 4:4-7 - We are reinstated as SONS OF GOD - no longer enemies but like the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32, welcomed home! In fact he had been considered dead! See that last verse!

Romans 5:1 - We are freed from condemnation! Having a new relationship with God, declared righteous, no wonder we begin to know true peace with God through our new Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

HOW IS JUSTIFICATION EFFECTED? (Job 25:4)

First we must consider it as God’s work  - Romans 3:24,26; Romans 3:30
 
 God the Father is the author of it.
 God the Son is the procurer of it.  Romans 4:24, 25
 Isaiah 53:11
 God the Holy Spirit is the executor of it.  1 Cor 3:16

Then we may consider our response to such a gracious provision.
We may neglect the offer and we may refuse the terms -

The terms are:

TRUE REPENTANCE and LIVING FAITH

See Acts 2:28, 41; Acts 20:21; Galatians 3:24

HAVE WE TRULY REPENTED? HAVE WE REALLY BELIEVED?

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