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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.