JUSTIFICATION

Sunday Morning:  April 18, 2004

Text: Romans 4:25  "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

WITHOUT RESURRECTION

1 Corinthians 15:14  "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."

WE COULD NOT PLEASES HIM

Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him:

ERROR

A popular teaching today, and that of John Calvin, is that the moment we believe on Jesus Christ we are justified. Being justified means we become as impeccable as Jesus Christ in standing and position though we live in a sinful state and in an unrighteous condition. They teach that the noun faith is equivalent with the verb believe. This is grievous error creating confusion and contradiction in the Word.

JUSTIFICATION IS NOT AN EVENT

Romans 8:32-34  "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him (for our offences, 4:25) up for us all, . .  33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth [present active participle]. 34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again (for our justification, 4:25), who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us (that we might be justified)."

CHARGEABLE

Matthew 7:21-23  "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

CHARGEABLE

Matthew 22:11-12  "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12. And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless."

CLEAN AND FORGIVEN

1 John 1:7-9  "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

ALL THAT BELIEVE, PRESENT TENSE

Acts 13:39  "And by him (our resurrected High Priest) all that believe [present active, not an event] are justified [present passive, not an event] from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

YOU CAN STOP BELIEVING

Luke 8:13  ". . .when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe [present active indicative], and in time of temptation fall away."

ALL THEM THAT BELIEVE, PRESENT TENSE

Romans 3:22  "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith (pleasing God) of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe [present active, continuous believing]: for there is no difference:"

CHRIST IS THE JUSTIFIER

Romans 3:26  "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might [to] be just, and the justifier [present active] of him which believeth [present active] in Jesus."

HE THAT BELIEVETH

John 3:18  "He that believeth [present active participle, faith] on him is not condemned [being judged, present passive]: but he that believeth [present active participle] not is condemned [judged, perfect passive] already, because he hath not believed [perfect active, and does not continue to believe in the present] in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Luke 8:9-11)"

BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

Romans 3:27-28  "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith (pleasing God). 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified [present passive] by faith (pleasing God) without [cwriv in addition to] the deeds of the law (moral and not ceremonial law)."

WITHOUT OR BESIDE

2 Corinthians 11:28  "Beside [cwriv in addition to] those things that are without (persecution), that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."

IN ADDITION TO

Matthew 14:21  "And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside [cwriv, in addition to] women and children."

BELIEVE DOES NOT JUSTIFY

Galatians 2:16  "Knowing that a man is not justified [present passive] by the works of the law, but by the faith (pleasing God) of [from] Jesus Christ, even we have believed [aorist active indicative]  in Jesus Christ (common salvation), that  [in order that] we (in the future) might be justified [aorist passive  subjunctive] by [ejk out from] the faith (pleasing God) of [from] Christ, and not by the works of the law (alone): for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified [future passive indicative]."

 

THE JUST LIVE BY FAITH

Galatians 3:11  "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith (pleasing God)."

THEY WERE BOTH JUST

Luke 1:6  "And they (Zacharias, Elizabeth) were both righteous [just] before God, walking [present middle, for themselves] in all the commandments and ordinances (does not apply today) of the Lord blameless."

NOT FAITH ALONE

James 2:20-25  "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith (alone) without works is dead? 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works (in addition to faith), when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22. Seest thou how faith (pleasing God) wrought with his works, and by works was faith (pleasing God) made perfect [complete]? 23. And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed (Genesis 15:6) God, and it (justification, v.21) was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24. Ye see then how that by works (in addition to faith) a man is justified [present passive], and not by faith only. 25. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?"

CONTINUE IN THE FAITH

Acts 14:22  "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith (pleasing God), and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."

CONTINUE IN THE FAITH (PLEASING GOD)

Colossians 1:22-23  "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23. If ye continue in the faith (pleasing God) grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;"

DEPART FROM THE FAITH

1 Timothy 4:1  "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

ERRED FROM THE FAITH

1 Timothy 6:10  "For the love of money . . . they have erred from the faith. . ."

OVERTHROWN FAITH

2 Timothy 2:18  "Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some."

FAITH AND LOVE

Galatians 5:6  " faith which worketh by love."

FAITH COMES BY THE WORD OF GOD

Romans 10:17  "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

JUSTIFICATION FOR REWARD

Romans 4:2-5  "For if Abraham were justified by works (alone), he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God (Genesis 15:6, after he was saved), and it (justification) was counted [reckoned] unto him for righteousness. 4. Now to him that worketh [present middle, for himself, alone) is the reward not reckoned [counted] of grace (by faith 5:2), but of debt. 5. But to him that worketh [present middle, for himself, along] not, but believeth [present active] on him that justifieth [present active] the ungodly, his faith (believe as a present active participle) is counted [present active] for righteousness."

EXAMINE YOURSELVES

2 Corinthians 13:5  "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates [disapproved (chargeable)]?"

REWARD, THE CROWN OF LIFE

James 1:12  "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried [approved, (unchargeable)], he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."