The Church of Divine Guidance (CDG) Sunday morning adult bible study group is in a study on justification. These posts are my notes for each session. Please study with us. You can participate by
asking your questions or making comments in the comments below. We welcome your thoughts and prayers.
The last three weeks we have been talking about God’s grace, His unmerited favor on mankind. Here’s what we have learned.
The dictionary defines grace as
Adam introduced sin and with sin death and they were passed on to his descendants.
In the sight of God Adam represented mankind and when he sinned it was as all
of mankind that sinned because we are his posterity.
But Jesus came as a second Adam and he also represents mankind, and with Him came
the grace of God and with grace righteousness. . Through His sacrifice God
gives His grace to all who believe.
We identified some of the forms of God’s grace
Common grace - The kindness or favor God give to all mankind believer or not.
Saving grace - The provision of salvation on the cross of
Securing grace - The favor of God by which Christians are kept secure in spite of sin.
Sanctifying grace - Sanctifying grace works within the true believer causing them to grow and mature and progress becoming more Christ-like.
Serving grace -The Spiritual Gifts that believers have been given by the Holy Spirit.
Sustaining grace - Grace given at special times of need, especially during adversity or suffering.
Last week we talked about the nature of God’s grace
It is undeserved - If it could be earned, it would not be grace.
God's saving grace can be received only through the Son of God.
Grace has appeared to all men.
Grace is pure never a mixture of divine benevolence and human effort
Grace is sovereign.
Grace is the source of righteousness.
Grace is given only to the humble.
Grace is never to be an occasion for sin.
Grace is always granted in harmony with God’s other attributes.
Romans 3:24-26 (NKJV)24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.Grace, then, meets the demands of justice and holiness rather than to set them aside. Grace is never granted at the expense of any of God’s attributes.
Introduction to our study on Justification
One of God's attributes is that He is righteous which means that He is morally right or justifiable and virtuous. If he is then He can't lie and He said from the very beginning that the wages of sin is death and as scripture tells us we all sin.
and the uncircumcised through faith.
Remember in our study on grace we said that God's solution the sin of mankind was His grace by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, to those who believe and in granting his grace for salvation He also justified or acquitted us.
So as a result of Jesus' death on the cross everyone who believes is shown or proved to be right or reasonable and declared or made righteous, or justified, in God’s sight.
If you
confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God
raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one
confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation) you are justified instantly.
The dictionary defines grace as
- unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification
- a virtue coming from God
- disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency
We compared Adam and Jesus who both represented mankind.
Adam introduced sin and with sin death and they were passed on to his descendants.
In the sight of God Adam represented mankind and when he sinned it was as all
of mankind that sinned because we are his posterity.
But Jesus came as a second Adam and he also represents mankind, and with Him came
the grace of God and with grace righteousness. . Through His sacrifice God
gives His grace to all who believe.
We identified some of the forms of God’s grace
Common grace - The kindness or favor God give to all mankind believer or not.
Saving grace - The provision of salvation on the cross of
Securing grace - The favor of God by which Christians are kept secure in spite of sin.
Sanctifying grace - Sanctifying grace works within the true believer causing them to grow and mature and progress becoming more Christ-like.
Serving grace -The Spiritual Gifts that believers have been given by the Holy Spirit.
Sustaining grace - Grace given at special times of need, especially during adversity or suffering.
Last week we talked about the nature of God’s grace
It is undeserved - If it could be earned, it would not be grace.
God's saving grace can be received only through the Son of God.
Grace has appeared to all men.
Grace is pure never a mixture of divine benevolence and human effort
Grace is sovereign.
Grace is the source of righteousness.
Grace is given only to the humble.
Grace is never to be an occasion for sin.
Grace is always granted in harmony with God’s other attributes.
Romans 3:24-26 (NKJV)24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.Grace, then, meets the demands of justice and holiness rather than to set them aside. Grace is never granted at the expense of any of God’s attributes.
Introduction to our study on Justification
One of God's attributes is that He is righteous which means that He is morally right or justifiable and virtuous. If he is then He can't lie and He said from the very beginning that the wages of sin is death and as scripture tells us we all sin.
Romans 6:23 (HCSB) For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Romans 3:23 (HCSB) For all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
1 John 1:8 (HCSB) If we say,
“We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Since God is righteous and just then he must levy the punishment for sin which is death to the sinner. As we found out in our study on grace that God's solution to this was to sovereignty grant us His grace by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, through which God gave His grace to those who believe. That brings us to this study which is Justification. Let's go to our Foundation Scripture.
Foundation Scripture
Romans 3:21-30 (HCSB)21 But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed—attested by the Law and the Prophets22 —that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.24 They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.25 God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.26 ⌊God presented Him⌋ to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith.28 For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.29 Or is God for Jews only? Is He not also for Gentiles? Yes, for Gentiles too,30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faithand the uncircumcised through faith.
1) Show or prove to be right or reasonable and
2) Declare or make righteous in the sight of God.
Here's the definition of justify from “Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible”
“the act of pronouncing righteous, justification, acquittal”; it is used twice in the Ep. to the Romans,
and there alone in the NT, signifying the establishment of a person as just by acquittal from guilt. In Rom. 4:25 the phrase “for our justification,” is, lit., “because of our justification” (parallel to the
preceding clause “for our trespasses,” i.e., because of trespasses committed), and means, not with a view to our “justification,” but because all that was necessary on God’s part for our “justification” had been effected in the death of Christ. On this account He was raised from the dead. The propitiation being perfect and complete, His resurrection was the confirmatory counterpart. In 5:18, “justification of life” means “justification which results in life” (cf. v. 21). That God “justifies” the believing sinner on the ground of Christ’s death, involves His free gift of life.
Remember in our study on grace we said that God's solution the sin of mankind was His grace by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, to those who believe and in granting his grace for salvation He also justified or acquitted us.
So as a result of Jesus' death on the cross everyone who believes is shown or proved to be right or reasonable and declared or made righteous, or justified, in God’s sight.
Justification is Instant
Justification is instant it is not a process. Sanctification is a process but acquittal or justification is instantaneous. The moment that you sincerely make that confession in Romans 10:9-10 (
Just as the thief on the cross acknowledged Jesus his joining Him in paradise was instant.
Luke 23:40-43 (HCSB) 40 But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.
Here is what Charles Spurgeon says in one of his devotions;
"We are now-even now pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of His people. Who dareth to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus."
In the next few weeks we are going to be talking about
· Justification – Promised in Christ
· Justification – Is the Act of God
· Justification – Under Law – Is that Possible?
· Justification – Under the Gospel
Luke 23:40-43 (HCSB) 40 But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.
Here is what Charles Spurgeon says in one of his devotions;
"We are now-even now pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of His people. Who dareth to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all the earth. Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus."
In the next few weeks we are going to be talking about
· Justification – Promised in Christ
· Justification – Is the Act of God
· Justification – Under Law – Is that Possible?
· Justification – Under the Gospel
If you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you have not been pardoned or accepted by God. He loves you and has provided a way for your pardon and acceptance but it's your decision. The way to pardon and acceptance is simple, as simple as "TNT" (Romans 10:9-10). If you're ready just repeat this prayer in all sincerity, if it's not sincere then you're really not ready, but if you are this is all you have to ask God;
“Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Savior.”
Once you pray this, or a similar, prayer in all sincerity your salvation and justification is instant.
If you have just prayed this prayer call, text, email, Tweet, change your Facebook status and tell somebody, and leave me a comment or email me at donald@donjake-strategicadviser.com. Then find a bible believing church and start to fellowship with other believers. Welcome to the family of God.
“Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Savior.”
Once you pray this, or a similar, prayer in all sincerity your salvation and justification is instant.
If you have just prayed this prayer call, text, email, Tweet, change your Facebook status and tell somebody, and leave me a comment or email me at donald@donjake-strategicadviser.com. Then find a bible believing church and start to fellowship with other believers. Welcome to the family of God.
MORE INFORMATION ON JUSTIFICATION
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