JUSTIFICATION
JOB 9:2b,
“But how should man be just with God?”
Galatians 3:8, “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”
Introduction:
“How should a man be just with God?” That is the question that Job asked in Job 9:2. We are sinners before the Lord and therefore need to be reconciled with Him. Justification is a part of that, but just what is it all about. Do you know how to respond to Job’s question?
I. WHAT IS JUSTIFICATION?
A. Justification is the state of being “free from guilt and exposure to punishment.”
B. Justification does not MAKE your righteous.
1. We are guilty sinners, Romans 5:19a, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners.”
2. We are admitted sinners, Galatians 2:15-17, “We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.”
C. Justification DECLARES you righteous.
1. By the remission of our sins, Acts 13:38-39, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39-And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
2. By reckoning Christ’s righteousness to the believer, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
II. THE METHOD OF JUSTIFICATION.
A. It is not by moral character, Luke 16:15, “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”
B. It is not by the works of the law, Romans 3:20, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Galatians 2:16: Titus 3:5.
C. We are justified by God, Romans 8:33, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.”
1. By His Grace, Romans 3:24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
a. By His death on Calvary, Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
b. By His Resurrection, Romans 4:25, “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”
2. Through Faith in Christ, Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
III. THE EVIDENCE OF JUSTIFICATION.
A. Peace with God, Roman 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
B. We have assurance of an inheritance in heaven, Titus 3:7,” That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
CONCLUSION
To be just before God means that you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior and God has done His work of grace in you. The evidence mentioned above should be seen in our every day living.