Justification Of Faith 101 Series

Dr. Bradford Reaves

CrossWay Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

As we move deeper into the study of Romans, I would like for us to consider some key theological terms to understand what we are studying:

Propitiation: an atoning sacrifice that succeeds in turning aside the wrath of the one to whom it is offered. Propitiate is “to regain someone’s favor; to appease.” So Christ’s propitiation is the turning away of God’s wrath toward us as guilty sinners by enduring God’s wrath himself on Calvary (Zondervan’s Bible Dictionary)

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:25)

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

Redemption: The act of purchasing a slave for the purpose of setting him or her free. "This is precisely how the New Testament describes the work of Jesus on our behalf. Jesus is our Redeemer. He is the One who paid a ransom for our souls. The ransom purchased by Christ is paid to God for the debt we owe to Him.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight (Ephesians 1:7–8)

for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:22)

Justification: The opposite of condemnation. It is the legal act of God based on the meritorious work of Christ on Calvary imputed to the sinner where God declares one absolved from all sin and released from its penalty. In our justification through Christ, we have four essential acts:

1. Remission of Punishment

2. Restoration of Favor

3. Imputed Righteousness of God

4. New Legal Standing before God

(Zondervan Bible Dictionary)

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, (Romans 4:5)

yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1–2)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The fourth chapter of Romans consists primarily of a lengthy illustration of the powerful truth proclaimed by the apostle Paul in the third chapter.

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans 3:28)

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (Romans 4:1–8)

This is the "Divine Dilemma" with which Jesus was confronted in John 8:1-11. A group of Pharisees -- who were wary of Jesus because of His "radical" interpretation of the Law -- brought to Him a woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery. Their understanding of the Law was clear: she should be stoned to death for such a crime. They were certain that the message of grace and forgiveness that He had been preaching would have to be compromised by the red-handed seriousness of the charges brought against her. How, they wondered, would Jesus handle the seeming dichotomy between their stern understanding of God's pure and righteous justice and His gentle teaching, which (to their minds) over-emphasized God's great love and mercy?