Justification

North College Ave. Baptist Church

We are Justified by Christ

Romans 3:20-26

November 21, 2004

I. The Fact of Justification---"Being Justified"

A. The word "Justify" means "righteous"

B. The meaning of the term, "Justification":

the word is used to declare and treat one as righteous.

C. Thus, when God justifies the believing sinner, who is saved by God’s grace, He declares that person righteous and treats him as righteous in His sight.

D. There were three problems facing God in justifying mankind:

1. The sinful character of all persons (Romans 3:23).

2. The character of the moral law.. James 2:10 it states that if one breaks any one point of the law, he is guilty of breaking all, and incurring the judgment of God.

3. The holy and just character of God Himself. If God pulled down His standard to justify ungodly people, then He wouldn’t be a Holy God.

II. The Manner of Justification---"Freely"

A. How can a holy God justify ungodly mankind?

B. The solution to the problem:

1. Negatively, it could not be on the basis of mankind’s character

2. Positively, God was able to justify the believing sinner on the ground of that righteousness rendered to the moral law by Jesus Christ, when He paid the penalty for our sins upon the cross. (see: Romans 3:20-26).

C. Conclusion to God’s manner of Justification:

1. There are two ways of satisfying the demands of the law; keep it, which no one has done, or, pay the penalty for breaking it

2. Why? Because sin against an infinite God is an infinite thing, and thus one must pay forever-infinity.

III. The Source of Our Justification---"By His Grace"

A. How does one receive Justification?

o Ans: By His Grace, through receiving what Christ did on the cross for one’s sins. Romans 4:4,5,13,16,25; Ephesians 2:8-10.

o Faith is simply believing what God says, and accepting what He has done.

B. Thus, because of God’s grace, we have received more than a pardon for our sins. We, as God’s children, are treated by Him as though we had never sinned.

IV. The Ground of Our Justification---"Redemption in Christ Jesus"

A. See: Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Romans 5:9.

B. "Redemption" means to deliver by paying a price. Christ delivered us from the judgment of of our sin by paying the price of our sins upon the cross.

C. He purchased us with His own blood, and now God is free to Justify the believer, or declare one righteous. The result: See Hebrews 10:17, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more".

D. Christ freed us from the law of sin and death (Rom.8:2).

E. What is the guarantee of our Justification?

Ans: It is guaranteed by the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Romans 4:24,25; John 14:29; I Corinthians 15:19-23.