Justified Series

NTRO.- ILL.- A new York Divorce Lawyer died and arrived at the pearly gates. Saint Peter asks him "What have you done to merit entrance into Heaven?" The Lawyer thought a moment, then said, "A week ago, I gave a quarter to a homeless person on the street." Saint Peter asked Gabriel to check this out in the record, and after a moment Gabriel affirmed that this was true.

Saint Peter said, "Well , that's fine, but it's not really quite enough to get you into Heaven." The Lawyer said, "Wait, Wait! There's more! Three years ago I also gave a homeless person a quarter." Saint Peter nodded to Gabriel, who after a moment nodded back, affirming this, too, had been verified.

Saint Peter then whispered to Gabriel, "Well, what do you suggest we do with this fellow?"

Gabriel gave the Lawyer a sidelong glance, then said to Saint Peter, "Let's give him back his 50 cents and tell him to go to Hell."

Many lawyers think they are right, but that doesn’t mean they are generous. They are in the business of making money. And they certainly can’t argue their way into heaven. In fact, I don’t think they can even try. I think once a person dies and passes from this life into the next life, there won’t be any pride or arrogance or arguing. It will be done a deal. A person’s destiny will be sealed.

Hebrews 9:27 “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

We humans want to justify ourselves, that we know what we are talking about, that we are right. And it doesn’t make any difference who you are or what you’ve done for a living.

It doesn’t make any difference what it is, or who it is, we all want to justify ourselves as being right or justify ourselves in what we’re doing. When it comes to being justified before God, there is only one person who is right and knows the way to justification. Our text is clear about justification before God. He knows best. We play by His rules only.

PROP.- Paul defines how we are justified.

1- Justified through faith

2- Justified at the right time

3- Justified by His blood

I. JUSTIFIED THROUGH FAITH

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

ILL.- A man named Jack was walking along a steep cliff one day, when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch, which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet.

He couldn't hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff. So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something. “HELP! HELP! Is anyone up there? HELP!" He yelled for a long time, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice. Jack, Jack. Can you hear me?" "Yes, yes! I can hear you. I'm down here!" "I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?"

"Yes, but who are you, and where are you? "I am the Lord, Jack. I'm everywhere." "The Lord? You mean, GOD?" "That's Me."

"God, please help me! I promise if, you'll get me down from here, I'll stop sinning. I'll be a really good person. I'll serve You for the rest of my life."

"Easy on the promises, Jack. Let's get you off from there; then we can talk." "Now, here's what I want you to do. Listen carefully."

"I'll do anything, Lord. Just tell me what to do." "Okay. Let go of the branch." "What?" "I said, let go of the branch. Just trust Me. Let go." There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled, "HELP! HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE?"

Our salvation or justification still a matter of faith.

Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Faith is how we become justified before God. Salvation or justification starts and ends with faith.

It was faith that led you to believe that God existed. The starry universe, plus plant and animals, newborn babies, and perhaps other things led to believe in our Creator God. And it was faith in God that led you to believe the Bible. It was faith in the Bible as God’s Word that led you to believe in Jesus. It was faith in Jesus, who He is and what He did, that led you to trust Him for your salvation.