Christianity 101:
What It Means to Be Justified
Romans 5:12-21
Englewood Baptist Church
Sunday morning, April 13, 2008
We have been studying the book of Romans, often referred to as the Constitution of Christianity. Now why is it called that? Because, like no other book in the Bible, basic principles and truths of the Christian faith are listed and explained. From start to finish, this letter says it all.
As we look today at Romans 5, I want you to notice a listening sheet that is in your bulletin. I don’t normally hand these out, but I want every person to take careful notes today. We are going to wade into the deep end of the pool and I need you to swim with me.
When I was a child, I learned how to swim, but I was afraid to test my skill. I wouldn’t go anywhere the deep end. Just the sight of a diving board made my heart beat fast. Then one day, my dad did a very loving thing. He picked me up and threw me into 10 feet of water. I’m not recommending that to you as parents, but it worked for me. When I plunged into that water, I sank down, by toes felt the bottom of the pool, my ears popped, and I pushed up with force. And when my head met oxygen, I began to swim and I was never afraid again.
Today, I am going to throw some of you into the deep end of the pool and I believe that you can handle it. One commentator, James Montgomery Boice suggests that this section of Scripture is the most difficult part of the entire Bible. I believe that God has given you a brain and Holy Spirit so that you can grasp even the mind-stretching material of this chapter. You can do this. Write it down and I will make it as simple as I can possibly make it.
Let me read to you Romans 5:12-21. Follow along very closely.
Now that is a thick piece of meat. Let’s take it one bite at a time and we will be able to swallow it. Let’s ask for help.
What is Paul talking about in this complex portion of Scripture? Paul is talking about justification. Now, that is a spelling bee word. That’s a big one. What is justification? It’s a big word to describe something very simple. It means that we have been declared “not guilty.”
To condemn someone is to declare him “guilty”; to justify someone is to declare him “not guilty.” Looking back at Romans 5:1, look at what is says, “since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Now, how is it that we are suddenly declared “not guilty?” Did God just wave a wand over our heads and say, “Bippidee Boppidee Boo like the fairy godmother in Cinderella?” No. Two things happened to bring us peace with God.
What does it mean to be justified?
1.God has declared that we have no penalty to pay for our sins, including past, present, and future sins.
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1
God has pounded the gavel and declared you “not guilty” for every wrong thing that you did yesterday, today, and even those evil things that you will do tomorrow. He has cleared the plate for you.
Over the course of your life, you have developed quite a record. Let’s pretend that this bank represents your account in heaven. (Show debt slide 1: bank with IOU). Your bank account is overdrawn and you owe a great debt to God. Every time you have broken his laws, you have added to your debt. And you have quite a debt. You have stretched the truth on more than one occasion, you have envied your neighbor’s property and success, you have snapped at your wife and you have lost your temper with your children, you have kept the extra dollar that the bank teller gave you. You have committed these sins, but not only that, you have neglected to do some things that you should have done. You fallen short and in spending time in prayer. You have neglected the study of God’s word. You have not fasted much, if at all. All these things are like little IOU’s in your bank account in heaven. And the longer you live, the greater the hole is that you dig for yourself. But what God has done is simple. Instead of calling you to the carpet and issuing a long, horrible payment plan, he has decided to forgive the debt and remove the penalty. [Show debt slide 2: empty bank]. The psalmist puts it this way:
…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)
Look at this globe. If you were to travel north on this globe, you could only go so far until North runs into south. But head west and you can travel for a million years and you will still be traveling West. Pack up your bags and head east, and you will never stop heading east. And God says, even before Columbus declared that the world is round—as far as the east is from the west…that’s how far your sins have been carried away from you.
In Leviticus 16, this removal of sin was predicted. Let me explain. In Leviticus 16, instructions are given for the Day of Atonement. This was one day set aside each year, in which the great high priest of Israel, would make a sacrifice to cover the sins of the people. And here is what God commands the high priest to do. Two live goats are to be brought before him. And once they are standing in his presence, he was told to “cast lots for them.” In other words, it was like flipping a coin. The goat who lost the coin toss “belonged to the Lord.” And that goat would be put to death and his blood sprinkled over the altar to cover the sins of the people. This was the sacrificial goat.
But what about the other goat? The second goat was referred to as the “scapegoat.” And the high priest would approach that animal, place his hands on the head of the animal, and offer a confession for the sins of the people. What he was doing was transferring the guilt of Israel to the innocent animal. And once he had done that, a person came along, and what do you think happened? He did not slay the goat. No, he led that animal out into the wilderness, (in the south we call it the boondocks,) to a place so far away that the animal would never find its way back.
And the message was clearly conveyed—the sins of the people have been removed by God and they will never find their way home again. The Psalmist said, “As far as the east is from the west, so far as he removed our transgressions.” Paul put it even more simply, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” There is not penalty to pay for sin. This is the first part of justification, but there is a second.
2. God has declared that we are not merely neutral in his sight but righteous.
Let me show you this visually. [show debt slide 2: empty bank]. As I said before, your debt has been wiped away. You don’t owe God anything, because Christ paid that penalty on the cross. When you are justified, then you become like a baby born in Jackson General today. When God looks at you, he does not see one evil act on your record. The slate is clean. But that is not the end of justification.
To enter the kingdom of heaven, you must be more than morally neutral. You must be righteous. In fact, Jesus said that you must have a righteousness that far surpasses the Pharisees. You must have a deep bank of deposits. You must have obtained a perfect righteousness to order to walk through the pearly gates of heaven. And you couldn’t do this yourself, so Christ did it for you. He lived the perfect life and achieved it for you.
In Isaiah, the prophet says it this way:
He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness. (Is. 61:10)
When God looks at you, he does not see your sin. He does not see a clean slate. He sees the righteousness of Christ and you have favor in his sight. Because of Jesus, your account is now overflowing and full. [show debt slide 3: bank with money] You are at peace with the Head Banker of the Universe. And not just at peace, but to quote the book of Numbers, “He has made His face to shine down upon you.” You are in his favor, walking in perfect standing with a robe of righteousness.
Well, how can that be? That doesn’t make any sense, does it? How can God look at you and see Jesus’ perfection? How is it that your sorry record of sins is suddenly gone?
Paul is about to teach you. Here in Romans 5 is the process through which you are justified.
How Does Justification Work? (Rom. 5:12-21)
1.Sin came into the world through one man, Adam. Grace came into the world through one man, Jesus. (vv.12, 15)
Look at v. 12, Therefore just as sin entered into the world through one man….
Now skip down to v.15…
When God looks down on humanity, he sees basically two types of people—those who are in Adam and those who are in Christ. He sees Adam and he sees Jesus. On this crowded planet of earth, 6.2 billion people now live. Most of them are “in Adam.” Some of them are “in Christ.” And the Bible teaches that you and I, when we are born into this world, by default, we are united with Adam. And because we are united to him, we go down in the sinking ship with him. At birth, we are on a trajectory toward sin and death.
Let me teach you something interesting. The book of the Old Testament is called the “book of generations” and the very last word in the OT is the word “Curse.”
Look at Mal. 4:6 and you will see that the final word is curse.
On the other hand, the New Testament is called in Matthew 1, “the book of the generation of Jesus Christ.” And this book ends with the words “no more curse.” Rev. 22:3, the last chapter in the Bible, contains those very words.
I don’ think this is accidental. God is saying something. The book that begins with Adam ends with death and a curse. But, the book that begins with Christ ends with a tree of life and no more curse. Jesus has removed the curse for those who are in him.
There is a big difference between Adam and Jesus Christ. Adam came from the earth, but Jesus came from heaven (1 Cor. 15:47). Adam was tested in the Garden of Eden and failed; Jesus was tested in the Garden of Gethsemane and passed. Adam was a thief, and was cast out of Paradise; but Jesus Christ turned to a thief and said, “Today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
Jesus Christ gives people life, but Adam gives people death. Turn with me to Genesis 5. Notice v.1 tells us that this is the written account of Adam’s line. These are his “generations.” Skip ahead to v.5. Now to v.8. Now to v.11. Now to v.14. Now to v.17, then 20.
What do all these people have in common? Two things: they are born from Adam and they all died. How do I know that you and I are born into this world with a mystical union to Adam? Because we all die. Through one man, the entire race has been cursed. And this curse has been over the earth since the very beginning. And look, Paul teaches that people died even before Moses was born, even before the 10 Commandments were given.
Flip back in your Bible to Romans 5. Look at v.14. Do you see what Paul is saying here? He is saying that you and I do not die because of our own acts of sin. If this were true, babies would not die. Babies would not die today like they sometimes do if they had to sin first. But death reigned before the law, which means that you and I are born under the curse of sin. We don’t become a part of it when we sin. We are born under it. What Adam did in the garden has affected the entire human race. “In Adam all men die.”
Now someone will say, “How is that fair? What kind of ridiculous doctrine is that that God condemns the whole world just because one man disobeyed? First of all, I would say this: be careful when you begin judging the ways of God. His ways are higher than our ways. He is our judge; we are not his judge. But on the other hand, there is a logical answer to this objection. God was not only fair in linking with Adam, but he was also being wise and gracious. If God had tested each human being individually, the result would have been the same: disobedience. But even more important, by condemning the human race through one man (Adam), God was then able to save the human race through one Man (Jesus Christ)! Each of us is racially united to Adam, so that his deed in the garden affects us. Likewise, by choosing to unite with Jesus Christ, and making him our representative, his deed on calvary affects us. It was a brilliant plan of God to save many. Through one man’s death, many get to live. God did this so that many people would be saved from condemnation and hell. (See Bible Exposition Commentary)
This is what Paul says in v.18…
I believe that I can give you an example from the Old Testament that will help you understand this idea. In the book of 1 Samuel, there is a monstrous 9-foot warrior that is the representative for the Philistine army. His name is Goliath. The Bible says that every day he came out and shouted to the army of Israel.
Choose a man and have him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” 1 Samuel 18:8-9
Now what was going on there? This was an ancient method of engaging in warfare. It was called “representative combat.” [Show two armies] The two armies had lined up for battle, but they did not charge one another and initiate a skirmish. Instead, the Philistines went a different route. They kept their weapons sheathed and selected a single man—a warrior, a giant of a man named Goliath. [Show Goliath now] Goliath had been chosen to represent an entire nation in a high-stakes contest. This was a fight-to-the-death duel and the results were clear cut: if Goliath fell, then the entire nation fell with him. If he conquered, they conquered. Their identity was wrapped up in his achievement.
Now, for 40 days, the giant called out to Israel saying, “who will represent you?” He was taunting them. Finally, David shows up to deliver some cheese to his brothers. He is God’s man, though he wasn’t what the people were expecting. He had no military background, no armor, no sword, no bow. All he had was two things. He had the power of God on his side, and he had a sling and a few stones. And so the people sent him out as their head. [Show David now] He went out to represent Israel. If he fell, they fell. You know how the story ends—through one man, they receive victory.
Paul says the same thing has happened in the eyes of God. We are born into this world on the wrong side. We are on the losing side of Adam, but the humble king has showed up on the scenes. He was not what people were expecting. He is not carrying a sword nor is he covered in armor. All that he has is power of God on his side, a cross and a few nails. And the Bible says that you and I must make a decision. Are we going to stay “in Adam” and allow him to represent us or will we surrender to the King and willingly join his army? As we look at this illustration, you can understand that ultimately, there were two men on the battlefield that day. There was the man of God, and there was the enemy. Everyone else belonged to one of them. [swallow up the people in the image]. They had chosen a representative. And their future was wrapped up in him.
And now your future is in your hands. You must decide…
Will it be Adam or will it be Jesus? Death entered into the world through one man, Adam. Grace entered into the world through another, Jesus. I can tell you who wins—the one on the side of grace. Grace reigns in God’s economy. Adam was just a pattern of the real man that was to come.
Now, there is one other point that I want to hit today. I wish I had more time, but it says in v. 20…
What Paul says about justification is this:
2. The law makes people aware of their need for grace.
It is very clear. God never intended for man to be justified by keeping the 10 commandments. From the very beginning, God knew that you and I could not hit the target. He knew that, but the problem is, you and I haven’t always known that. Many people still believe, even to this day, that they can try harder to get to heaven and their excellent scorecard will earn them a spot. No, the law wasn’t given for that reason. The law was provided to teach us how rotten we truly are.
Let me illustrate this. I have in my pocket, a toy pistol. Let’s just pretend that it is real and let’s just pretend that that bull’s-eye is real as well. [Show bull’s-eye]. I am here to tell you that your pastor is a perfect shot. My marksmanship is flawless. There is not a man in this place that can shoot with the accuracy that I can shoot. Watch this simulation. I never miss. Watch the screen and see.
(On the PowerPoint screen is a bull’s-eye. I pretend to fire a few shots. The screen reveals how awful I truly am.)
Now if we were not pretending here today and this truly was an expedition of my marksmanship, then something was just proven? Do you know what it was? I was proven wrong. It was proven that I am not as good as I think I am. It is now demonstrated fact that I don’t hit the bulls-eye every time. I’m not perfect, but not only that, I am not even close to perfect.
And this was the reason for giving the Law. God wanted to put a bulls-eye on our morality, not because he thought we could hit it every time. No! He wanted to be able to take down the score card and say,
“See.” You can’t do it. No one born of Adam can do it. You need grace. Let me give you grace.
And verse 20 says, The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, (Show many more shots) grace increased all the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign…
Listen, my friends, when mankind could not win the war with Adam, God sent a king, a representative to win the battle for us. And the Heavenly Father didn’t send an errand boy, or a distant cousin, or a loosely affiliated friend. God sent his very own Son. And this Son was perfect. He lived the life you could not live. He paid the debt you could not pay. And he did this to bring many sons to glory. Listen to this song as it is sung….
How deep the Father’s love for us…
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
