GET WHAT YOU DESERVE! I HAVE HEARD THAT STATEMENT QUITE A FEW TIMES FOR “BENEFIT-RELATED” TV COMMERCIALS. I PERSONALLY DON’T WANT WHAT I DESERVE! ROMANS 6:23A, “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH….”
ETERNAL DEATH IS THE “PAYCHECK” ONE RECEIVES WHEN THEY LIVE APART FROM GOD, IN THIS LIFE-TIME, AND STILL NEVER MAKE THE DECISION TO RECONCILE THEMSELVES TO GOD BY ACCEPTING THE FREE GIFT HE OFFERS THROUGH JESUS.
CHOOSING TO STAY IN SIN AND LIVE IN A STATE OF REJECTION AGAINST JESUS WILL NOT ONLY RESULT IN OUR PHYSICAL DEATH, BUT ALSO IN OUR SPRITUAL DEATH. WHEN WE LIVE APART FROM GOD NOW, WE WILL DIE SPIRITUALLY BANISHED FROM GOD’S PRESENCE AND ENDURE ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM HIM IN HELL.
GOD LOVES US AND CREATED US IN HIS IMAGE TO BE HOLY, MERCIFUL AND IN A FLAWLESS, LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. HOWEVER, THE FIRST ADAM, DISOBEYED GOD AND FORFEITED THIS PERFECT RELATIONSHIP. ROMANS 5:12, “WHEN ADAM SINNED, SIN ENTERED THE WORLD. ADAM’S SIN BROUGHT DEATH, SO DEATH SPREAD TO EVERYONE, FOR EVERYONE SINNED.”
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT DESPITE MAN’S FAILURE AND BENT TOWARDS SIN AND BROKENNESS THERE IS HOPE! THERE IS PROMISE! JOHN 3:16, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”
JESUS TASTED DEATH FOR EVERYONE. GOD HAS RECONCILED THE WORLD TO HIMSELF THROUGH HIS GRACE AND THE SACRIFICE OF HIS SON, JESUS. THIS IS THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION WHERE WE ARE JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON.
JUSTIFICATION! JUSTIFICATION IS PARDON OR FORGIVENESS OF ALL PAST SINS THAT COMES SOLELY THROUGH FAITH, WHICH IS “A SURE TRUST AND CONFIDENCE THAT CHRIST DIED FOR MY SINS, THAT HE LOVED ME, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME.”
THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH (BOD; P116) SAYS IT THIS WAY: “JUSTIFICATION IS A LEGAL TERM THAT EMPHASIZES THAT BY A NEW RELATIONSHIP IN JESUS CHRIST PEOPLE ARE IN FACT ACCOUNTED RIGHTEOUS, BEING FREED FROM BOTH THE GUILT AND THE PENALTY OF THEIR SINS.” WHAT A JOY TO BE FREE AND RECONCILED WITH GOD THROUGH OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST!
THE IMAGE GIVEN HERE IS DRAWN FROM THE COURT OF LAW. TO BE “JUSTIFIED” IS FOR THE ONE ACCUSED AS GUILTY TO BE DECLARED “INNOCENT” BY THE PRESIDING JUDGE. THE JUDGE ISSUES THE GUILTY THEIR PARDON AND AN ACQUITTAL.
JUSTIFICATION SPEAKS OF YOUR ETERNAL SALVATION WHEN YOU PLACE YOUR FAITH IN JESUS. THIS IS ABOUT YOUR AQUITTAL AND YOUR RELEASE FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN AND DEATH. BEING SAVED FROM ETERNAL DAMNATION IS QUITE THE ACQUITTAL!
THE MESSAGE IS ABOUT RECEIVING YOUR SPIRITUAL EXONERATION FROM HAVING TO SPEND YOUR ETERNITY TOTALLY SEPARATED FROM GOD IN THE LAKE OF FIRE KNOWN AS HELL.
SO WHO IS IT THAT “EXONERATES” US? WHO CAN STEP FORWARD ON OUR BEHALF THAT CAN AQUIT US? WHO HAS THE POWER AND AUTHORITY TO RENDER SUCH JUSTICE?
THE ONE WHO HOLDS THIS CAPACITY IS OUR “JUDGE.” THIS JUDGE IS, OF COURSE, JESUS CHRIST. WHEN WE CONFESS OUR SINS AND TURN TO JESUS, IT IS HE WHO FORGIVES, REDEEMS AND SAVES US FROM ALL OF OUR SINS.
IT IS JESUS WHO JUSTIFIES US BY DECLARING US “INNOCENT” FROM ALL OUR PAST CONFESSED SINS. ISAIAH 43:25, “I, EVEN I, AM HE WHO BLOTS OUT YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, FOR MY OWN SAKE, AND REMEMBERS YOUR SINS NO MORE.”
WHEN WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE SINNERS AND ASK GOD TO FORGIVE ALL OUR SINS, AND THEN ASK JESUS CHRIST TO BECOME OUR LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR, WE IMMEDIATELY RECEIVE OUR “JUSTIFICATION” OR WHAT WE CAN KNOW AS OUR FORMAL PARDON FROM ALL THE SINS WE HAVE EVER COMMITTED. IT IS SALVATION!
THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN DO TO SAVE OURSELVES. THIS PROVISION HAS BEEN MADE FOR US THROUGH THE SACRIFICIAL DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS.
THE ONLY WAY WE COULD BE JUSTIFIED WAS FOR JESUS, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, TO SHED HIS OWN BLOOD FOR US. ROMANS 5:9, “SINCE WE HAVE NOW BEEN JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, HOW MUCH MORE SHALL WE BE SAVED FROM GOD'S WRATH THROUGH HIM!”
BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY, HE CANNOT ACCEPT US BY SIMPLY IGNORING OUR SINS OR DISREGARDING OUR SINFULNESS. BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY, HE CANNOT ACCEPT US BY DEFAULT SAYING, “WELL, AT LEAST YOU TRIED AND AFTER ALL YOU DID THE BEST YOU COULD.”
OUR SINFUL HUMAN NATURE HAD TO BE DEALT WITH AND GOD TOOK CARE OF THIS BY OFFERING TO US OUR SALVATION AND JUSTIFICATION THROUGH THE SACRIFICIAL DEATH OF HIS SON.
THIS JUSTIFICATION IS GIVEN ONLY ON THE BASIS OF WHAT CHRIST DID AND NOTHING THAT WE COULD EVER SAY OR DO. THIS IS OUR EMANCIPATION, OUR DELIVERANCE THAT SETS US FREE FROM BEING HOPELESS PRISONERS OF SIN.
IF WE, BY FAITH, WILL BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, THE SON OF GOD, WHO SHED HIS BLOOD ON THE CROSS, WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO BEAR THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS WHICH IS DEATH. JESUS PAID IT ALL.
I THINK WILL WILLIMON SAID IT BEST: “IF WE OR THE WORLD COULD BE SAVED THROUGH HUMAN KINDNESS OR CLEAR THNKING, JESUS EITHER WOULD HAVE FORMED A SINSITIVITY GROUP AND URGED US TO SHARE OUR FEELINGS OR WOULD HAVE FOUNDED A SCHOOL AND ASKED US TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS. BUT KNOWING THE WAYS OF GOD, THE WAY OF THE WORLD, AND THE PERSISTNECE OF HUMAN SIN, HE TOOK UP THE CROSS, CALLED DISCIPLES, GATHERED THE CHURCH, AND BADE US TO FOLLOW HIM DOWN A DIFFERENT PATH OF FREEDOM.
THE BIBLE IS VERY CLEAR THAT GOD WILL FREELY FORGIVE AND JUSTIFY THOSE WHO CONFESS AND REPENT OF THEIR SINS. GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, WILL CLEAR OUR DEBTS AND FREELY GRANT TO US ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS AND GRANT US HIS PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING.
YOU CAN RECEIVE THIS ETERNAL LIFE AND THIS ETERNAL RELATIOSHIP WITH GOD IF YOU WILL SURRENDER TO JESUS IN FAITH, CONFESS YOUR SINFULNESS THAT HAS SEPARATED YOU FROM GOD, AND ASK FOR JUSTIFICATION; PARDON; REDEMPTION.
SALVATION COMES THROUGH JESUS BY GOD’S GRACE AND OUR FAITH! WE CANNOT EARN IT NOR HAVE ANY OF OUR EARTHLY ACCOMPLISHMENTS TRANSFERRED AS “CREDIT” TOWARDS GAINING ENTRY INTO HEAVEN. SOLA FIDE! FAITH ALONE!
SOLA FIDE! FAITH ALONE MEANS, TO ME, THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CANNOT BE FORGIVEN. GOD IS WILLING TO FORGIVE YOUR SINS AND MAKE YOUR LIFE BRAND NEW. HIS LOVE FOR YOU IS SO IMMEASURABLE THAT HE HAS MADE JUSTIFICATION POSSIBLE.
HE WANTS TO AQUIT YOU, FREE YOU, AND CLEAN YOUR LIFE AND MAKE IT RIGHT AGAIN. THAT IS, HE WANTS TO “JUSTIFY” YOUR HEART AND SOUL. HE WANTS TO BRING YOU BACK INTO A PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THAT IS FILLED, TO OVERFLOWING, WITH HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, HIS PEACE AND INTIMATE PRESENCE IN THIS LIFE NOW AND OUR LIFE IN HIS PRESENCE THROUGHOUT ETERNITY.
THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF THE WORD “JUSTIFIED” BECAUSE WHEN GOD FORGIVES MY SINS, WASHES THEM AWAY AND JUSTIFIES ME, IT IS “JUST IF I’D” NEVER SINNED BEFORE. I AM MADE CLEAN IN HIS SIGHT, RIGHTEOUS, AND RESTORED IN MY STANDING WITH GOD.
MY RECORD IS CLEAN. I STAND BEFORE MY RIGHTEOUS JUDGE DECLARED “NOT GUILTY” WITH THE LOVING SHOUT OF “PARDONED AND EXONERATED” BECAUSE ALL IS FORGIVEN, ALL IS FORGOTTEN. I NO LONGER FEAR THE PUNITIVE TORTURE OF ETERNITY IN HELL!
NOTHING I’VE EVER DONE WILL EVER BE BROUGHT BACK UP AGAIN AND USED AGAINST ME. I AM SET FREE FROM MY SINS AND SET FREE FROM MY PAST. I AM RESTORED BACK INTO A PROPER STANDING WITH GOD AND RENEWED TO ENJOY AND MAINTAIN MY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM AS HEAVENLY FATHER.
THE POINT OF PREACHING JUSTIFICATION IS TO PREACH JESUS CHRIST, THE FREEDOM FROM GUILT OF THE PAST AND THE HOLY DECLARATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH IN GOD.
JUSTIFICATION FAR SURPASSES THE NOTION THAT THE ONLY REASON WE ACCEPT JESUS IS TO GO TO HEAVEN. SOLA FIDE! FAITH ALONE JUSTIFIES AND RESTORES THE SINNER BACK INTO A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER.
THE EXPERIENCE OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH, IS TO NOT ONLY ALLOW GOD'S PRESENCE TO MANIFEST IN OUR LIVES, BUT TO ALSO EMPOWER US TO PURSUE SANCTIFICATION AND A SACRIFICIAL LIFE OF HOLIINESS THAT BEARS THE FRUIT OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION.
WHEN WE FULLY EMBRACE OUR OWN JUSTIFICATION THEN WE CAN FULLY COMPREHEND AND COME TO TERMS WITH THE WORDS THAT“GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE FOR US IN THIS: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.”
I END WITH THE WORDS OF JOHN WESLEY: “GO STRAIGHT TO GOD WITH ALL YOUR UNGODLINESS. LOOK UNTO JESUS! PLEAD ONLY THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT. BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS; AND THOU, EVEN THOU, ARE RECONCILED TO GOD.”
NOW, LET US RECEIVE OUR JUSTIFICATION, BY FAITH AND GO TO “BOAST IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, THROUGH WHOM WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED RECONCILIATION.” SOLA FIDE!
