Heart of the Gospel
Justification
There are three aspects of justification:
- By grace - Romans 3:21-24
- By blood - Romans 3:25-26
- By faith - Romans 2:27-31
Justification By Grace
(Romans 3:21-24 KJV) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; {22} Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ nto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: {23} For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; {24} Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
But now, it used to be one way, now it is this way. This verse speaks of the righteousness of God.
- God is holy and possesses righteousness.
- God performs righteously.
- God imputes righteousness to us.
Faith of Christ, the issue is His faithfulness. God transferred His righteousness to us through Christ (when we believe). By faith we have the circumcision - Christ fulfilled all the requirements of the law. Christ has done it all and by faith that righteousness is transferred to us that believe without distinction.
All have sinned, this describes our position in Adam (Romans 5:12); and come short of the glory of God, all need a Savior because of our relationship with Adam.
Freely, we are justified without a cause. (John 15:25 the same word used for freely is translated without a cause.) There is nothing in us that would cause God to justify us.
By His grace, grace is a gift; it is something that is free. It if were not free then it would cease to be a gift.
Redemption, means to pay a ransom, to loose someone through the payment of a price. Christ had to accomplish the price of sin before he could take it away.
Justification By Blood
(Romans 3:25-26 KJV) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; {26} To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Propitiation, means absolutely well-pleased.
(Hebrews 9:22 KJV) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Christ is the satisfaction, God is satisfied by His blood. We are not saved because of what we think of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, it is what God thinks of the sacrifice. God was satisfied with what Christ did on the cross.
Through faith in his blood, Romans gives a more detailed explanation of the gospel.
Three ways the blood satisfies God:
- It protects God's righteousness, it would not have been right for Him to just offer forgiveness. His justice needs to be satisfied, He is the justifier that justifies
- It procures His righteousness in the sinners of the past.
Remission, means to tolerate. In time past, God overlooked the sins in the past (Acts 17:30). - It provides the means for all sinners.
Justification by Faith
(Romans 3:27-31 KJV) Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. {28} Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. {29} Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: {30} Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. {31} Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Justification by faith:
- Excludes boasting by works and pride. The boasting will be in the cross. We will rejoice in what God has done. The law of faith is the principle of faith that God's righteousness is appropriated by faith not the works of the law.
- Includes both the Jew And Gentile. It was hard for the Jew to accept that Gentiles can come to God on the same level as a Jew. Paul repeatedly states that there in no difference. It is important for the Jew (circumcised) to realize salvation is by faith rather than works of the law and that the Gentile (uncircumcised) realize that is through faith, faith being the very instrument that is used to bring them to God.
- Establishes the Law. Faith does not make void the law. Christ blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and nailed it the cross. (Col 2:14)
The law consists of:- Commandments - moral
- Ordinances - rituals
- Statutes/judgments - Civil and social rules
In Col 2:14 it says that the ordinances were blotted out which suggests that the moral principals still apply today.
The law is good if one use it lawfully.
(1 Timothy 1:8-11 KJV) But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; {9} Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, {10} For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; {11} According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
It is still wrong to go out and kill, covet, etc. In Paul's writings he does not mention the Sabbath though.
When grace is preached, the law does its work and shows man what a sinner he is.
(Matthew 5:17 KJV) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
When Christ died, He fulfilled the sacrificial obligation of the Law. When we believe the Law is established when Christ's work is imputed to us (Our identification with Christ).
Love is the fulfilling of the Law (Rom 13:10); it is by loving we establish the whole goal of what the law was to accomplish.
Christ established (fulfilled) the Law and He imputes that to us.
We establish the Law by faith, by believing on Christ and that He did it all for us because we could not do it on our own and then we love one another because of what Christ did for us.
Justification
- The grace of God motivates
- The blood of Christ provides
- It is procured by faith