JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH (Part 4)
KEY VERSE – It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Gal. 5:1) SECONDARY THEME VERSES: “A man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16); “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing” (Gal. 2:21).
THEME: Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone releases us from the yoke of the law, freeing us to live a life of love through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Legal (Imputed) Righteousness: We are justified by faith in Christ (Gal. 2:16). Imparted Righteousness: Immediate Moral Change at conversion (Gal. 6:15); Gradual Moral Change through the fruit-growing work of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) which requires our cooperation (Gal 5:16-17, 25, 6:8). We cooperate by using CCRC (Concentration, Choice, Reflection, Confession/Thanksgiving. Foundational verse, “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Heb. 10:14)
Good Teachers: (1) Constantly re-evaluate what they are doing; (2) Set large goals; (3) Ask – “Does everything I do contribute to learning?”; (4) Prepare well; (5) Check for understanding; (6) Like teaching; (7) Get results from their teaching; (8) Have perseverance. Don’t give up.
TEACHING GOAL: Show what justification means, why it is essential as a foundational belief for Christians.
TEXT FOR THE DAY:
“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile Sinners’ know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
“But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker.
“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Gal. 2:15-21)
JUSTIFICATION (Part 4)
1. Forgiveness and the Search for Righteousness
2. Salvation – Metaphors, Word Pictures
3. The Importance of the Doctrine of Justification
4. The Doctrine of Justification in Galatians
5. The Definition of Justification
6. Illustrations of Justification
7. Objections to / Questions to Answer about Justification
8. Grounds of Justification
9. Two Thieves that Hassle Justification by Faith
10. Instrument or Means of Justification
11. Relationship of Justification to Sanctification
I. FORGIVENESS & THE SEARCH FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Man is sinful. God is holy, aggrieved and needs satisfaction for the injury done to Him. “The law which God must satisfy is the law of His own being” (John Stott, The Cross of Christ, Pg. 124). Man established religions to generate the righteousness he hopes will give God satisfaction.
II. SALVATION – METAPHORS AND WORD PICTURES
Salvation Metaphors: Propitiation, Redemption, Reconciliation, Justification, Regeneration. Re-Creation, Deliverance, Rescue, Adoption, Forgiveness, Cleansing. “Salvation is the comprehensive word, but it has many facets that are illustrated by different pictures.” (John Stott, Cross of Christ. Page185)
III. IMPORTANCE OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION
“[Justification by faith] . . . is . . . the principal article of all Christian doctrine. . . . we should know this article well, teach it unto others, and beat it into their heads continually.” (Martin Luther)
IV. THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION IN GALATIANS
Justify and righteous are from the same root word: dikaioo. In fact instead of saying ‘justify’ we could say ‘rightify’ etc. Gal. 2:16 is one of the most pregnant verses in the Bible concerning justification by faith.
V. DEFINITION OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
Justification is God’s judicial act of love and grace, due to the vicarious death of the risen Savior, wherein He declares the believing sinner right with Himself, not only acquitting him but also accepting him as his child and imputing to him His righteousness.
VI. ILLUSTRATIONS OF JUSTIFICATION
In the wedding ceremony, the status of the couple changes, not their person. In a courtroom the status of “the accused” is changed to “guilty” or “not guilty.” In a conflict a person is justified when his actions are viewed as valid because our perception changes.
VII. OBJECTIONS / QUESTIONS ABOUT JUSTIFICATION
(1) God declares sinners righteous but does not change them. Thus justification is just a legal declaration, not a moral transformation.
(2) Justification is a legal fiction, a phony transaction external to ourselves which leaves us inwardly un-renewed?
VIII. THE GROUNDS FOR JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
The source of justification by faith is the grace of God. Justification is not a synonym for amnesty, which is pardon without principle. Christ bore the penalty for our sins. Thus He can justify us while remaining just. The basis of our justification is the blood of Christ.
IX. TWO THIEVES THAT HASSLE JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
QUESTION: Justification by faith is ‘crucified’ between two thieves. The thieves are hedonism and legalism. Hedonism says that since we are saved by grace we are free to do as we wish. Legalism says that though we are saved by grace we must maintain certain religious practices to remain in good stead with God.
Paul talks about “…acting (walking) in line with the truth of the Gospel” (Galatians 2:14). These two thieves (errors) can pull us off the Gospel line.
Using the argument that we are justified by faith to justify irreligious or even neutral activities is falling into the Hedonist Thief’s hands. Doing a spiritual act to maintain good standing with God is falling into the hands of the Legalistic Thief.
X. INSTRUMENT OR MEANS OF JUSTIFICATION
Note how many times “faith” is mentioned in our text:
“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile Sinners’ know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
We noted that this verse is one of the best verses on “justification by faith” in the Bible. The word “faith” is listed three times in this verse.
QUESTION: How does American popular culture think and talk about faith? How do Americans use the word “faith”?
I have faith. You’ve got to have faith. Faith is important. Without faith I could never have made it. I have faith every day. If you only have faith things will work out.
DEFINING FAITH
QUESTION: What are some synonyms for faith?
Confidence, certainty, assurance, credence, conviction, being sure, reliance. (Antonyms – doubtful, uncertain, question, no guarantee, unreliable, skeptical, unsure)
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Heb. 11:1)
Are you convinced that Christ died for you? Do you have confidence that Christ died for you? Are you sure that Christ died for you? Do you have assurance that Christ died for you? Are you certain that Christ died for you?
Does “faith” as used in the Gospel go beyond mental assent?
“Perhaps no term is more misunderstood in modern evangelicalism than ‘faith.’ What is this faith that save us? What word best describes this term? Assent? Trust? Surrender? Commitment?”
QUOTE: “We … define faith as the initial and continual response of trust in, and obedience to Christ by a person for the purpose of acceptance with God.
When Paul uses the word ‘faith’ he describes what happens the first time a person hears the Gospel and believes and also a ‘continuing disposition of trust and obedience.’ (Scot McKnight, page 121)
“Faith is complete trust and complete surrender to Jesus Christ. It is the total acceptance of all that He said, of all that He offered, and all that He is.” (William Barclay as in McKnight, pg. 121)
Do we only define faith as ‘believing that Jesus is Savior?’ Scott McKnight claims that if we define faith like this, as mere ‘credence’ and ‘mental assent’ we are mis-defining faith and becoming heretical. He claims a person must surrender himself or herself in trust and obedience to Christ for true faith to be expressed.
QUESTION: Is Scott McKnight right or wrong? How should we define “faith” in the phrase “justification by faith”?
THE OBJECT OF JUSTIFYING FAITH
We need to be very clear that faith does not save us! If that is the case how do we explain the verse, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith . . .” (Eph. 2:8)
This verse is merely focusing on that fact that faith not works is the instrument of faith. It is not saying that faith saves us.
ILLUSTRATION: Duncan Campbell, the great Scottish revivalist asked a young woman why she was sure she was saved. She answered by quoting a verse of Scripture. He responded, “A verse of Scripture cannot save you. Only Christ can save you. You are not saved by a verse of Scripture.”
“God doth justify the believing man yet not for the worthiness of his belief, but for His worthiness who is believed.” (Stott quoting Richard Hooper in The Cross of Christ, pg. 188)
“… but by faith in Jesus Christ … we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ.” (Gal. 2:16)
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ . . . through faith in His blood.” (Romans 3:22, 25)
“Since we have now been justified by his blood . . .” (Romans 5:9)
“…he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death . . . . “ (Col. 1:22)
“. . . . you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:13)
“. . . . without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Heb. 9:22)
“. . . and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (I John 1:7)
ILLUSTRATION: Out of the 150 hymns I have gathered over the past 15 years and that I use in my daily devotions the word “blood”, “cross” and synonyms appeared 120 times and I did no search on “die” or “death”.
HYMN: JESUS, THY BLOOD & RIGHTEOUSNESS
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
‘Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
Bold shall I stand in Thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
The holy, meek, unspotted Lamb,
Who from the Father’s bosom came,
Who died for me, e’en me to atone,
Now for my Lord and God I own.
Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which, at the mercy seat of God,
Forever doth for sinners plead,
For me, e’en for my soul, was shed.
Lord, I believe were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.
When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev’n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.
Jesus, the endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me-
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.
O let the dead now hear Thy voice;
Now bid Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness.
“The faith of a Christian is built around a divine Savior who was crucified to deliver us from sin and lives forevermore. This needs to be at the very center of our teaching – this is what generates joy and excitement in the heart of the believer and in the church.” (From Jeff’s devotional notes for March 28, 2011)
FAITH IS THE INSTRUMENT OF JUSTIFICATION
Some churches teach that baptism is the means of justification. What they mean is that baptism is the instrumental cause, the agency of justification. Justification happens through baptism.
Romans 3:22 plainly states: This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
Romans 3:28 states: … a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. Thus faith is the only instrument of salvation.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9)
“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” (Titus 3:5)
READING: Professor Kung strongly affirms the truth of sola fide (by faith alone), and says that Luther was entirely correct and orthodox to add the word “alone” to the text of Romans 3:28, since it was “not Luther’s invention.” It had already appeared in several other translations, and Trent (Roman Catholic council that met in 25 sessions between Dec. 13, 1545 and 1563.) had not intended to contradict it. So “we have to acknowledge a fundamental agreement,” he writes “in regard to the sola fides formula … Man is justified on the basis of faith alone.” (John Stott quoting Hans Kung in The Cross of Christ, Page 182)
So the object of saving faith is the crucified Christ referenced by such words as the blood of Christ, the death of Christ, the Cross of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ etc. Faith is the instrument or means or agency wherein we appropriate the death of Christ to our lives.
OBJECT LESSON: Put some cereal in a bowl. Use a spoon to eat the cereal. Ask, “What gives me strength and nourishes me, the spoon or the cereal.” What is the function of the spoon? (It is only an instrument, a means of getting the food to my mouth.) When I eat should I have faith in the efficacy of the spoon to nourish me? Or should I have faith in the cereal?
SOURCE OF FAITH
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
“The Gospel, the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)
“. . . . God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.” (I Cor. 1:21)
ILLUSTRATION: The night I accepted the Lord I knew very little of the message. But I was told that Christ could cleanse away my sins, that He would enter my heart and give me a new life. The next day I drove a tractor cultivating broccoli. I had written out and put on the center of the steering wheel these verses, that I read all throughout the day: But he [was] wounded for our transgressions, [he was] bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [was] upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:5-6)
SO WHAT???
1. Minimally faith is confidence and assurance that Christ died for me. In its broader meaning in the NT it also includes surrender and obedience to Christ.
2. The object of saving faith is Christ crucified. Thus phrases referring to the blood of Christ, the death of Christ, the cross of Christ should be woven into all our teaching and worship.
3. Faith does not save anyone. It is the instrument that appropriates the benefit of the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross to our lives.
4. The sole agency or instrument of salvation is faith. No works, including baptism, are ‘instrumental’ in our salvation.
5. Faith is generated in our hearts when we hear the message, news that Christ died for us and can save us. Thus proclamation of the message is very important.