How Jesus Saves … Jesus and Justification
On Sunday, March 17, 2024, in Pastor Dan’s series about “How Jesus Saves”, he focused on the word Justification through Romans chapters 5 and 8.
Romans 5:1-2 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 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.”
Believing and trusting in God, we have something we didn’t have before, but you must have it to have access — you must have faith in God. We are justified by this faith in God.
Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, (Adam), and death through sin, (that means spiritual death. Ultimately, if you don’t put your faith in christ, it does mean eternal separation from God in the place that we refer to as hell), and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
*Note: Words added in parentheses, are Pastor Dan’s additions/clarification.
Death. Because of Adam and Eve, Adam passes sin on to his children, who passes it on to their children, who passes it on to their children, and here you are. All of us have been marred by spiritual death and corruption of sin because of Adam. It just spread, and there was nothing you could do about it, like the stomach bug that, when one member of your family gets it, you know it’s going to hit everyone in the house.
Then Romans 5:15 “But the free gift (of God) is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man, Jesus Christ, (the second Adam), abounded for many.” And verse 16 says, “And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following (Adam’s sin) that one trespass brought condemnation (upon all of us – you’re condemned), but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification (through the work of Jesus Christ).”
So, here’s what this is saying, Adam messed up and brought spiritual death. But Jesus came and did what Adam could not do. He was able to live a sinless life, a perfect life. He was able to pay the price for our sin, take your punishment on himself. He bore it, so that you can have a relationship and friendship with God. Jesus fixed the problem that started with Adam.
Romans 5:19 “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
You, if you have given your life to Christ, have been justified because Jesus perfectly obeyed God.
The Greek word for justification is mentioned 200 times. If it’s mentioned 200 times in the New Testament, it’s probably something you want to make sure you pay attention to. Justification by the Greek means a legal declaration of righteousness or a judicial declaration.
So, the BIG Definition of Justification is God sees our sins as forgiven, Christ’s righteousness belonging to us, and declares us morally perfect (righteous).
Breakdown of Justification:
- God deletes all of our debt.
- God credits our account with Jesus’ perfection.
- God proclaims our perfection.
We have a great God. This should change EVERYTHING in our lives — how I live, what my priorities are. How bad my day is — I have been justified by God. I have Christ’s righteousness credited to my account and I didn’t do anything to earn it. He did it all. What an amazing God I serve.
All the good that we can do on this earth is worthless. You can’t earn any extra credit with God because it’s already been done.
Things to Think About:
- Good works earn nothing. “Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.
For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” — Romans 3:27-28
Do good works as a response to God, not to earn anything because you’re not going to need it.
2. Condemntion is not from God. Do you know what condemnation is? It’s satanic.
Romans 8:1 and 33 — “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Who shall bring any charge
against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.”
If you hear, in your head, “I am not righteous. I’m terrible.” That isn’t God speaking to you. You have an enemy who wants to destroy you, who wants to keep you down and he will do whatever he can, like saying to you, “Do you remember what you were in the past? You can’t get past that.”
It is God who declares you righteous. It is God who deletes your debt. Condemnation isn’t from God.
Which voice do you listen to the most? The one that tells you that you’re no good, you’ll never overcome your past?
If you’re in Christ, your past has been overcome.
3. Your record has been cleared. Live in that. Colossians 2:13-15 — “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God
made alive together with him, having forgiven us, all our trespasses … by canceling the record of debt that
stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and
authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
Jesus Christ publically embarrassed Satan.
The only way sin really holds onto you, is if you are holding on to it.