The word “Justification” in the bible means… “to be declared righteous”. This is a judicial act of God that takes place the moment we believe the gospel. It is important to note at the beginning of this study the following:
One: All men are unrighteous – or not perfect.
Two: What man needs is righteousness before a Holy and righteous God
Three: Man cannot of his on will or works merit, earn, beg, borrow, steal or buy the righteousness he needs. He is undone and without any redeeming qualities.
Four: God will GIVE His righteousness to anyone who desires to have it.
Five: This rightness is received by faith (taking God at his word).
Bottom Line: The Righteousness That God Requires Is The Righteousness He Supplies!!
Justification then is the mechanics of receiving righteousness, i.e. , what God has done to make it possible for you and I to exercise faith and receive the free gift. In short “understanding justification” teaches us how we are made righteous.
GOD’S ELECTRIC COMPANY
In this lesson we are going to use electricity as our illustration for justification. We are going to go get some electricity.
ONE: God is the source of our justification!
Rom 8:33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
If we want to get some electricity we have to go to the source to get it. The source for electricity is the electric company. We go down to the electric company and tell them we need electricity.
The same is true with justification. God is the source of our justification. It cannot be gotten any other way. He provides it for us freely but HE is the source.
TWO: The Blood of Christ is the basis of our justification!
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Out behind the electric company there is a dynamo. This dynamo makes electric. The dynamo belongs to the electric company which is the source of the electricity, but the dynamo is the basis of the electricity. No dynamo… no electricity!
The same is true of the blood of Christ. He is God’s son. God is the source but the blood of Christ is the basis of our justification. No blood of Christ, no justification.
THREE: Grace is the means of our justification!
Rom 3:24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
The electric company is the source of electricity, the dynamo is the basis of electricity, but how does it get to us? The electric company solves that problem by the use of power lines and power poles which they provide to carry the electricity to us.
In justification, God is the source, the blood of Christ is the basis and Grace is the means whereby we are provided justification! God has done everything he can do to bring justification to us. We get it by grace (the provision of God) not by works (the provision of the flesh).
FOUR: Justification is appropriated by faith!
Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
The electric company is the source, the dynamo is the basis, power lines and poles is the means but we still do not have the electricity. The power lines have brought it to our home but now what? We must plug into the wall socket and NOW it is available to us. The electric company said all we would have to do was plug in and the power would be there for us. If we do not trust the electric company to keep their word we are still powerless.
God is the source, the blood of Christ is the basis, grace is the means and faith is how we appropriate justification. We simple believe what God has said, this is what faith is. When we believe or trust what the word of God says it is just like plugging into the electrical outlet. The power has been there the whole time. We just needed to plug in.
FIVE: The resurrection is the guarantee of our justification!!
Rom 4:25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification
The electric company is the source, the dynamo is the basis, the power lines and poles are the means and plugging into the outlet is how we obtain the electricity. But at the end of the month you are going to get a bill in the mail.
God is our source for electricity, the blood of Christ is the basis, grace is the means and faith is how we take advantage of justification. But there is a bill to pay. However our bill arrives stamped paid in full!!! The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of our justification.
This then is the doctrine of justification. This is how God makes an unrighteous, poor, lost, hell bound, sinner a new creation in Christ.
Have you received justification? What do you need to do? NOTHING! You need to take God at his word, you need to believe what he says about you and your lost condition. What does he say?
1. YOU ARE A SINNER (NOT PERFECT) – SEE ROMANS 3:10
2. THERE IS A PENALTY FOR SIN. IT IS ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD IN THE LAKEOF FIRE- REV. 21:8
3. YOU CANNOT EARN, MERIT, BEG OR BUY RIGHTEOUSNESS (PERFECTNESS). – ROMANS 4:5
4. THE Lord Jesus Christ DIED, WAS BURIED AND ROSE AGAIN IN YOUR PLACE AS PAYMENT FOR ALL SIN FOR ALL MAN FOR ALL TIME. – 1COR.15:1-4
5. PUT YOUR TRUST IN WHAT GOD THROUGH CHRIST DID FOR YOU. EPH. 1:13& COL. 2:13
REMEMBER: THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT GOD REQUIRES IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS HE SUPPLIES!!