Good morning. It's a joy to be here. Please take your Bibles and open with me to a very familiar passage of Scripture as we will be plowing some, I trust, familiar ground this morning from Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3, we'll read verses 21 through 28 in a moment.
I do bring you greetings from your brothers and sisters in Portland and Glen Cullen Baptist Church. We pray for you often, and as Pastor Butler mentioned, it was a real joy to have him and Daniel in our church. And Pastor Butler was a real blessing to us as he shared his testimony and the grace of God in his life, shared with us a bit about the work here. and then preached twice on the Lord's Day, and then we kept him over and put him to work on Monday also as he spoke to our men in our monthly men's theology meeting. And it was a real joy.
I do believe our hearts were knit together, and there is this sense of fellowship, awareness, confidence of fellowship, I should say. that we have together around things that are really important. And we'll talk about important things this morning.
Introduction
It's always a question, what to preach when you go to visit, especially a sister church. And I don't think you can err if you stick close to the knitting. We used to refer to that at Boeing. That's those things that you hold as vitally important.
And brethren, I'm sure you would agree that there is absolutely nothing more important to us than the gospel. And at the very heart of the gospel is this doctrine of justification. So we want to stay with that theme, as our brother has taken up this morning from Luke chapter 16, as we have sung of it. And I wish I could say that all professing Christians I wish I could stand up here and say that, but the sad truth is there is a measure of confusion and serious error.
We have had people come to our church within the last couple of years from other denominations where at one time the gospel was clearly proclaimed from those pulpits, in particular how a man is right with God. And they have fallen away from that. And that's sad. So there is even a degree of confusion amongst what we would refer to as evangelical Christians, even in the Reformed camp.
Ian Hamilton, several years ago, in a series of articles, I think it was three or four articles he wrote for the Banner of Truth magazine, wrote these words. There are even some suggesting, and perhaps even more than suggesting, that the Reformation doctrine of justification, by grace alone, through faith alone, is the very same doctrine that is now being taught by the Roman Catholic Church. And if nothing else, I think Christian believers need themselves to be reminded afresh just what the Word of God, our only rule of faith, has to teach us concerning this subject. It's always good to review these things and to know.
Pastor Butler mentioned that we have a sense of camaraderie. We talked, matter of fact, in his study about the similarities at Glen Collin to here. And it's neat that we have that. The pulpit is almost identical.
It's almost identical in size. I feel very much at home standing behind this pulpit. But much more important than that. is that we be together on this doctrine of how a man is right with God. There was a day, Ian Hamilton continues, when you could assume that evangelical Christians understood what the doctrine of justification was.
I love Charleston, South Carolina. It's my favorite place in all the world. I love to visit there. It's like walking through a museum.
It's the birthplace of Reformed theology in the United States. The gospel was preached there years ago. And you can go down into the old town, the old section of Charleston, and see these old churches from the late 17th and early 18th century. And still having services today, but a very different message is coming out of those churches.
There was a time when you could stand in the city square and you could hear coming from the Anglican Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Congregational Church, the Baptist Church, that a man is justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. It's not the case today. It was the glory, Ian Hamilton says, it was the glory of the evangelical gospel, but no longer can you make that assumption. I think it's truth to say that many evangelical Christians know what it means to justify their margins on their computer, but they know nothing of what it means for God to justify the ungodly by his grace, through the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
We are today more computer literate than gospel literate, and that's sadly within many evangelical churches. Brethren, there are some things that we might not have exactly right, and we can still be on safe ground as far as eternity is concerned. But we can't be wrong here. I'm so thankful for our sister churches.
I'm thankful for this church and the stand that it takes on the gospel. I'm thankful for your pastor and the word of God that is preached here. May that always be the case. I'm not aware of any Reformed Baptist church.
I know some Reformed Baptist brethren I'm a little concerned about in some areas. But on this issue of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, I'm glad to report to you that I don't know of any errors. May that always be true. Because this doctrine is vitally important.
The Church rises and falls on this truth. John Calvin referred to justification as the main hinge on which religion, or true religion, turns. Martin Luther emphasized it even more strongly. This article of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, is the head and cornerstone of the Church, which alone begets, nourishes, builds, preserves, and protects the Church.
Without it, the Church of God cannot subsist for one hour. Now, we don't believe That was an overstatement at all. The free justification of sinners, the ungodly, of which we all are sinners, as we have already been reminded of this morning. The justification of sinners by the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone.
It's the bedrock of the gospel, the grace of God in Christ Jesus. add to it, take away from it, even in the slightest of ways, you lose the gospel. People talk about the dangers of weakening the doctrine of justification by faith alone. How do you weaken that doctrine? You don't weaken it.
You either have it or you don't. We sing Bonner's hymn, Thy righteousness, O Christ, alone can cover me. No righteousness avail save that which is of Thee. To whom save Thee?
Who canst alone for sin atone? Lord, shall I flee? And this blessed assurance that we are right with God, that we sing of with joy is only received by faith. in Jesus Christ. Justification, that wonderful act of God, which declares that I, the guilty sinner that I am, that I am righteous, righteous before God.
Free from the guilt and the penalty that my sins deserve. Romans 8, 1, there is therefore now no condemnation, neither can there ever be. any condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. And this wonderful doctrine is clearly presented to us here in Romans chapter 3. Very familiar passage, verses 21 through 28.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law?
Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. What a wonderful passage.
It is full and rich. Obviously, this morning we won't take the time, nor can we possibly take the time to do a thorough exposition of all of those verses. But I would like us to gather our thoughts specifically around verse 24. And every word in that verse is important.
Every word in that verse is absolutely imperative for a true understanding of the gospel. This whole passage here has come in power throughout the history of God's people and has been used of the Holy Spirit and blessed of God to the salvation of many souls. Just this week I was reading again to John Bunyan's testimony concerning this very passage and when he came to know the Lord and we read, he says, live I must not, die I dare not.
Bunyan's Testimony on Romans 3
Now I sunk and fell in my spirit and was giving up all for loss. But as I was walking up and down in the house as a man in a most woeful state, that word of God took hold of my heart. Romans chapter 3 verses 24 and 25 and he goes on to say, what a turn it made upon me. It was as one awakened out of some troublesome dream, and this truth of the gospel, this very heartbeat of the gospel came home with saving power to John Bunyan, and he was brought to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
Every word is important.
Justified: A Forensic Declaration
That first word in verse 24 comes to us, justified. What does the Bible mean by being justified? And today, people seem to think that's a difficult thing to arrive at an answer, but it's not difficult, it's not complicated, it's not hard to discover. First off, it's always used in a legal sense.
That word justification is always used in scripture in a legal sense. It means to declare righteous. To declare righteous. The word justification in the Bible never means to make righteous.
So justification, to put it simply, is the gracious act of God acting as a judge in a courtroom declaring a verdict. And the verdict that he declares is righteous. So justification borrows its image from the courtroom. The court is in session.
The defendant is before the judge. You've got that in your mind. And there's the accused sitting at the table, and he's standing now before the judge, and he's on edge. He's nervous.
He's trembling a bit, maybe. What is the judge going to say? Well, in Paul's image of justification,
The Heavenly Courtroom
we see the heavenly courtroom. And almighty God himself is setting upon the throne as judge and the sinner stands before him and there can be absolutely no doubt as to his guilt. No doubt. This is a guilty man.
And don't forget what Paul has just said in verse 23. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That's a familiar verse. We know that verse.
Again, sad to say, often it's overlooked today. Often it's taken lightly. People will look at that verse and say, well, sure, everyone sins. We all have our problems.
Nobody is perfect. And we know what they mean by that. It's not that big a deal. But in the original Greek, there are six different words which are translated by our English word sin.
The word that Paul uses here literally means to err or to miss the mark. And men constantly fall short of the glory of God. That's what Paul is saying. And what is that glory of God?
What is that mark? It's perfection. And men are constantly and always missing it. Why?
Because all have sinned in Adam. We are sinners by nature. Therefore, we are sinners by practice. Some have said this thing of justification, especially as it relates to sin and guilt, is not that big a deal.
And they say that because they have lost sight of our great and desperate need to be right with God. We are before the bar of God's justice, every man and woman and boy and girl. And we are before the bar of God's justice as guilty sinners. And that's clearly implied when Paul says there in verse 24,
The Reality of Guilt Before God
being justified, he's implying there was a time that we weren't justified. We were in fact chargeable with transgression and violation of the law. And that's true, both of the heart and of the life. Genesis six, five says the imagination of the heart of man are always continually and only evil.
Jeremiah says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. And Jesus says it's out of the heart where the issues of life come. Psalm 14 and verse 2, the Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. The psalmist says they have all turned aside.
They have together become corrupt. There is no one who does good. No, not one. Isaiah 53-6, all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned each one to his own way.
Sin is a serious matter. It has put us on the outs with God. Romans 8 describes it as enmity between us and God. And our transgression exposes us to punishment, because sin is opposed to God's holy nature.
It violates his holy laws and therefore rightly and justly it places us under his holy displeasure and condemnation and judgment. The scriptures are clear, the soul that sins shall die. And it's true. Think of Micah chapter 7, I think it's verse 18, that God delights in mercy.
That's true. But brethren, he will in no way clear the guilty. Because the wages of sin are death. He's a holy and he's a just God.
So we're back in that courtroom. Still have that picture in your mind? There's a holy God acting as judge and in justification God looks down at the guilty sinner. No doubt about his guilt and God says you are not guilty.
To put it simply, in justification, God treats the guilty sinner as if he had never sinned or never been a sinner. As if he was as perfectly obedient as Christ himself. Now, it's important to note, in justification, God does not say, well, you're really not that bad, we're just going to let it go. In justification, God does not say, well, you're really not a sinner.
That's not what God says, because God cannot lie. So in justification, God does not, also in justification, God does not declare that bad people are good, that they're not sinners. And in justification, he doesn't change them from bad people into good people. That's not what he does in justification.
Rather in justification, he declares, I'm going to treat you like you are not a sinner. This is so important. Justification is about a change of status before the law. About a change of status before the righteous and the holy God.
Guilty, hell-deserving sinners are pronounced legally righteous and free from any punishment. One man put it this way. In justification, God announces that our status is holy, even though our character is anything but. It is on the basis of this status that Paul can call us saints.
People who have been set apart. I hope you appreciate what an amazing thing that is. Almost incredible if the Bible didn't teach it. Because when we read the Bible, we see that earthly judges are to justify the innocent, not the guilty.
For example, Moses gave instructions to the Israelite judges as to how they were to decide cases in Deuteronomy 25.1. If there's a dispute between men and they come to court, that the judges may judge them. They are to justify the righteous. and condemn the wicked. Proverbs 17 and verse 15 says, he who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
And the prophet Isaiah pronounced a terrible curse upon judges who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. That's what we want. in our judges. But to sit on the bench of justice and condemn the innocent and justify the wicked, well, that's to turn justice upside down, we think. And then Paul writes in Romans chapter 4 and verse 5, God justifies who?
Those that are all made better? That's not what it says. Paul says, God justifies the ungodly. That's the wonder and power of the gospel.
Earthly judges are to justify the righteous, the innocent, the pure, those who pay their taxes and don't run red lights. Well, the judge of heaven justifies the ungodly, the sinner, the guilty. This must have shocked Paul's Roman readers. We know this doctrine.
Most of us here this morning. I remember the first time I came to understand something of this doctrine. Wow, that's the gospel. Those readers back in Paul's day must have thought, Paul, are you sure about that?
Are you sure you want to say that God justifies the ungodly? Is that right? It's outrageous that the divine judge should practice what he forbids human judges to do. How can God count and treat unrighteous, guilty people as being righteous, as if they had no sin?
Is this truth of justification amazing? Isn't this a wonderful thing? When I think about being justified, knowing my heart, knowing what I am of myself, that I am innocent before God, that I am free forever of the guilt and the penalty my sins deserve. How is it?
How is it that the Holy God justifies That is, declares ungodly sinners to be righteous and forgiven. Well,
Freely: Justification as Free Gift
Romans 3, 24 tells us. And note first, the emphasis falls upon the word freely. Being justified freely. That's, God does it freely.
That means gratuitously, received by us as a free gift. In fact, the ESV, which I'm familiar with, Daniel, and the New American Standard Bible, says as a gift. as a gift. That's important. Because it insists that we are not justified by our words.
And Paul is emphatic here in this section. Verse 20. Therefore, by the deeds of the law No flesh will be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Verses 21 and 22.
But now the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference on those who believe, not those who work for it, not those who earn it. Verse 28. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law." Brethren, what could possibly be clearer?
How many times does the Apostle have to say it? To be justified freely always appears in Scripture as diametrically opposed to a being justified by works. You just can't have it both ways. and keep the gospel. You can have it both ways, but you'll be lost in your sins.
You can have it both ways and you've lost the gospel. The point is there is absolutely nothing we can do or ever possibly might do. Our legal standing before God depends totally upon the gracious favor and redemptive grace in Christ Jesus for us as a gift. a gift, being justified freely. There is nothing we can do of ourselves.
There is nothing we can do of ourselves in any sense of the word that can help us or even contribute the smallest way, one single thing towards our being justified. Totally impossible. for anyone to be justified by their own words. That's Paul's point. That's why he says it over and again.
He wants us to get it. We can't possibly pay the penalty our sins deserve. Romans 6.23, the wages of sin is death. And when Paul says that, he means more than physical death.
It's included, but it's more than that. It's eternal death. It's the death of hell forever. Forsaken of God and the everlasting bearing of his eternal and infinite wrath.
It's also spiritual death to be separated from the love of God. Being filled with all enmity against the living God forever and ever. How awful. Devoid of all love of God.
Forever. The wages of sin is death. Can't pay for that. What payment are you going to make?
Moreover, we could never make things right for any past sin or transgression. You know, some people have the idea that, well, I have these sins in the past, but you know what? I'm going to start today and I'm going to work real hard from now on and I'll go into overdrive. That'll cover it and take care of that.
You can't do it. I mean, just think. Suppose a person sinned only once. This is an impossible thing, I'm asking you to suppose.
But suppose a person sinned only once, and maybe as a young child. But even still, that person can never even make that one sin right. You can't work a bit harder and make up lost ground. You can't take a time out, as it were.
I like to golf, I'm not very good, so I take a lot of mulligans. You know what a mulligan is? It's a do-over and you don't count them all. There are no do-overs with God.
You can't clock out and work overtime for God. Even more than that, it's impossible that we might somehow meet or satisfy God's requirement. And God is a holy God. He requires a suffering, atoning sacrifice to cover sin.
Penalty has to be paid. Verse 25 speaks of the need for propitiation, doesn't it? Well, there's another whole sermon. I told Pastor Butler there's so many things here.
That's what we're trying to focus in on, verse 24, but there's so much here. Propitiation and atoning, suffering, sacrifice that satisfies the judgment and the wrath of God. And you know what? That implies obedience.
Behold the Lamb of God, the spotless Lamb of God. And that obedience Let's come out of love. You see, Martin Luther had to learn this. Suffering of itself, no matter how severe or selfless, you know, this whole idea of penance can never be enough, can never satisfy.
Suffering is atoning and meritorious as a payment for sin and guilt only when it occurs out of perfect obedience. And the penalty due sin, God's wrath, must be borne. And it must be borne as an act of true and perfect love. How are you to serve God?
How are you to love God? With all your heart and your mind. Who has done that? It's simply impossible for us because by nature, you see, you and I are children of disobedience.
And as such, we're condemned by the righteous judgment of God. We're back in that courtroom. We are guilty sinners. To be justified simply is forever out of our reach.
Again, Martin Luther had to learn that. Martin Luther thought he could work real hard. He could be very religious. He could suffer and take up his cross and give himself to all kinds of degradation and self-sacrifice.
And he could stand before God as a justified. The more he suffered. The more he saw. Until we came to the realization that is the just that live by faith.
Why? Because God justifies freely to get. Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy laws, demands. Could my zeal, no respite, no, could my tears forever flow.
All for sin could not atone. Thou must save, and thou alone. Freely. We are justified freely as a gift without any of our works.
How amazing is that? It's not something we earn. It's not something we deserve or merit. In fact, we get exactly the opposite of what we deserve.
Don't forget, there are none righteous. No, not even one. And all of us deserve punishment. All of us deserve condemnation. in hell's everlasting fire.
Instead, we are justified freely by his grace. There is no other way to be saved.
The Ground: Redemption in Christ Jesus
That leads to another question. On what basis or ground does God freely justify? How can he who is holy do this without contradicting or setting aside his own justice? And Paul's answer is, God justifies by Christ's blood.
Romans chapter 5, verse 9. In verse 25, we see that we are justified by Christ who God set forth as a propitiation, that sacrifice that satisfies God's justice by his blood. And so our text in verse 24 says, being justified freely by his grace, how? Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Brethren, that's the ground you see, that's the meritorious cause of our justification. That's the answer as to how the Holy God can be just and the justifier of the center in verse 26. That's the answer. It's because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Redemption, what a blessed word. Just like that word justification, redemption also lies at the very heart of the gospel.
What Redemption Means
The word redemption literally means liberation. to be set free by the payment of a ransom price. The justification borrows from the language of the courtroom. Redemption borrows from the language of the marketplace. In particular, the marketplace where slaves are dealt.
Those in bondage. Redemption, a price must be paid. And we use the illustration of maybe an American... American.
Sorry. I am an American. Sorry. An American prisoner of war, his freedom has been negotiated by the government.
The price of his freedom has been paid. In other words, literally, he's been redeemed. His freedom has been bought. And this in spite of the fact that he may yet still be in custody, in prison.
However, his actual freedom, his release out of prison, must now ensue. And our passage says we're redeemed in or through Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus. Christ alone.
There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. If you are ever to be saved, and you must be saved, you must be saved. Come to the Lord Jesus even now. And in coming, realize there is no other name. under heaven given among men, except the name of Jesus Christ." And so, what do we preach?
We preach Christ. We preach Christ crucified. And when Paul speaks of in Jesus Christ, he means in the sphere of Christ Jesus alone. Paul literally means only in him is this redemption, this liberation, effected.
So you shall call his name Jesus. Literally, Jehovah saves. Why? Because he'll save his people from their sins.
He is Emmanuel. He is God with us. He is the eternal Son of God in our flesh and blood. He has come to us in his name.
In the name of Jesus lies the power whereby this redemption is effected because only Jesus is the living God Himself in our flesh and blood. He's the personal Son of God through an everlasting Spirit and only He, through that everlasting Spirit, only He could offer Himself up as a payment, redemption. And there's this name Christ, more accurately, title. That's His title.
His name is not Christ, that's His title. That means the anointed one. So in Christ lies the power. In Christ lies the authorization, literally the right for this man of sorrows to do what he did.
One man put it this way, he said he is Christ Jesus because the Son of God in human nature was appointed authorized, delegated as the eternal head of Zion to represent me, to take upon himself my guilt, to satisfy in my behalf the awesomely eternal justice of the living God. Brethren, the child of God has been redeemed. Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
Redeemed by His infinite mercy, His child, and forever I am. in and by Christ Jesus alone.
Christ's Atoning Work
He bore the eternal and infinite wrath of God that our sins deserve. That's what the child of God says. He alone tasted with full awareness and knowledge, perfect obedience. Think of that.
Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. to bear your wrath. Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done." He bore it. He bore that condemnation of God that was heavy upon you and I because of our sin. He alone bore it away completely.
All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. Yes, that's true. And the Lord has laid on him, the Father has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was on that cross willingly and freely for us, redeeming us, and he stayed there. He stayed there out of perfect love. until he could shout aloud in victory, it is finished. Not a cry of defeat. It is finished.
And in that redemptive work, he secured. He merited our fellowship with God. How incredible is that? Note how the apostle describes it there in verses 25 and 26, when God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might be the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Praise God. In his work of redemption, he defeated for us the power of sin and the devil. He purchased with his own blood our liberation from the bondage and dominion of sin. And he earned everlasting life and glory for us.
I trust you see something, appreciate even something more of the force of Paul's argument here, how all of these words hang together. Justice is indeed carried out. Sin is, in fact, punished. Evil is redressed.
Guilt is really dealt with. How? Christ took it on. And he died in our place.
You see, when the Apostle Paul gives his testimony there in Galatians chapter 2, 20 and 22, and when Paul says, Christ died for me. Isn't it wonderful? But you know what he's literally, you know what he's really saying? Christ died instead of me.
That's the testimony of the child of God. God's justice was fully realized and experienced by him for us. Our sin was punished in him. There can be no doubt, brethren.
There can be no wavering. There can be no compromise at this point. Being justified is a free gift. It is not resting upon our obedience to the law.
What could be clearer? It doesn't rest upon good works. It's not resting upon some religious act, such as baptism or confirmation or church membership, being part of the covenant community. It doesn't rest upon privilege or right of birth.
Oh, children growing up in the church, be careful. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Not because mommy and daddy believe, but because you've appropriated what Christ has done for you personally. And
Justification Distinguished from Sanctification
don't make the Roman error that's accepted by many Protestants today, Evangelicals and Catholics together. that confuses justification with sanctification. Dear brethren, justification does not rest upon faithfulness. It's a free gift. And it's a free gift that is realized for us by Christ Jesus alone without any works, even foreseen good works.
The Christian does have good works. For by grace are ye saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, when, even way before the world began, that we might walk in good works." There are good works, but our justification doesn't even rest on those foreseen good works. It rests on Christ alone.
The Bible says, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Stand firm in the truth. It is totally unacceptable to speak of the redemption of Jesus Christ as simply something that makes sinners savable. As some teach, that Jesus has merely opened a way.
And now the father can negotiate with the sinner and say, I've done everything I can possibly do to save you. Now it's up to you to close the deal. Christ Jesus redeemed us upon the cross of Calvary. Our redemption is reality.
God forbid, God forbid that we should boast in anything, in our act of will, in our good works, in our church membership, in our baptism, in anything. God forbid that we should boast in anything save the cross of Jesus Christ. And all of this is to the praise of his marvelous grace. Do you see it there?
We didn't miss the word grace. Justification's source is the grace of God. We know the familiar definition, his unmerited and undeserved favor to sinners. Sinners he set his affections on even before the foundation of the world. being justified freely by His grace.
God set His love and affection on us before we knew Him. He loved us first. That's what grace is. Even before the foundations of the world, He loved us unconditionally in Christ.
The Bible speaks of that election of grace in Ephesians 1. And having loved us so much that He gave His only Son to redeem us. What good thing would he possibly withhold from us? He gave us the gift of faith.
He has joined us to Jesus Christ.
Faith: The Sole Instrument
So Paul emphasizes here in our passage. Faith. Faith. The only means by which this glorious justification is realized.
Have you believed in Christ? You must believe in Christ. Do you have faith? Not faith in faith.
Not faith in something you've done, but do you have faith in Christ? Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, don't think I've taken another direction here. Faith never saves us.
We're not justified because we believe. God's grace is the fountain. God's grace is the source. Christ's blood and his righteousness alone is the ground.
And faith, brothers and sisters, is the necessary means of justification. In fact, faith is the only means. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Without faith, you cannot be justified.
But by faith, the Bible says, all that believe, all that believe, that means all that agree with and all that trust in Christ's death are justified. And here's the good news. The gospel calls you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel comes with a free invitation and it's to you.
Receive what God has done in Christ by the grace and blood of the Savior. Receive it as accomplished for you personally. Believe it. Believe it.
Trust in it. And what is the promise? You will be saved. Not guilty. not guilty.
We sang earlier, my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, while other ground is sinking sand. I pray we always remember what an important and glorious thing I pray that we always remember that.
As Pastor Butler has mentioned, this sweet fellowship between the churches, may it always be centered and rest upon this bedrock of this truth.
Effects of Justification
Think of its effects. What a humbling truth. I believe John Calvin has got it right in his little booklet, The golden booklet of the true Christian life, I think. I can't tell you how many times I've read it, but I can't remember the exact title.
But his premise that he begins with is that the very essence of Christianity is humility. The very essence of Christianity is humility. I think he's right. When Jesus preached that sermon on the Mount, and he called his disciples together, how did he open?
Blessed are the poor in spirit. You see, when our faith is in Christ alone, as Paul asks in verse 27, where then is boasting? It's excluded. Because we are debtors to the free grace of God found in Christ Jesus alone.
I love the name of your church. Free Grace Baptist Church. It's an amazing truth. In Christ, God accepts us.
Again, back to this courtroom. It's not like the sinner has pulled one over on God. It's not like he's come with a good alibi. God knows that we are wretched sinners.
God knows of ourselves we're not worthy to be called his children. He knows of ourselves there is nothing righteous. There is nothing holy about us. And yet he accepts us and forgives us, counts us righteous for Christ's sake, and brings us into his family and makes us his dear children.
To as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God to those who believed in his name. in the history of the world, no one who sincerely believed in Jesus has ever, ever, ever been refused. Turned away. Romans 5, 1, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Romans 8, 33 and 34, who will bring any charge against God's elect?
It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? The point is justified people can live without fear. Justified people by faith can live with confidence and assurance looking to heaven.
Justified people can sing, no condemnation now I dread, Jesus and all in him is mine. Paul writes to the Corinthians, all things are yours in Christ Jesus. What are those all things? All those things that pertain to salvation.
Those he justifies he sanctifies and those he sanctifies he will indeed glorify. Which reminds us of another effect of justification, holiness of life and obedience. Some people think this gospel leads to careless living. No, it doesn't.
No, it doesn't. Not to those who have truly believed in Jesus. Not to those who have truly been humbled by their sin. When we are justified, we are declared holy and all those justified, without exception, desire to become holy.
Now, it doesn't mean that we arrive at some degree of perfection here in this life. No, we are fighting all the way to heaven and battling sin. But the child of God is one who truly is growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord. The one who has been freed from the guilt and the condemnation of sin, he is justified.
He's also been freed and delivered from the dominion of sin, so that it no longer reigns over him. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. Unthinkable.
There's maybe a couple of other points, but let me just close. I read this article. I had it in my files by Ian Hamilton. I mentioned it earlier, a couple of articles that he had written for Banner Truth Magazine entitled, Justification by Faith Alone.
Application: The Transformed Life
In closing, let me read his closing paragraph. I think it's the second of those articles as it relates to this whole idea of the effect The fruit of justice, not the basis, brethren, not the reason, but the evidence of justification. He says, we must jealously guard the distinction between justification and sanctification. We must never forget that Christ has been made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
The sanctified man or woman is the justified man or woman, because justification is in Christ. And when you are vitally united to Christ, your life cannot but, by God's grace, evidence that. If any man be in Christ, and that in Christ is always in Christ by faith alone, he is what? A new creature.
Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. And that's why a transformed life is the great evidence of a justified life. Of course, we should declaim, defend, argue for the truth, but the greatest commendation of the truth is a transformed life. The evidence of us being justified sinners is that some little likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ is manifest in our poor lives.
When my children were younger, people would often say to them, you know, you look just like your mother. Rarely the father, sadly to say, usually their mother. You look just like your mother. And I thought, I couldn't think of anything better for my children.
And isn't that, in a sense, to be true of believers, that people look at our lives and say, maybe dimly, maybe poorly, feebly, I know whom you belong to. I know who has begotten you. I was talking to a brother on this very note, just before coming into here, of how even in conversations sometimes with someone, they might get a sense that you're in Christ. Are you a Christian?
Why are you this way? Well, it's because I'm in Christ. Transformation is where justification inevitably leads because the righteousness that is imputed to us, that word imputed means to be reckoned, to be counted as righteous, to us is by union with Christ and by the work of the Holy Spirit imparted to us. May the Lord manifest in our lives the ultimate fruit of justifying righteousness, which is likeness to the moral glory and personal beauty of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
May we all be found in Christ. If you are here this morning and this afternoon and you have not believed in Jesus Christ, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Repent of your sins and turn to Him. He is mighty to save.
And He is sufficient to save. And may we all who know the Lord be able to say with Paul, for me to live is Christ. Jesus only. Oh may God help us.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Father, how thankful we are for the glorious truth of your gospel to be reminded of these things. Father, how humbling to consider and how thankful we are that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And we thank you for your marvelous grace, grace that is greater than all of our sins. And we thank you for the Lord Jesus, our righteousness.
Father, we pray that you would help us to live in humility before you. That you would grant unto us, your children, a greater measure of assurance and confidence. And that you would mold us and make us more and more into the very image of your dear son. And Father, we would pray for those here this morning.
Undoubtedly, there are some here this morning. who are standing before Your bar of justice, guilty. And we pray, Father, that You may deal with them graciously, that You may give to them the gift of faith, and that, Father, they may turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and believe on Him, whom to know is life eternal. Bless us, we pray, and dismiss us with Your love and benediction. In Jesus' name, amen.