← Back to sermon library

So beginning in chapter 11 in 
paragraph 1, those whom God affectionately calleth, he also freely justifieth, 
not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their 
sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous, not 
for anything wrought in them or done by them, but for Christ's 
sake alone, not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, 
or any other evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness, 
but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law 
and passive obedience in his death for their whole and soul 
righteousness, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness 
by faith, which faith they have not of themselves, it is the 
gift of God. Faith thus receiving and resting 
on Christ and His righteousness is the alone instrument of justification. Yet it is not alone in the person 
justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, 
and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. Christ, by His obedience 
in death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are 
justified, and did, by the sacrifice of Himself in the blood of His 
cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them, make 
a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf. 
Yet, inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them, and his 
obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, 
not for anything in them, their justification is only of free 
grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be 
glorified in the justification of sinners. God did from all 
eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in 
the fullness of time die for their sins and rise again for 
their justification. Nevertheless, they are not justified 
personally until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply 
Christ unto them. God doth continue to forgive 
the sins of those that are justified. And although they can never fall 
from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, 
fall under God's fatherly displeasure. And in that condition, they have 
not usually the light of his countenance restored unto them, 
until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, 
and renew their faith and repentance. The justification of believers 
under the Old Testament was in all these respects one and the 
same with the justification of believers under the New Testament. Amen. So last time we looked 
at paragraphs 1 and 2 under the nature of justification. We remember 
that the recipients are indicated in paragraph 1, those whom God 
affectionately calleth He also freely justifieth." So it's the 
application of the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ 
to the elect. God chose us in Him. He predestined 
us unto adoption as sons by Jesus Christ. Verse 7 of Ephesians 
1 says, in Him we have redemption, through His blood the forgiveness 
of sins. And then the Holy Spirit applies that finished work of 
the Savior. So we see what's called the order 
of salvation, or ordo salutis, and we have effectual calling, 
and then we have this justification. Notice that the confession indicates 
the negative. It's not because of these things. It's not because of an infusion 
of righteousness into that. What group uses that terminology 
of infused grace? So right off the bat, the Confession 
is distinguishing the Protestant doctrine of justification from 
the Popish doctrine. So it's not about infusing righteousness 
into that. We know that we need moral transformation, 
and that occurs under the scheme of sanctification by the power 
of the Spirit. but ultimately we are not received 
by God on the basis of our sanctification or of our faithfulness. It's 
not the infusion of grace and the moral transformation that 
occurs as a result of that, or our faithfulness that ultimately 
God says, based on Christ and what you've done, I will receive 
you into glory. That's not it at all. It's not 
by infusing righteousness into them. Notice it is by pardoning 
their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as 
righteous. So those two elements are necessary. We need to maintain 
not only the forgiveness of sins, but the imputation of the righteousness 
of Christ to God's people. If you turn to Romans chapter 
5, you see that emphasis in that federal or covenant theology 
that the Apostle sets forth. In the first Adam, we have unrighteousness, 
and as a result of the second Adam, we have righteousness. 
518, therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came 
to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one man's righteous 
act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification 
of life. For as by one man's disobedience 
many were made sinners, so also by one man's obedience many will 
be made righteous." Again, the emphasis is on forgiveness of 
sins. The blood of Jesus Christ, the 
Son, cleanses us from all sin, but there is this positive aspect, 
the imputed righteousness of Christ given to us and received 
by faith alone. Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 
1. Same sort of emphasis on Christ 
as our righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1 at verse 30, 
But of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom 
from God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, 
that as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the 
Lord. And then 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21. Again, it's important 
that we remember twin blessings involved in justification, forgiveness 
of sins, and the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Notice 
in 2 Corinthians 5, 21, for he made him who knew no sin to be 
sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. And then one final text, Galatians 
chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2 verse 21. He's been declaring the doctrine 
of justification by faith alone apart from works, verse 16 and 
following, and then he summarizes his argument here, and he says, 
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness 
comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. What's the emphasis? 
We need righteousness. It comes as a result of faith 
in our Lord Jesus Christ. So back to paragraph one, the 
papist doctrine of infused righteousness is in view, and then the Protestant 
doctrine of imputation is stressed throughout this particular paragraph. 
Remember the basis upon which this occurs. Notice about the 
middle of the paragraph. It says, but by imputing Christ's 
active obedience under the whole law and passive obedience in 
his death for their whole and soul righteousness, they receiving 
and resting on him and his righteousness by faith, which faith they have 
not of themselves, it is the gift of God." So it's all of 
grace, it's all as a result of what Christ has accomplished, 
even the faith itself is a gift of God. Remember that doctrine 
of Neo-Nomianism or Baxterianism, where the teaching is, is that 
God has compromised a bit in this New Covenant era, we come 
with our evangelical obedience, vis-a-vis faith and faithfulness, 
and then God justifies us based on that. That's not biblical, 
it's not scriptural, and that's why the Confession does what 
it does in this particular chapter. But with reference to this idea 
of justification grounded upon the active and passive obedience 
of Christ, Notice the last statement, faith is a gift of God. Where 
does the Bible teach that? Does anybody remember where faith 
is a gift of God? Yes? Ephesians 2, verse 8. Anywhere else? That's right, Philippians 1, 
29. So faith is a gift. Repentance is a gift as well. 
Where does the Bible teach that repentance is a gift? 2 Timothy 
2. Any others? Yes, that's correct, 
for sure. Acts 5, 31, Christ's exaltation 
means He gives repentance to Israel. Now back to the Confession. Notice in paragraph 2. Paragraph 
2 protects the doctrine from being understood as promoting 
license. Remember in Romans chapter 6, 
verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall 
we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never be. So the Apostle has to counter 
the objection. Well, if we're justified freely 
by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and we are accepted and 
accounted as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness 
that He has accomplished, then wherein is righteousness in the 
life of God's people? It's there as a consequence or 
as an effect or as a result of God's justifying grace, but it 
is not that by which we are justified. It's not that by which we are 
accepted into His sight. So paragraph two tells us, faith 
thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness 
is the alone instrument of justification. Remember I pointed out, the scriptures 
don't say you're justified because of your faith. No, it's an instrument, 
and that's what's identified here. It's the alone instrument 
of justification, yet it is not alone in the person justified, 
but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and 
is no dead faith, but worketh by love. Basically, those justified 
freely by grace who look in faith to Christ are justified, they're 
forgiven of their sins, they receive that imputed righteousness 
of Christ, and then they live the life of sanctification. They 
seek to progress, they grow in a knowledge and grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is at work in 
that, conforming them unto the image of the Beloved. So this 
idea of doctrine of justification by faith alone does not promote 
license. It does not promote lawlessness. 
It promotes holiness in a manner that God condones and approves 
of. Now, this morning, we come to 
paragraph 3. So notice in paragraph 3, we 
have the basis of justification. It develops or amplifies what 
has already been said in paragraph 1. Notice, Christ, by His obedience 
in death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are 
justified, and did by the sacrifice of Himself in the blood of His 
cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them, make 
a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf. So again, the emphasis is upon 
the finished work of the Savior, His active obedience, what He 
does in terms of the life of obedience to the Father's law, 
every jot and tittle along the way. And then that passive obedience, 
which is seen specifically at the cross, and that's what's 
emphasized here. By His obedience and death did 
fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified. That 
language of atonement, you've all heard that word. You've heard 
the words yom kippur, which is day of atonement. The book of 
Leviticus in chapter 16 deals with that day of atonement. The 
idea behind that atonement is to cover. It carries the concepts 
of forgiveness, of remission. And we see that emphasis again 
in Leviticus chapter 16. On that Day of Atonement, the 
priest went in, he brought blood to sprinkle in the Holy of Holies, 
on the mercy seat, and then he took a second goat, and he took 
that, he laid his hands upon that goat, confessed the sins 
of Israel, and then drove it out into the wilderness. So we 
see that idea of forgiveness, And we see the idea of the removal 
of sin itself, and as we see in this particular paragraph, 
it's bound up in what Christ has done. He did fully discharge 
the debt of all those that are justified. It's a most blessed 
concept, brethren. In justification, Christ doesn't 
come to make us save a bull. He doesn't come to make us almost 
saved. He comes to actually render a 
perfect redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 
So we have the full satisfaction of God's justice. And we teach 
the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement. Penal means that Christ 
stood in our place and took the penalty for our sins. That's what the substitutionary 
reference is. He went in our place and took 
the judgment of God upon Him. So by the sacrifice of himself 
in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due 
unto them, he made a proper, real, and full satisfaction to 
God's justice in their behalf." Now, I've thought that this idea 
of satisfaction, perhaps you can confirm this, Cam, is what 
the old authors seem to highlight more than even the language of 
atonement. Today we use the language of 
atonement, and it's great, it's wonderful, and we should use 
that. But older authors often stress the satisfaction element. Again, divine justice is satisfied 
at the cross. We have seen that over the last 
few weeks. A couple of references to Romans 
chapter 3. Christ was set forth as a propitiation 
by God the Father in order to demonstrate his righteousness. So what happens at the cross 
is that Christ goes to it in our place, and He satisfies divine 
justice. So we are forgiven, and then 
on the basis of what Christ accomplished in His life, we receive the imputed 
righteousness of Jesus, and have every spiritual blessing in the 
heavenly places conveyed to us. Now notice in paragraph 3, about 
the middle, It says, yet in as much as he was given by the Father 
for them. Again, the doctrine of substitution. This is under attack in the last 
several years. Substitutionary atonement is 
not popular today. People don't like it, people 
charge it as being a doctrine of cosmic child abuse, and it 
just smacks of all kinds of things that are unrighteous in the minds 
of the moderns. But this concept is biblical, 
this concept is crucial, and if we jettison this concept we're 
going to be dead in our trespasses and sins. So yet inasmuch as 
he was given by the Father for them, and his obedience and satisfaction 
accepted in their stead, and both freely, Not for anything 
in them. Notice the confession is conspicuous. They want to make sure that we 
never smuggle anything of us into this particular formula 
or into this particular doctrinal articulation. Not for anything 
in them. Their justification is only of 
free grace that both the exact justice and rich grace of God 
might be glorified in the justification of sinners. And again, 3.23 in 
Romans, 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. A most blessed, wonderful truth. This is the basis with reference 
of our justification. Again, amplifies what has been 
said in paragraph 1. but does bring to fruition those 
twin elements, or specifically highlights the element of the 
satisfaction of divine justice on the part of God's elect. Any 
questions or comments before we continue in the confession 
at this point? Is this clear? We need to be clear on this. 
Forgiveness tied up in the passive obedience of our Lord. Imputation 
of righteousness tied up in the active obedience of our Lord. 
Anyone? No? Now notice in paragraph 4 it 
speaks of the time of justification and basically what paragraph 
4 does is it functions to combat the notion of what was called 
eternal justification. Now eternal justification means 
that God eternally justified his people. Now, there is a surface-level 
appropriateness to that, because if God chose us in Him, Ephesians 
1, 4, and in love He predestined us to adoption as sons, Ephesians 
1, 5, then ergo, it would follow that we were justified in eternity. But that's not what happens in 
Ephesians. You can turn there. This idea 
of eternal justification, while there is a surface level sort 
of logic to it, it doesn't jive with what Scripture teaches. 
So we've got the emphasis on the sovereignty of the Father 
in verses 4 and 5. We have the emphasis on blood 
atonement by our Lord in verse 7. But then, as I've mentioned 
many times in Ephesians 1, we have the application of benefit 
in verses 13 and 14. It's not specifically as categorically 
as, say, a Fesco book on justification. The idea here is to praise the 
Father, for the particular ministry of the Spirit, vis-à-vis He seals 
us, or He is rather the seal and He is the guarantee of our 
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. 
But notice in chapter 2, verses 1 to 3, and you who were dead 
in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to 
the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of 
the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 
among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our 
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, 
and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. And 
then verse four, but God, who is rich in mercy, because of 
his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead 
in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace 
you have been saved." So Paul understands that there was a 
time, he includes himself with us, that we were children of 
wrath, even as the others. So it was the case that something 
happened by the grace of God, we were born again, we were granted 
the graces of faith and repentance, we believed the gospel. You see 
that in 1.13. Notice, in him you also trusted, after you heard 
the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom, having 
believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit, a promise. So 
the scriptures indicate that while God predestined, God elected, 
it's in time that justification occurs. It is when, by grace, 
as a result of God's good gift, we believe the gospel. So at 
that moment we believe the gospel, we're forgiven of our sins, and 
we are given this righteousness of Christ. So notice in paragraph 
4, God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect. 
Nobody questions that. And Christ did in the fullness 
of time die for their sins. Again, nobody questions that. 
And rise again for their justification. Nevertheless, they are not justified 
personally until the Holy Spirit does, in due time, actually apply 
Christ unto them. So that's what paragraph 4 is 
designed to combat, this notion of eternal justification, that 
they're always justified. We'll know if we define justification 
as having the forgiveness of sins, and receiving the imputed 
righteousness of Jesus, the persons listed in Ephesians 2, 1 to 3, 
cannot be described as those who are forgiven of their sins 
and who have a righteousness. They are children of wrath just 
as the others, lifeless, helpless, and hopeless. So in God's timing, 
when God is pleased, He effectually calls us, He justifies us freely 
by His grace, we live the life of sanctification, we die and 
we enter into glorification. Blessed be God for those great 
gifts. So this concept of eternal justification 
was something extant, I'm not sure how much it is today, but 
the confession does deal with that. Now notice, finally, well 
not finally, paragraph 5 deals with the forgiveness of sins 
after justification. In justification, when we're 
forgiven of our sins, which sins are we forgiven of? All of the present sins, and 
all of the future sins too? Yes, absolutely. It would be 
a horrific doctrine if it didn't deal with us completely or totally. If it left the future sins up 
to us in order to compensate for, or to make atonement for, 
or to live in such a way that we never sinned again. Is that 
reality, that when we've been justified freely by His grace, 
we no longer sin? That's not reality. The presupposition 
behind paragraph five is remaining corruption. Remaining corruption 
is the assumption in paragraph five. Now, there have been those 
in the history of the church that have taught perfectionism. 
They have taught that believers can achieve a degree of degree. They can achieve perfection. 
I think they use the language of degree. Is there a degree 
of perfection? I think perfectionism, by definition, 
is degree. the doctrine of justification 
is such a blessing. There's no perfection or a degree 
of perfection that we can ever achieve on this side of heaven. So John Wesley, others in that 
vein of the Methodist and holiest movement, I stress or thought 
or taught that persons could be perfect in this life. The 
confession doesn't see it that way, and it rightly reflects 
the Bible. to forgive the sins of those 
that are justified. And although they can never fall 
from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, 
fall under God's fatherly displeasure. And in that condition, they have 
not usually the light of his countenance restored unto them, 
until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, 
and renew their faith. This is not given to promote 
license. It's not given to promote lawlessness. It's not in the vein of Romans 
6.1. What shall we say then? Shall 
we continue the sin that grace may abound? When we're justified 
freely by grace, when we are blessed based on Christ's work 
for us, by necessity, we enter into a time where the Spirit 
is at work in us. Back to paragraph two. The end 
is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with 
all other saving graces. End is no dead faith, but worketh 
by love. But even the best believer struggles 
with remaining corruption. If you're in Galatians, you can 
turn to Galatians. You should if you were in Ephesians. 
Look at Galatians 5 at verse 17 to establish this remaining 
corruption that continues in the heart of God's people. Notice 
in 5.16, I say then, walking in the Spirit, you shall not 
fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the 
Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary 
to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 
This principle, this battle, this remaining corruption in 
the hearts of God's people. The flesh lost against the spirit, 
the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary to one another. 
They serve to check one another so that you do not do the things 
that you wish. On the positive side, because 
of remaining corruption, we're not as perfect as we want. But 
because of the power of the Holy Spirit, we're not as wicked as 
we once were. The Spirit is at work in us and 
forming us up to our Lord Jesus Christ. There is growth. And 
it may seem at times two steps forward, three steps backwards, 
one step forward, four steps backward, and then a pattern 
where there does seem to be progress. We need to understand, in the 
life of God's people, there are challenges. But the clearest 
articulation is the principle of remaining corruption that 
we have in the Bible. While you're turning there, are there two 
examples of remaining corruption that we have in the Bible? Two sort of key figures that 
underscore this reality of remaining corruption? I mean, every single 
one in the Bible underscores remaining corruption. But typically, 
there are two particular characters, or two characters, that we really 
see. They were believers. denying the Lord Jesus Christ And David, absolutely. David 
and Peter display for us what Paul speaks of in Galatians 5.17, 
what Paul speaks of here in Romans 7, and what our own hearts speak 
of in terms of our own experience. Now, we're not supposed to justify, 
well, David engaged in this kind of lawlessness and God was still 
okay with him. Peter denied the Lord Jesus Christ 
and God. We're not supposed to argue that 
way. And the recipient of justification 
by faith alone typically doesn't argue that way. He rather sees 
the sin or remaining corruption and it promotes in him this crying 
out to God and a desire for more of the presence and the power 
of the Holy Spirit. Notice in verse 13, has then what is good 
become death to me? Certainly not. But sin, that 
it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good. 
so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 
For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to 
do, that I do not practice. But what I hate, that I do. If 
then I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that 
it is good. But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that 
dwells in me. For I know that in me, that is 
in my flesh, nothing good dwells. For to will is present with me, 
but how to perform what is good, I do not find. For the good that 
I will to do I do not do, but the evil I will not to do, that 
I practice. Now if I do what I will not to 
do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me." 
Again, he's not just giving us a theological expression or articulation. This is the the turmoil of the 
soul, right? I mean, this is something I think 
we can all enter into and we can all appreciate. We know what 
it's like to, on the one hand, want to do the good and we don't 
find ourselves doing it, and on the other hand, not wanting 
to do the bad and find ourselves doing that. He says in verse 
21, I find then a law that evil is present with me, the one who 
wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God 
according to the inward man, but I see another law in my members. 
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity 
to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that 
I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God 
through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself 
serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." So 
back to the confession, it underscores or assumes this idea of remaining 
corruption. In fact, look at chapter 13 at 
paragraph 2. Chapter 13 is a corresponding 
doctrine. It is a related doctrine. So 
after justification, we have adoption. And then we have sanctification. A general statement or definition 
is given in paragraph 1. And then a qualification or an 
underscoring of its imperfection in paragraph 2. Notice, the sanctification 
is throughout in the whole man. Yet imperfect in this life, there 
abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part. Whence 
ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against 
the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. That's our reality. That's where we're at, as justified 
freely by His grace sinners. who have been forgiven, who have 
been given a righteousness that avails with God, this life of 
sanctification is a life of ups and downs. It's a life of ebbs 
and flows. It's a life of advance. It's 
a life of getting knocked back. It's a life of dealing with the 
world, the flesh, and the devil. And perhaps one of the most difficult 
foes is the flesh. The world may take a day off 
from affecting us. The devil may be busy with somebody 
else. He's not an omniscient being, 
an omnipotent, omnipresent being. But that remaining corruption 
we have until we breathe our last. And that's what the people 
of God find themselves in with the Roman 7. And so this part 
of the confessional treatment of justification is most encouraging. Again, not to promote lawlessness 
or licentiousness, but to remind the people of what John says 
in 1 John. You can turn there. 1 John chapter 
2 is a most encouraging passage of Holy Scripture that the people 
of God need to hold on to. 1st John chapter 2 at verse 1, 
My little children, these things I write to you, the things that 
have preceded. I write to you so that you may 
not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an 
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Again, 
the point is try not to sin. The point is pray to God for 
the spirit and obedience to walk according to the Holy Scripture. 
But if anyone does sin, Never forget that you have an Advocate 
with the Father, even Jesus Christ the Righteous. He's at the right 
hand of the Father where He ever lives to make intercession for 
us. And here John underscores the fact that He is our Advocate. And He is Jesus Christ the Righteous. That is imperative for us, because 
if we are accepted in the Beloved, if we are accepted as a result 
of His active and passive obedience, if we are accepted because of 
His righteousness, that is a great emphasis there. We have an Advocate 
with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous. And He Himself 
is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also 
for the whole world. So paragraph five brings a world 
of encouragement to the people of God relative to remaining 
corruption. Westminster Larger Catechism, 
I think, is very helpful here. We know there's differences between 
justification and sanctification, but we know there's connections 
between the doctrine, right? You don't have one with the other. 
You're not going to be sanctified if you were not justified. You're 
not justified if there isn't subsequent to that sanctification. So you see that they're inextricably 
connected. They are welded together. You 
don't get one without the other. That's the emphasis again in 
paragraph two. Yet it is not alone in the person 
justified but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces 
and is no dead faith but worketh by love. But there is a difference. in terms of justification and 
sanctification. Listen to Westminster Larger 
Catechism. Wherein do justification and 
sanctification differ? Although sanctification be inseparably 
joined with justification, yet they differ. in that God, in 
justification, imputes the righteousness of Christ. In sanctification, 
His Spirit infuses grace and enables to the exercise thereof. In the former, justification, 
sin is pardoned. In the other, it is subdued. 
The one does equally free all believers from the revenging 
wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never 
fall into condemnation. The other, sanctification, is 
neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but 
growing up to perfection. That is great. That is something 
to maintain. That is something that you see 
as you move through this area in the confession of faith. Inextricably 
connected. But there are some fundamental 
and foundational differences. The idea being is that in justification 
we're all on an equal footing. But in sanctification, Paul's 
more holy. Sanctification, David was more 
holy. Sanctification, the people of 
God differ one to another. There's no cookie cutter format. Well, you don't look like this, 
so therefore you must not be saved. We need to guard against 
that mindset. taking some sort of a human being 
and his performance as a template for what a justified believer 
must look like right now. Justified believers have a whole 
host of issues. Justified believers have a whole 
host of foes. Again, the world, the flesh, 
and the devil. Justified believers don't all 
look the same. There's background, there's context, 
there's pressure, there's weakness, there's strength. There's a whole 
lot of things that account for where people are on that continuum 
of sanctification. So we bless God for the doctrine 
of justification and the reality that God continues to forgive 
the sins of those that are justified. And although they can never fall 
from the state of justification, yet they may by their sins fall 
under God's fatherly displeasure. I dare say it's because of that 
that any man can ever step into a pulpit and preach. It's because 
of that that any man can ever evangelize a sinner. It's because 
of that that any of us are able to pronounce the glory of Jesus 
Christ to needy sinners. We're not perfect as we present 
the gospel. We're not John Wesley or Charles 
Wesley in terms of impeccability in this human life. We're sinners 
saved by grace, justified freely by his grace, sins that needed 
to be forgiven of even before we preach the gospel or evangelize 
that particular sinner. It's because of this reality 
that we continue to fight another day. It's what Christ has done 
for us that promotes the Spirit's work in us. And we need to be 
reminded of this, just like 1 John 2. If anyone sins, we have an 
advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Now notice 
what it goes on to say, there are consequences. You're forgiven 
of all your sins, past, present, and future. But that doesn't 
mean those sins don't pinch the flesh, or those sins don't pinch 
the conscience. It doesn't mean that you're never 
without any sort of turmoil. Notice what the confession says. 
Yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure. And by the way, I think this 
is the 1st John 1.9. You're probably still in 1st 
John, look at 1.9. Well, verse 8, if we say that we have no 
sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. That's 
a good dose of biblical realism. You ever met somebody who said, 
oh no, I don't have any sin. That is a horrific place to be. 
Give me the guy that's an honest sinner over a dishonest saint 
any day of the week. the man who says, oh no, I'm 
doing great, the man who says, I'm performing my duties well, 
I know the nearness of God because of my, that's just not the typical 
response in the Christian life. So notice, I write to you, I'm 
sorry, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves 
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is 
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us 
from all unrighteousness. Now, at times that's employed 
in an evangelistic sense. I think the truth is right. If 
we come to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, we believe the gospel 
as it's articulated, then we will be forgiven. But this is 
for Christians. Look at 1 John chapter 5. 1 John 
5.13, These things I have written to you who believe in the name 
of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, 
and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son 
of God. So if you compare 1 John to John's 
Gospel, you'll notice that John does the same thing at the end 
of his books. He tells us the reason why he 
wrote the books. Typically, we put the thesis 
statement in the front. Paul does that in Romans chapter 
1. I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto 
salvation for everyone who believes. And it's from that vantage point 
he unfolds that thesis statement. But John tells us in John 20, 
I write so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the 
Son of God, and that believing you might have life in his name. 
Here he writes to those who do believe. those who have come 
to the Son of God, that you may know you have eternal life. In 
other words, 1 John is calculated to promote assurance. Now our 
confession is great in the sense that it doesn't make assurance 
an element of faith. It recognizes that difficulty 
of persons being justified and struggling in terms of a lack 
of assurance. But the goal in our Christianity, 
the goal in our justification, the goal in our sanctification, 
is that we have a degree of assurance of faith. So 1 John 1, 9, I think, 
deals with this, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's 
fatherly displeasure. What do we do when we do that? 
We, 1 John 1, 9, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and 
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
Brethren, the Apostles' Creed tells us, I believe in the forgiveness 
of sins. We need to exercise that faith 
in the forgiveness of sins. There's nothing that feels different. There's no magic warmth that 
comes over you. I've confessed my sins, he's 
waved his wand, and this feeling of peace has come over me. That's 
typically not how it goes. There's not that. Maybe you're 
different. Maybe you confess your sins and you get a nice 
warm feeling like you're in a, you know, it's just washing over 
you. I don't think that's the common 
report among God's people. So how do we know the forgiveness 
has been affected? Because God has promised, because 
God stakes His righteousness on it. Notice, if we confess 
our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to 
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Notice, if we confess our sins 
He is merciful and gracious. He is merciful and gracious, 
but what comes to the fore is His justness. It is his faithfulness. It is to the reality that he 
is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in our 
Lord Jesus Christ. So back to the confession. yet 
they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure." 
Now notice the remedy, and in that condition they have not 
usually the light of His countenance restored unto them. Again, by 
experience, we know when we're not walking as we ought, we don't 
have the light of His countenance as we ought. So what are we supposed 
to do? Wallow Are we to engage in penance? Are we to go to the priest? Are 
we to, you know, what's the word? Is it flagellate ourself? I'm 
always a bit careful on the middle part of that pronunciation. So 
do we flagellate ourselves? Do we really have to We're lamenting our sin, put 
ashes in our soup so that it doesn't taste good, and wear 
hair shirts, or go live out in the woods, or whatever. No, we 
come back to our God. We come back to our blessed Father. We understand, we have an advocate 
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. So notice, and 
in that condition they have not usually the light of his countenance 
restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their 
sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance. Turn to 
Psalm 51. Psalm 51. You see this expressed 
in the life of David. We mentioned David as an example 
of remaining corruption in the lives of God's people. And as 
far as remaining corruption is concerned, David's were humdingers. I mean, remaining corruption 
for us Hopefully, typically isn't adultery and murder. We may not 
be perfect when it comes to the sixth and seventh commandments, 
but hopefully we're not actually engaged in going into Bathsheba 
and then murdering Uriah in order to cover it up. So David knew 
what it was to be a believer and fall into sin. Look at what 
it says in verse 11. Do not cast me away from your 
presence. Do not take your Holy Spirit 
from me. was a man with the Holy Spirit. 
He was a man that was a believer. He's the man that wrote Psalm 
32. Psalm 32, he rejoices in the 
imputed righteousness of Christ. He rejoices in the forgiveness 
of sins. Psalm 32, 1, a Psalm of David, a contemplation. Blessed 
is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, 
and in whose spirit there is no deceit. So back to Psalm 51, 
verse 1. The occasion is given to the 
chief musician of Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went 
to him after he had gone into Bathsheba. So Psalm 51 fleshes 
out for us or illustrates or amplifies this confessional statement 
until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, 
and renew their faith and repentance. David says, Have mercy upon me, 
O God, according to your lovingkindness, according to the multitude of 
your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions. Wash 
me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For 
I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 
He's not trying to hide or evade. He's not trying to engage in 
subterfuge. When Nathan the prophet rebukes 
him, he doesn't say, Oh, no, that wasn't me. You got the facts 
all wrong. Remember when Nathan the prophet 
rebukes him, his confession is very simple, it's very pointed, 
and I think sometimes for some, it's not enough. What does he 
say? I have sinned against the Lord. Now, that may be simple, and 
another thing that I think bothers people is, well, he only does 
that because he's found out. Isn't God good that he finds 
us out so that we'll repent? And this idea, oh, he only repented 
because he got caught in that sin. Brethren, that's not a very 
Christian way to express love and charity. Praise God, God 
got that guy caught so that that guy could repent of his sin. That's a mercy. One of our children, 
or at least I'll just say our children, along the way when 
we were rearing them, and they would get caught, I would oftentimes 
reflect on it with them. Praise God you got caught. Because 
if you didn't get caught, you'd get hardened in your sin. David 
did get caught, but that does not minimize or underplay the 
repentance. I have sinned against the Lord. 
That's as good a confession as it gets. He doesn't say, well, 
it was Bathsheba's fault. She shouldn't have been bathing 
naked on her rooftop for me to see. It was Uriah. Uriah should have just followed 
my directives and went and laid with it. No, he doesn't do that. 
He sees his sin. What can he say? How can he sort 
of, you know, get out of it? He says and agrees with the prophet, 
I have sinned against Yahweh. So back to the text, verse 3 
again, I acknowledge my transgressions, my sin is always before me, against 
you, you only have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight, 
that you may be found just when you speak, and blameless when 
you judge. He's not a barbarian, he's not Oh, I don't care about 
the damage done to Uriah. I don't care about the damage 
done to Bathsheba. I don't care about the damage 
done to my house, because the sword will never depart. He's 
not saying that, but he's talking about when it comes to a sinner 
and his God, God is everything. And that's the emphasis here. 
Against you, you only have I sinned and done this evil in your sight. 
Notice in verse 5, Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and 
in sin my mother conceived me. Not the act of conjugal relationship 
in marriage. That's not condemned. It's as 
soon as David was David, David was in fact a sinner. In Adam 
I'll die. Behold, you desire truth in the 
inward parts, and in the hidden part you will make me to know 
wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, 
and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, 
that the bones you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from 
my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean 
heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast 
me from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from 
me. Restore to me the joy of your 
salvation. This is what the confession says. 
Yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure. And in that condition, they have 
not usually the light of his countenance. That's why he says, 
Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me by your 
generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors 
your ways, and sinners shall be converted to you. So the emphasis 
in paragraph five on remaining sin in the life of the justified 
believer is calculated to promote confidence, comfort, and strength, 
not to promote license and lawlessness and a recklessness in terms of 
sanctification. But it's in the vein of 1 John 
2.1. And if anyone does sin, we have 
an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. 
And then the last paragraph deals with the uniformity of justification. 
Notice in paragraph 6 of the consistency under both covenants. The justification of believers 
under the Old Testament was in all these respects one and the 
same with the justification of believers under the New Testament. 
In other words, Abel went to heaven justified freely by the 
grace of God. Isaac, Abraham went to heaven 
because of the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. For 
them, it was prospective. They were looking forward to 
the coming of Messiah, who would live, who would die, who would 
be raised again. For us, it's retrospective. We look back in 
history to an event. The specific event was the cross, 
the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Looking back on that 
event, we are justified freely by His grace. The Old Covenant 
saints, looking forward, were justified by His grace. The Bible 
emphasizes the one means or the one manner by which sinners are 
justified. It's by grace alone, through 
faith alone, in Christ alone. And James makes this very obvious 
in his treatment of Abraham. In James, what is he functioning 
with? Or James, what's the emphasis 
in James, James 2 specifically, when it comes to salvation? faith without words is dead. 
So basically James is undertaking paragraph two, or James is writing 
in light of paragraph two. But pointing to Abraham is most 
glorious, because he points to Abraham's work, the sacrifice 
of Isaac, in Genesis chapter 22. But James says that that 
is demonstrative of what happened in Genesis chapter 15. Abraham 
believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. So 
based on that, he's justified freely by his grace, he's received 
the Holy Spirit, he's living the life of obedience, he gets 
to Genesis chapter 22, God tests him, tells him to take his son, 
his only son, the son whom he loves, up to Mount Moriah and 
sacrifice him. James' argument in James 2 is 
beautiful. He does exactly that. You can 
see then that the scripture was confirmed. that he had believed 
God, it was accounted unto him for righteousness, and that was 
manifested in the way that he dealt with his son Isaac. So 
Abraham, Habakkuk chapter 2, when the apostle is arguing for 
justification by faith alone, he often invokes Habakkuk 2, 
the just shall live by faith. It's a most important principle. 
You see it in the Old Testament, you see it in the New Testament. 
And that's what the statement here means. The justification 
of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one 
and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament. 
So there's not two ways of salvation, two ways of justification, but 
one way. And that's through God's grace, 
through faith in Christ, and all of the benefits that He has 
secured are applied to us. We'll all pray, and then if there's 
any questions or comments, we can deal with those. Our Father, 
we thank you for this doctrine. We thank you for this truth. 
We thank you for what Christ has accomplished on behalf of 
his people. We give glory to you for the 
gospel of our salvation. Help us, God, to ponder these 
truths as we enter into worship. May we sing and praise you with 
hearts filled with gratitude in response to your grace. And 
we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. Well, any questions 
or comments about any of that? Yes, ma'am. Just the comment 
about the cosmic child abuse. Yes. Thinking of the trinity, 
so one essence, one will. Yeah. This is the thing that 
should bring out the most love from people. No, no, it really isn't. And that's a good point. There 
are doctrines and things that we whine about, grumble about, 
or complain about that should elicit praise and worship and 
adoration. Substitutionary atonement, the 
fact that in my place, condemned be stood, we should rejoice in 
that beautiful reality. I don't know which person said 
it specifically, however, this phrase has become, I would say, 
a talking point. So whenever, even in Arminian, 
like Michael Brown did a debate against some heterodox person 
on the atonement. And even Brown, as Arminian, 
was trying to defend PSA, the Constitution of the Atonement, 
and this exact language came up. And Brown's response was, 
you're talking about mine, Emily Potter, right now. And it's blasphemous. But at the same time, it reflects 
a very low view of sin. It reflects bad systematics. in certain texts, like the bizarre 
way of dealing with it. So there's a context for it, 
and it's terrible stuff. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Well, 
I was just going to say that it's kind of interesting to think 
of justification as the meaning of justifiable beginning, and 
that that is the catalyst that starts our journey of sanctification. our walk but doesn't completely 
tuck in. And our journey is my journey, not going to look like 
your journey. And God is uniquely equipped and fit each of us individually 
to come together as a whole to make that whole. So we're all 
going to have the same purpose. So to expect somebody else's 
sanctification to look like your sanctification is sin. When it 
comes to the growth and grace of God's people, we should have 
guarded against an uncharitable reading on our felons, knowing 
that we've got issues too. Whatever your sins may be, we're 
not going to do any therapy right now. Okay, that's enough. Let's 
have a joint confession time. Your sins may not be mine, my 
sins may not be yours, but sin is sin. And I think there's a 
sense where, you know, especially in a reformed tradition, we have 
good theology and all that sort of thing. We can put demands 
on people or say that a person should be at a higher rate or 
a higher level. We need to really know and recognize 
the spirit of God is at work in God's people. And we realize 
that. Go ahead. I just need elaboration 
on paragraph four. Yes. Especially in the part of until 
the Holy Spirit, God will do to apply Christ unto them. Right. And I'm thinking of God 
coming to Pentecost and how that would tie in to the just part 
of the person. Yeah. Until. Yeah, Pentecost 
certainly displays that, but in a bit of a different emphasis. Pentecost is the Spirit coming 
upon the church to enable her to fulfill her mission. in Christ's 
kingdom, right? So the coming of the spirit there, 
not that there was no spirit in the Old Testament, but it 
was prophesied to come in a powerful way on the day of Pentecost. 
So I think analogously, yeah, that's right. of spirit, working 
upon the hearts of those who respond favorably to Peter's 
word to repent and let everyone of you be baptized in the name 
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. So you see that. Up 
until that point, they were not justified, they were not forgiven, 
they did not have a righteousness. But at the time when the spirit 
works in them and there's graces of faith and repentance, then 
they are justified freely by his grace. So the idea behind 
paragraph four is just There is an order of salvation 
that makes sense of various spiritual things that are given to us in 
the Bible. In the Roman day, those he pre-destined, he conformed 
to the image of the sun, those whom he pre-destined, he called, 
he justifies, and he glorifies. We see those things fully. redemptive 
history as a result of God's sovereign election and predestination. But the election and predestination 
do not translate into justification. So there are distinct acts in 
this order of salvation that we look at with the scripture. I don't know if that makes sense. Just know that there were persons 
that taught that if I'm justified presently, it's the case that 
I was eternally justified. Again, the logic sounds right. 
If God, a sovereign being, purposes to justify a person, then you 
can see where. You're not going to die until 
that happens. You're not going to get a bullet 
in the head or a deadly dose of the Rona. You're going to 
make it until that point when you believe the gospel and are 
justified. So there's a surface level logic 
to it. But this paragraph deals with 
what you see there in Ephesians 1. You were these things. And 
by God's grace, he made you alive together with Christ. And then 
last one, Joanne? You have to strike when the iron's 
hot, no lie. When you're dealing with people 
that are under such condemnation, they are in Christ, but there's 
that condemnation, and you've got to remind them that in Christ 
there's no condemnation. And when we encourage them to 
come to, you know, seek Christ, don't run from him, run to him. Somehow always there comes in 
that flavor of helping them to understand that there is an enemy 
of their souls as well. So there's a combination there 
depending on what sin is involved and how much condemnation they're 
feeling because they need to be constantly reminded that they 
are no longer being under condemnation of Christ. Oh yeah, oh yeah. 
I think that's probably James's emphasis in James 4. where he gives us that 
instruction. Again, I think he's writing to 
the people of God. Therefore, submit to God, resist 
the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he 
will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, 
and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let 
your laughter return to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble 
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. 
So couched in between the submit to God and draw near to God is 
a resist the devil. The devil typically isn't on 
a full scale assault on us when we're going to buy a barbecue 
at Walmart. That's okay with the devil. But when we want to 
submit to God and draw near to God, likely we're going to find 
resistance. We're going to see that one who 
roams about like a roaring lion and seeking whom he may devour 
to come and try to harass us. So yeah, I think that's the emphasis. 
Submit to God. Resist the devil. He will flee 
from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. If 
we're not on our way back to God, most likely there's not 
going to be resistance from the devil. When we are on our way 
back to God, there will likely be resistance from the devil. 
So you should know that. And that's where faith lays hold 
of promises, as Joanne mentioned, Romans 8.1. There is, therefore, 
now no condemnation for those who are in Christ. It's believing 
those promises, it's appropriating them by faith, it's understanding. 
You know, sometimes you hear that statement, you get a thing 
in the mail and they call you and, you know, this offer is 
too good to be true. Well, in most human situations, 
offers usually are too good to be true. But when it comes to 
the divine offer, if I can use it in that language, He actually does forgive. He 
cleanses us, and He washes us, and He restores us by His grace 
and for His glory. It is a most wonderful reality, 
and I think, yeah, that's one of the things to encourage, you 
know, believing sinners who have, you know, hurt their consciences. 
There is grace, there is mercy, there is kindness to be had in 
our blessed Savior. Psalm 130, I've always thought, 
is another very helpful one. If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, 
O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with 
you that you may be feared." It's like he's talking to himself. 
Here's the strict justice of God. In light of that reality, 
I know there is forgiveness with him that he may be feared. So, 
of course, he reminds himself of that as well. So, there's 
that constant, yeah, we don't want to, you know, dishonor God 
by our sin, but we don't want to dishonor God by a rejection 
of His grace and of His offers of mercy and of the kindness 
that we have in and through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
So, I believe in the forgiveness of sins is a very powerful statement 
in the Creed that the people of God need to imitate on a regular 
basis. All right.