Justification

Justification is a legal term which stands in opposition to the word condemnation.

It is a judicial act by God, by which he pardons sinners and treats and accepts them as innocent in the eyes of the law.  Justification declares that all of the claims of the law are satisfied.  

This is a way in which the word “pardon” may be hard for us to understand.  A president, or governor may go to a guilty person and “pardon” them, even if they are guilty.  

Justification is the act of a judge, not a King.  A king could decide to set the law aside.  But a judge, after looking at the evidence and considering the law, declares the accused person innocent.  The law IS NOT relaxed or set aside.  

Romans 5:1-10
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Therefore, since we have been justified (declared to be innocent) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified (declared innocent) by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God (our relationship with God was mended) by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled (our relationship with God is mended), shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (our mended relationship).

The declaration of innocence is key to this passage.  We talked on Sunday about reconciliation and the peace that Christ makes through God.  Paul says in verse 1 that we have that peace BECAUSE we are justified.  The declaration of innocence brought about peace.  

Romans 5:12-19
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Paul says here that justification is a “free gift”, which is a roadblock for a lot of people when it comes to their faith.  They have a hard time working out the relationship between faith and works.  

Looking at our justification in terms of a legal pronouncement may help some people with that.

How do we extract our works from God’s pronouncement of innocence?  By realizing that if we are guilty, even a little bit, innocence cannot be the verdict.  

Innocence isn’t pronounced because the good outweighs the bad.  Innocence is pronounced because there is no bad.

And so no amount of good works can justify a declaration of innocence.  

A declaration of innocence for a guilty person can only be viewed as a free gift.  

So how can a just and righteous God declare someone innocent who is actually guilty?

On the basis of the death of Christ….
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The sacrifice of Christ…
1—Appeased the wrath of God (propitiation)
2—Repaired our relationship with God (reconciliation)
3—Washed away our sins (expiation)
4—Obtained our innocence (justification)

From a comment in Sunday’s class….
“We don’t automatically become like God.  We can see transformation.”

So it might be good to briefly talk about sanctification.

Sanctification is the idea of being set apart.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary
….it is the work of bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection.

Colossians 3:5-10
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

That’s a very tall order….  Put ALL of these things to death.  ALL passion, ALL evil desires.  You MUST put them ALL away….anger and malice.  

But Paul says that you’ve put on the new self, which IS BEING renewed.

Paul believed that growing in our faith and obedience, that growing in our separation or “set-apartness” from the world, was a process…not an event.

We can be declared innocent in the eyes of the law and still struggle with living up to that declaration.

What are some ways that we’ve seen that growth in our lives?

Do we see how that growth could be useful in evangelizing the lost?

We also see this idea of sanctification in our relationship with our children.

Go clean your room.
1—OK. Tries to clean their room but just can’t.  They can’t run the vacuum cleaner or reach the top shelf to put things away.
2—OK.  Starts walking to their room and gets distracted by their favorite cartoon.  And then distracted by their toys.  They WANT to clean their room, but they’re just kids.
3—NO.

As parents we would interact with these three kids differently.  Of course we would.  And I can’t help but believe that our heavenly father interacts with us the same way. 

God is merciful to us all….He is first a father, then a judge.
—Alexandre Dumas  The Count Of Monte Cristo

Where do we see themes of this growth in our worship?

Jesus Draw Me, Ever Nearer

“Jesus draw me ever nearer
As I labour through the storm.
You have called me to this passage,
and I’ll follow, though I’m worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;
Keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go –
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.”

This is a completely different view of “treasures” than what we see in the world.  

The world’s view of treasures at the end of a journey look more like a warrior fighting dragon to rescue the princess and take all of the gold.

Our treasures aren’t won and deserved after the end of a hard battle.  

Our treasures are “formed within us as we go”.