Ok I think we should go over justification to start
things off. To justify means “to demonstrate or to prove to be just, right or valid. To declare free of blame and free of the guilt and penalty attached to grievous sin. Therefore justification is a legal declaration of innocence. If you’re justified you’re declared just. According to the Bible every human (except Jesus) who has ever lived has sinned and is guilty for crimes punishable by death. To be justified by Christ means that the Lord declares you to be forgiven untainted by the crimes you have committed against Him. Yet who has the right to be declared justified without the grace of God, especially when even just one sin disqualifies a person from eternal life? Christ’s character stands in place of your character, (and my character) and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. Justification means God looks upon you “like just-as-if-ication”. He looks upon you ”just as if” you had never sinned. Instead of seeing your filthy rags (even though you sinned and those facts did happen in history as part of your life), God sees the righteousness of His Son in your place, and you are accounted righteousness. I mean how cool is that right?
But sadly most people continue to live in open rebellion against God. So how do we obtain that justification? Most people in church or even outside of church will give you different answers…..from faith to works. Well it’s irrelevant because all that matters is what the Bible has to say about it.
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). According to this verse, salvation is a gift.
Romans 6:23 highlights this idea when it says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Justification is apparently not something for which we work. Well salvation is a gift, and thus by definition you cannot earn it. Have you ever received a gift that you earned? If so, it wasn’t a gift, because anything ceases to be a gift if you’ve done something to earn it. If you can only take possession of something with a payment, whether it’s money, a trade, or service….even after the fact, well then it’s not really a gift.
Romans 5:17,18 says, “For if by one man’s [Adam] offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Jesus] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life”.
This free gift results in justification. According to the Bible, are we justified by works or by a gift that comes in response to faith? The Bible is clear on this but lets dive deeper.Luke was a gentile who really understood the teachings of Jesus, especially when it concerned justification through faith as a gift. Here is what it says in Luke chapter 18.
things off. To justify means “to demonstrate or to prove to be just, right or valid. To declare free of blame and free of the guilt and penalty attached to grievous sin. Therefore justification is a legal declaration of innocence. If you’re justified you’re declared just. According to the Bible every human (except Jesus) who has ever lived has sinned and is guilty for crimes punishable by death. To be justified by Christ means that the Lord declares you to be forgiven untainted by the crimes you have committed against Him. Yet who has the right to be declared justified without the grace of God, especially when even just one sin disqualifies a person from eternal life? Christ’s character stands in place of your character, (and my character) and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. Justification means God looks upon you “like just-as-if-ication”. He looks upon you ”just as if” you had never sinned. Instead of seeing your filthy rags (even though you sinned and those facts did happen in history as part of your life), God sees the righteousness of His Son in your place, and you are accounted righteousness. I mean how cool is that right?
But sadly most people continue to live in open rebellion against God. So how do we obtain that justification? Most people in church or even outside of church will give you different answers…..from faith to works. Well it’s irrelevant because all that matters is what the Bible has to say about it.
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). According to this verse, salvation is a gift.
Romans 6:23 highlights this idea when it says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Justification is apparently not something for which we work. Well salvation is a gift, and thus by definition you cannot earn it. Have you ever received a gift that you earned? If so, it wasn’t a gift, because anything ceases to be a gift if you’ve done something to earn it. If you can only take possession of something with a payment, whether it’s money, a trade, or service….even after the fact, well then it’s not really a gift.
Romans 5:17,18 says, “For if by one man’s [Adam] offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [Jesus] the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life”.
This free gift results in justification. According to the Bible, are we justified by works or by a gift that comes in response to faith? The Bible is clear on this but lets dive deeper.Luke was a gentile who really understood the teachings of Jesus, especially when it concerned justification through faith as a gift. Here is what it says in Luke chapter 18.
“And he spoke this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they
were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray;
the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the
week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his
house justified rather than the other, for every one that exalteth himself
shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:9–14).
As you know one of the problems in the time of Christ was that many of the religious leaders believed they were made righteous by their good deeds. They trusted in their own righteousness while they looked down on others as worthless sinners. The Pharisee was a part of a sect of Judaism known for its rigid stance of obeying the law, while tax collectors (publicans) were associated with a very loose and scandalous lifestyle. Pharisees might have been considered the obvious choice for eternal life by most people of Jesus day, but Jesus had different ideas. Notice that the Pharisee is said to pray “thus with himself.” In other words, he’s praying to himself and not so much to God. He goes on to thank God that he’s not like the worst sinners of the world, and more than that, he reminds God that he tithes and fasts regularly. It’s probably an honest resume, and technically it’s a good one. “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the … Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
But instead of thanking God for His goodness in humility, he’s thanking God for his resume as a point of pride. The tax collector however doesn’t even feel worthy to approach the front of the temple….instead, he stands back and cowers before the altar. His feelings of guilt and shame cause him to bow his head and beat on his breast, a sign of repentance….a genuine display of his sorrow for sin. He pleads to God to be merciful on him, a lowly sinner. Where the Pharisee has so much to offer God, the publican has nothing good to offer. Also unlike the Pharisee, he’s appealing solely to God’s mercy. My point is that according to Christ, the one who went home justified that day was the reviled tax collector, which means the respected Pharisee did not, even though he was paying his tithe, fasting twice a week, and most likely living an exemplary religious life of obedience. But where do works play into all of this….aren’t works connected with justification?
Of course they are, but the operative word is “connected.” Justification does not depend on works. This is very very important to understand, so I want to give you this example. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” (James 2:21). But wait and here is a point of confusion….doesn’t James contradict Paul’s message in Romans 3:26: “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Is the Bible contradicting itself? Ok the Bible clearly says we’re saved by grace through faith. How then can we deal with James? If you’re confused right now on this point that’s okay because I was too when I first dove into this topic trust me. Plus the apostles and early church leaders were also confused. But we have a clear answer from the Bible. We know that the Holy Spirit inspired both writers, and that both of these passages are Holy Scripture. Is the Bible still trustworthy? Yes!! Without any question. Here is another verse in James to understand this perplexing verse: “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”. Faith, then, works together with works. How?
When we read the word “perfect” in this sentence, it means complete. When used in the sentence, it means Abraham’s works by faith were made manifest that is….they gave evidence to his faith. Meaning….his works proved he was justified! The problem stems from the fact that Paul and James are talking to two different groups of believers. Paul was dealing with Jewish believers who were trying to force gentile converts to keep all of the law of Moses in order to be justified. Paul responded to this by saying that people can’t earn salvation, but rather it comes as a free gift of God. However in James, James is dealing with new converts who have come into the church believing that since they’re justified by faith obedience doesn’t really matter.
Let’s go back to the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector again because I like it haha….no mainly because I think it’s a good illustration to use from the Bible. When the tax collector repented and asked God for mercy, Jesus said he went home justified. Here are some good questions to ask….Did the publican know he was justified when he went home? Likewise should a person know when they’re justified? To answer these questions I want to ask you another set of questions…..If we’re saved by faith, should we know it? Should the publican have asked for mercy not expecting to receive it? We should readily acknowledge that the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts to give us the peace that God has heard our prayers. I have prayed about certain problems that come up sometimes in life….but then later feel a sudden peace overflood my soul. It’s that feeling that your prayer got through to God and it’s all in His very capable hands. All Christians should be experiencing this. So, I believe the tax collector went home knowing he was justified in the eyes of His God.
God says, “You’re forgiven” to the tax collector. Is he therefore a different man? In one way, he certainly is. He came as a sinner to stand humbly before God, and now he goes home covered with Christ’s righteousness. But the bigger question is will he behave differently now that he knows he’s been justified?.....this is key. I strongly believe that if you’re truly saved you will show a definite change in behavior. The fruit of the Spirit will be made manifested in you. The things of this world will grow strangely dim. Again by their fruits you will know them.
Ok another thought….Imagine that for whatever reason, Pilate told his soldiers, “I want to let one of those thieves hanging with Jesus go.” So his soldiers choose the one who Christ guaranteed access to heaven on resurrection day, and they remove the nails and bind his hands and feet so that he will heal. He’s scarred for life of course, but he lives. Do you think he would have been different? Would he have returned to the sins that put him in bondage before the moment Christ freely gave him forgiveness? If he did willingly return to the sins of his past do you think he was a true believer on the cross? I’m asking this because to me real justification can be witnessed by the attitude and behavior of the one who has been saved. Don’t ever ever fall for the lie that Christians are never to talk about good works because that makes them legalists. That is total crap!! The Bible is filled with apostles and prophets talking about how important good works are in this world. It’s not a sin to do good and it’s not wrong to stop sinning. “also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid” (1 Timothy 5:25). This passage shows us that the works of the saved are evident because they are good.
You’ll know a saved person by their fruit! (1 Timothy 6:18) reiterates, “That they do good, that they be rich in good works.”When you’re saved in Christ, a new power is given you to live a new life. This is what James is talking about when he says, “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God” (James 2:23).
That’s how a man is justified by works: Abraham believed…that was his “works.” He believed enough to offer up his own son. Jesus supports this interpretation of course in the new testament. John 6:28, 29 is an extremely important passage about works and faith. “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Are we saved by works? Yes! What are those works? “This is the work … that ye believe.” Does it take effort to believe? Yes it does!! Sometimes you don’t feel like believing and you need to pray that God will give you the courage and strength to believe in His Word.
There is an effort involved in trusting God because our whole nature has been driven to believe in the lies of the devil. He makes us doubt by twisting the evidence, and we doubt those things we cannot see. So God knows it takes effort to believe that we must choose it. But if you pray, He will gladly help you believe.
As you know one of the problems in the time of Christ was that many of the religious leaders believed they were made righteous by their good deeds. They trusted in their own righteousness while they looked down on others as worthless sinners. The Pharisee was a part of a sect of Judaism known for its rigid stance of obeying the law, while tax collectors (publicans) were associated with a very loose and scandalous lifestyle. Pharisees might have been considered the obvious choice for eternal life by most people of Jesus day, but Jesus had different ideas. Notice that the Pharisee is said to pray “thus with himself.” In other words, he’s praying to himself and not so much to God. He goes on to thank God that he’s not like the worst sinners of the world, and more than that, he reminds God that he tithes and fasts regularly. It’s probably an honest resume, and technically it’s a good one. “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the … Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
But instead of thanking God for His goodness in humility, he’s thanking God for his resume as a point of pride. The tax collector however doesn’t even feel worthy to approach the front of the temple….instead, he stands back and cowers before the altar. His feelings of guilt and shame cause him to bow his head and beat on his breast, a sign of repentance….a genuine display of his sorrow for sin. He pleads to God to be merciful on him, a lowly sinner. Where the Pharisee has so much to offer God, the publican has nothing good to offer. Also unlike the Pharisee, he’s appealing solely to God’s mercy. My point is that according to Christ, the one who went home justified that day was the reviled tax collector, which means the respected Pharisee did not, even though he was paying his tithe, fasting twice a week, and most likely living an exemplary religious life of obedience. But where do works play into all of this….aren’t works connected with justification?
Of course they are, but the operative word is “connected.” Justification does not depend on works. This is very very important to understand, so I want to give you this example. “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” (James 2:21). But wait and here is a point of confusion….doesn’t James contradict Paul’s message in Romans 3:26: “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Is the Bible contradicting itself? Ok the Bible clearly says we’re saved by grace through faith. How then can we deal with James? If you’re confused right now on this point that’s okay because I was too when I first dove into this topic trust me. Plus the apostles and early church leaders were also confused. But we have a clear answer from the Bible. We know that the Holy Spirit inspired both writers, and that both of these passages are Holy Scripture. Is the Bible still trustworthy? Yes!! Without any question. Here is another verse in James to understand this perplexing verse: “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”. Faith, then, works together with works. How?
When we read the word “perfect” in this sentence, it means complete. When used in the sentence, it means Abraham’s works by faith were made manifest that is….they gave evidence to his faith. Meaning….his works proved he was justified! The problem stems from the fact that Paul and James are talking to two different groups of believers. Paul was dealing with Jewish believers who were trying to force gentile converts to keep all of the law of Moses in order to be justified. Paul responded to this by saying that people can’t earn salvation, but rather it comes as a free gift of God. However in James, James is dealing with new converts who have come into the church believing that since they’re justified by faith obedience doesn’t really matter.
Let’s go back to the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector again because I like it haha….no mainly because I think it’s a good illustration to use from the Bible. When the tax collector repented and asked God for mercy, Jesus said he went home justified. Here are some good questions to ask….Did the publican know he was justified when he went home? Likewise should a person know when they’re justified? To answer these questions I want to ask you another set of questions…..If we’re saved by faith, should we know it? Should the publican have asked for mercy not expecting to receive it? We should readily acknowledge that the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts to give us the peace that God has heard our prayers. I have prayed about certain problems that come up sometimes in life….but then later feel a sudden peace overflood my soul. It’s that feeling that your prayer got through to God and it’s all in His very capable hands. All Christians should be experiencing this. So, I believe the tax collector went home knowing he was justified in the eyes of His God.
God says, “You’re forgiven” to the tax collector. Is he therefore a different man? In one way, he certainly is. He came as a sinner to stand humbly before God, and now he goes home covered with Christ’s righteousness. But the bigger question is will he behave differently now that he knows he’s been justified?.....this is key. I strongly believe that if you’re truly saved you will show a definite change in behavior. The fruit of the Spirit will be made manifested in you. The things of this world will grow strangely dim. Again by their fruits you will know them.
Ok another thought….Imagine that for whatever reason, Pilate told his soldiers, “I want to let one of those thieves hanging with Jesus go.” So his soldiers choose the one who Christ guaranteed access to heaven on resurrection day, and they remove the nails and bind his hands and feet so that he will heal. He’s scarred for life of course, but he lives. Do you think he would have been different? Would he have returned to the sins that put him in bondage before the moment Christ freely gave him forgiveness? If he did willingly return to the sins of his past do you think he was a true believer on the cross? I’m asking this because to me real justification can be witnessed by the attitude and behavior of the one who has been saved. Don’t ever ever fall for the lie that Christians are never to talk about good works because that makes them legalists. That is total crap!! The Bible is filled with apostles and prophets talking about how important good works are in this world. It’s not a sin to do good and it’s not wrong to stop sinning. “also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid” (1 Timothy 5:25). This passage shows us that the works of the saved are evident because they are good.
You’ll know a saved person by their fruit! (1 Timothy 6:18) reiterates, “That they do good, that they be rich in good works.”When you’re saved in Christ, a new power is given you to live a new life. This is what James is talking about when he says, “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God” (James 2:23).
That’s how a man is justified by works: Abraham believed…that was his “works.” He believed enough to offer up his own son. Jesus supports this interpretation of course in the new testament. John 6:28, 29 is an extremely important passage about works and faith. “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Are we saved by works? Yes! What are those works? “This is the work … that ye believe.” Does it take effort to believe? Yes it does!! Sometimes you don’t feel like believing and you need to pray that God will give you the courage and strength to believe in His Word.
There is an effort involved in trusting God because our whole nature has been driven to believe in the lies of the devil. He makes us doubt by twisting the evidence, and we doubt those things we cannot see. So God knows it takes effort to believe that we must choose it. But if you pray, He will gladly help you believe.
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