Justified By FaithPosted by: Stephen E. Smith on 2008-04-23
Justified By Faith
Stephen E. Smith: General Overseer of The Church of God
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1)
To be justified is to be declared guiltless, to be absolved or acquitted. The Biblical word literally means "to render just or innocent." It is a legal word, one that is used in a court of law. To be justified does not necessarily mean that one is entirely innocent. For instance, a man may be brought before a judge and charged with murder. He may indeed be guilty of killing another man, but circumstances may indicate that the killing was justified. Perhaps he killed the man in self defense, or the death was accidental. Should the accused bring sufficient evidence to show that he is not guilty of murder, the judge will acquit him of the charge, declaring him innocent. Rather than being condemned and punished, he is rendered guiltless and set free. He is now justified and will pay no penalty, though he killed another man.
The Bible teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, not one. All people stand guilty of trespassing the law of God. All are sinners and such they live under condemnation, destined to receive eternal damnation. All are on "death row" awaiting their sentence to be carried out. And none can bring sufficient evidence to gain an acquittal or to be declared innocent before God. Nor is it sufficient that a person claim that he has disobeyed only "a few small commandments" or that he merely "sins a little each day," and has kept most of the commandments, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (Jas. 2:10).
Thus we see the need of salvation, some means by whuch the sentence of eternal death may be absolved. God has provided this through our Lord Jesus Christ. Justification is obtained and maintained by faith in the sacrifice made on the cross in our behalf. Jesus, the innocent, died in behalf of the guilty-all mankind. The only means by which men can obtain justification is through faith in Jesus Christ.
No amount of good works or efforts at holy living will remove the sinful stains of the past. The Jews knew the Law of Moses and sought justification by obedience to that law. But the Law had no power to deliver them from sin. It's only power was to expose their sins and reveal their exceeding sinfulness (Rom. 7:13). It is the heart of man that is exceedingly wicked, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders..." (Matt. 7:21). He may strive to live holy and even meet with some success, but this does not change the heart condition. Jesus explained this in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican: "And he spake 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" (Lk. 18: 9-14).
Though the Pharisee could boast of his efforts to kep the law, he was not justified before God. The poor publican, on the other hand, made no boast of his holiness. He readily confessed that he was a sinner, and stood afar off, testifying of his unworthiness to approach the holy God of Israel. He offered no excuses, no bribes, and sought no negotiations with God. He did not blame his childhood experiences for his sinful condition. He simply and sincerely confessed that he was a sinner and begged for God's mercy. Jesus said this man was justified before God. The story contrasts self-exaltation and self-righteousness against sincere and humble repentance. Those who desire to be justified before God must come before Him in a humble and repentant attitude. Only then can they hope to be delivered from condemnation.
To be justified before God is to be pardoned, as though one had not ever broken the Law of God. When a sinner approaches God and sincerely repents and places his faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, God forgives him of his sins, and treats him as though they never happened. Instead of eternal punishment, he receives eternal life.
Yes, God does justify sinners. They that are whole do not need a physician, but they that are sick. Those who, like the Pharisees, justify themselves by their works of righteousness cannot receive the salvation of God. It is only for the sinner who acknowledges his condition and petitions God for forgiveness, trusting only in the blood of Jesus to pay the penalty for his sins.
Of course, God does not leave the repentant sinner in his sinful condition. He forgives and justifies that sincere seeker, then proclaims, "Go and sin no more." Charles Finney offers an excellent explanation of one who is justified before God:
"Another thing effected by justification is to secure all needed grace to rescue themselves fully out of the snare of the devil, and all the innumerable entanglements in which they are involved in by sin. Beloved, if God were merely to pardon you, and then leave you to get out of sin as you could by yourselves, of what use would your pardon be to you? None in the world. If a child runs away from his father's house, and wanders in a forest, and falls into a deep pit, and the father finds him and undertakes to save him; if he merely pardons him for running away, it will be of no use unless he lifts him up from the pit, and leads him out of the forest. So in the scheme of redemption, whatever helps and aids you need, are all guaranteed, if you believe. If God undertakes to save you, he pledges all the light and grace and help that are necessary to break the chains of Satan and the entanglements of sin and leads you back to your Father's house."
" I know when individuals are first broken down under a sense of sin, and their hearts gush out with tenderness, they look over their past lives and feel condemned and see that it all wrong, and then they break down at God's feet and give themselves away to Jesus Christ; they rejoice greatly in the idea that they have done with sin. But in a little time they begin to feel the pressure of old habits and former influences, and they see so much to be done before they can overcome them all, that they often get discouraged and cry, 'O, what shall I do, with so many enemies to meet, and so little strength of resolution or firmness of purpose to overcome them?' Let me tell you, beloved, that if God has undertaken to save you, you have only to keep near to him, and he will carry you through. You need not fear your enemies. Though the heavens should thunder and the earth rock, and the elements melt, you need not tremble, nor fear for enemies withou or within. God is for you, and who can be against you? 'Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died , yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.'"
Justification by faith precedes sanctification by faith. But sufficient to this end this sermon are the Apostle Paul, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Rom. 5:9).
(This article was originally published in the December 2002 issue of The Evening Light.) |
