Justified by Faith

Justification by faith is one of the most life-changing doctrines found in the Bible, with profound impacts both for eternity and our daily lives. Through Christ's work, we receive three essential benefits: peace with God, access to His grace, and the hope of sharing in His glory.

• Peace with God means complete eradication of hostility between us and God, not just a feeling of peace
• Access to grace provides us a favorable position to develop a personal relationship with God
• Christian hope isn't wishful thinking but certainty about future glory with God
• Justification means being declared righteous in God's sight despite our failures
• Jesus willingly sacrificed himself even for those who actively reject Him
• The Holy Spirit testifies to believers that they are children of God
• Through justification, we find freedom from our past and can experience intimacy with God

For those willing to be justified by faith, we can know with certainty that we will share in God's glory for all eternity.

Chapters

• 0:00 Justified by Faith
• 4:32 Peace with God Explained
• 6:43 Access to God's Grace
• 10:49 The Hope of God's Glory
• 14:50 Christ's Sacrifice and Our Response
• 17:13 Freedom Through Justified Faith

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also gained access, by faith, into this grace in which we now stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. The doctrine of justification by faith is so incredibly important to understand because it has such a direct impact, not only for eternity, but also on how we live in this world today. Having a clear understanding of the doctrine of justification shapes our attitudes and our actions, both in times of joy, both in times of joy, but even more so during difficult times of trial and suffering. Being justified by faith is one of the greatest life-changing doctrines found in the Bible, particularly Romans. In Romans 5, verse 1, paul writes therefore, having been justified by faith, faith is the value or the significance of being justified by God. I don't know about you, but I would rather be justified by faith than any works or good deeds of my own, anytime. These are the benefits that the patriarchs Abraham and David understood so well and embraced, and were ultimately secured for eternity by Jesus and his cross. Justification, or justified, means that one, in spite or despite their shortcomings, their failures, their sins, has been justified. Their sins have been forgiven, been justified. Their sins have been forgiven, but greater still is that they have been declared righteous in God's sight. This is for those who have Christ in their heart and live by faith with Christ as their Lord and Savior. To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. That's John 1, verse 12. Justified is translated dikeo, and it means declared righteous. Did I do something to deserve this grace and kindness from God? Is it something that I did to deserve His love and mercy Other than putting my trust and my hope and faith in his son, jesus Christ? No, it is all his doing so.

Speaker 1: 4:26

First there is this peace peace with God. This is not the same as the peace of God, as Paul says in Philippians, chapter four, verse seven, where Paul writes and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This is not the peace that Paul is referring to here in Romans, chapter 5, verse 1. Paul asserts peace with God, and that means a complete eradication of the hostilities, the enmities and any conflict between God and man, or rather his covenant children. The wall of hostility has been torn down. The cloud of wrath has receded and the order of condemnation is withdrawn, the curse of the law is satisfied, and this is all by the blood of Christ and His cross. Peace with God and His cross, peace with God. Peace with regard to our relationship with God.

Speaker 1: 5:59

Peace with God is not something that any human being other than Christ Himself has achieved on their own. It is all Christ's doing. It is all God's doing. God who sent him? God is the one who has extended the olive branch, as it were. Why? Well, for his good pleasure is everlasting love and kindness.

Speaker 1: 6:30

Second, there is this access to grace in which we stand Verse 2, through whom we have access, by faith, into this grace in which we now stand. The Greek word for access is translated prosagahe, and it means to bring near or to introduce, and that is what Jesus has done. Jesus has brought us to his father, our father. Jesus is our mediator, our great advocate and high priest, prophet and king. This is very significant. For example, no one can have a relationship with a powerful dignitary or a VIP without someone first introducing them. This is what Jesus, our Savior, has done. I am the way Jesus said, I am the truth, I am the life. I am the door. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Speaker 1: 7:51

Access, access to grace, means that we have been given a favorable position from which to develop and get to know a personal relationship with God, with God who resides in eternity in heaven in glory. You and I, we live in this time and space universe where, as Jesus once said, where moth and rust and dust corrupt and thieves break in to steal, that's where we live. But God, he lives in heaven in eternity, in glory. But we have access to him. From here, now, today, right now, we have been adopted into his royal family in heaven. From here we are his human family, here we are his new creation. In fact Peter writes this but you, a holy nation, his own special people that you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. That's 1 Peter 2, verse 9.

Speaker 1: 9:33

Through justification, by faith, we are ushered into the royal throne room of God and there we stand and remain in Christ. Wherever we go anywhere in this world, we are always in that heavenly throne room of God. So this goes beyond simply throne room of God. So this goes beyond simply receiving peace with God. Justification includes a relationship, a friendship with God. We can approach God continually, 24-7, with our problems, with our requests, with our failures and flaws and our sufferings and tribulations, because Jesus, our faithful high priest, has took on our human flesh and frailties. He has endured our circumstances, our conditions, our trials and tribulations and suffering. Therefore, god is able, through Christ, to sympathize with our weaknesses and we are able to engage with each other.

Speaker 1: 10:49

Third, there is hope. Hope, the hope of the glory of God. This is a definite anticipation of joy sharing in God's glory Verse 2, through whom we have access by faith into grace in which we stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Christian hope is not wishful thinking. It is a hope filled with certainty. The more we experience peace and access with the Father, the more we desire to see Him face to face. The more we desire to see Him face to face, the more certain we are about a future glory with God. The Bible demonstrates that the Creator of the world, the universe and the heavens is a glorious God upon which the angels of heaven worship him. If you are justified by him in faith, then you are destined to spend eternity with him in his glory, with him in heaven for eternity, and those he predestined he also called, and those he called he also justified, and those he justified he also glorified. That's Romans, chapter 8, verse 30. That's Romans 8, verse 30.

Speaker 1: 12:36

Many people, unfortunately and I've heard this too many times they say well, I don't know about all that, brother Mike, come on. All I know is that I don't want to go to hell when I die. Just keep it simple, all right? Listen, listen. It is imperative, it is paramount that we learn to meditate on God's Word, every word, and think about what God is offering us. He is offering us the opportunity to share in his glory. As it is written, eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of men what God has for those that love him.

Speaker 1: 13:37

It is striking, it is a striking fact, a reality, that Jesus Christ willingly sacrificed himself to save a people from eternity in hell, even those who actively hate him. A people from eternity in hell, even those who actively hate him and rebel against him and constantly push him away. Yet many are not willing to embrace Jesus into their lives, god's one and only son, sent from eternity into this world that is passing away as a light, the Bible says, the light of the world, the way, the truth, the life is. King, priest, prophet, savior and Lord. Did you know that Jesus is all those things? And that's just a handful there? He was more than willing to save a revolting people than they were willing to be saved.

Speaker 1: 14:56

People are not willing to confront their sin and recognize the urgency of accepting His sacrifice and gift, free gift of salvation. It is all done by Him. It is all His doing, not our doing. We're not saved by anything we do. We're saved by what he has done.

Speaker 1: 15:25

Yet for those willing to be justified by faith, yet for those willing to be justified by faith, the desire and the certainty of going to heaven when they die is called the glory of hope.

Speaker 1: 15:43

These are three advantages that the doctrine of justification represents and are essential truths of our salvation peace, access and hope.

Speaker 1: 15:58

Through Christ, we find freedom from our past, our old past of sin and rebellion. And well, you name it, it is removed, it is cast away into the sea of forgetfulness and we experience peace with God. In this life, in this present life, we have freedom to cultivate and experience a personal, intimate relationship with God through access to Him by Jesus Christ and His shed blood, we are able to enter into the holies of holies, entering into this grace with our Father, by faith in which we currently stand, but most of all, we will with the utmost certainty. We know this to be true because of His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit testifies to our spirit that these things are true and that we are children of God, with certainty, through hope. Hope we experience. Through this hope, we experience the love of God being poured out upon us by His Spirit, not only in this life, you see, but for all eternity, for all eternity, in the presence of Almighty God and His glory. Thank you.