How God Remained Just and Justified Sinners

Q: What does the Bible say about justification?

The Bible teaches that justification is an act of God's grace by which He declares sinners righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. In Romans 3:19-28, Paul explains that justification is granted freely by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, illustrating how God remains just while justifying sinners. The law exposes our guilt, revealing that no one can be justified by their works. Instead, justification is described as a legal declaration by God, where sinners are treated as righteous solely based on their faith in Christ, who fulfilled the law perfectly on their behalf.

Q: How do we know that faith in Jesus is enough for salvation?

Faith in Jesus is sufficient for salvation because it is the righteousness of God revealed through Christ, not our merit. According to Romans 3:22, the righteousness of God is revealed through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. This faith is not merely belief in a set of doctrines; rather, it is the faithfulness of Christ Himself that acts as the basis for our justification. Our faith, while important, is not sufficient in itself; it becomes effective because it rests upon the perfect faith and obedience of Jesus, who fulfilled all righteousness. Hence, salvation is granted by God's grace through faith, unmerited by any works of our own.

Q: Why is God's justice important for Christians?

God's justice is crucial because it upholds His holiness while allowing Him to justify sinners through Christ. The importance of God's justice in the life of a Christian cannot be overstated. It ensures that God's holy nature remains uncompromised while still providing a means for sinners to be justified. Romans 3:26 illustrates that God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. This dual aspect affirms that God deals honestly with sin, meeting its demands through Christ's sacrificial death while also extending grace to those who believe. Understanding God's justice enriches our appreciation of the grace that brings salvation, reminding us that we are justified not by our works, but solely by His mercy.

Q: What does the Bible teach about sin and the law?

The Bible teaches that the law reveals our sinfulness and shows that we cannot be justified by our deeds. In Romans 3:20, it is stated that through the law comes the knowledge of sin. The law functions as a mirror, reflecting our sinful condition and demonstrating our inability to attain righteousness on our own. This highlights the necessity of grace, as no flesh will be justified by the law's works. Instead, it points us toward Christ, whose perfect obedience fulfills the law's demands and allows for our justification. The law's role is to convict us and lead us to recognize our need for a Savior, which emphasizes the essential message of the gospel.

You can be turning to Romans 3. I will start my message here in a moment. I am grateful to our Lord for this opportunity to be here today. I thank God for that opportunity and I do publicly say give my thanks to your pastor Marvin for asking me to come. Of course, you know this, and I'm sure you do this, but this is an encouragement, not a rebuke.

You love your pastor. You take care of your pastor and his wife. No one really has any idea what it's like to pastor an assembly until they've had to stand behind a podium publicly and try to preach the Christ of God. knowing what's down in here. It's tough. It's tough. So love him. Take care of him and his wife.

Now, let me just say that whenever I am done, I suppose you'll probably have a song after. When I'm done, Penny and I is going to walk to the back. We're going to leave. I want to say goodbye to everyone one last time. Because Penny and I both have to get up very early. She has to get up at 2.30 in the morning. So as soon as we're done here, we're going to head out, say bye. We're going to head out, probably just eat a couple snacks. We had a big breakfast this morning. And so we were asked to go out to eat, and I had to. I respectfully decline because we're just going to hit the road and head on back. But I appreciate everything that everyone has done. Okay, let's get started.

Romans chapter three. I want to read several verses. And before I read and before I begin, let me say, I don't intend on keeping you real long today. But I will say this, I did not drive all this distance to try to rush through the word of God. because that's more important than even my wife and I having to get home. This is very important. This is the word of God that we're dealing with. Romans chapter three, I will begin in verse 19. I won't read the rest of the chapter, but I will read what will be considered my text for today. Verse 19 of Romans three, now we know, see the certainty of that?

Now we know that what things whoever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. That's important. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.

Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, note the language the Spirit uses Paul, as Paul used. Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Now, I may say this again in a moment, but let me pause a moment. I know that preachers, myself included, have often, and religion even does so as well, a so-called Christian religion, talks about this verse, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, in its universal aspect that we're all sinners, and that's certainly true. But remember the context. This is saying that even all of those that God justifies, they've all sinned and come short of the glory of God, okay? For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.

Again, note the language. to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness, note the language, to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then?

It is excluded. Do you see that word? Are you reading along? Do you see what God says? It is excluded by what law? Or that is by what authority? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith And then you got to realize that phrase in light of everything he just said in our immediate context. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Now, we've been, we're sitting here this morning, you were sitting here, I'm standing here this morning, we just read a unique and exquisite explanation of how the thrice holy God, one who is so holy that the unfallen angel, the unfallen angels now, the unfallen angels who attend his throne day and night, they fly around his throne and they have six wings each. And you know what they do with one pair of those wings? They cover their faces before him. Now, they are called holy angels, but their holiness pales in comparison to him.

This, we read this explanation of how the thrice holy God, impeccably just God, can justify the likes of me and you. God declared he alone is, according to our brother Isaiah the prophet, in Isaiah 45 and verse 21, we have it recorded, God said that he is a just God and a savior. Now, our flesh hears those words and says, oh, okay. But the new man hears those words and says, wow, this thrice holy God can remain just, that is absolutely right, impeccably holy, and justify, declare as right. Me? Me? This is my title for this morning. My title is this, How God Remained Just and Justified Sinners.

This is a thought, a phrase, these are words that religion really does not care about. They may not say it this way. I would not be telling the truth even on them if I said they would say things like, well, God just sweeps our sins under the rug. They don't say that. That's exactly what they teach.

But God has never swept not one sin under the rug. Any man or any woman of the fallen sons and daughters of Adam that God has ever justified, he had to deal with each and every one of their sins in justice through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. God condemned sin in the flesh of his son. So again, God declared how he alone is a just God and a savior.

And here in our text, Paul explains, Paul defines, Paul goes into detail as to how God has done this. God introduced this dilemma hundreds of years ago. I won't go back and read it, but I'll state it if you want to jot it down. Exodus 34, verses six through eight. God introduces this dilemma to us. It's not a dilemma to him. But he introduced this dilemma to us, this dilemma to us. And you know what he said? By no means, by no means will he acquit the guilty. You know what that means? I'm doomed. Right? Go back and read it for yourself sometime. Exodus 34, 6, 7, and 8.

God made this statement through Moses, by no means acquitting the guilty. And I know I'm guilty. And even more than that, God knows I'm guilty. Does not our text even say that through the law? As I said, God introduced this dilemma hundreds of years ago through our brother Moses. Now though we read, and I mean, we read in concise, for that matter, in concise and precise language of how God can remain just and justify a sinner. When God says, has already declared, I will by no means acquit the guilty.

Have you ever thought about that? I mean, really sat and pondered that question? I have three things to give you this morning. One, I want us to see the dilemma. God help us this morning that we may see the dilemma. The second one is this, I want us to see the existence of a higher rule, R-U-L-E, a higher order, a higher declaration. And thirdly, I want us to see the dilemma solved. Solved. And it doesn't have to be solved for us to be able to relate to it. But aren't you glad? God gives you grace to be able to relate to it. That's why we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

So first of all, see the dilemma. Now let me state this right off the bat. As Earl said, an old preacher told him years ago, you might as well just stop trying to sneak the truth in the back door. Just come right in through the front door. Want to see the dilemma?

We are the dilemma. We are the problem. I am the problem. Here's the amazing thing, at my best state, I am the problem. You see, our minds are geared in this world both by our fallen nature and by the society that surrounds us. It's geared toward this, yes, man has a problem, but man deep down is really fairly decent. Well, it's actually the opposite. We can act outwardly fairly decent.

We can be nice neighbors, honest neighbors, and it's good when you have that and when you can be that, but down inside is my problem. At my best state, God calls me what? V-A-N-I-T-Y. You know what that is? Zero. Zero. I am the dilemma. You are the dilemma. Four thoughts here.

This is not speculation according to our brother Paul in the context that I read. This is not speculation, it is fact. Because he says these three words, now we know. Correct? That's the first thing I read. Verse 19, you see it? Now we know. Now someone may say, do I hear that?

But I hear that thought at least, even if it don't come out outwardly. But preacher, not everybody knows this. No, but we do. There's some people that do know it. Now we know, this is not speculation. I am not up here trying to share with you. some possibility that God may have something for us. God, in his law, says, now we know. That's the first thing. It's not speculation. It is fact. Here's the second thing about us, the dilemma. God's law set our problem in stone, literally. Did it not? It says, this is what the book says. Is that West, that's my West Virginian coming out. This is what the book says.

It says that God took his finger. Now, when did the God head have a finger? Only in Jesus Christ. He's the law giver. Do you know what it said God did when he wrote the law? He took his finger and wrote the law where? In stone. God's law set our problem in stone, literally. And we know that what things so ever the law saith. Here's a third thought about us, this dilemma. God's law says to us, listen to me, I'm just going to give you the vernacular of the layman, as some folks say down in my neck of the woods.

The law says, shut up. You're guilty. Stop your boasting. You're guilty. Look, now we know that what things so ever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be what? Stopped. Stopped. And here's the kicker, and all the world may become guilty before, who? God.

You see, the thing about it is, my dilemma is, by nature, I do not and cannot recognize this on my own. By nature, as I read the law, my flesh says, well, give it your best shot. That's what religion teaches people. I mean, I even heard a preacher. I think he was on the radio. Don't remember who he was, and that really doesn't matter. But he says something along this line. It won't be direct, a direct quote, but he says, God knows your sincerity. He'll take your best effort.

That's not what the law says. James says it, puts it this way. If we keep the whole law, W-H-O-L-E, if we keep the whole law and offend in what? One point, one point, we are guilty of all. Somebody says, but that just doesn't seem fair. It's not about fairness. It's about justice.

Now, I work in an industry that has a lot to do about law. And a lot of men are locked up behind bars because they have broken the law. You know what's odd? When I sit and talk to some of these men, I will find here's a man, here's another man, and they've actually committed The same exact crime, the same exact intent, the same exact outcome of the crime. And their sentence differs by spans of years.

Why is that? Because we really don't think the law matters. We operate everything in this, listen to me now, We operate most everything that we do as human beings based upon emotion. Our laws have built within them emotion. We try to get to the heart of the matter and we refuse the reality of the matter.

If somebody kills a man, it's because they are what? A murderer. We are the dilemma and we know, now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before who? God. God. I may not be guilty according to man's estimation of law, right? But in God's law, we are all guilty. And God's law says to me and to you, shut up. You are guilty. It's quite a dilemma, isn't it? It's quite a dilemma. But now I want us to see the existence of a higher rule which both the law and the prophets give witness to.

Three things here in our text. Number one, God's righteousness. Think of this. God's righteousness. Do you hear the word what I'm saying? God's righteousness, not just It's not, I'm not just saying a righteousness God approves of, I'm saying God's own personal righteousness exceeds and supersedes even our legal righteousness. Verse 21.

Of course, he summed it up about this law thing and us all being guilty before God with this. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. Remember, that's what it's all about. It's not about how I view you and how you view me. It's how God views us. There shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin, but now. You see, you have this dilemma, God's holy law and me the sinner. And there's a dilemma there.

It's kind of like, you remember old Daniel in the lion's den? And the king basically said, well, he knew he could do nothing about it. He done signed the decree. Anybody doesn't do what I say to do, or does against what I say to do, gonna be cast into a den of lions. Daniel just went ahead and did it anyway. So the king knew, I got to cast Daniel into the den of lions. And you know what?

According to law, he could do nothing for him. But that king is not God. Look at it. But now, the righteousness of God, look at it, without the law. You see, God is not righteous because he's kept the law. God is righteous because he is God. God defines what righteousness is. God tells me thou shalt not kill. Does he not? Is that not what his law says? You know what God says he does? I kill. and I make a life. You ever thought about that?

But now, the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, and Paul puts it this way, being witnessed by the law and the prophets. This is not contrary to even the law and the prophets. So we're seeing now, we're beginning to see the existence of a higher rule, which both the law and the prophets give witness to.

Here's the second thing. God's righteousness was manifested in the personal, look at it, we're gonna look at the language. God's righteousness was manifested in the personal faithfulness of Jesus Christ. For Paul puts it this way, this is the language. Even the righteousness of God, do you see it? Even, verse 22, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. See that language?

Brief Greek lesson. The words that we have in this English where it says faith of Jesus Christ is in the possessive sense in the Greek. This is not talking about mine and your faith in Jesus Christ. This is talking about the faith of Jesus Christ. This is talking about his active obedience.

Is not faith called the obedience of faith? You see, folks, the only truly faithful person, the only truly faithful man that's ever walked on the face of the earth was none other than Jesus Christ himself. Faith is a fruit of God. God doesn't even create a little piece of faith and give it to you and me. He takes a piece of himself. Faith is the fruit of God, the fruit of the Spirit. And he takes that piece of that faith in measure, and he just says, here, it's yours. Here, it's yours.

And remember that faith, our Lord Jesus Christ, you've seen a car that had the bumper sticker on it. You know, faith is a grain of mustard seed can remove mountains. They think that's just a metaphor. My brothers and sisters, faith is the grain of mustard seed created this whole universe.

God said, let there be light. And what happened? Light. Think about that. Another, here's you a science lesson, you younger people here. You know, these scientists tell us, well, the Earth has to be so many billions of years old, the universe has to be so many, or at least the universe, scratch that, at least the universe must be so many billions of years old because they can, so-called calculate the distance to some of our most distant stars and knowing the speed of light that it would take X amount of years, billions of years for that light to have reached us. Therefore, the universe must be billions of years old. And I say hogwash. Because even if that star is out there, billions of light years away, when God created it and said, let there be light, and that call for light was upon the face of the earth, guess how quick it happened?

Just like that. How many rings you figure the trees had when God created them in Eden? How many rings you figure they had? If you'd have cut one down, brother, you'd probably say, well, that thing's hundreds of years old. No, it wasn't. God said, let it be. And there it was. Had all those rings in it. When God created Adam and Eve, were they in diapers? Were they little babes? You could have took the carbon testing in their bones and you'd have said, wow, these people are 20, 30, 40 years old. No, God just had created them.

You see, man thinks he's figured out the power and the might of God, and we are nothing but fools. Still on the science lesson. I'm still on the science lesson. How many times do you hear the scientists say, well, about years ago, something they believed?

Well, we were wrong. Now we know this is true. What they will not say, they will not put it in truth. We lied to you years ago. Now we're giving you another theory and only time will tell whether this is a lie or not. Now am I telling you the truth about us or not? No, we see the existence of a higher role.

God's righteousness was manifested in the personal faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And the faith spoken of here, look at it, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of, that's possessive in the Greek, it's the personal faith of Jesus Christ, that is the righteousness of God.

What's one of the things they mocked him for when he hung on that tree? Do you remember one of the things they mocked him for? He trusted in the Lord. You and I better be glad. Do you think your trust in the Lord is enough to make you acceptable before a thrice holy God that even unfallen angels must go like this when they're around his throne? Now, come on. Do you think that you and I have mustered up some faith that somehow is going to make this thrice holy God accept us in his holy presence?

No. The reason faith is of any value is because it is the personal faith of Jesus Christ. Look at it. Look at the language. Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Consider this, can you, and I'll not say this, if we are a true born again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord, I believe. Lord, I believe. And my brothers and sisters, unless I'm totally deceived, I say to you this morning, I believe the Lord Jesus Christ. But at the same time, I know I must cry out this. Lord, help thou mine unbelief.

Why does God not condemn me for that unbelief? Huh? Does he sweep it under the rug? Is it because I have faith, then God overlooks the unbelief? No, sir, it's because of the, even because of the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. In him was and is and shall never, ever be any unbelief. The perfection of my faith stands in his perfection, not in mine. Look at it again. Unto all that is this righteousness of God. You see it? Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe because we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

And you and I realize that this is not just true about us before we were converted. This is not just true about us before we were saved. This is true about me and you right now, today. I still have sinned. I sinned enough this morning before I came before you to stand behind this podium and preach to you the word of God. I sinned enough sin for God to send me to hell a million times.

Do we understand that? And somebody says, well, you know, preacher, I have these bad thoughts. But after all, who can control their thoughts? Ah, there you go. You can't, can you? And when you start having what we're going to say, just use the language. Well, I had a bad thought. If it's really bad, if you ever just said, I'm not going to think that again, you know what immediately your mind starts to do? It dwells on that very thing over and over. And it's like you're in this battle. The more you try to put it away, the more it raises its ugly head at you.

Aren't you glad salvation's an act of God and not an act of our home? Aren't you glad salvation's not by the works of the law, but by the righteousness of Jesus Christ himself? This is that existence of a higher rule. A rule which both even the law and the prophets give witness to. Here's the third thing, I gotta move along. That is the existence of this higher rule or higher order. Here's number three. This righteousness. Jesus Christ wrought, and it is a God-righteousness. This righteousness flows to others who are of all the same fallen corrupt ilk.

Most people in most of what's called Christianity today think it something along this, yes, I'm a sinner. Yes, I'm bad. Maybe some of them even say, we're really bad. But then once God saves us, then we become good, right? You know what my pastor Earl Cochran used to say about most churches? Most so-called churches are places where people gather together to congratulate one another on how good they are. on how different they are than all these other old sinners out here who've never given their heart to the Lord.

Now, am I lying on them or not? That's what they teach, don't they? But I know what you hear in this place. You're bad. You're bad before God saved you, and you're still bad after God saved you. The only thing good in you, God gets the credit for it because it's him in you.

Do we not? We do realize this. Yes, we do. I know we do. I know you do here. That love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, that's a fruit of the spirit. It's not a fruit of me. If I have any of those qualities, guess who's doing it? God is, not me. God never left anything up to me. You know why? Because me is a big zero. Me is a big zero. Look at it, verse 22. I've read that.

Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace. Now notice, we've all sinned, that is this group of people, those who believe on Christ, who are justified and have the righteousness of Christ, which is called God's righteousness. That we are justified even though we have what? Sinned.

Now that seems to complicate the dilemma, doesn't it? But it doesn't, because look, being justified freely by his grace, here it is, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. You see, if all it took was for God to make us good people, to give us the fruit of the spirit, then why did Jesus Christ die the death he died on that tree? Why did God not just give us a conversion?

Make us desire to walk better, believe better, and ask him to forgive us when we sinned. Because God must punish. God must punish sin. Now, I'm gonna say this. I will try to explain it, so don't get mad at me. God has never, ever forgiven sin. in the sense in which most of the world thinks that God forgives sin. They think God forgives sin because he feels sorry for us. How do you forgive somebody if they do you wrong? You basically just sweep it under the rug. What else can you do about it? Can you make them pay for it? Can you? Can they ever really pay for it? Somebody comes up to you and spits in your face. Can they ever really do something good enough to make that okay? Think of what we've done to God. Our salvation is through redemption. Through redemption, now look at the language. Whom God, we're going to look at the language. Whom God has set forth. You ever looked up that word? It's actually one word in the Greek.

You know what it means? to purposefully exhibit for worship beforehand. That's kind of a little more than just set forth, but the word set forth expresses that. Whom God look at it, whom God hath purposely exhibited for worship beforehand, whom God hath set forth a propitiation. You know what that'd be? A payment. a sacrifice, a substitute, a go-between, somebody who will pay the price for you. That's what a propitiation is. Whom God has set forth a propitiation, the to be is okay, but he didn't set forth this propitiation to be a propitiation, he set it forth as the propitiation. Whom God has set forth a propitiation through, look at it, Faith, see the language, through faith in his blood.

Whose faith is that? Now, I am not an English scholar. I didn't do real well in school, but I do understand the English language some. What is the nearest antecedent to through faith That faith, what, who's, look at the language. Whom God, do you see that? Whose faith is it? It is, now listen to me.

I know this won't astound you, but it will, it astounds this world. God the Father had faith in the Son's blood to propitiate for sin. God the Father trusted the Son as the propitiation even before the Son even actually died and propitiated. Can you wrap your puny little mind around that? I can't.

Look at the language. whom God has set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness. Do you see it? For the remission of sins that are past. See the language? Now, you know what I was taught when I was young and in free will works religion?

Jesus Christ died for all of your sins before you were saved. And then after you're saved, then you've got to confess your sins, because if you don't, you'll go to hell. This is talking about Jesus Christ. God the Father, through Jesus Christ, forgave Old Testament saints and propitiated them before Jesus Christ even died. Do you see the language? Look at it. whom God has set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed, how? Through the forbearance of God.

God dealt with our Old Testament brothers and sisters because they believed on Jesus Christ. And you mark that down. Abel believed on Jesus Christ. He may not even knew the name, but brother, he knew the Messiah was coming. Moses brought up in the house of Pharaoh. He esteemed the reproach of who?

Of who? Can you say it? Christ. Christ. Moses looked for the Messiah. He believed in the Messiah and God forbore him. even before the Son of God died. Why? Because God the Father had what? Purposefully exhibited him for worship even before he ever died. The scripture uses language like he was as a lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

Then look to declare, I say, at this time. Do you see that? That's two different things, isn't it? Do you see it? To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Now we see the dilemma solved in Christ's work. Note it was not solved merely by our believing in Christ. Sin had to be dealt with by Jesus Christ I can't explain this to you, but I know it's the language of scripture. And I know that I am prone and other preachers are prone. We are but fallen men.

We are prone to think that we can or that we should take the words of scripture and maybe give them a little extra word, a little extra explanation. How many, you don't have to raise your hands, how many people believe that this Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of God? Do you think you could say it better than God did? Do you? You know what God says about Jesus Christ? Now listen to the language. I'm gonna turn to it. Just listen to the language. You can go back and make sure I'm not lying to you, but listen to what it says. I'm not even gonna give you the text, you find it. Listen to God's word.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. What's the law say about you and me? Guilty, right? Quit your bragging, you're guilty. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. Somebody says, preacher, explain that. I don't need to, God just has. It's not about understanding how it's so, it's believing God that it is so. Do we get that? Do we preachers get that? I don't need to come up with a better word that's as good as you could put it. Here's another one. Just listen. Listen to what God's word says. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin.

Do I need to explain that? Are there better words than that? These are the words of God. Why do I need to explain it better? I don't. I need to what? Believe it. Look at what it says. And there are people that have trouble with that. I did it one time. I had trouble with that phrase. But that's not the only difficult phrase here. Look at it. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin.

Now, you will talk about something also difficult to grab ahold of in your mind, that we might be made the righteousness of God. You know what you really are? Do you? Has God given you even a little inkling of what you really are in his sight? And for me to even say the words that it might even be a possibility that I might be the righteousness of God, but it's where? In him.

Now don't tell me you got no problem with the second phrase, but you got problem with the first phrase. You're a liar. Some of you guys are pretty good size, but I got to tell you the truth, you're a liar. You either believe all God says or you don't believe anything God says.

Get it? You know what? Listen to how Hebrews puts it. Now, I'm going to have to move quickly here in a moment, but listen to this language. We human creatures, we want things explained for us so that we can Think we have our puny little minds laid whole. Oh, I understand how that's so. You know, faith doesn't look for how it's so. Listen to Hebrews chapter 11. If you want to read it with me, turn to Hebrews chapter 11. Faith is kind of described here. Look at Hebrews 11.

Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report. Look at the language. Through faith, we understand. Are you reading along with it? Through faith, we understand how the worlds were framed. Is that what that says? Do you understand how the worlds were framed? Do you understand how the, you see, think about this.

When God created the universe, he even had to create the space that the universe is in. That scientists never even try to answer where the space came from. They just say there was something there at small and minute with all of this power and all of a sudden, boom. But where did even the space come from? The area that it's in. Where did that come from?

Do I understand by faith how he did that? No, sir, but here's what faith says. Through faith we understand that. Do you see the difference? That's a big difference, ain't it? I can understand through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. And your dear Pastor Scott Richardson, I heard him say it years back in the 80s, he probably said it before that, but he said, God created this universe out of nothing. Do you remember him saying that? And when he runs out of that, he'll make some more. You say, well, I don't understand that. I don't either. That's what Scott was trying to point out. We don't understand how it's so, we just understand that it's so.

Do you understand the faith God gave you a little better now? Aren't you glad you don't have to be a theologian for God to save you? And aren't you glad that even after he saved you, you don't have to be a theologian? Anybody, don't raise your hand again. Anybody ever studied some of the actual theological books?

You'll be more confused. Now listen, I'm not being mean to these men. They put forth valiant efforts. I understand. But you'll come away more confused than you ever was rather than just sitting down, reading the word of God and saying, God give me faith to believe that it's so. I don't need to understand how it's so. I just need to believe that it's so.

Think of Christ dealt with sin personally, and this is how he did it. He, listen, this is how he did it. Now, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna give you this. This is how, and this is the only way, how God remained just and justifies sinners, because he punished sin in, and I express that word, in, The body of his son.

Is that not what Peter said? That he bore our sins. Now I'm adding this. I'm asking the question, where? And I've actually talked to, if you're here and you're in this group and you're of this ilk I'm talking about, shame on you. He bore our sins where? What's the next word? Anybody know it? I-N. A simple little word, I-N. And then somebody comes along, I've heard him say it, comes along and says, well, but that really means on.

Listen to me, Jesus Christ was so holy that if he had sin on him or in him, it still would have been the same effect. Do we get this? See, we're so used to sin, we just try to make a difference between in and on. Like for the son of God, that would have made a difference. But what does God's holy word say? that he bore our sins in his own body on the tree. Romans 8, and our brother read it. Let me just read it because I'll misquote it. God knows I'll misquote it. Listen, Romans 8, 3, 4, what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin.

What did he do? Condemned sin in the flesh. Whose flesh? The flesh of Jesus Christ. He actually suffered being, now I'm going to say it this way, because the way the book puts it, he actually suffered being the worst sinner that God ever viewed at that moment in time. You know what God the Father did to him when he hung on that tree and bore our sins in his own body on the tree? You know what he did? I'm going to act it out. You know what he did?

You see me looking at you? See me looking in your eyes? That's a sign of respect, is it not? Did your parents ever teach you when somebody talks to you, look them in the eyes? It's a sense of respect. You know what God the Father did to the Lord Jesus Christ? How'd that make you feel? A little uneasy, just me doing that right here, didn't it? Is he gonna turn back around? Is he just gonna quit and won't tell me how? Huh? I don't know what that is. I don't know what that is.

And neither did Jesus Christ till God the Father did it to him. And you know why he did it to him? For me and you. For me and you. I'm going to wind this down right here. I got a question to ask you. How, you know, folks, I have, I must confess that I feel as though I have butchered this beyond recognition. But here's my question. How could I possibly give a conclusion to such a description of God solving such a profound dilemma as this. How can I? I can't. I can't. But God has right here a text. Here's the conclusion. Where is boasting then? It's put out. You see it? It's put out. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Whose faith now?

You see, even if God, even if God, God has, even God in giving us that little bit of his faith, he gives us that faith in measure, Paul puts it in Romans 12, we'd still went to hell because God had to deal with our sin. And he dealt with our sin through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, our Lord. We conclude that a man is justified, first of all, by the faith of Jesus Christ.

Because your and our faith has never been of such a great quality. We've never added anything to it that's so marvelous that God says, wow, would you look at them? You know the only way God can view us? You know the only way God can view us and smile is through the person of Jesus Christ.

Here's the conclusion. Where's boasting then? It is excluded by what law of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude. Do you see? Paul concluded. I don't have to do the concluding. You know, I was taught all the things you do, your pretty little sermons. Believe me, I'm not. Now, there's some men that are just, Able preachers, I'm not mocking them.

But what's the conclusion? Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith. That's one, and preeminently, the faith of Jesus Christ. Apart from that, mine and your faith don't mean spit in the sight of God. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith. But let me tell you, who's it unto? Well, you just got to wait till you wake up in glory and see if you're one of them. Is that it? There's some people kind of teach that, right? No, remember what we read. Remember what we read.

Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and up on all them that, what's the word? Do you believe? Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith, here it is, without the deeds of the law. Do you understand that Jesus Christ did not have to keep the law to be righteous? You do understand that, right? He didn't have to keep the law to be righteous so he could give us a righteousness. He kept the law because he is righteous. There's a big difference there. You know what he does to us when we believe? He said, here, this is mine. Now it's yours. How many people, don't raise your hand. How many people are glad for that this morning?

Listen, you all know Tim James. I think most everybody here ought to know brother Tim James. And I heard Tim, he was preaching to the congregation down there in Sequoia. And I don't even know when it was, I just have it there and recorded, it's in my truck. He made this statement to the people there at Sequoia.

It's okay to just believe God. Have you ever thought about that? It's okay to just believe God. But what about this thing? Just believe God. If we truly believe Him, He'll take care of everything. He's already given you that faith. Heavenly Father, Lord, may it be that your word has found and is yet finding lodging in our souls. Lord, this clay pot. Lord, may every person here this day, may it not be that they're looking at the clay pot, but they're looking at the treasure of your holy word and the truth of the personal work of thy son. Oh, God, help us.

Without you, we'll perish. Without you, we'll go into utter ruin. that God would give you glory and praise and honor and thanks for the miracle, the gift, the freeness, the mercifulness, the compassion that you have manifested in the person and work of your son. In his name we pray, amen.

How God Remained Just and Justified Sinners

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about justification?

How do we know that faith in Jesus is enough for salvation?

Why is God's justice important for Christians?

What does the Bible teach about sin and the law?

Sermon Transcript

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How God Remained Just and Justified Sinners

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about justification?

How do we know that faith in Jesus is enough for salvation?

Why is God's justice important for Christians?

What does the Bible teach about sin and the law?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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