Men's Breakfast

Our Glorious Justification

Romans 3:23–24 (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

If we’re honest about our week...

And, we weigh it against the righteous standard of God’s law...

We should be willing to confess that we have fallen short.

We have sinned.

We have missed the mark.

And, we should remember the gospel...

And, fix our gaze on our Savior...

Ad rejoice in the justification we have...

That is a free gift from God...

Through Jesus Christ...

In whom we have redemption.

Romans 4:5–8 (ESV)

5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered;

8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

We need to remember this each day.

When we fall short, when God allows us to recognize our sins...

We need to remember to not run back to the Covenant of Works.

We need not think to our self that we must somehow do better in order to regain our good standing with God...

Or we need not think that we must do better in order to keep our status of justification with God...

TO keep His NC smiling countenance on us.

That is not how we get God’s good smile...

And, it is not what motivates us to pursue holiness.

What obtains God’s good smile...

And, what motivates us to pursue holiness...

Is to remember our Redeemer.

Remembering the gospel of God’s free grace bestowed to all who rest in Jesus.

Let me read from our Confession...

11.1 – Justification Is Forgiveness & Imputation of Righteousness

Everyone whom God effectually calls he also freely justifies. God does not justify people by infusing them with righteousness, but rather by forgiving them and by counting and accepting them as righteous. Justification is not based upon anything done within or by them, but is based upon Christ alone. It does not impute faith, the act of believing, or any other gospel obedience to them as their righteousness. Rather, it imputes Christ's active obedience to the entire law and his passive obedience in his death for their entire and only righteousness by faith. This faith is not self-generated it is the gift of God.

11.2 – Justification Is by Faith Alone

Faith that receives and rests upon Christ and his righteousness is the only means of justification. At the same time, faith is never alone, but is always accompanied with every other saving grace. Faith is never dead, but rather, it works through love.

So, we can say that we are justified by faith alone...

But justifying faith is never alone.

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

So, our sanctification is an evidence of our being justified...

But, should never be thought of as the basis for our justification.

We must trust that what God has started in us He will bring to completion...

Faith is the instrumental cause of our justification.

But, only Jesus is the meritorious cause of our justification.

And, so we must remember that our sanctification is never the meritorious cause of our justification.

Only Jesus is or ever could be the meritorious cause.

Let me close with a snippet from...

14.2 – The Nature of Faith

Faith enables them to entrust their souls to this truth that they believe. They respond differently to the contents of different passages, obeying the commands, trembling at its threats, and embracing the promises of God for this life and the life to come. But, the primary acts of saving faith directly relate to Christ: accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. They [we] do this through the covenant of grace.

Brothers, through and because of our union with Christ...

We have been made partakers of a glorious and fully secure covenant...

In which Jesus Christ is our Federal Head/Representative.

Let’s Pray