Justification by Faith

Justification by Faith

Text: Romans 5:1

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

* I have isolated our text to only one short verse this morning because I want to deal with one fact only this morning. I don’t want any other extra information to cloud the truth that I want to bring out to you from God’s Word this morning.

* That one truth in is here plainly stated- “We are justified by faith alone”

Introduction: I. Justified

* What Does the Bible mean when it says that we are “Justified by faith?”

* Well, in order to understand this statement we must first understand the two terms mentioned here- Justification and then faith.

* Let’s start with justification- what does justification mean?

* The word justified in our text verse is a legal term. It means to be “acquitted” from guilt. The same word translated Justified in our text also means “righteous,”- a righteous person has no guilt before God.

* The person who has been justified by faith is therefore a person who has been declared not guilty by God. You say “Not guilty of what?”- Not guilty of anything! Completely innocent!

* The Apostle Paul in Romans Chapter 7, and verse 25 and in the very next verse in chapter 8, fully explains the situation of the man who had been acquitted of guilt by God. Turn there with me. Listen carefully:

Romans 7:25–8:1 (KJV 1900)

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then * Now let’s look at the first phrase of Romans 7 verse 25: 1) with the mind I myself serve the law of God;

Ezekiel 36:25–29 (KJV 1900)

25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses:

* The Apostle Paul also quotes this passage in Hebrews chapter 8 and verse 9.

* Now let’s look at the second phrase of Romans 7 verse 25:

2). but with the flesh the law of sin.

* In order to get a clear picture of how the flesh serves the law of sin, we need to backup to Romans 7 and verse 14:

Romans 7:14–25 (KJV 1900)

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

* Paul’s summary of the two laws in us-

So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

* Now here is the blessed truth of being “Justified by faith,” or being acquitted from guilt of all sin- Look at the next verse, Romans 8 and verse 1-

3). Even though we sin, we are not condemned by our sin-

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

* So, to be justified by faith is to be legally declared not- guilty by God of any sin, and we have just seen how this is played out in the life of a believer.

* For centuries, during a time which we now call the “dark ages,” the Gospel was distorted and hidden from the hearts and minds of mankind by religion of the Catholic Church.

* From around 300 years after the death of Jesus until the somewhere around 1500 years after His death, the gospel of faith in Jesus alone for for salvation had almost disappeared.

* The message of faith in Jesus alone for forgiveness of sin had slowly been eclipsed by what the world thought was the true church. * As the government backed Roman Catholic Church rose to power, the true gospel began to fade and was slowly replaced by a mixture of pagan superstition and a religious system of false teachings. * The two most common beliefs then and now in the Catholic Church of the middle ages, was that salvation is a matter of good works mixed with faith in Christ, and that a person is saved by his faith in the Catholic Church.

* In the early 1500’s the preaching of the true Gospel of justification by faith alone began to make its way out of the darkness as a German monk by the Name of Martin Luther began to study the Scriptures. * The Holy Spirit revealed to him that a man cannot be saved by the church, or his own good works, but the only way a man can be justified, or held guiltless before God is through faith.

* As a young law student Martin Luther and been caught in a terrible storm. He was pinned down by lightening, and in fear had made a vow to God that he would become a monk if God would deliver him.

* Luther left law school and entered into a monastery and began to study the Scriptures. After the first few years of studying religion, Luther had become disillusioned and discouraged. * Instead of finding peace with God, he had come to hate and despise God. Luther was filled r with anger and hatred toward God. Luther wrote "I did not love, yes, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners." Is it not enough that God crushes us miserable sinners with His law, that He has to threaten us with punishment through the Gospel, too?

* In this disillusioned state of mind Luther was studying the book of Romans and when He got to chapter one verse 17 he read:

Romans 1:17 (KJV 1900)

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

* Upon reading the words “the just shall live by faith,” the Holy Spirit enlightened the heart of Luther and he realized for the first time that all the good works in the world, and that all the teaching of the church could not take the guilt of sin from a man, only faith can cause a man to become right with God!

* This truth is the truth of our text this morning as well:

* Romans 5:1- Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

* This is the story of how Martin Luther was saved. He was saved right there and then when He placed his faith in Jesus Christ!

II. Justified by Faith.

* Faith is not simply believing in God, or simply acknowledging that you believe in Jesus.

James 2:19 (KJV 1900)

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

* Even the devils believed that Jesus was the son of God.

* You might say “I have always heard that in order to be saved, all you have to do is believe on Jesus?”

* Well the devils believed the truth that Jesus was the Son of God, so why doesn’t’ that make them saved too?

* We let me attempt to show you the difference. It is entirely possible to believe and agree that every fact concerning Jesus is true and still go to Hell.

- You can believe that Jesus’ birth was a miracle and that He was born of a virgin and still go to hell!

- You can believe that Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life and still go to hell!

- You can believe that Jesus is the Son of God and still go to Hell!

- You can believe that Jesus is the savior of the world and still go to Hell!

- You can believe that the Blood of Jesus is the only thing that can cleanse your sin and still go to Hell!

- You can believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and still go to hell!

* You see, simply giving mental ascent, or agreeing that all these facts are true does save us. This is not the believing that Jesus was talking about.

* Listen to the worlds of Jesus as He deals with this very subject:

Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV 1900)

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

* Our text verse does not say that by agreeing with the facts of the Bible we are justified, but we are justified by faith!

Romans 5:1

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

* You might say then “is not believing in Jesus the same as faith in Jesus?”

* No, simply agreeing with the facts is not faith in Jesus.

* Now, it may be that this is right where you are with God right now. You have decided that you “believe” that Jesus had died for you. And you that that is all you need. * But you see the devils also believe! Those that did great works and cast out devils believed also- but Jesus cast them into hell! And my fried that is exactly what will happen to you if this is what you are trusting to get you to heaven. This kind of “believing” is not faith at all!

* So, what is faith?

* Faith is not something that is natural. * People often put it like this to us. They say, ‘Faith is a natural faculty that every person has. You are always exercising faith in your life, you couldn’t live for a day without doing so. * These are the illustrations they use. ‘You go by train from New Your to Washington and immediately you’re exercising faith—in the engine, in the engine driver and in the rails, the bolts and nuts, and so on.’ Or they say, ‘A man goes into an airplane—well, he’s exercising faith.

* This is not the faith that the Bible is talking about in our text verse.

* To sit in that train and go from New York to Washington is not an exercise of faith. We are just doing something based upon the law of mathematical probability. What we are saying to ourselves, either consciously or unconsciously, is this: the chances are that this train will go from here to there without an accident. I know that there are occasional railway accidents but they do not happen every day. The law of mathematical probability tells me that probably this train will take me, without an accident, to my destination. Now that is not faith at all.

* As we sit in the train or airplane, we are acting on the general experience of men and women who travel in trains. We see others doing the same thing and we know that they do it every day. Experience teaches us that on the whole it is safe to go on a journey in a train. You could say that we are acting upon an argument which is based upon general observation of certain facts.

* Faith is not an intellectual matter at all. Faith is not of the head, but of the heart.

* Listen to how the apostle Paul explains this matter: turn with me to Romans 10:8:

Romans 10:8–10 (KJV 1900)

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

* You see there are two elements to saving faith this morning:

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

* The first element of saving faith is found in verse 9. This is the element of confessing, or agreeing with the truth. I believe everyone in this room has this first element. I don’t think there is anyone here that would deny the facts concerning Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. * Now the second element in saving faith is found in verse 10. The first element was simply agreeing with the facts. Now we see the true nature of “believing” In verse 10.

* “Believing,” is not believing the facts of the gospel, true believing is placing your complete “trust,” or faith in the Gospel against all hope.

* This is exactly what Abraham did when He believed the promises of God, against all hope, and the Bible says it was counted to him for righteousness.

* This kind of faith can only come from God, the ability to trust God is not natural, it is the gift of God.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

* Have you just believed the facts? That’s not enough to keep you out of Hell this morning. Why not change your believing into trusting and your destination from Hell to Heaven this morning?