Justification
CrossWords • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsContinuing our series on CrossWords--looking at important words of the cross. This one looks at the image of the law court.
Notes
Transcript
We’d like to welcome you to our Good Friday service.
Good Friday may seem like a strange name. but it’s appropriate.
b/c Good Friday was actually bad for Jesus Christ our beautiful Savior…b/c He experienced so much pain—physically, emotionally, mentally, and especially spiritually as He became sin and bore the penalty for sin.
So bad for Jesus...
but so good for us to trust in Jesus…and that’s what we are going to celebrate tonight.
Before I pray—we are going to be taking communion later. In person—there are elements that we encourage you that if you didn’t grab them to go ahead and grab them anytime now.
and if you are online—we encourage you to gather elements that can stand for the bread and the cup—the goal is to find elements that are not distracting.
so let’s pray.
Names—our names matter.
I have a list of some famous people who changed their names from their original names to the names you know now.
See if you can guess who this famous person is based on their original name:
Mark Sinclair Vincent — that was his original name. This is now a famous actor named…look at the last name for a clue:
Vin Diesel. Why did he change it? b/c Vin Diesel sounds much more intimidating.
this next one is more difficult.
2. Eric Marlon Bishop—he changed his name to…drumroll please:
Jamie Foxx!
why did he change his name? because when he started out in comedy—and did open microphone nights, he noticed female names were more likely to be called than male names, so he chose a more gender neutral name.
last one.
3. Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson...
give you a clue—look at the first name—she changed her name to Katie Perry. she used her mother’s maiden name Perry so she wouldn’t be confused for the actress Kate Hudson.
so what’s in a name?
Names matter.
famous people change their names to make a big impact.
We spend hours, days, months choosing names for our children, possibly even for pets.
The Bible is big on names—names often reveal character or identity from God—God had Abram’s name changed to Abraham (father of many).
Even today in our rural area—names matter. If you have a certain family name that can either be very good or very bad or if you are not from here and have an unrecognizable name—it can take a while for people to accept your name.
Another way we think about names is in the court of law. Why do some people spend tons of money in the court of law—well either to take down someone and soil their name, or to defend themselves to clear their name. to prove that they are innocent. not guilty. To clear your name is more than suggesting that you are not guilty—but it’s like it’s removing a stain, pollution, uncleanliness from your name. So that you are clean, spotless, pure, even righteous, and have a good name and reputation.
Well we are continuing our CrossWords series…and the word I want to focus on related to this idea of a name and our name being cleared—is the word “justification.” Say that with me.
Hammer time! (nail the word justification)
We have looked at...
Expiation — (our sin and guilt being removed b/c of Jesus’ death)
Propitiation — God’s wrath —his perfect, holy, awesome wrath being satisfied because of the death of Jesus
so because our sin is expiated—God’s wrath is propitiated.
and the result--
Reconciliation — we are no longer enemies but friends of God—close to God—knit together, restored.
Sacrifice and substitute—all this is possible cause Jesus became the perfect blood sacrifice as our substitute on the cross.
and now today—we are looking at justification.\
(more words too below)
What does it mean?
Let me show you by reading what one theologian calls the single most important paragraph ever written.
Romans 3:21-26.
stand with me—and I will read it out loud.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
you may be seated.
Did you catch that word justify?
shows up in vs. 24, and 26.
This is one of the most confusing paragraphs—and it has a lot of “God words.” Big words, theological words, that our eyes kind of glaze over.
I will read and walk it over in a moment…
but let me give you a brief definition of justification or really what it means for God to justify us--
JI Packer: to justify means to declare of a man on trial, that he is not liable to any penalty but…is entitled to all the privileges due to those who have kept the law.
let me say it again
so you are not guilty...
and you are righteous in God’s sight
b/c in Romans—Paul spends basically the first 3 chapters showing how everyone—Jew, Gentile, man, woman, child, everyone—Pastor Rick—are all sinful, are all guilty, are all deserving of God the judge pronouncing judgment and guilty and condemnation before God and His law.
We are on trial before a holy God.
All of us have a bad name and carry a bad name because of our sin—before God.
But these verses are showing that now there is a way for us to be declared righteous as sinners before a holy God—the judge.
There is a way to have our name cleared before a holy God.
There is a way for us to be declared not guilty, forgiven, restored, reconciled, our sins expiated, God’s wrath propitiated—and to be JUSTIFIED in God’s sight.
—no penalty...
—and it’s just as if I kept the entire law perfectly...
how?
before I read it again...
most of us spend our lives trying to earn our good name...
working for it...
proving it...
If you are getting ready to go to college, you have to fill out an application and show all your WORK...
your grades
your SAT or ACT
your activities—which sometimes we fudge;
I attended chess club once, so I will put that I am chess club attender
I volunteered once as Habitat for Humanity — so I will put I was a volunteer
why? because we are trying to show our good record—earns us a good name—accept us into your school.
we do this with employers—we give a resume—showing our accomplishments, education, training, I can stand on my head while reading and typing...
Accept me based on my work…o thou good employer...
this translates into our relationship with God—that somehow we think that we can just show God our spiritual college application...
our spiritual resume
our spiritual good news
“God I haven’t done this. I am not like those people…with that name. those are the bad people—I am good.”
“God I have done this.. I give, I serve, I do…i perform for you.”
“Accept me, God”
but that’s not how it works.
we don’t earn our justification.
God does—that’s what this passage is about. Jesus earns our justification.
In addition...
look at Proverbs 17:15
15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the Lord detests them both.
we as guilty cannot be acquitted or said not guilty—that’s bad justice.
and condemning the innocent is bad too
A perfect judge acquits the innocent and condemns the guilty...
so how does God solve that for us—who are guilty—if He is a good judge.
let me read it again and just point out some things
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
God has made a way for His righteousness to be on us—his moral perfection and goodness--
apart from the law—works
but the entire OT Law and Prophets has been pointing to this—waiting for it.
this is important b/c it’s not as if the OT was about earning or working for salvation and the NT is about faith—no the entire Bible—every person was saved by faith. (see Romans 4 —)
22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
how are we declared righteous in God’s sight—justified-name clear
by faith in Christ not our good works or resume or college application—and Paul gets a little redundant — “through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”
When I put my faith in Christ to save me...
I am trusting that
His perfect life fulfilled the law of God (I couldn’t do it)
his sacrificial substititionary death achieved and paid my penalty and guilt
so that when I believe in Jesus--
my guilt and sin and its penalty is put on Jesus—he paid for it. It’s credited to his account—imputation.
and his perfect righteousness that he earned in his perfect life—that perfect record is transferred to me.
My resume is put on Jesus
his resume is put on me
My bad name is put on Jesus
His good name is put on me
I need this why?
look at Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
notice—all
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
notice all again--
God initiated—He is the source of our justification—He gives it freely as a gift—as grace
and he even introduces another cross word — Redemption—which is the language of purchasing and buying our freedom. In the OT—it was used of slaves who were in slavery because of going bankrupt (*they could be slavery for life!)—they could be bought by a blood relative or redeemed
so Jesus’ death is a payment for us—that redeems—frees us from sin, death, guilt, and the devil.
and this is possible how and why? vs. 25 because of what God did through Jesus Christ God the Son
25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—
26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
this is how God can make us unrighteous as righteous.
this is how he is not guilty of being a bad judge of acquitting the guilty or condemning the innocent.
He presents His Son as the sacrifice of atonement—the propitiation for our sins where He bears the wrath of God.
On the cross—Jesus bears the full wrath and weight of sin in my place.
This is God’s plan.
This is Jesus’ willing action.
They worked together for the completion of my salvation.
Paul makes is clear this is so important—how can God let guilty people be innocent? how can he clear guilty people’s names?
Answer:
Jesus.
He demonstrated his righteousness and justice because of Jesus.
He does not set it aside but pours it on Jesus.
at the same time this enables him to show his love and justify us...
so that we are not liable to penalty
and it’s as if we fulfilled the law perfectly!
this is amazing!
I preached on Galatians a couple of years ago
and justification is this idea when I put my trust in Jesus to save me:
that it’s just as if I never sinned.
and it’s just as if I have done everything Christ did.
my bad name is put on Jesus
and I now bear his name
I am united to Jesus—when God the Father sees me I am his beloved child.
We are going to celebrate this by taking communion...
and if you really get this...
it will change your life.
It will put you at rest before God—you don’t have to live anxiously, fearfully—Jesus earned your resume and good name (no matter what you have done) and he paid for your name. so rest in Jesus before God.
it will put you at rest before others. your name in other’s eyes—does not ultimately matter. I don’t have to earn their approval—I have the ultimate name in Jesus. I can rest in that. (and btw—I need reminded of that)
it will put me at rest in my own eyes—I don’t have to trust my own feelings or opinions of myself—God looks at me and sees the name Jesus.
it will change your motivation for everything you do. Yes you do good works—but it’s based on the finished work of Jesus Christ.
justified people—are marked my inner joy, inner rest, inner peace. they can work passionately for God knowing that God saved them. they can handle failure and success either way because my justification is secure.
my heart does not have to go into crazy mode trying to justify myself…it’s complete. as Jesus said— ‘it is finished!”
Let’s take communion together.
we encourage you to get some elements if you are watching online.
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
the bread — Jesus’ body
the blood — the new covenant in Jesus’ blood.
Jesus was clearing our name—by his body being crushed, his blood flowing...
He was declared guilty
so we could be declared not-guilty
he was declared unrighteous so we could be righteous...
15 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles
16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.