Justifying Faith Appropriates the Forgiveness of Sins

From our study, we can see that the Scriptures teach that each and every member of the human race is a sinner by nature and practice as a result of Adam’s original sin in the Garden of Eden.

Adam’s sin gave him and his progeny a sin nature.

Also, Adam and his progeny were spiritually dead.

Even more terrible the sin nature and spiritual death would result in eternal condemnation in the eternal lake of fire since God is holy and cannot tolerate sin or sinners.

Thus, the entire human race was in an absolutely terrible predicament.

However, God in His grace provided the solution for all these problems through His Son Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross as well as His resurrection.

This deliverance is available to each and every member of the human race since Jesus Christ’s spiritual and physical deaths on the cross and His resurrection were on behalf of each and every member of the human race.

The Christian is a sinner who has received this great deliverance through faith in Jesus Christ.

In other words, the Christian receives this deliverance as a gift from God based upon the merits of the object of their faith, Jesus Christ.

The Scriptures teach that the spiritually dead sinner appropriates salvation and thus the forgiveness of all their sins provided for them through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ by exercising faith in Jesus Christ.

There are three forms of perception: (1) Empiricism: Trusting in one’s experiences in life to make decisions. (2) Rationalism: Trusting in one’s intellect to make decisions in life. (3) Faith: Trusting in the authority of another to make decisions in life.

Faith is the only system of perception that God will accept because it is compatible with His grace policy (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The object of the Christian’s faith at the moment of conversion is the Lord Jesus Christ and the object of his faith after conversion is the written Word of God.

One of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith is that of the doctrine of justification.

This doctrine has given assurance to believers throughout the centuries and has changed the course of human history.

By way of definition, justification is a judicial act of God whereby He declares a person to be righteous as a result of crediting or imputing to that person His righteousness the moment they exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Consequently, God accepts that person and enters that person into a relationship with Himself since they now possess His righteousness.

The mechanics of justification are as follows: (1) God condemns the sinner, which qualifies them to receive His grace. (2) The sinner believes in Jesus Christ as His Savior. (3) God imputes or credits Christ’s righteousness to the believer. (4) God declares that person as righteous as a result of acknowledging His Son’s righteousness in that person.

Justification is God declaring a person to be righteous as a result of acknowledging or recognizing His righteousness in that person, and which righteousness He imputed to that person as a result of their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

It causes no one to be righteous but rather is the recognition and declaration by God that one is righteous as He is.

It is a once and for all declaration, which never changes and never can be rescinded since God is a perfect Judge who because He is immutable, always makes perfect decisions.

To be justified by God through faith alone in Christ alone means that God can never condemn us for our sins.

It means that a believer can never lose his salvation because of any sin since God, who is a perfect judge, rendered a perfect decision when he declared righteous the person, who exercised faith in His Son Jesus Christ!

Thus, Paul declares the following: Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Justification by Faith in Christ In Romans 3:21-31

The Scriptures teach that the only way that a member of the human race can ever be declared righteous by God is through receiving the gift of divine righteousness by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.

Romans 3:19 Now, we know for certain that whatever the Law says, it speaks for the benefit of those under the jurisdiction of the Law in order that each and every mouth may be silenced and in addition all the unsaved inhabitants of the cosmic system may be demonstrated as guilty in the judgment of God. 20 Because each and every member of sinful humanity will never be justified in His judgment by means of actions produced by obedience to the Law for through the Law there does come about an awareness of the sin nature. 21 But now, independently of seeking to be justified by obedience to the Law, the righteousness originating from God is being manifested at the present time while simultaneously being attested to by the Law and the Prophets. 22 Namely, the righteousness originating from God through faith in Jesus who is the Christ for the benefit of each and every person who does believe for there is absolutely no distinction. 23 For each and every person has sinned consequently they are always failing to measure up to the glory originating from God 24 with the result that they might be undeservedly justified based upon His grace by means of the redemption, which is by means of the death of Christ who is Jesus 25 whom God the Father offered publicly as a propitiatory gift through faith by means of His blood in order to demonstrate His righteousness because of the deliberate and temporary suspension of judgment of the sins, which have taken place in the past on the basis of the tolerance originating from the character and nature of God the Father. 26 Correspondingly, in relation to the demonstration of His righteousness during this present distinct period of history, that He Himself is inherently righteous, even while justifying anyone by means of faith in Jesus. 27 Under what conditions then, is there at any time pride and boasting? It has, as an eternal spiritual truth, been excluded! By what kind of principle? By means of actions produced by obedience to the Law? Absolutely not! But rather by means of the principle, which is faith 28 because we are always of the firm conviction that a person is justified by means of faith independently of actions produced by obedience to the Law. 29 Or, is God in authority over the Jews only? Is He not in authority over the Gentiles also? Absolutely! Also, over the Gentiles. 30 If, in fact-and let us assume that it’s true for the sake of argument, there is one and the same God, who will certainly justify the circumcision by means of faith as a source and the uncircumcision by means of faith. 31 Are we then attempting to render useless at the present time the Law by means of faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we do uphold the Law. (My translation)

In Romans 3:28, Paul teaches that justification is by means of faith in Jesus Christ, independently of actions produced by obedience to the Law.

In Romans 3:28, Paul is teaching his audience that the sinner is justified by means of faith in Jesus Christ independently of actions produced by obedience to the Law.

The unsaved Jew erroneously and presumptuously and arrogantly thought that his actions produced by obedience to the Law would serve as a system of merit with God, which cause God to declare him righteous.

However, the Law demanded perfect obedience, which was impossible because both Jew and Gentile are under the dominion or power of the old Adamic sin nature that manifests itself through the function of the volition resulting in the sinner producing mental, verbal and overt acts of sin (Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:1).

Therefore, there is no human being that could be declared justified by God as a result of performing actions that are in obedience to the Law since the Law demanded perfect obedience, which no human being could accomplish because they are sinners by nature (Gal. 2:16).

Justification by Faith in Romans 5:1-2

In Romans 5:1, Paul teaches that since the believer has been justified by faith in Jesus Christ, he has peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by means of faith as a source, we, as an eternal spiritual truth, always have peace with God through our Lord who is Jesus, who is the Christ. 2 Through whom also, we have as a permanent possession access to this gracious benefit in which we forever stand and in addition we make it a habit to rejoice upon the confident expectation of sharing God’s glory. (My translation)

Justification and Deliverance from Eternal Condemnation in Romans 5:9

Romans 5:3 In fact, not only this but we also make it a habit to rejoice on account of our adversities because we know for certain that adversity produces perseverance. 4 And in addition, perseverance produces tested character and in addition tested character produces confidence. 5 In fact, this confidence never disappoints because God’s love is always being poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us for our benefit. 6 For while, we were still helpless, still, at that particular appointed moment in history, Christ died as a substitute for the benefit of the ungodly. 7 For, it is unlikely, anyone will die as a substitute for the benefit of a righteous person. In fact, possibly, someone might also have the courage to voluntarily die as a substitute for the benefit of the good person. 9 But, God (the Father) proves His own divine-love for the benefit of all of us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died as a substitute for the benefit of all of us. 9 Therefore, because we have been justified on the basis of His blood, how much more will we be delivered from His righteous indignation through Him. 10 For if and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that while, we were enemies, we were reconciled to God (the Father) by means of the death of His Son? Of course, we believe that this is true! 11 How much more then because, we have been reconciled will we be delivered on account of His life. Furthermore, not only this but also we make it a habit to rejoice on account of our relationship with God through our Lord, who is Jesus, who is the Christ through whom we have now received this reconciliation. (My translation)

The apostle Paul in Romans 5:9 writes that if Christ died as a substitute for sinners, how much more then, will He deliver the sinner justified by faith in Jesus Christ from the wrath of God.