Why justification?
Notes
Transcript
Gary Belhomme
Why Justification?
Sermon
Illustration
Illustration
British Atheist Loves the Concept of Original Sin
In a recent interview, Alain de Botton, a famous British atheist, said, "I love the concept of original sin, the idea that we're all fundamentally broken and fundamentally incomplete." When asked why de Botton explained:
Because [original sin] seems to be such a useful starting point … Imagine a relationship in which two people think they're great—you know, perfect—that's going to lead to intolerance and terrible disappointment when they realize that they're not … perfect. Whereas imagine a relationship that begins under the idea that two people are quite broken and therefore they need forgiveness …
When asked to define "broken" he replied:
By broken I mean "not quite right" … So that's why the concept of original sin seems so plausible and applicable and also kind, because it basically says, "Look, when you meet someone new … just assume that something major has gone wrong here." Treat everybody you meet as though they were laboring under some really big problem, basically. That's the starting point of any encounter.
Source:
Adapted from CJ Green, "Something Major Has Gone Wrong Here," Mockingbird blog (1-29-18)
Isa1.5-6
5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.
Let us pray.
Two weeks ago we briefly examined the basic Christian doctrine of justification. We saw that there is much confusion in Christianity over this teaching. We addressed the three-fold question, “How, when and by whom are we justified?” and came to a conclusion that we are indeed justified by works. For those of you who missed the message you can check ti out on the Halfiax SDA YouTube page. This Sabbath we are going to briefly address the question, “Why do I need to be justified?”
Introduction
Introduction
The Bible says,
rom5.1-2
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
In this passage, justification is defined as past event, more importantly, the text tells us that it entails the restoration of a relationship with God–which implies that something took place that led to the fracturing of a relationship. What is the opposite of peace? War; yes friends we were at war with God. The person without Christ is at war with God. And, I might add, that even those who are in Christ are still recovering from the anomisty to God. The act of reconcillaiton is not yet complete. So lets address the question of why, “Why is humanity at war with God?”, “Why do we need to be justified?”. After this brief study, it is my prayer that by God’s grace, you will gain a better understanding of the often misunderstood topic of justification and experience peace or increased tranquility in your relationship with God.
Why we Need to be Justified
Why we Need to be Justified
Total Depravity
5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints.
6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.
Who is the text referring to? Israel, the people of God. The passage paints a very depressed picture of God’s people. Isaiah catalogs the sins and pervisity of Isreal, then in verse 5 he gives the why, why is Isreal so disposed to rebelling against God.
You ever wonder how the most unsuspecting people can commit the most horrific crimes? Why do we have to have contracts and other types of legal agreements. Why can’t we leave our doors unlocked 365 days a years. Why do we need locks or alarm systems. Isn’t humanity basically good? Let’s take a look at another passage of scripture.
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: there is one fate for everyone. In addition, the hearts of people are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live; after that they go to the dead.
Did you hear that friends? The hearts of the people are full of evil! When the NKJV mentions sons, it includes, both male and female. It could be rephrased as “the hearts of the offspring of humans are . . .” Are you the offspring of a human being? I would hope so. That means friend that your heart, my heart is full of evil. This is why we need contracts, and locked doors etc . . .
Edgar Allan Poe wrote a story about a man betrayed by his heart. The story is called “The Tell-Tale Heart.” It begins with the murder of an old man with an evil eye. The murderer has just buried the old man’s corpse beneath the floorboards when the police arrive. A neighbor has heard a scream in the dark, and they have come to investigate.
The murderer calmly invites the police to search the house. They find nothing. But as they investigate, the murderer begins to hear “a low, dull, quick sound—such a sound as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton.” The story continues in the murderer’s own words:
I gasped for breath—and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly—more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased.… I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides … but he noise steadily increased.… I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder—louder—louder!… “Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed!—tear up the planks!—here, here!—it is the beating of his hideous heart!”5
The murderer was betrayed by his [own]tell-tale heart—not by the heart of the dead man, but by his own heart beating and beating with guilt. [He thought that he could calmly get away with murder, but his own heart deceived him and finally exposed him.[2]
We cannot be trusted! Our condition is so desperate that Solomon wrote,
12 There is a way that seems right to a person, but its end is the way to death.
Even when we think we are doing good, even when we think that we are helping out, we are actually harming those we are close to.
So why do we need to be justified, it’s because we are totally depraved. Yes, friends all of humanity is totally depraved, and thus in desperate need of a saviour.
Total Inability
As a result of our total depravity, there is another big problem that goes hand-in-hand with this sickness that every human being has inherited. Turn with me to our scripture reading again.
Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.” (Is 1:5–6, NKJV)
Can the sick heal themselves? Can the person sticken with cancer heal them themselves. Of course good SDAs will say, “Well yes, it’s possible through natural remedies and obedience to the laws of health.” While that may be true for some cancers, the genetic disesase that afflicts every human being on this planet is incurable. There is no cure for a sick, putreying heart. Focus on the mental picture that God is painting. Thus, God must remove and replace the sick heart. It cannot be fixed, it cannot be healed. “
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Scholar, Gerald L. Borchert says this:
The mutual abiding in Jesus, the “I am,” and he (the “I”) in the disciple(s) means that a disciple must be attached to the divine source in order for fruit bearing to occur. It also explains why the opposite to abiding and bearing fruit is here designated as accomplishing “nothing” (ouden). The radicality of the Johannine Gospel should not be missed by familiarity with its words. Nothing is “not something” in the judgment of Jesus. It is still nothing. Such a verdict is not very popular, but it is central to this bull’s-eye text.[3]
Hence, Jesus declared “Without me you can do” what? A few things, many things, no nothing! Jesus was telling his disciples you are just like a paralytic, helpless and hopeless. Do you remember the paralytic who was let down by ropes? Let’s take a brief look at this story [Go to Mark 2].
Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ [or the works of Christ], and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account. Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness...
Ellen Gould White, Faith and Works(Southern Publishing Association, 1979), 101.
Friends, the paralytic man represents humanity. We are totally helpless, unable to save ourselves. Yes, friends, along with total depravity, we are also afflicted with total inability. We cannot help ourselves and we certainly cannot save ourselves.
Total Annihilation
There is no such as a basically good person. The Bible says, “All we like sheep have gone astray . . .”. Again, Paul wrote
12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.
If Adam and Eve had received their just punishment, they would not have been lowered into a grave, like our loved ones who pass away, no friends, there would have been totally annihilated. Paul was not referring to a temporary state of death or sleep when he wrote that the “wages of sin is death.” No friends, he was referring to permanent extinguishment of life, total and complete obliteration. As a result of our total depravity, and total inability, human are subjects of divine wrath. Again Paul wrote,
21 Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions.
Why does he say “once”, because
Eph2.4-5
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,
5 made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!
Have you accepted the saving work of Jesus Christ? Have you been saved by grace?
Conclusion
If it were not for the justifying work of Jesus Christ we would have been totally annihilated. Furthermore, as we discovered in the previous message, if Jesus had failed in the great risk that he took upon himself of becoming a human being. If had sinned just once in thought or action, all of humanity would have been obliterated. So why do we need to be justified? What’s the big deal with justification? Well, because of Adam and Eve’s sin that transmitted corrupt genetics to every human being, we are totally depraved and totally unable to save ourselves, and thus subject to total annihilation without a justifying saviour. But praise God, we have a justifying saviour!
Closing Illustration
Choking Woman Saved By Doctor Filling in As Busboy
It was a very lucky St. Patrick’s Day for a woman in need of a life-saving assist at a Chicago area restaurant. A last-minute staffing issue left the Trifecta Grill in need of a busboy to fill in during the busy holiday weekend. Waitress Alina Benge had an idea: she would call her dad, who had recently retired. “Just because he’s had the time on his hands … and not doing a whole lot,” Benge said.
Her dad is Dr. Bill Benge, a retired Harvard-trained cardiologist, who jokes he traded his white coat for a white apron. Bartender Nicole Papalia said “this is not funny – but what happens if there’s some medical event, and he just happens to be here on this night? We were all kind of laughing in jest about it.”
But just after he arrived an elderly customer began choking on her meal. Restaurant owner Patrick O'Neil said, “He wasn’t here for more than five minutes with his apron on when a lady stopped breathing from choking.” So instead of clearing tables, Dr. Benge stepped in to clear a blocked air passage. “Did the Heimlich maneuver, which is abdominal thrusts, and she was able to clear the object,” Dr. Benge said.
His daughter said, “I kind of go back in my mind and say, what if he wasn’t here? How would that have turned out? What would the outcome be? I’m just so lucky my dad was here that night.”
Dr. Benge says it’s a good reminder that we should all take a moment to learn the Heimlich maneuver, because you don’t have to be a doctor to save someone’s life.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982, Logos Bible Software
5 Edgar Allan Poe, A Collection of Stories (New York: Tom Doherty, 1988), pp. 156–161.
[2] Philip Graham Ryken, Jeremiah and Lamentations: From Sorrow to Hope, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2001), 279.
[3] Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, vol. 25B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 144.
[4] Ellen Gould White, Faith and Works(Southern Publishing Association, 1979), 101.