__WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE BELIEVE THE GOSPEL - (PART 2)__ Beloved, grace be onto you! We are continuing with the topic SALVATION. Previously, we learnt that the moment we believed the gospel, all our sins (past, present and future sins) were forgiven. And now, we are going to look at the second thing that happens to us the moment we believe the gospel. The moment we believe the gospel, we become justified. Let me explain briefly, what it means to be justified. Justification is that judicial act of God whereby he, being the righteous judge, looks at that poor, reprobate, helpless and degenerate sinner who is ready to suffer condemnation, but he (God) says: Because you have believed that I (Christ) died for all the sins you are guilty of, I now declare you innocent. In justifying us, God wipes our slate of guilt totally clean, and he declares us innocent and just, as if we have done nothing wrong. Why does he declare us innocent and just, as if we have done nothing wrong? It is because all our sins are forgiven. So if God forgives you, he justifies you; if he justifies you, he forgives you. Hallelujah to that! Now, to speak further on justification, let us look at what the bible says. In Galatians 2:16, the bible says: Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. This verse actually puts the frosting on the cake. A lot of people think when they keep the law (the ten commandment,and even the whole 615 rules in the books of Moses), then God would declare them innocent and blameless. That is not the case at all. This verse says that we are justified by faith (without works) in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ for salvation means that you believe that he died for all your sins, he was buried and that he arose from the dead. Now, if you do not believe that Christ arose from the dead, you can never be justified. This can be found in Romans 4:25, which says: Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. This verse says that Christ was delivered (crucified) for our offences and he was raised again for our justification. It is in his resurrection that we become justified. Let us even look at 1Corinthians 15:17: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Oh, yes! If you do not believe that Christ was raised from the dead, your faith (salvation) is in vain, and most seriously of all, you are still in your sins; none of your sins are forgiven. That is why those who claim to be Christians but do not believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has been resurrected are not saved at all; I do not care how religious they may be. They are still guilty sinners in the eyes of God. If you believe that Christ died (for your sins), he was buried and he arose again the third day, all your sins would be forgiven, and you would be declare innocent, blameless and just by God. This is what we call justification. The power of his resurrection brings about justification. Now, again, let us look at Romans 3:19-20. It says: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. In verse 19, the bible says that what ever the law says (thou shalt do this, thou shalt not do this), it says to those who are under the law. Now, who were those under the law at the time Paul was writing this epistle? It was the people of Israel. The law was a covenant God made with Israel (Deuteronomy 4:11-13). But you and I in the dispensation of grace are not under that covenant of the law. However, when you read verse 19 carefully, the continuing statement says, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. This means that, because the law was something given by the sovereign God, its power did not stop with Israel alone who were keeping it; its power covered the whole world, even you and I, who were not given the law, though all our fathers were worshiping pagan gods and we ourselves were lost and we had no knowledge of Israels God. So, since the power of the law covered the whole world, the bible say that the law came to shut up every mouth, in order words, we would not have anything to say in defense when we appear before the righteous judge. This is because the whole world, including Israel, have become guilty because the law was pointing to us how far we had disobeyed God; we have done this, but the law says, thou shalt not do it. So, the law points accusing finger at us, and we all become guilty in Gods sight, having nothing to say to defend our own selves. Now, because the law came in to show us how guilty we were in Gods sight, the verse 20 says that no man can be justified by keeping the law. Why? Because, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. The law came in to rather show us how sinful we are. Remember, where there is no law, there is no there is no accusation for sin (Romans 5:13). Take note; the bible did not say, for by the law is the knowledge of righteousness; it did not say, for by the law is the knowledge of salvation; but rather, it says, for by the law is the knowledge of sin (verse 20). Let us also look at Galatians 3:11, which says: But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. So, just as I have been hammering all along, this verse also says that it is evident, or it is clearly seen that no one is justified by the law in Gods sight. Why? Because the just (the innocent ones) shall live by faith, and faith in the gospel. In addition, Romans 3:24 says: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Okay, so, what God is doing now is that he justifying us freely by his grace. We do not work for justification. It is based solely on what Christ did for us (his death, burial and resurrection). Moreover, Titus 3:7 says: That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So, in order for us to become heirs of God, we have to be justified by God; and he justifies us by grace. We did not deserve it, neither did we work for it. Also,Romans 5:1 says: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . In order for you and I to be at peace with God, he had to justify us (declare us innocent and just), and we get justified by faith in the gospel. Remember, grace and faith always work hand-in-hand. It is by faith that you can appropriate Gods grace upon your life. Now, let me conclude with Romans 3:27-28, which says: Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Who among us could boast of being justified by works? The law of works (the ten commandment) cannot justify us. It is the law of faith (faith without works) that counts when it comes to justification for salvation. So, in conclusion, we are justified by faith without the keeping of the law. Thank you Jesus for the cross! We shall continue next time to look at another thing that happens to us when we believe the gospel. God bless us all!
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 01:36:44 +0000
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