Date: 10-13-90 (07:50) Theology Number: 155
To: ALL
From: JOHN LIPSCOMB Read: 10-14-90 (17:45)
Subj: GOD WHO JUSTIFIES
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"Being justified freely by His (God's) grace, through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God has set forth a
propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His right-
eousness for the remission of sins, that are past, through the
forbearance of God; to declare, at this time His righteous-
ness, that He might be just, and the Justifier of him who
believes in Jesus." Rom. 3.24-26
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law." Rom. 3.28
"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." Gal. 2.16
I. The Doctrine of Justification DEFINED
"Justification - The act, process, or state of being
justified by God..." Webster's Ninth New Collegiate
Dictionary, p. 656.
Justification is a legal (forensic) term, used frequently in
the Scripture, stating an official ruling of a court of justice.
This ruling declares an individual just, or righteous, before the
magistrate of the court. The Biblical declaration declares the
justification of sinful man before holy God.
The Greek noun translated "Justification, justifier, justify"
is the word DIKAIOSIS, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, # 1347.
This term "...denotes the act of pronouncing righteous, just-
ification, acquittal..." Vine, W.E., The Expanded Vine's Expository
Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 614.
This declaration is more than the liberation of charges and
removal of guilt. It is the action of God which places sinful man
in right relationship with God to the degree that guilt is replaced
by the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Justification is a declaration by God respecting the
Christian that he has been made forever right and acceptable
to Himself. For so much as this to be declared there must be
an unalterable reality on which it may rest. This basis is
the position to which the Christian has been brought through
God's grace. All whom God has predestinated are called, and
all who are called are justified, and all who are justified
are now (logically speaking), and to be (chronologically
speaking), glorified (Romans 8:29-30)." Chafer, L.S.,
Systematic Theology, Vol. VII, pp. 219-220.
"A man is said to be justified in the sight of God when
in the judgment of God he is deemed righteous, and is accepted
on account of his righteousness; for as iniquity is abominable
to God, so neither can the sinner find grace in His sight, so
far as he is and so long as he is regarded as a sinner. Hence,
wherever sin is, there also are the wrath and vengeance of
God. He, on the other hand, is justified who is regarded not
as a sinner, but as righteous, and as such stands acquitted at
the judgment-seat of God, where all sinners are condemned."
Calvin, J., Institutes of Christian Religion, Vol. II, pp.
37-38.
Justification encompasses two central facts. These elements
are:
A. The Provisional Aspect of Justification
God, in justifying the guilty, provides complete and
absolute forgiveness of sins.
1. It is God's accomplishment
"And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the
nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand,
saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." Gal. 3:8
Refer: Isa. 42:21, 53:11, 61:10; Rom. 8:28-30; Titus
3:7.
2. It is the believer's attainment
"Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace
but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him
Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted to him for
righteousness." Rom. 4.4-5
Refer: Psa. 32;2; Isa. 61:10; Acts 13:39; Rom.
1:16-17, 2:13.
B. The Positional Aspect of Justification
The merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, His holy and
righteous nature, are imputed by God to the redeemed
sinner.
1. This is accomplished by God's grace
Refer: Eph. 6:14; Titus 3:7; Gal. 5:4,6; Rom.
5:16.
2. This is attained through the believer's faith
Refer: John 5:24; Acts 13:39; Rom. 1:16-17,
4:5, 5:1; Heb. 11:4,7, Gal. 3:11.
"A man will be justified by faith when, excluded
from the righteousness of works, he by faith lays hold
on the righteousness of Christ, and clothed in it
appears in the sight of God, not as a sinner, but
righteous." Calvin, ibid., p. 38
III. The Doctrine of Justification DEMONSTRATED
Redeemed man, the man "in Christ," during the Age of the
Church, is privileged to experience a measure of God's eternal
justification.
The Believer is a "New Creation" (2 Cor. 5.17).
These "old things" that have "passed away" are not merely
tangibles, i.e. the loss of material items. Rather they are we are
"in Adam;" thoughts, deeds, devotions, attitudes, even
condemnation, positional damnation, as Adam's offspring.
The "new things" are all that we acquire "in Christ," i.e.
"incorruptible inheritance" (1 Pet. 1.4-5); "life and godliness...
partakers of the Divine nature..." (2 Pet. 1.2-8).
The Believer is "Perfected Forever" (Heb. 10.14).
The Believer is "Made Righteous" (2 Cor. 5.21; Refer: 1 Cor.
1.30; Phil. 3.7-9).
The Believer is "Complete in Christ" (Col. 2.9-10; Refer:
John 1.16; Col. 1.19; 1 Cor. 12.13).
John Lipscomb
GRACE+BASE, Memphis, TN, 901-452-0168
PCRelay:GRACE -> #235 NewLife Christian Network
4.10 Grace+Base ì 901-452-0168 Memphis, Tn. -HST