Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

The Joy Of Justification

Well, we’re a blessed people. Amen? We who were no people are now the people of God, sons of God, heirs and joint heirs with Christ Jesus.

[That’s] something that we can’t ever let become common to us, as many of us have been born again for a long time and some of us have really not known anything else. What a great privilege to be part of the family of God and never to count it common, never to in any way forget the purpose for which we’ve been placed into this body and that’s to go out and represent Him in His power, in His love, and as we’ve been talking, in His character.

We’re going to be moving on a little bit into the life of sanctification. Sanctification isn’t a once-for-all work like some folks will teach. There are certain denominations that teach that once for all you’re sanctified and perfected, and then you never sin again. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never run into that person yet. But we’re being sanctified; we’re being prepared for that day when the trumpet of God is going to sound. He’s going to appear; we’re going to see Him, and we’re going to be like Him. Aren’t you hungry for that? " . . . and so shall we ever be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

Now, in the time that we’re waiting and walking out this work of grace in our lives, we have a responsibility to proclaim the free gift that’s been entrusted to every one of us. I think we need to stir it up in our lives. Stir up that gift, that relationship; not allow ourselves, as the Scripture says, to lose that first love. So that’s why we’ve taken a little bit of time and gone back as we did on Wednesday and talked about the redemption of the Lord. We were captive by Satan. We were under sin’s power. As the Apostle [Paul] said, " . . . in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing . . . " (Romans 7:18). Sin was dominating our lives. I’m talking about humanity as a whole, the sons of Adam. And while we were yet sinners, the Scripture says, Jesus loved us; He died for us, paid the price with His blood, and we want to continue to just stir up in our hearts that thanksgiving for that finished work.

I think many times—and we’re going to get into justification a little bit this morning and see what the Lord has done in that work of justification, pronouncing us as the righteousness of God. He who knew no sin, the Scripture says, was made sin with our sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ. What a great work! What a great responsibility, really, as you’re seeing what He’s called us to. But this buying us back from sin’s power that He might make the proclamation of our righteousness, we can’t lose sight of that. We need to realize how blessed we are.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I have the tendency, as we’re going to talk about justification by faith this morning and not by works—I have the tendency to want to pay God back periodically. Any of you have that tendency? I have trouble receiving something for nothing. And the root of that is diligence; the root of that is character. You all aren’t buying that? The root of that is pride. Yes. I didn’t really want to admit that because I’m too proud, but it’s pride. Now, others of you say, "I don’t have any trouble receiving things at all. Just give me all I can take. Praise God! I have no inclination to pay back!" That thinks "I deserve it," and the root of that is pride.

So we realize, then, that this free gift that’s been given to us, as we embrace it, there is no capacity to pay it back. There’s nothing in us that is acceptable to God. Our righteousness, the Bible says, is as filthy rags. So we’re debtors to God at all times, and yet within our hearts there should be a gratitude. And though we can’t pay God back, we live righteously unto Him, because sanctification is the expression of our thankfulness for the free gift. Living a life that’s dedicated to God, that’s separated to God, that is not part of the world, is not trying to appease God; it’s not trying to pay God back. It’s the expression of our worship and our thanksgiving for this unspeakable gift that He’s given to us as He’s purchased us with His own blood.

Turn to Ephesians and we’ll pick up here. That’s enough little review of where we were Wednesday night. Look at Ephesians, Chapter 1, verse 7, and the Scripture speaks to this very clearly. It says, "In whom [or in Him, in Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Not because we deserve it, [but] because God is merciful and God is loving—grace, unmerited favor. God chose us from before the foundations of the world to grace us through redemption. Now, remember what redemption is. We talked about it. It’s just the paying of a ransom; it’s buying us back. We were captured by Satan. We were being held captive. We were under the torment of sin. He comes to kill, steal, and destroy, the Scripture says. That’s the only thing that he has to do. He’s a liar, as he proclaims himself equal with God, and the father of it.

So mankind is held in that bondage, believing the lie that the fruit that Adam and Eve partook of opened their eyes, enlightened them, and they became as gods and they are now self-sufficient, and in the boasting that took place in the day of the tower of Babel where God Himself looked down and said, "If We don’t confound man, there’s nothing impossible to him." You know, I look around and the ability that man has, we see it today in our technology. It’s to that place where Disney made the statement, "If you can conceive it, if you can think of it, we can do it." We’re seeing that today, and man [is] boasting [in] himself [as being] independent from God and proclaiming through the secular humanist perspective that man is evolving and becoming better all the time. And, you know, we’re back to believing that somewhat. "Man is basically good," is what most humanists believe, and yet the Scripture makes it very clear to us that we’re totally depraved. There’s nothing in us that’s acceptable to God in our human state.

How do we deal with these two conflicting issues as we’re trying to live lives that are acceptable to the Lord? How do we witness effectively to people that don’t think they’re sinners? Do we jump up on the table at work and start preaching hellfire and brimstone? Well, if the Spirit leads it, maybe there’s a time for that. Do we do it through apologetics—we come and answer the deep questions of life? The Bible answers them, and science answers them, true science. There is no answer to those that want to worship the creature and not the Creator. So the thing that you and I have as our main responsibility is not to present an argument, not to preach a message, but to live lives that are separate from the world, to have eternal treasures, to be able to instead of becoming consumed with greed and the selfness of our generation, the "I" generation, to begin to live our lives for those that are around us, the body of Christ, and have people look and say, "Behold how they love one another." "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples," Jesus said, "when you have love one for another" (John 13:35).

That love isn’t baking cakes and taking care of the mundane. There will be times that it expresses itself that way, but the love that we have for one another is to compel one another to Christlikeness, to strengthen and lift up the hands, the Scripture says, that are hanging down. [It’s] not talking about a natural weariness. How many of you get weary in the spirit sometimes as we’re warring against principalities and powers? Our weapons are mighty through God, the Scripture says, to the pulling down of strongholds, but we become weary many times in well doing, and the Scripture says we need our hands lifted. How are we going to do that? By staying in a perpetual understanding of the great gift given to us in Jesus and continuing to promote that in the hearts of one another. Thankfulness that we are the sons of God, thankfulness that while we were sinners He died for us and He bought us to Himself and redeemed us from the power of Satan, and as we saw Wednesday night, we now no longer live under the power of sin. Sin no longer is the dominant force in our lives, but we yield ourselves members indeed to righteousness, Romans 6 says. It’s now our treasure; it’s our pursuit, and so we promote that in the lives of one another.

Look at Titus, Chapter 2 for just a second. This is the last little bit of review, and I want to get on to justification from this great free gift of redemption. We were kidnapped. We were slaves. We were under the lordship of the kingdom of darkness, and Jesus, through His shed blood, through His death, purchased us back. And we’re no longer our own, the Scripture tells us in Corinthians, but we’ve been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus.

You remember Wednesday we were coming to the understanding that we were not just delivered from Satan’s power. We were bought and now have become the possessions of the kingdom of light, and we are not our own. Our life is not our own to live, but we’ve become the representatives of the body of Christ as the head dictates to every member that that brings glory to His name. Titus, Chapter 2. Look there real quickly, and then we’re going to get over to justification. Titus, Chapter 2, verse 14. The Scripture is clear here as the apostle is reminding us of the great work that was done and the purpose of redemption. He says, "[He] gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself [I love this phrase, don’t you?] a peculiar people . . ."

We’ve shared with you in the past what that means. Peculiar doesn’t mean weird. A peculiar people, a people that are special, that are set off and marked off by boundaries. You know what I like about that? Around you and I—the Scripture talks about a hedge that’s around us, the angels of God that protect us and encamp round about us. We’re set off by boundaries. In other words, the signs are set there that say to Satan, to sin, "Keep out! [Amen?] This is My private property." Satan has no access into our lives that we don’t give him. We’re a peculiar people, measured off and set apart for the glory of God and indwelt by His presence and by His Spirit.

So he goes on and he says not only a peculiar people, set apart, but by His grace and by His Spirit He makes us a what? Look at it. People "zealous of [say it] good works." Not that we have to perform works, [but] that we’re desirous—we’re looking for ways to say "Thank You" to God. Not to appease Him; can’t pay Him back. It’s just an expression of worship and thanksgiving, a zeal to work the works of God that men might see our good works, as the Lord said, and what? Glorify our Father which is in heaven.

So I just wanted to take a moment and go back to the redemptive work and the thankfulness that we’re supposed to have and the grace that it’s working in us to good works. But not good works to be received, not good works to appease God, because we’re justified solely by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Now, when we talk about the word "justification," many of us have heard this over the years, but for some it’s new. So we want to just help those that are not really familiar with these terms. Remember we’re going to deal with four basic terms here over these four sessions. We’ve talked about redemption. We’re going to talk about justification this morning. Tonight we’re going to talk about regeneration, what it means to become a new creature, to be born again and the proof of it, the signs of the true believer. Then we’re going to talk about sanctification. So over the next couple of sessions that’s—the Scripture talks in many great theological terms, and we could get sidetracked into the debates of Calvinism and Arminianism, predestination and self-determinism, but we’re not going to do that. We’re going to look at the basics, because what I’m looking to do in each of our lives is create again a thankfulness, an awareness of who we are and what the price was that was paid to purchase this and our role of being able to rest in the great work that Jesus has done.

So turn to the book of Romans, and let’s look at this aspect of justification for a moment. To help you understand justification simply, I remember reading years ago a man said [to] remember it this way: just-if-i-cation—just as if I had never sinned. To be pronounced justified or righteous deals with past, present, and future sin. The accepting of the finished work of Jesus allows God to impute to us, or to put to our account, His righteousness. Now, all of us, we’ve heard stories of great gifts that have been left for individuals. There’s a person that I ran into not too long ago—you know, you hear these stories, but you never meet them. We met this guy that had this rich relative that left—there was nobody to leave the inheritance to, and so this guy didn’t even know this fellow and he gets left a boatload of money. How many of you can say, "Praise God! Even so . . . "? But this imputing to our account, without merit, without relationship—you see, the relationship follows the justification, and it’s based upon an appreciation and a love and not self-vindication.

So Romans 3, turn over there, and let’s look at a couple of things before we get too bogged down in this. Romans 3. The first thing that we need to take a look at as Paul is writing to us—Romans 3, 4, 5 in dealing with justification, you can spend a lifetime studying this out. It wouldn’t hurt you to spend some hours over the next couple of days in just reading through these chapters to reaffirm what we’re going to share this morning. What we want to look at for each of our lives is to break down the works mentality that somehow there’s merit in our behavior, in our performance. We want to be able to diminish all of the works that have that as the motive behind it. We work righteousness, good works, just behavior, out of worship, not obligation and not desiring merit. We want to come to the understanding clearly that once for all we’re made right with God. We sit here this morning the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, purchased to His presence, and nothing shall pluck us from His hand, the Scripture says.

So we’re going to look at these aspects, and verse 20 says, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the [awareness] knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law . . . " This "without the law" righteousness that Paul is introducing to us—and you see, this is one of the things that makes Christianity very unique. If you’ll look at most other religions, they’re based upon good works, how good you can be, how hard you pursue the enlightenment. Here we are as Christians, and that’s what makes it so difficult for prideful man, for people that have had their eyes opened from the fruit of the tree of the garden, that have been illuminated and have the ability to know between good and evil and set our own standards. But a free gift. Christianity is not about man pursuing God; it’s about God pursuing man. Christianity is not about good works; Christianity is about a free gift.

Years ago there was a TV show called The Millionaire. A guy, this very wealthy man would just leave a million dollars—back then when a million dollars was a million dollars. There was always a story about how it came and changed the lives of individuals, just out of nowhere. While we were sinners He loved us. Before we were conceived in our mothers’ wombs He knew us and He called us. Think back about your conversion. In so many of our lives there’s—so many of us think it’s mundane. "Well, I was just kind of born here and raised in the church. What’s so exciting about that?" Go back a little bit. Go back and look at how God brought your parents together, the hand of God. Go back and look at the salvation of parents or grandparents and how God brought us to this hour to call us His own, to show His glory in us, a people that are debtors to the love, grace and mercy of God.

This "without the law" righteousness, he goes on and says, is " . . . unto all [but comes] upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." So the one thing that we see is this: all men are in need of this great redemptive work of Jesus. He paid the price for all; it’s unto all of us. It is participated in by those who believe. Believe what? That Jesus paid the price. See, that’s the hard thing. Man naturally wants to say, "Well, this is too good to be true." And everything in the natural life that’s too good to be true is too good to be true, but this is supernatural. It’s a free gift, and we as partakers are forever debtors to the grace and the mercy and the goodness of God.

Look at Romans, Chapter 4, verses 2 through 6. It says, "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory [then he’d be able to glory in it and boast in it]; but not before God [not in the Lord, in himself]. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him [or imputed to him] for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." This "without the law" righteousness, it’s not of works, the Scripture says, lest any should boast. So we’re called into that grace.

Look over at Ephesians for just a second, Ephesians 2. What are we going to boast in? What is the compelling force behind our works and our good deeds? Is it a payback to God? Or is it worship and thanksgiving that sin no longer has dominion over us? Do we merit in it? Do we think that we’re better than the others that aren’t doing it? How many of us actually get ticked off at the people that aren’t living as holy as we are and as righteous as we are and they’re not doing as good deeds as we are? Do you sometimes? And then that little feeling of superiority begins to creep in, and then we begin to judge them on their performance. I want to tell you something. Don’t put yourself in a position that God doesn’t move in, because God’s judgment of us is through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Amen? Now, I’m not talking about provoking one another to love and good works. I’m not talking about the need to live lives that are sanctified. We’re going to talk about works of righteousness in just a moment. I’m talking about each one of us looking at our own hearts and dealing with that issue of self-righteousness, of pride that wants to somehow merit the favor of God. "I don’t want to be a debtor to anybody, including God." We are totally debtors, beloved, and anything that we could produce is as filthy rags.

Ephesians, Chapter 2, verse 8, look what it says. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, [say it with me] lest any man should boast. For we [listen, and anything you do that’s good, any works that are in you that bring glory to God, listen—For we] are his workmanship . . . " Anything that is works that brings glory to God, God worked it through you. You didn’t do it. It’s He that worketh in us to will and do His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). There’s nothing to boast in. Not one good thought you had was separate from the grace of God, the mercy of God, the gift of faith that He placed within us. Not one thing that you choose to do—and we do have free choice—is independently initiated, but it’s all the Spirit of God working in us. What thanksgiving we should give for that prompting to come and pray. What worship, that desire to open His Bible and study and come into fellowship with Him, what thanksgiving there should be for that prompting. That’s not you; that’s the Spirit of God in you that’s leading us into all truth. Do you take credit for anything? Do we take credit for deciding to pray? Do we take credit for deciding to study the Word? Do we take credit for deciding to be a witness to somebody? We’re debtors. We’re God’s workmanship, the Scripture says, " . . . created in Christ Jesus [look—created in Christ] unto good works . . . " See, the works are never separate from the relationship of abiding in Christ. They’re not separate. They’re the byproduct. They’re the natural fruit of abiding in Him, as John’s gospel says, and Him abiding in us.

Now, this is kind of cool. Look what he goes on to say. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." It’s like we thought of it, that we initiated it—God ordained it from before the foundations of the world. Amen? There’s nothing to boast in. What am I saying? We need to stop boasting and start resting, believing God to work it in us. You see, glorification, sanctification, is God’s eternal will for us. I say eternal because it started in eternity, from before the foundations of the world. We are predestined—not to be saved or lost—we are predestined, Romans 8 says, to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Guess what? You’re going to make it! Amen? That’s good news this morning. I am predestined to be like Jesus. "Well, yeah, when we die." Well, we’re going to talk about sanctification and ultimately glorification, but I’m predestined to be like Him. Amen?

I don’t want to get us too far off, and I don’t want to throw you a theological curve, but sometimes if from the natural perspective the process is too slow or even appears to be in jeopardy—I’m talking about the natural perspective, not the eternal, not the infinite mind of God. God can bring us to perfection in a moment—Amen?—because our life is in His hands; our breath is a gift of His. We’ve often laughed about that. A lot of people that have trouble living the life and they’re in and out and whatever, it would be just kind of nice if sometime you could get them when they’re really on fire for God and kill them [to be sure they make it to heaven]—or even just at baptism, just keep holding them down. "He’s coming home, Lord!" But from the beginning the Lord knows, and He’s working it in us. Amen? We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus! Stop worrying about it! It’s going to work in us. Amen? Stop trying so hard and just get to know Him and understand the love that He has for you, and He’s not going to give up on you! And when you mess up, you just come to Him and confess your sin, and He’s faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

"So what should we do? Sin that grace might abound? God forbid! How shall we," the Scripture says, "that have been purchased, bought—how shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Romans 6:1-2). I’m not talking about just living lives of looseness and lasciviousness. The man that’s born again can’t do that because he’s been created to good works, but we don’t worry about it. Many of us overreact to sin because of the accuser of the brethren. What we need to do, instead of overreacting to sin and either giving up or trying to get into a works mentality, we need to just step back and do what the Scripture says, and that’s to reckon ourselves, or put to our account, dead to sin. Just say, "Devil, look, you won that round, but you don’t have dominion over me, and God will never leave me nor forsake me. Praise God! He that’s begun the work in me will do it, praise God, and that that I’ve committed to Him, He will keep against that day." Amen? Then go on and have a good day, and believe for this justification to be realized in your life—just as if I’d never sinned! Cast into the sea of God’s forgetfulness. If God has forgotten it, why do you beat yourself up with it for the rest of the day? Why do we have to do two or three hours of Catholicism, penitence? See, Catholicism is based on works. Penitence: you’ve got to pay back. There’s no pay back. There’s a recognizing of a finished work. Amen? So the Scripture, then, says it’s not by works lest any man should boast.

Look back at Romans, the fifth chapter, for just a moment. In Chapter 5, the apostle speaking here again, he says, "Therefore being justified . . . " (verse 1). Now, remember the word "justified" means pronounced righteous or pronounced right with God. I’m right with God because of the finished work of Jesus. Not because of anything I do, but because I believe that Jesus’ blood was sufficient to appease God, to satisfy God’s justice. Now, see that’s another thing we have to realize. So many of us think that to appease God means God is ticked off and He’s been offended and, bless God, He wants vengeance. None of that’s in God. The only reason there had to be a price paid and an appeasement—the Scripture talks about Jesus’ blood being the propitiation. That word means the appeasement factor to God, the satisfying of a debt. The only reason is not because God wanted vindication or retaliation. There’s no vengeance in God. It had to satisfy the justice of God, the holiness of God. What are you going to add to the blood of Jesus to satisfy God? What are we going to add to the sinless life of Jesus to satisfy God? What are you going to do to add to what God said was sufficient from before the foundations of the world?

You see what we’re talking about this morning? Your pride, your self-righteousness—mine. See what we’re talking about this morning? We’re talking about believing the devil, the accuser of the brethren, instead of the Lord of glory, the Savior, the workmanship, or the working of God in us. That’s what our boast is to be in. That’s what our faith is in. Not what we see. That’s why Paul had to make comment on that. What we see, we look at ourselves, and Paul says, " . . . in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing . . . " (Romans 7:16).

If I was to judge myself, if I was to have a report card—"Bob hits kids for no reason." I’ve told you about my report cards from kindergarten. "Bob is a natural born leader, but he’s leading the class the wrong way." I still do that in myself. I still hit people for no reason. Now, not physically anymore; I’ve matured a little bit. I haven’t hit anybody for a long time. I’ve told you about that. Satan had me under power for years, because that’s the way I was. If you even looked at me wrong, I [was] going to drop you—a bad habit. It was just my natural response to everything. I mean everything! I was violent. And getting saved, the devil held that over me, and he said, "You know, one of these days somebody’s going to tick you off. Here you are a pastor, and you’re going to put out somebody’s lights." He tormented me for years with that. I’ve told you the story. One day this deacon—he was one of the Carolina demon deacons [Pastor making a humorous reference to a college basketball team of the same name]—one time this deacon got in my face and he was just nasty! I’m standing there and this guy is saying—I would have dropped him a long time ago! He’s doing all this stuff and nothing happened. He walked away and I was like, Hallelujah!

It’s good to be free! Amen? But I know what my capabilities are. You know, when I start getting tired and I’m down spiritually and I start getting where I need to be refreshed, I become very aggressive. Now, none of you have ever experienced that, but those closer to me have. Isn’t that a silly thing how we sometimes are the ugliest around the people that are the greatest gift to us? I’ve heard about that. I’ve never experienced it personally. Then the enemy begins to condemn you. We have to just step back, beloved, and understand that this process of sanctification that’s taking place in our life in no way affects our justification. I’m the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. I’m an heir and joint heir with Christ Jesus. I’m a son of God. Old things have passed away and all things are new! Can you say "Praise God" for that?

So it’s by faith. See, this is what he’s saying. It’s not by works. It’s by the fact that we believe that Jesus paid the price in full. God is appeased! He is satisfied! Now, people that have the tendency toward a works mentality will argue as Paul said the argument was. "Well, then you know what’s going to happen. This is going to give people license to just do whatever they want." No! It’s a liberty to worship and give thanks to God through our good works and obedience as we become His workmanship.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have [say it] peace with God . . . " Are you at peace this morning? See, once we’ve embraced and understand the doctrine of justification, we’re at peace. "I really messed up, but I’m at peace with God." That doesn’t mean I don’t have responsibilities, because even though I’m at peace—I run into your car in the parking lot. Boom! I wipe it out and go, "Well, I’m just really at peace. Hallelujah! I’m justified. My idiocy is just under the blood of Jesus." Aren’t you glad the Bible speaks toward retribution? The fact that I’m at peace with God—whenever we’re contrary to the law of God—see, we don’t fulfill the law for righteousness, but the law is holy and just and good, and it hasn’t been done away with; it’s been fulfilled. So now I don’t have to pay you back; I get to pay you back. I want to pay you back. I want to make right this transgression, because so freely I’ve been forgiven and so freely I’ve been embraced and blessed that I want to bless those around me. I want to make right and just everything that my hand touches. That’s the difference.

So we understand, then, that as we’re the justified, as we’ve been pronounced righteous by faith, " . . . we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access [into the Holy of Holies—the fellowship of God, the presence of God] by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and [we] rejoice in [or boast, or proclaim our] hope [favorable expectation is what the word "hope" means] of the glory of God [or the finished work of this redemption that’s taking place]." What a great place this realm of justification is, of knowing that we’re accepted in the Beloved.

Look back at the third chapter for just a moment here in Romans. Paul says in verse 24, "Being justified freely by his grace [See, here’s all those cool words together. Being justified freely by his grace] through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past [present], through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that man is justified [pronounced righteous, right with God, accepted] by faith without the deeds of the law [without works, without performance]."

Go back to verse 24. " . . . justified [pronounced righteous] freely . . . " Interesting word in the Greek, that word "freely." We all know what it means to get something for nothing, but this even speaks toward something a little more vital as it pertains to our relationship. It means without cause or merit. There’s nothing in us that would cause God to seek us but His love and His mercy. There’s nothing that would merit—see, it’s not like we’re winning a raffle. We didn’t do anything. We didn’t even fill out a ticket. You didn’t go down and buy a lottery ticket. You didn’t do anything. God sought you, and without merit, without cause, He brought forth this great gift of redemption for us. Verse 22 said, " . . . unto all and upon all them that [would dare to] believe . . . "

Why is it so hard for some people to believe? Why was it so hard for you? You know, we sit here today and go, How could anybody reject this? We did, and it’s only by God’s grace and it’s only by the free gift of faith that He imputes to each one of us and imparts to each one of us that we can believe. For nothing, He gave us everything and became the propitiation, the appeasement factor, if you would dare have faith in His blood. The word "faith"—and we’ll end with this for this morning—faith isn’t hope. Faith isn’t something that one day will have effect. Faith is momentary reliance, assurance, trust, that your sins have been dealt with, that God is not angry, that nothing can be done to make you any more acceptable to God. "Yeah, but what about when I get really more sanctified and holy and the world has less power over me?" Praise God! That’s what we’re called to, but it doesn’t make you any more accepted, and it doesn’t make God love you any more. It makes us a little more effective in bringing glory to Him. It makes us more effectual in our proclamation of the gospel, but sanctification, as we shared on Wednesday night, is the expression of our thanksgiving, our love, for the free gift of our ransom, our redemption. So many of us when we’re ransomed we’re so thankful to be free from sin, free from torment and punishment, the wrath that’s coming, but I’d like us to come to that place of not just being thankful for what we’ve been purchased from but what we’ve been introduced to: the adoption as sons, this love and relationship that we have with Him. So we have peace with God.

Turn to Romans, if you would, Chapter 4, and we’re going to unhook with this one. Verses 3 through 5. We read that earlier, but I want to point out one of the words here to you. In verse 4 it says, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but debt." Can you see how this isn’t a small thing? We’re wanting to make God a debtor. "I produced this, so You owe me this." But there’s a high calling that God has on our lives, those of us that worketh not, that have no confidence in the flesh but believe on Him that justifieth, pronounces righteous, accepted, the ungodly. His faith is counted for righteousness. How much would you dare to believe this morning has been effected on your behalf?

The consequences, for your notes, in Galatians 2, we’re indwelt by the Spirit of Christ. This justification is now evidenced or manifested in a righteous life. And 1 Peter 1:2, it perpetuates obedience to this law that cannot justify us. Once for all, righteousness. Fifth chapter of Romans, as it goes on, is very interesting. In verse 17, "For if by one man’s offence [Adam] death reigned by one [over all humanity—look at the next two words]; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of [justification] righteousness [they] shall reign [rule, be victorious, stand firm] in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation [damnation]; even so [by the finished work of Jesus, the blood of Jesus Christ] by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience [Adam] many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Jesus] shall [all they that believe] many be made righteous." Many shall be made righteous. What’s your choice this morning?

Father, we thank You for the Word of God, and we do have a choice this morning: to choose to do it in our own strength; to think that somehow we can merit to want to pay You back; living under guilt, condemnation—good day, bad day approach; or a once-for-all righteousness that brings peace with God. Do you still love your kids on a bad day? "Yeah, I’d like to put a knot on their heads." See, God is not that way. God is not moved by emotion, personal vindication. But no more than we would put our children or our spouse away for an offence is God moved for a moment away from you, but in fact is drawn to you to embrace you as you by faith reach out to Him and say, "Father, I need Your help. Thank You for loving me." "Don’t touch Me. Don’t talk to Me until you’ve cleaned yourself up and you go out and pay this." No, we’re His workmanship, praise God! He’s working in us righteousness.

We run to Him, not from Him, and our acceptance is in the Beloved. He doesn’t love us any less on our worst days or any more on our good days. We are right with God through the blood of Jesus Christ! Thank You for it this morning, Father. That brings to me great peace and I rest, and it promotes in me a love for good works, as we’ll talk tonight about the sanctified life. Sanctification when pursued in the flesh is sin. Sanctification pursued and worked in our own strength is sin. Sanctification as the fruit of justification brings glory to God. Work it in us, Father, we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s stand before the Lord this morning. Katie will play for us, and allow the Spirit of God just to work in you that thankfulness. Are you having a good day today? Don’t boast in it. Worship Him. Are you having a bad day today? Is this one of your down days? Don’t condemn yourself. Worship Him. "I don’t feel good or bad. I just kind of feel like I’m in neutral this morning." Then stop and think what’s been done for you, praise God, and worship Him. While you were a sinner He loved you, He sought you. You were no people, but He’s made you the people of God. We thank You, Father.

Let’s sing it together. "Taste and see . . ." Oh, He is good to us. Oh, we worship You, Jesus. Hallelujah! You are good, Lord, and we just boast in Your goodness and in Your love for us. Accepted in the Beloved. Pride and the natural man would try to promote in us asceticism—sell everything, go into the depths of Africa, go into the depths of India. If God calls you, then go, praise god! If He doesn’t, then live here in all of the affluence that we have and be thankful and live lives of obedience and humility and give glory to God. You see, one isn’t above the other. There’s no merit; we’re just unprofitable servants. We’re just doing what God has called us to do. Those years ago when we were called and left all to follow Him, literally everything, there’s no merit in that. I was a debtor. I’m not my own. I’m just fulfilling the will of the Master.

Oh, in the natural do you sometimes say, "Hey, that’s no fair. That guy just signed on. He’s getting the same pay, and I’ve been working all of these hours"? "Didn’t you agree for this much?" We’re all getting paid the same thing: the righteousness of God. And we’ve all paid the same thing: death to self. We’re no longer our own. No merit. Thank You, Lord, for Your working in us to will and to do Your good pleasure. For that we say "Thank You," in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Turn to somebody next to you and say, "You’re the righteousness of God." Amen. Go in peace; God’s love go with you.

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