Continued from Part 6..................
7. IT IS A GOSPEL BASED ON JUSTIFICATION
For
someone to be justified, (considered right and faultless) the person has to
either argue his case or have someone exonerate him.
Jesus
Christ took our place on the cross and God deemed (considered) it as if we were
crucified with Him. Although we did not
in actuality, hang on the cross and take the punishment, Christ’s death was
considered enough punishment to satisfy divine justice. God now sees us justified and vindicated. That
is why Paul was able to say “I am crucified with Christ”.
This acquittal was obtained not by anything
we had done but by the way God considered it.
God chose to accept and acknowledge the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf
and apply the same to our credit in order to forgive us.
God does not look at us
without seeing Jesus Christ in us.
And He does not look at
Jesus Christ without seeing us in Him.
No
wonder Paul repeatedly writes that we are IN CHRIST
or WITH CHRIST.
Remember,
no man can be justified or counted righteous by the keeping of the law (Rom
3:28). Being counted righteous
(justified) through faith, we have peace with God (Rom 5:1).
But if you try to seek to
keep the law for your justification, you have fallen from grace (Gal 5:4).
And
whom He justifies, no one can condemn. “Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that
condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is
even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom 8:33-35)
Once
again we see the permanence of God’s election.
Jesus Christ dying on the cross was deemed
as if we died on the cross. Isn’t water baptism symbolic of this very thing? (Rom 6:3).
We stand forgiven without actually paying the
penalty. Now, that is good news!
Rom 5: 16-18 –“And not as it was by one
that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but
the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man’s offense death reigned by
one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the
offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the
righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification
of life.”
Titus 3:7 – “That being justified by
his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal
life.”
Acts 13:38 – “ Be it known unto you
therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the
forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things,
from which ye could
not be justified by the law of Moses.”
Rom 3:20 – “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.”
Rom 3:24 – “Being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”
Rom 3:28 – “Therefore we conclude that
a man is justified
by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Rom 5:1 – “Therefore being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”
Rom 5:9 – “Much more then, being now justified by
his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
Gal 2:16 – “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 3:11 – “But that no man is
justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the
just shall live by faith.”
Gal 3:24 – “Wherefore the law was our
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
Gal 5:4 –“Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
.................................................CONCLUDED
