The Glorious Doctrine of Justification

 

Justification is one of the major truths of Christian truths. Without a proper view of this doctrine, salvation is not possible. Justification can be interpreted as our standing with God, no longer being the objects of His wrath and curse but now being objects of His love and grace. Justification is an instantaneous action, it is not progressive. Not one believer is more justified than another. A truth that insepperable from justification is that of sanctification. From the moment we are justified we begin to be sanctified, that is set apart, made holy, or conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

One point I’d like to add is this: The people of God have always been justified the same way. There is no difference in justification between the Old Covenent and the New Covenent, it as always been by grace through faith. The Jews who were under the Law were justified by their faith in the coming Messiah and his future work and we who are no longer under the Law are saved by faith in the Messiah who has come and has completed his work. We, as New Covenant believers, are no better or more justified than the regenerate who were under the Old covenant.

Justification is a legal act. God is the judge and we are the guilty party deserving punishment. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death, and we are sinners who are worthy of our just wage or pay, which is death. As much as a laborer is worthy is his wages (1 Tim. 5:18), sinners are worhty of death. If we were righteous, our due payment would be life, but so that no man may boast (Eph. 2:9) we are justified (or made to be righteous) by God’s grace and Christ’s blood. It was decreed in God’s sovereign plan that Adam would fall and bring sin into the world, corrupting human nature and necessitating a Saviour. God’s plan for humanity is the most magnificant and the most revealing of God’s nature and glory, it is the best plan. It is plan A. Though some may say that God is cruel and unjust for allowing man to fall and become sinful, it is in fact, the most just and most glorious thing imaginable.

A distortion of this doctrine is a distortion of Christianity as a whole. Justification by grace through faith alone is the only way to salvation, but not only is this act necessary, but also a belief and trust in this act. Without faith, man cannot be justified, without grace, a man cannot have faith. That is why it is necessary to believe and hold to this doctrine. If a person does not believe this doctrine, the rest of their beliefs will be twisted and unbiblical.

Christianity has seen many attacks on the doctrine of justification, but it has prevailed victorious over the opposition becuase of it is grounded in the Scriptures alone. We must know that we ill be met with more opposition, the fight is not over yet, and we cannot be discouraged or frustrated by this fact. By God’s grace we will perservere.

 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Scotty

The Power of the Word of God

Hebrews 4:2 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Most religions have their writings. Muslims have their Koran, Mormons have the Book of Mormon, Jews have the Torah and the list goes on and on. But we Christians have the Bible, a book unlike all others. It is inspired, consistent, sufficent, powerful and able to, as Paul says, pierce the division between soul and spirit. No other book has that power, no other book contains God revelation to His chosen people.

Think into the times of the Reformation. The men who gave their lives for the translation of the Scriptures, men who suffered persecution, excommunication, rejection, ridicule and mockery for the sake of the Scriptures, it is to these men whom we owe the Bibles which we now posess. God soverignly moved through His people to free his true Church from the bonds of elitist, Roman-Catholic Church. It took courage for these men to risk their life, their families, their friends and so much more, to give us the Scriptures that we have today. Let us not take advantage of the fact that Bibles our sold all around the world and in thousands of languages, and let us not be ungrateful for our God’s svoerignty and power to impress upon his people, a desire for His Word.

The question I ask myself, and you, is this. Would we have done the same in their position? Would we have risked our lives to translate the Scriptures? Would we have risked public disgrace to make the Bible available for all men? I hope so.

In Christ, By His Grace,

Scotty