Justification is not by the law, but freely given by God through His Son

Justification is not by the law, but freely given by God through His Son

“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.” Rom 3:19.

What does the law declare? It declares the whole world guilty before God, and here's the conclusion, “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.”

The law cannot justify you because the law exposes who you are. The law brings to light your condemnation and your guilt, and so, if God is to judge you according to your works by the law, He cannot justify you, He cannot declare you innocent, because the law declares you guilty.

The issue of sin is settled once and for all for the believer in Christ

The issue of sin is settled once and for all for the believer in Christ

What does “Justification” mean?

Justification is a legal word dealing with one’s judicial standing before God, the Judge. Biblical justification equates to being declared righteous, blameless, and innocent. A good way to remember the meaning of justification is the phrase, “Just as if I never sinned”, since that is exactly what you are, as a believer under grace.

Justification doesn't deal with your WALK, or how you LIVE, even after you're saved. It doesn't deal with your SANCTIFICATION, your THOUGHTS, or your WORKS in the flesh or the spirit! None of these! In other words, justification is not your work or effort to appease God. Justification is God’s work. Your justified status before God is based on what He has done for you, and declared over you, because of your faith in His Son.

God's righteousness and the hopelessness of humanity

God's righteousness and the hopelessness of humanity

This lesson is leading the way to the topic of justification, but before we can get to discussing and truly understanding “justification”, we need to clarify two very important points, 

1. God is absolutely and utterly righteous.
2. Humanity is absolutely and utterly guilty and hopelessly lost.

God and people are completely incompatible. They cannot be reconciled. They repel each other! Paul lays this out clearly in Romans chapters 1 to 3. He emphasizes the facts of men’s utter guilt and hopeless condition. Mankind is so far fallen (in sin, unbelief, and rebellion) that they cannot approach God, and they cannot save themselves!

Q-A: Did Paul commit the unforgivable sin?

Before we can answer this question, lets review the scripture passage that mentions the unforgivable sin. We find it in Matthew's gospel where Jesus is speaking,

Matthew 12:30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.