Turn with me, please, in your Bibles to the Old Testament book of Job and the chapter 25. Job chapter 25, very short chapter. We'll read it together. Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said, Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies? And upon whom doth not his light arise? How then can man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold, even to the moon, and it shineth not, yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man that is a worm, and the son of man, which is a worm. Amen. The Bible tells us that Job was an upright man, a man who walked in close fellowship with God. Job rose up every morning to make sacrifices before God. But we read from the opening chapters of the book of Job that one day the sons of God appeared before God and Satan came amongst them and God asks Satan, from whence comest thou? And Satan says, from going to and fro upon the face of the earth, as if saying to God, I have persuaded everybody against you. But the Lord said unto him, hast thou considered my servant Job? There is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and as doeth evil. But we're told that Satan said to the Lord, doth Job fear thee for not? The devil says to God, thou hast put a hedge about him. I can't get at him. You're protecting him. Let me have a go at him, and I will get Job to curse you. So Satan has permission to tempt Job and to get Job to curse God. And that was Satan's desire. So the only thing that he was prohibited from doing was taking Job's life. So the devil went and he caused the fire to fall upon the sheep and the servants and they were consumed. He caused the Sabians to come and take away the oxen and he caused a great wind to fall upon the house where Job's children were. So everything that Job had been blessed with was taken away from him. And so the story goes that Job was left but in all these things Job did not curse God. Well three friends of Job's came to mourn with him and comfort him were told in chapter 2 verse 11 their names were Eliaphaz, Bildad and Zophar. And in their communications with Job, one of them asks him a question. We've read it tonight. Chapter 25, Bildad the Shihite asks the question in verse four, how then can a man be justified with God? And dear friends, this is a very important question. It's a question that affects our souls. It affects our standing and our relationship with God. How we answer this question and how we're able to answer it and how we respond to this in our lives will affect not just our standing with God in this life but our standing with God on the day of judgment and it will affect our eternal destiny where we spend eternity. So this is a very important question. How then can man be justified with God? It's not a question that we can afford to be wrong on. It's not a subject that we can afford to be ignorant on. No, dear friends, we must be right in this question. There are many things in this world we can get by without knowing, but on how we can be right with God, this is a question which we must have the answer on and which we must implement in our lives. Let me explain this word justified. How then can a man be justified with God? Perhaps you're sitting here tonight and you'd maybe be afraid to ask your minister, ask a family member, what does that word justified mean? Well, let me break it down simply here tonight. We're told that this word justified can be understood as having a just cause. being in the right being righteous or being declared just think of the example of a man brought before a judge accused of a crime which he denies he's found not guilty he's declared innocent he's declared as being in the right he is justified before the judge and the law as if there is no crime imputed to him he's justified Well, dear friend, if I was to ask you this question tonight, how can a man be justified with God? Would you know the answer? Would you be able to explain it? Let me put it even simpler this evening. How can a man be right with God? What answers would you give? Would you say, well, I come to church. Surely God will be happy with my church attendance. I've come here tonight and I'll be here tomorrow. Will that not help me be right with God? Maybe you'll say, well, I've made efforts in my life. I have made efforts to be a better person. I have cut out all those terrible, nasty sins that I've done before. Yes, I still have a few bad habits, but I'm trying my best. Will that help you be right with God? Will that cause you to be justified before his face? Maybe you'll say, well, I've taken up some religious practices. I've started reading my Bible and I've started praying. Surely God will be pleased with these things. Surely these things will help me be right with God. Will they? Dear friend, this is a serious matter. This is a matter that will affect our eternal destiny. This is a matter, if we're wrong on, will lead us through the gates of hell and cause us to be in that lake of fire for all eternity. We cannot be wrong in this. We must be right. How can a man be justified with God? Well, let me make several statements here tonight. And just as we come to consider the subject, let me say, first of all, that man needs an awareness of his need to be justified with God. Dear friend, you need to be aware tonight that you have a deep and desperate need to be justified before the face of your heavenly father. You have a need to be justified in his sight. Man's problem is in his natural estate in which he's born. He's not innocent before God. None of us are born into this world justified before God. We are born in a state of corruption. The Bible says we are born in sin and shaping in iniquity. We read of this tonight in Romans chapter 5, by one man sin entered the world. Whenever Adam and Eve took of that fruit in the garden, they didn't just bring sin upon themselves, they didn't just bring the consequences of sin upon them, they brought it upon all of humanity, upon all of their seed. So dear friend none of us are born into this world justified before God. We are all born into this world as sinners. We inherit that sinful nature and we commit those sinful practices that make us guilty in the eyes of our heavenly father. We are sinners and we have that guilt of sin standing before God in our natural condition. We have a need to be justified and our condition is hopeless. There is no man who is able to make himself justified before God. We have the need of another to come and do it before us. The state of our souls before God is one of total depravity. You see, we look at our lives, we maybe look at the lives of others, and we think, well, you know, they're generally quite good. Yes, they have a few bad points. We maybe say, well, I have a few flaws. Who doesn't? I'm not that bad a person. But in the eyes of God, dear friend, one sin is serious. One sin caused Adam to have to leave the garden. One sin. makes us depraved before God. It makes us deserving of punishment for sin. Adam and Eve were punished for their sin. They were put out of the garden. And we will face punishment for our sin. Maybe you're saying, well, I'm not the worst person in Stornoway. I'm not the worst person in Scotland. Look at me. I'm at church tonight. I'm making an effort. But dear friend, examine your life. in light of God's holy law. The Bible says we're not to tell any lies. How many lies have we told? We might dismiss them. It's only a little fib, a little white lie, but it's serious in the eyes of God. Oh, we might let out that profanity concerning the Lord's name and say it was just an innocent slip of the tongue. No, dear friend, it was blasphemy. We might look upon those things that other people had and say, oh, I wish I had their money. I wish I had their health. I wish I had their family. I wish they had their car, their job. What is that? It's coveting. We might look at that person with a lustful heart. And we might say, well, I haven't committed adultery with that person. But the Lord Jesus Christ said, whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery in his heart. Oh, dear friend, can we not see tonight that in us dwelleth no good thing? We are all unclean. There's none of us have that perfect standing before God. Our problem of sin is not a minor thing, it's serious. How serious was it? Martin Lloyd-Jones, the Welsh preacher who ministered in London, said that God has only ever had one problem he's been confronted with, and it's the problem of man's sin. and what to do with it. And the only solution that God could find, Dr. Lloyd-Jones said, was to send his son into this world to be the propitiation for our sin. That is how serious God sees sin, that he gave his only begotten son. Oh, there's many in this world tonight, and they don't see the problem with sin. They play it down, they minimize it. I remember whenever I was at university, I shared a lift to some of the classes with a girl, and she was a very nice girl. She was morally upright. She was involved in good things. She didn't go to the sinful places of the world. She didn't get herself involved in the traditional student lifestyle of riotous living. Morally, she was very upright. And I used to speak to her after I was converted about the matters of the gospel. And I spoke to her about sin. And she interrupted me and she says, well, but I haven't sinned. And I said, you're wrong, we've all sinned. She says, I haven't, I'm a very good person. And I said, I know you are in many matters, but in the eyes of God's law. And she said, well, those things aren't really important. You see, every man seeks to do that which is right in his own eyes. We develop our own morality. We devise what we think is good and what is bad. And then we live by that. And that's what many people are doing today. Away with God's morality. Away with God's law. I've set up my own law by which I live by. And I don't need to listen to the preacher who talks about being justified before God. I will justify myself. I remember many years ago, doing some outreach on a street and a man was very angry at being offered a gospel leaflet. And we spoke about the matters of eternity. And he said, whenever I stand before God, I will tell him And there's many people think like that. I will tell God what a good person I've been. I will tell God how I will justify myself. Dear friend, you need to see tonight, you're not innocent before God. Before God, we're guilty because of our sin. So how would we fix a relationship with someone? Well, if it was somebody here on earth, we would apologize, wouldn't we? We would go to that person and say, I'm sorry for my part in this. We would seek restoration with that person. But that isn't enough with God. Of course, there's repentance. Of course, there's confession of sin. That's part of it. But that does not cause us to be justified before God. Hi. Can we be justified with God? Well, that leads me on to think of our second point here tonight, that only God can justify a man. You see, dear friend, you cannot work to be justified. Many people are of this opinion, and there's many people in the world, and they follow this religion, that if my good deeds outweigh my bads, God will let me into heaven. And there's even a television program, I was reading about it in the newspaper, that has come out recently about this. And it promotes this idea that if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds, we get into heaven. And it's amazing how many people think that. It's amazing how many people who are even associated with the professing church here on earth think that if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they will get into heaven. But dear friend, that's not right. That would be us seeking to work for our standing before God. And we cannot do that. Many people who are perhaps convicted of their sin think, right, well, I'll cut out the bookies, I'll cut out the pub, I'll start going to church, and that'll buy me some grace with God. That's not right. We cannot work for our justification. And we certainly can't merit it. It is an act of God's free grace. What is grace? Grace is giving something to somebody that they do not deserve. And only God can cause us to be justified. Only God has the ability to pardon our sins. We cannot come up with a plan for the forgiveness of our sins. We cannot come up with a plan to undo all the wickedness that we've done. No, dear friend, there's nothing you can do by your hand, nothing you can do with your life that can atone for your sin, that can make you right before God, that can make restitution with your heavenly Father. only God can justify man. Well, how does God justify man? He does it through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. How can you and I be right before God? It's not through anything that you and I can do. It is only through the Lord Jesus Christ. So how can we be right with God through Jesus Christ? Well, we can be right with God because the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world and he had a perfect obedience to the law. Remember that law, that law that you've broken, that law that has been shattered in pieces a million times over in your life. Every time you sinned against God, you needed somebody to live that perfect life on your behalf. And that's what the Lord Jesus Christ did. He came into this world and he was without sin. He was not able to sin. He could not sin. He was God manifest in the flesh. Now he was tempted at all points like as we are. But the Bible says yet without sin. He went through, he went into the wilderness for 40 days, tempted of the devil, yet without sin. You and I, dear friends, we can't get through a single day without sinning. Oh, and if we think we have, we don't really know our heart. Oh, the wicked thoughts that come to our mind, the cruel words that come out of our mouth, the gossip, the backbiting, the slanders, and probably all before breakfast. Well, God justifies man through Jesus Christ because he lived in perfect obedience to the law, the law that you and I could not keep. And living in perfect obedience to the law, the Lord Jesus Christ made satisfaction before God for our sin. Do you see the Lord Jesus Christ being innocent went to the cross where he took our guilt upon himself. He went to the cross and a wonderful transaction happened. The Lord Jesus Christ took the sins of his people, the guilt of his people, the wrath of God for his people and the justice of God for his people all upon himself. His perfect obedience was turned into satisfaction for sin. And whenever he was on that cross, the Bible says he was made sin for us. His soul was offered up that ransom on behalf of his people. We read in Isaiah that it pleased the Lord to bruise him. On that cross, the transaction happened. He took the guilt of his people and he gave his people his perfect innocence. He satisfied the demands of the law that we've broke, and he imputed his perfect righteousness to the one who deserved the damnation. So how can a man be justified with God? It's only through the person of Jesus Christ. Many people in the world today They're trusting in some form of religion to be right with God. They're following some prophet. They're following some system of works. But dear friend, the Bible doesn't teach us that it's anything like that. The only way that you and I can be just, the only way you and I can be right with God is through the person and work of Jesus Christ. It cannot be found in any other way. If there was any other way, then Christ died in vain. There was no need for him to go to the cross if there was another way of salvation. The only way you and I can be right with God is through him. Romans 4 25 says that Christ was delivered for our offenses and he was raised again for our justification. Dear friend, the Lord Jesus Christ is the triumphant saviour. He's the one who has conquered death. He is the one who has bore the sins of his people upon his own body on that tree. He's the victorious and glorious saviour. And we are only right with God through him. Well, what is our responsibility then? Well, the sinner must receive and rest upon this righteousness of Christ. We are not justified because of our faith. We are justified because of the finished work of Christ and our faith rests upon Christ who justifies. Faith is the evidence of our justification. Do you know a person will never be justified in life and be missing faith in Christ? It can't happen. A person will not be right in the eyes of God but lack faith in Jesus Christ. It simply can't happen. It's impossible. Romans 3 22 says even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. Romans 5 1 therefore being justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 2.16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even as 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. So faith is that outward sign that we are right. and justified before God. Can I ask tonight, dear friend, what or where or who is your faith in or law? What is your faith in to be right with God, to be justified with God? Are you hoping that being a good person will justify you? Are you hoping that your association with our church or the church here will be enough before God No dear friend we must be those who rest completely upon Christ and upon him alone that he has taken our sin and borne the wrath of God at Calvary that he has imputed to us his perfect righteousness and the only reason that we can stand before God redeemed the only reason we can stand before God justified is because Christ has paid the price and he has shed his blood and he has given to us his perfect righteousness. We cannot stand before God on any other ground, other than the ground of redemption. And faith is this outward sign. It's your faith in Christ tonight. How does this work then? Well, the Holy Spirit applies Christ to justify a man. in Titus 3 verses 4 to 7. We read, but after that, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by his grace, We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The Holy Spirit applies Christ. Titus or it's it says here in Titus three by the renewing of the Holy Ghost. He applies Christ to us. Colossians one verse twenty-seven speaks of Christ in you. The hope of glory. A justified man is a redeemed man. Somebody who has been converted. Somebody who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. Somebody who has repented of their sin and is walking with God. This is a sign that the Holy Spirit has done that work. But maybe you're here tonight and you have the question, well, that's fine for those who live after New Testament times, Pentecost and so on, but what about those in the Old Testament? How were they justified? How were they made right before God? Christ wasn't born, Christ hadn't died. How were the people in the Old Testament justified before God? Well, the answer is fairly simple. They, people in the Old Testament, were justified exactly the same way as people in the New Testament. You see, in New Testament times, and for us now, we look back to when Christ came into the world. We look back to when the Savior went to the cross. We remember what he has done. But Old Testament saints and those who believed in Old Testament times, they looked forward. They had the promise of a savior coming. They had all the types and shadows and symbols of the Old Testament mosaic economy. They looked forward to a coming savior. And they were justified in exactly the same way, by believing on God's son. But then we maybe have the question, and maybe you're wondering, well, if a man has been justified before God, how is he to live? How does a justified man live here on earth? Well, that justified man has been declared righteous and innocent by his father in heaven. He is able to stand before his heavenly father without spot or stain of sin because he stands before him clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ. Christ didn't just take some of the sin of his people. Christ took all of the sin of his people. Christ didn't die for just some of our terrible sins. No, he died for all of our terrible sins. Every single one of them. So the believer. The one who has been declared justified by God, he stands without mark. Such person also experiences the sanctifying of the Holy Spirit. It's a work that begins in our souls at conversion, and it's a work that continues until our Lord comes again. This is a mark. But what if the man sins? What happens if a justified man sins? Well, the amazing thing is that God continues to forgive the sins of the justified. Now listen carefully. That is not a license to sin. There's many people seem to think that in the world today. We're living in an age of easy believism and shallow professions where people seem to think, well, I can put my hand up and believe in Jesus Christ. I can call myself a Christian and I can go to church and then I can live like the devil. But dear friends, it's no license to sin. In fact, if we've been truly justified, if we're experiencing the sanctifying of this Holy Spirit, dear friends, sin will be loathsome to us. Sin will be that abhorrence. We will seek to flee from sin and flee closer to Christ and walk with him. And anytime we do sin, it will be convicting in our souls, it will be grieving to us. I often think of Peter. Whenever Peter made those boasts to Christ, though all other men forsake you, I won't. Yet after he denied Christ that final time, the cock crew, and Peter looked at Christ and Christ looked at Peter, and what did Peter do? Did he shrug his shoulders and say, oh, well, the Lord will forgive me? No, he went out and wept bitterly, because that is how a Christian feels after they grieve Christ. We maybe don't feel it enough. whenever we sin against him, but we ought to. But a justified man has no license to sin, none at all. Now the believer cannot fall from their state of being justified. The believer can fall under God's fatherly displeasure for sin in their life. They cannot have the light of his countenance upon them until they humble themselves and confess their sin and beg pardon and renew their faith and repent Oh, the believer can be under God's displeasure, but they will not fall from their state of being justified. A justified man or a woman is to live as a new creature in Christ. That's what the apostle Paul says. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. And that's what we are. And that's how we are to live. For the believer in Christ, for the one who is justified, the Lord Jesus Christ is not just that person the minister rambles on about every Sunday that we have to listen to until we get out. No, the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who is my beloved. the fairest of 10,000 to my soul. They're not sitting in church looking at their watch saying, I wish that man would hurry up so I could get home and get my dinner. They would be more, tell me more about Christ. Lead me more to his cross. Lead me more to his footstool of mercy. Show me my beloved. In Song of Solomon, I think it's chapter three. We have the story of the one who runs through the streets shouting to the watchman, saw ye him whom my soul loveth? And that'll be the burning desire of the Christian every day. Where is my beloved? How can I be closer to him this day? How can I love him more? How can I serve him better? How can I walk hand in hand with my beloved? Coming to a close here this evening. We've been considering this question, how can a man be justified with God? Well, we've given the answer to that. But the question I leave with you now tonight is this, have you been justified with God? How do you stand before your heavenly father? Do you stand before him as one redeemed? Or do you still stand as one in your sin? Maybe you're saying, preacher, what must I need to do? Well, in Acts chapter 16, we read of Paul and Silas in a prison cell, and there was a jailer there. And the jailer had no time for their gospel before, but after an earthquake happened, oh, this man was fearful for his life. And he sprang into the prison cell and he said to Paul and Silas, sirs, what must I do to be saved? What must I do to be right with God? What must I do to be justified? And the response was very simple. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And dear friend, that's what you must do. You must believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ. You must come to him with confession of your sin and repentance of all your rebellion against him. You must believe upon him because he alone is the savior of your soul. He is the only one who is able to forgive your sin. Oh, if there was another way, Christ died in vain. But I tell you tonight, he didn't. Christ, we read earlier, died for the ungodly. And dear friend, you must needs come to him. He's a willing saviour and he's an able saviour and he can forgive and pardon you. Let us pray.