We're on the subject of the doctrine of justification. It's part of the series that Brother King and I have been going through since shortly after the church adopted this confession of faith. And I think it's a good thing. It's certainly been a blessing to me to go over these articles point by point. and get more situated in them. We're always learning greater things. I think you'll find that's always the case. You're learning about, you're knowing the unknowable. You're learning about the infinite God. We'll never know him to the nth degree, not even in eternity. He's infinite. We'll always be learning about God and the great grace of God, I believe. In this confession of faith, Article 30, is titled justification and it says this very simply. Those that have union with Christ are justified from all their sins by the blood of Christ. This justification is a gracious and full acquittance of a guilty sinner from all sin by God through the satisfaction that Christ has made by his death for all their sins, and this applied through faith. The two statements kind of repeat the point, but I think we can follow it good enough. There are a string of texts we use for a basis to conclude this justification and this statement. Let me begin by saying that Job asks the question in light of the fact that all men come into the world sinners. I want you to think about this scripture. In Job chapter 25 verse 4, he asks these two questions. Very important. How then can a man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? We gather some things by that if we thought about what the question, what he's saying in these questions. The biblical doctrine of justification answers this question. Every man in Adam, when I refer to Adam, I'm talking about the first man that God created and put in the garden in Eden. Every man in Adam enters into this world a sinner and condemned. To have standing before God and that's what justification is all about, to have standing before God, he must become righteous. And that's what justification does. It places a man in a right standing before God. Now there are three points to make right now, which might be of some help, as we consider this subject. First of all, I wanna make it clear. If you've considered this doctrine before, I want you to know where I am on the first point especially. Does the Bible teach eternal justification? I've spent years reading materials and listening to messages by great brethren. of the past and present that support the doctrine of eternal justification, and I have not been able to come to that conclusion for myself. My objection to it is very simple. If there is such a thing as eternal justification, that the elect of God, think about this, that the elect of God were justified by God from eternity. I guess I have to ask myself what the purpose was for the father sending his son, his only begotten son, into the world to die if it wasn't to justify the ungodly. Because that's what justification, what Christ did in it. In Romans 4 verse 5, And we're going to be here in this text in just a moment. So you might want to turn to Romans 4 and then Romans 5 and then 1 Corinthians chapter 15. That scripture says, but to him that worketh not. In other words, he's not looking to justify himself by his own works, by following the law or anything else. But to him that works not, but believes on him that, what? That justifies the ungodly. He was in an ungodly standing. before this time. His faith is counted for righteousness. So as regards eternal justification, if the elect were justified from eternity, why then justify the justified? Now I want to move on. The other two points The Bible teaches the justification of the standing of the elect, which is by Christ's blood. I want you to make that distinction first of all. The Bible teaches that, it teaches the justification of the standing of the elect, which is by Christ's blood. And in second, or third in these three points, the Bible teaches the justification of the state of the elect, which is by faith. And we need to make that distinction. And I believe you'll learn that as you consider the scriptures. So that's where we're headed with justification. The first statement in the confession of faith said this, those that have union with Christ, that refers, you see the word union with Christ, you hear that? Those that have union with Christ refers to the elect of God from eternity past. It says that they are justified from all their sins by the blood of Christ. Or in other words, Christ's death for the elect resulted in their justification before God. They have a right standing before God, all of the elect. because Christ died for them. The elect of God are justified in their standing. First point, there's a justification of all of the elect of God when the Son of God, you know, hold that thought for a minute, because I know some of you aren't so familiar with what we mean when we use the word elect, and when we say that they're elect before the foundation world, and so I wanna get to that in just a second, so hold this. There's a justification of all of the elect of God when the Son of God died for them. This is a once for all justification of the standing of God's elect. And if we don't understand the biblical doctrine of election that God chose some and gave them to Christ before the foundation of the world, you're gonna have difficulty understanding this once and for all justification. So think about this for a moment. Think of the elect. one whole group that is in Christ. The Father gave them all to the Son. When? Before the foundation world. Ephesians 1 verse 4 would say so. And a couple of other texts I may reference in John 6 39. These were all justified before God at one and the same time. That time was when, not when we believed as individuals, that time of the elect's justification was when Jesus died on the cross. Their standing was corrected. from being condemned and dying in sins to being justified and living before God. Our confession of faith says that much here, as we just read. Justification is the act of God making one righteous in his eyes, giving him that standing. In Romans chapter five, verse 19, Romans 5 verse 19, for as by one man's disobedience, referring to Adam, many were made or constituted, legally so, sinners. So by the obedience of one, referring to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Now, if we receive the scriptures as they're written, we know that the Father unconditionally gave some to the Son in eternity past, before the foundation of the world, by the act of His choice. He selected some from all of mankind and gave them to Christ. That took place eternity. Now, if you know Christ, you have to agree with that. That's because that's not what Craig Thurman says or Brother King says or Rick Meltzer or anybody else. It's because I'm saying it and we're saying it. We believe it because the Bible says it. We proved those points enough before. John 639 and Ephesians 1-4. These are the people, I want you to listen, these are the people for whom God sent his only begotten son to die. so that they might be justified before God or have a right standing all at once when Christ died. You say he died for his people. He died for his people, Matthew 121. He shall save his people from their sins. He had a people in mind and it wasn't just a Jewish people. It was all of those that were given to him from before the foundation of the world. John chapter 10 verse 15 says, Jesus is speaking, the Son of God come in human flesh. He's speaking and he says, as the Father, he's speaking about the Heavenly Father, God the Father, the first person of the Holy Trinity. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father. And what does he say? And I laid down my life for the sheep. He laid down his life for certain ones. Again, in John chapter 17, verses 9, and then we're going to go to verse 20. In John 17, verse 9, Jesus says, or said, I pray for them. He says, I pray not for the world, but notice this. but for them which thou hast given me. In his intercessory prayer, he prayed for all of the elect that were given to him. That's what he mentioned, that's what he's saying. He didn't pray for everybody, he prayed for his elect in the intercessory prayer and verse 20. And so that we're clear, he wasn't just praying for those that were with him at that moment. He saw us, that knew Christ after he came, after he died, after he raised from dead. He saw us, but he saw us because we were with him in eternity past when the Father gave us to him. He says, neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. And that's a positive thing. They shall come to me. Absolutely. None of them can perish. The Son of God stood for the elect. He stood in their behalf and represented them, all of them, all of those that he had received from the Father, he represented them when he came among men. He is their head, their chief, and their captain. So as in Adam, we're gonna go to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 21. 15, verse 21. So as in Adam, all men suffered the consequences of Adam's sin, which is what? Condemnation and death. So those in Christ, the elect, received the results of Christ's righteousness through His death, which is what? Justification, a right standing with God and everlasting life. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 21 to 22, it says that much. For since by man came death, referring to Adam, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." Notice the representativeness of Adam for those that were in him and Christ for those that are in him. So, for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. I wrote a message, I think it was yesterday, and a lot of times I'll sign the messages, in him because of grace. And the man responded back with so many words, I hope. Well, I'm in him because of Christ, because of grace. I take that stand. We ought to know that we know him. What is Christian life if we don't know that we know him? Yeah, we walk by faith. But John the Apostle says, by this we know that we know him. Paul referred to those whose names are written in the Lamb book of life. We can know that we know him. We're in Adam. The elect are in Adam. And the key in this text, you'll notice, is the preposition in. Those that were in Adam all died. Those that are in Christ shall be made alive. In Romans chapter 5 again, verse 19, I want to read it again. Romans 5, 19. As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. You know why that says many? Because there was one man accepted. And that man is who? Jesus Christ. For as through one man's disobedience many were made sinners. You know Christ wasn't descended from Adam. So By the obedience of one, notice again the word many, shall many, which excludes all those that are not of the elect, shall many be made or constituted righteous. And when Christ died on the cross, he died in the place of his people. He bore their punishment in his body. When he gave up his spirit and died, he died for the entire election of grace in that moment. The father punished his only begotten son because of their sins. Look at Isaiah 53 6. Look at a couple of texts here, we wanna just take out that portion that deals with this. In Isaiah 53, six, look at the words. It says, and it's referring to our Lord, our Lord Jesus, the Son of God. The Lord, referring to the Father, laid on Him, referring to His only begotten Son, what? The iniquity of us all. Now he's not bearing the potential sins of potential people. He took the sins of his people upon him. Again, in verse 10, it says, it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He put him to grief. Why? For the elect. And verse 12. See the words, he has poured out his soul unto death. And then it says, he bear the sin of many. A made intercession for the transgressors. And it's because he died in the place of his people that they were justified. Romans four, verse 25. along the same theme. Who? Referring to our Lord Jesus. He was delivered for, on account of our offenses, our trespasses against God, our sins, and was raised again for our justification. The punishment that the Son of God bore under His Father's hand resulted in writing the stand of all of the elect before God. That was necessary in order for us to become justified. Justification involves, here's another big word, it involves imputation. Now, imputation, I need you to find it so you'll see what's going on here, what Christ did, all that's taking place. How does it take place? It's all explained in the scriptures. And I know I'm not doing as well a job as I had hoped, but here, we'll try this. Imputation is a legal term. It's legal because there's a legitimate substitution of positions between the guilty and the innocent. It's a legal transference between parties. We just studied through the book of Exodus, and it was full of imputation. Every time you saw the priest and the commandments of the Lord for the priest to do this, it was imputation. When he was told to take that goat or that lamb or that calf, that heifer or bullock, He took his hands, that priest did, and he laid his hands on it, and you know what he did already. He confessed his sins and the sins of the people over the head of that animal. And in a type, that animal bore the punishment for their sins. And they were released from that punishment in a type. The animal had done nothing. And it was slain. That's what imputation is. And it's a very important doctrine. It's tied to this justification. When the sins of the elect were imputed to Christ, listen, there's a lot of heretics out here that say this stuff, it's evil, it's blasphemy to say that Christ became, in fact, he could sin. That is way wrong. When the sins of the elect were imputed to Christ, he was, here's the word, he was treated, he was treated as if he was a sinner. But he wasn't. And here's the other part of it. And when the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us, we're treated as if we're righteous. And we're not. Our real sins, past, present, and future, all of them And all of the elects were imputed to Christ. And his real righteousness, and I want to describe this in just a moment, his righteousness was imputed to us. It was accounted to us. We're treated as righteous. He was treated as guilty, as if guilty for sins. Why, do I have the text of scripture? You bet I do, and it's a good one. In 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21, this is really imputation. This is what took place. This is what Christ did for us. Why he died. I think he refers to the Father, for he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." What's it say in the most simple terms? He made him sin and we are made righteous. On the one hand, our sins were imputed, accounted as being upon Jesus Christ so that he became condemned and punished and died in our place as if he were a sinner. He was treated as a sinner. But on the other, his righteousness was imputed to us so that we might have a right standing before God, being redeemed from all iniquity. In Titus 2.14, before God. we are treated as though we are righteous. The righteousness imputed to the elect. We talk about the righteousness of Christ. Consider this, the righteousness that was imputed to us is a direct result of the works which Christ brought when he was with us among men. In John chapter 15, verse 10, Jesus says, I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. And now look at Romans chapter 3 verses 20 through 22. Romans chapter 3 verses 20 through 22. and just explaining some terms along the way, some statements. Therefore, at breaking into this subject, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin. In effect, because all men descended from Adam, All men descended from Adam are sinners. The conclusion is that apart from the imputation of Christ's righteousness, no man can be justified outside of God. Now, verse 21, but now, now the righteousness of God without, meaning apart from, the law is manifested. It's a perfect passive tense verb is manifested it is an accomplished fact okay now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested being witnessed by the law and the prophets and what is their witness Well, the Lord said in Deuteronomy 18, 15, through Moses, that he would raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren like unto me, unto him shall ye hearken. Isaiah 53, 11 says, it refers to our Lord Jesus Christ as my righteous servant. The righteousness of God is what Christ will work. Zephaniah chapter three, verse five, it says that he will do no iniquity. It was witness, this and far more, talking about the death of Christ, his suffering wrongfully at the hands of wicked men. and being put to death. That was witnessed by the prophets. The righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law of prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. Now, I want you to see that and consider what it means when it says the faith of Christ. He's not talking about what we're doing. He's talking about what Christ did. It's the faith of Christ and what he did as he obeyed the Father when here. It's referring to what he worked, what he wrought for us fully and perfectly in doing the will of the Father. And I want you to understand this. No man cooperates with God in this work. Christ did it alone. Now, I want you to notice to whom this righteousness comes. To all. Does that mean everybody else? It's not saying that. We need to read the whole thing. It says that it's to all and on all, again, we have the elect come up, them that believe. Sometimes we come across this word believe, he says, oh, if I believe that's the case, that's not what it's saying. When it says, to all and upon all them that believe, it's simply marking out that that's the people that were imputed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ and justified understanding by his death. That's all it means. It doesn't say anything about faith justifying them in this respect. This is the work of Christ. You're justified freely, we're coming to that in just a moment, freely by his grace. Then he says, for there is no difference. And of course, he's talking about the elect of God, which are not just Jews only, but other Gentiles as well. There is no difference in them, in any of the elect. These are those for whom Christ died. To the next point, and these are very brief. Actually, don't panic because I'm nearly done. The next statement in this confession of faith, I want to take a part of it, a very small part of it. We've already discussed most of this. It says this, this justification is a gracious and full acquittance of a guilty sinner from all sin by God. through the satisfaction that Christ has made by his death for their sins. Now, again, we've touched on a number, a lot of this already, but I want to focus on, still on this, just to kind of finish this justification of the elect of God, the standing of them all is justified by Christ's death at one time when he died. The scripture says, in Romans 3, 24, it says, being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. There's not a word about faith here. We're still on the issue of justification of the standing of the elect of God by his death. Freely, freely comes from the Greek word, didymi. And it's often translated to give. And here you'll see it's an adverb, freely. It's modifying, justified. How? Freely. It's a gift. You don't work for a gift. You don't do anything for a gift. You don't do anything. Listen, you don't even believe you received a gift. And then things begin to happen. That's what it says. It's freely. It's a gift. This justification is said to be of the free grace of God. I love that combination. And that's what he does here. It's a combination. It's by the free grace of God. Free grace of God. And that means that the elect of God contributed nothing to the justification of their standing before God. God did it because he was pleased in himself to do it. Now, but there are texts which seem to say that faith is involved. We need to just give that some thought. And there is a justification that deals with our, now here we go, here's the difference, with our state, our condition of life and faith. works then. There's the distinction. There's the standing and there's the state. That's how I see it in my estimation. I've got to compartmentalize. I don't know how that works for you, but that's what I have to do. That's the way I see it. The Bible says that we are justified by faith. So what do we do? But that refers to our state of life at this present time. What is it? I like simple terms. It's writing my life. The faith that has been brought up by the Spirit of God, that's produced at the hearing of the Word of God, writes my life. And that's what justification by faith is all about. We're justified by faith. There is the writing. It's the time when the sinner is righted. in his life, and it's based on what Christ did at the cross. He begins to act like a different person, the reality of it. Real faith alters the way we live, and in this way it could be said that, I struggle with this all day, in this way it could be said that faith is a cause Romans 5 1 but I'm I'm being careful because it will talk about this just think about the fruit of the Spirit It looks like it caused in our life, but it is caused by the Spirit of God in us therefore being justified by faith We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ now. That's a personal experience that I have by faith. Now, I want to make a distinction here in justification by grace and justification by faith. The first was by the free grace of God. No one does anything there. Faith is not a means. We don't want to mix this together. Faith is not a means for receiving grace. It is not a means for the new birth, contrary to what Billy Graham said and wrote a big old book about that. It was a terrible book. The little bit I looked at it, teaching you how to be born again, that is insane. It's not in scripture. But faith isn't a means for receiving grace. It's not a means for the new birth. It's not a means for justifying our standing before God. When faith or any other part of the fruit of the Spirit is applied like that, it's turned into work. But faith is a fruit. It's a fruit of the Spirit. It's one of a number of parts in Galatians 5.22 That is called a single fruit of the Spirit. And what is that? The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, and faith. I'm telling you, a lot of people like, they think, God loves me. He chose me because He saw I believed. No, He didn't. He did no such thing. I'll prove that to you right now. Faith cannot be the cause of receiving the grace of God or else God didn't act of his free grace. Grace, grace is the cause of faith. Now listen carefully. Follow me through on this, just this little reasoning with you for a moment. Did God bestow his grace of life upon us, any of us, because we believed? If you think yes, just hold that thought, okay? Did he do that because you believed? Now, I'd like to consider the other fruit. Let's just add the other fruits in here, okay? Because you're gonna add faith, we just as well throw in a few more so that we get the understanding, know what's going on here. Did God bestow His grace upon us because of our love for Him? If He did it because of our faith, He must have also done it because we loved Him, right? Or because we joyed in Him, right? That's the other. Love, joy. Did He bestow His grace of life upon us because we were at peace with Him? Or because we were long-suffering? gentle and good to others. You see, when the fruit of the Spirit is applied in this manner, it becomes a work. But what was our standing before God prior to Christ's death? The elect of God, what was it? I read in my Bible, it says that he died for the ungodly. That was me. When he died for me, that was me. It says that he reconciled us when we were enemies. It says that he commended his love to us while we were yet sinners. So we can apply the fruit of the spirit as a means for grace. Grace is the means for fruit. And I can tell you, my standing before God, yours as well, was void of anything good. There was no reason, there was no reason that He put me in Christ. and sent the Son of God to die for me. No reason except that he was pleased to do so, and I praise God he did it. Now, this last little piece of this, I didn't read the last little phrase at the end of that last sentence, the two sentences in the Confession of Faith. The Confession of Faith, and we've dealt with some of it, but just to do this, It closes with the words, and this applied through faith. And as we said, faith writes the life of the children of God. Do you really believe Christ died for you? Do you really believe that? You'll live like it. You'll want to live for him, I guarantee you. Faith writes the life of the children of God. Remember the episode of the Pharisee and the Publican? Remember that in Luke? Wanna read that? It was the Publican that demonstrated true faith in Christ. In Luke chapter 11, chapter 18, beginning at verse 11. In Luke chapter 18, verse 11, it says that the Pharisee, stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I'm not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. What he didn't know was he really was a sinner just like that man. I fast twice in a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. You see, he thought he was justified by his own righteousness. That Pharisee, it reveals that he was not in a right standing before God, and there was no faith that justified his life. Verse 13 through 14, maybe 15, no it's 14. And the publican, notice him, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. He saw himself as he needed to see himself, and he saw God as he needed to see God. Jesus said, I tell you, and that's the truth, This man, referring to the publican, went down to his house justified. His faith righted his life. He was justified by faith. But why was he justified by faith? Because Christ was going to die for him and justify his standing. We consider that. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone that exalts himself shall be abased and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. Question. Do you know why the publican prayed so? His faith justified his life. It righted him. Do you know why his faith justified his life? because God in his free grace justified him by the blood of the Son of God. And one day, for Christ's sake, one day God brought that publican to life and revealed to him, revealed in him, the Son of God crucified for his sins. Scripture says Jesus Christ stood as a lamb slain before the foundation. I'm sorry from the foundation of the world From the foundation of the world in Revelation 13 verse 8 He stood to represent all the elective of all history When he died it didn't matter If they live before death, before his death or after his death, their justification, all of the elect, their justification was found upon his shed blood. He justified us freely by his grace. and we are justified by faith in our experience. Our standing is right when Christ died. Our life is righted when we come to faith in Christ. I see those two points, important points about this doctrine concerning justification. Thank you for your attention. I hope it may be