Justified

Jesus and the Soul of Man

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

More Lessons from the King

Book of Matthew “Continuing” Chapter 13

If we want to understand the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven then, there is no better place in the Bible to find out than these parables that were preached and taught by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember a parable describes a “Spiritual Truth” from an earthly truth!

*Mat 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Mat 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Mat 13:46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Verse 38 describes this field as the world, and it probably means the same in this verse. There is no reason to think differently.

So what is this treasure and who is this man?

In the first two parables, the sower was the Lord Jesus Christ, and the seed was the Word of God or the “Gospel” the “Good News”.

We know that to the Lord, the most valuable thing upon this earth is the soul of man.

It is so important that the Lord gave His life for our souls!

Mat 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

In this verse we see that the Holy Spirit describes the “soul” to be of much more value than the totals of all this world.

This leaves us to believe without a doubt that this man is the Lord Jesus Christ, who laid the glory of Heaven aside and came to this earth to give all that He had, even His life for the “for all our souls”.

The only thing we need to know is why it was hidden?

What we need to realize is the mystery of Israel and the mystery of the Church in these two parables.

Israel is that treasure hidden in the field:

Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

Psa 135:4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.

When the Lord Jesus Christ came from Heaven, He found His people hidden in a field.

By His death, Jesus bought the whole world and with it, all the people who are His earthly treasure.

Jesus died for all people, but He also died for the nation of Israel.

Joh 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
Joh 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

We do not read that Jesus then got possession of that treasure so, this treasure is still hidden in this field which He bought with such a great price for the sake of owning that treasure.

This is the key to these two parables!

Israel is the Lord’s peculiar treasure.

Jesus has purchased His earthy people yet still, Israel is that hidden peculiar treasure, until He returns to get His Church first, then back to earth to get this treasure of Israel.

Israel will then be “justified”, “separated” and become a Spirit-filled people!

The Lord Jesus died for the nation of Israel, but the results of that death are not at this time complete.

Israel is still hidden in the that purchased field in this world!

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Much of the so-called Church says that God has cast away and forgotten these people, but this is far from the truth!

True Israel is that treasure still hidden in that field that was also purchased by the blood of Jesus, who will come again!

1) To complete the redemption of His Church at the Rapture and
2) Reclaim Israel.

The One pearl of greatest value is the Church.

Eph_5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

This pearl is taken out of the Sea, way down from the dark bottom out of the mouth of an animal!

We are told that a miserable grain of soil, embeds itself between the animal (the oyster) and its shell and this process continues until a beautiful pearl is produced.

A pearl of great price.
A pearl with the colors of the rainbow from Heaven are blended together.

It is then taken up and becomes the priceless jewel in the crown of the kingdom.

This pearl is a type of the Church!

This pearl is still forming today and has not yet reached the beauty it will one day have, when the Lord calls the Church home!

The Lord returns to claim the treasure that is still hidden (Israel), He will bring that Pearl (Church) with Him!

*Mat 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Mat 13:48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Mat 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Mat 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The kingdom of heaven is not the Church Age?

At the end of the Church Age, the Lord recalls His Church to remain with Him forevermore.

At the end of the Church Age, the seven years of Tribulation will begin.

In every age there is miscellaneous multitude of young and old, good and evil, people who move about this world at liberty in the wide expanse of what we call life.

It is the same for the fish that move about in the many oceans and seas.

God has dropped His invisible lines down into the Sea of Life and they are silently and slowly creeping in around us!

God will separate the wheat from the tares at the end of the Church Age.

Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

God will gather this large net into the shore one day and that day is not as far off as we may realize.

This shall be at the completion of the seven most horrible years upon this earth.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

In the previous parables, the Church and Israel have been regathered.

So this is not the “Gospel Net”, as in the Church Age, as it is sometimes called.

We already know that the seas represent the nations.

Rev 14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

The angels will be used to separate the wicked from the just.

The wicked will be cast into the ever-burning flames of Hell.

As far as these disciples are concerned, they know nothing of the Church Age at this time and will not realize it until after the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and Pentecost.

We have learned from these 7 parables of the mysteries of the kingdom of heavens beginning with the Apostolic Age and then the conditions we face up to the end.

These last 3 parables have shown us the mystery of Israel, the mystery of the Church, and the mystery of the ending of these ages.

All these things were taught to the 12 disciples. That great multitude only heard the first 2 parables.

Even those 12 chosen would not understand these things until they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

So Jesus then asked, “have you understood these things”?

*Mat 13:51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
Mat 13:52 Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

You see, since we know and understand these things, we are beginning our preparation to go out into the world in obedience to Jesus Christ just as the Apostles did!

The word “scribe” as used here means those who are skilled in the Word of God, who read and can make sense of the Word, as Ezra said, to the people of this world, especially those to whom God has called.

The old things are those things in the Old Testament that refer to the Messiah and the truth of God, and those new things are all the things of the New Covenant or the New Testament.

We need to understand, and we need to proclaim in a loving way to those who remain lost, this is the only opportunity they will have to spend time with those who are good according to the Word of God.

Once they leave this world their eternity will be filled with violence and eternal damnation.

We do not just walk up and tell them this for they need the “Gospel” before they need any bad news!

Those new things are summarized in these parables!

Then Jesus teaches us that once He has revealed all He came to reveal, He will be going back to Heaven until these Ages run their course, of course under His supervision.

*Mat 13:53 And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
Mat 13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

We can understand His own country as Nazareth and the area around Nazareth.

Luk 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
Luk 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus had never preached in this synagogue of Nazareth, His hometown, where He grew up with Mary and Joseph, but it was now time to do so.

No one had paid much attention to this Son of God as He grew, but they would now hear the true Word of God.

They were now astonished at His wisdom and this wisdom was from God, Jehovah God.

To His hometown, Jesus declared that He was the Messiah come from God.

Luk 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
Luk 4:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Luk 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

Yes, this Jesus was the same Jesus who had a stepfather named Joseph who had trained Him to be a Carpenter.

This was a very humble family!

*Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Mat 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
Mat 13:57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Mat 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Yes, this mother was the Virgin Mary, selected by God to bring the Messiah into the world.

This is the place where we learn some about the children fathered by Joseph, which were James, Joses, Simon and Judas and there were sisters also, which means more than one sister and some say three sisters.

The Lord Jesus was rejected because the people of Nazareth could not understand where such a man from such a humble family could have the wisdom of God!

The Virgin Mary had become housewife and mother and neither Mary nor Joseph had achieved any prominence nor had any of the children and nothing else changed with this family of children until the Lord Jesus was crucified and then He raised Himself from that grave.

The people of Nazareth decided that Jesus could not be who He claimed to be!

Jesus was rejected because these people were offended at Him!

The word offended means they stumbled over the truth!

They could not imagine that someone they had seen grow up, to be the Messiah sent from Heaven.

They could not imagine a man from their own little city could make such claims as Jesus was making.

This became the same sentiment of all of Israel.

Joh 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

Mat 27:39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
Mat 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

This is where the world is at today.

If we think about it, how else would God have made Himself known.

He could have come down in a rocket ship and the whole world would have believed.

Many would have believed in fright.
Many would believe and tried to destroy Him.

The Book of Genesis says we were created in God’s image, yet the same book says that God is Spirit.

So the image of God is not in looks, but in traits and the Lord Jesus Christ is the express image of His Father and the example we are to follow.

So we must choose to shrink King Jesus down to our level, or to accept Him for who He says He is!

If we look at all the miracles that He did, then we must accept Him as the Messiah.
If we look at all the prophecies that were fulfilled in Him, then we must accept Him as the Messiah.
If we believe the Word of God, then we must accept that Jesus is the Messiah.
If we look out at our created world, then we must believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

The Lord Jesus Christ is 100% God, and He was also 100% man.

There is no other explanation!

If Jesus is the Messiah, then He is our Lord and Savior, and this is my belief!

Unbelief leaves no alternative to salvation!

Unbelief hurts our God who has tried His best to show us the truth!

So choose to believe the truth and be saved, or choose to disregard the truth and suffer the wrath of God.

To not choose is to disregard the truth!

The greatest sin in all the world, is to be ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

Justified By Faith And Faith Alone

/ Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Justification By Faith

Galatians 2:11-21

What is justification? First, justification is the opposite of condemnation!

In the Webster dictionary, justifying is an action that is conformable to law.

In law, justifying is showing in court why a defendant did what he or she was charged with doing.

In God’s Law, Justification is the judicial act of God, by which He pardons “all” sin of those that place their “Faith” in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What are the facts?

God declares every believer righteous, on the basis of the blood shed by Jesus Christ!

The most simple meaning of “justification” is “to be declared righteous”!

The justification of each believer is a gift of “God’s Grace”!

Rom 3:24 Being “justified freely by his grace” through the redemption “that is in Christ Jesus”:

Justification can come only by “Faith”!

Rom 5:1 Therefore being “justified by faith”, we have peace with God “through our Lord Jesus Christ”:

Justification is only possible through the blood Christ Jesus shed on the Cross!

Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now “justified by his blood”, we shall be “saved from wrath through him”.

Justification has nothing to do with keeping man-made Laws!

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.

The greatest thing we realize as Christians is the truth that we are justified by God and not by something we can do ourselves!

One of the biggest problems we have in any Church is that so many drift away from the truth.

In this lesson we will deal with some of the problems that are in every Church.

Let’s continue to see the truth of God’s Grace.

*****Gal 2:11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

We will first see that every believer that becomes a backslider must be confronted.

Before Peter had come to the Church in Antioch we know that there had already been that first council in Jerusalem and the direction of the Church was already laid out by all the Apostles and James the half-brother of the Lord.

Act 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
Act 15:30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
Act 15:31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

It was after all these things that Peter came to the Church in Antioch of Syria.

Antioch of Syria was a great Church and was made up mostly of Gentiles but there were also many Jews.

It was from this great Church of Antioch of Syria where missionaries were first sent out into the uttermost part of this world in obedience to the Words of Jesus Christ.

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

It was therefore extremely important that the message that would be going out to the world would be comprised of the entire truth of the “Gospel”.

This incident with Peter is not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

This incident also indicates that Peter may have been trying to seek a compromise with those so-called Judaizers.

It is also important for us all to see that the Apostle Paul stood on equal ground with all the other Apostles.

Every new Church was to be established by the “Grace of God” and not by any authority handed down from Jerusalem.

Peter certainly did not intend to hinder the growth of Body of Christ but his actions would certainly do so and Paul confronted him face to face.

Paul did not go to the other leaders.

Paul did not write some new epistle about Peter.

Paul went straight to Peter and confronted him face to face.

Sometimes compromise is the right thing to do to bring peace and harmony but there can never be any compromise when it comes to salvation!

There can be no compromise with false teaching and our own actions must be according to the truth of God.

What had Peter done?

*****Gal 2:12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

Now we may not know why the Apostle Peter came to Antioch but God has a purpose behind everything that happens.

When Peter had gotten to Antioch, he had had no problem eating and being in fellowship with those Gentile believers.

We already know that James believed the same as Paul but in Jerusalem many legalistic Jews clinged to the Laws of Moses as the basis of their own salvation and in their zeal wanted all believers to do the same as they.

These men had come from the Church in Jerusalem but they had not been sent by James nor any of the Church elders!

Salvation comes by the “Gospel of Jesus Christ”!

The “Gospel of Jesus Christ” stands alone as the only means of salvation and cannot be added to other religious beliefs!

The word religion means actually external service.

Godliness is about saving the Soul!

When those Judaizers saw Peter in fellowship with all those Gentiles they must have confronted Peter and he then yielded to them.

To the Jew it was sin to fellowship with Gentiles!

What does God say?

Pro 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Peter had just got caught in a snare of the Devil!

When Peter withdrew himself from the Gentiles, then the Church of Antioch was split between a gospel of works, versus the “Gospel of Grace”.

Every time a Pastor compromises with legalistic believers or with any false doctrine he then becomes a people-pleaser and the Church will begin to suffer and fail!

Paul did not blame those that held to false doctrine, Paul blamed the Apostle Peter.

Paul loved Peter enough to straighten him out on the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul loved the Church enough to not see it fail in his lifetime!

Paul had more zeal for the “Gospel of Grace” than he had ever been zealous for Judaism.

God had more than one purpose for the Apostle Paul!

Before Paul confronted Peter, this split of the Church in Antioch became so volatile that even Barnabas got caught up in it.

*****Gal 2:13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

That word dissembled means: to be concealed under a false appearance or disguise.

Peter had become a hypocrite and all the Jews in the Church joined with him and also became hypocrites!

What we should realize is, that all those in a leadership position in the Church have a tremendous responsibility before the other Church members and any visitors.

We should also realize that when we say we are Christian, the world will judge us by our actions.

All the world truly hates the hypocrite!

A legalistic point of view was just about to shut the doors of the first Gentile Church!

Barnabas did not play an active part in this hypocrisy but he did get caught off guard and he began witnessing his Church fall apart.

Barnabas was reaching a point to where he was going to have to choose a side to save some part of his Church.

So what had Peter done that that had caused these things?

*****Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

1) Peter had become a hypocrite.

Peter had taught the truth but his life was teaching something else altogether.

2) Peter had become a people-pleaser.

Even though Peter knew better, he had followed the crowd simply because they had put much pressure on him to do so.

3) Peter had respect for some above some others.

We must live our lives according to the truth of the “Gospel of Grace”!

The “Gospel” declares that God loves all people the same:

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The Gospel declares that God is no respecter of persons and even Peter knew this:

Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

The “Gospel” declares that we are to please God and if that pleases mankind then great but if that does not please mankind then it is a problem that man has and not God!

1Th 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

Paul said to Peter, “Peter, you do not even try to keep the Laws of Moses yourself, why in the world would you compel these Gentiles to do these things”.

You see Peter also knew about those dietary laws of Moses.

Act 10:13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Act 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
Act 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common”.

These things teach us that even Peter was not infallible and would not have made a good Pope as some in the Catholic Church believe he did.

In reality there has never been a man that was infallible.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ was the sinless Son of God!

The Apostle Peter was a sinner saved by the “Grace of God”, just like the Apostle Paul and just like we all are that know the Lord Jesus Christ on a personal level!

If you think you cannot be led astray by some false doctrine, then when you hear any such thing you must remember we are only saved by the “Grace of God”.

This is still God’s plan and God will never change His plan!

It is only the Living God who can justify any of us!

*****Gal 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
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.

**Paul reminded these Galatians that he was also a Jew. Paul was a Jew by birth and bloodline.

**Paul reminded these Galatians how the Jews felt about themselves. The Jews considered themselves righteous by the acts of their religion which was Judaism.

The Jews considered Jehovah to be the God of the Jews but not the God of the Gentiles.

**Paul reminded these Galatians that these same Jews considered all Gentiles to be “rank sinners” unworthy of salvation.

**Then Paul reminded these Galatians that salvation did not come by bloodline. Salvation comes to all, whosoever, the same way.

Salvation comes by “Faith” but that “Faith” must be in Jesus Christ!

Every Jew that had come to Jesus Christ had to admit that their religion, their rituals, their obedience to the Law, and their works could not save them!

In fact everyone of any and all religions must admit this same thing!

1) No one is justified and made acceptable to God by any works of their own or any law that they try to keep!

What is the question?

By what means can man, God’s creation, stand before our Righteous God?

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

What are the facts? Mankind can only be justified by faith!

Not just any faith but by the faith on the works of Jesus Christ!

If there were such a law or group of laws that man could live by to become justified, then we already know that there is no one who can keep even the Laws of Moses all their life without breaking one or more of those laws.

What is the result? We all come short of the Glory of God!

What did God say to Moses?

Exo 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
Exo 33:21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
Exo 33:22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:

The truth is that every thing that lives in God’s presence must be perfect and complete!

For man to justify themselves they must do at least one of these 3 things.

a) Man can only deny that he or she broke God’s Law.

b) Man can only say they had the right to break God’s Law.

c) Man can only deny knowledge of God’s Law.

What is the truth?

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

To serve a perfect God then we ourselves must be perfect and mankind simply does not have that ability to do this.

Psa 139:6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Is their some sort of work or some law to be kept to overcome these things? God says no!

An imperfect being can never obtain perfection it’s own!

No matter what we as humans do to learn perfection, we will always come up short and there will always the thought that we can do better so we can be better!

This is a false hope!

When we believe that our salvation is dependent on some work that we can do, or some law that we can keep, we will soon realize that we are hopelessly lost forever and we will know that we have need of a Savior!

Rom 3:19 Now we know that 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 3:20 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.

2) A person is justified by “Faith” of Jesus Christ and He alone.

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Notice that we can only be “Justified” by the Faith of Jesus Christ.

**It was Jesus Christ who did the impossible!

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, “who knew no sin”; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

It was Jesus Christ who kept all the Laws, who did all the works and He was “faithful” to do all these things for our salvation!

Justification does not mean we have been made righteous!

Justification means we will be treated as righteous because Jesus Christ was faithful to do what none of us could do!

Justification is necessary because we all have sinned and come up short of the Glory of God!

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

**God can only justify the believer who accepts this truth of His Son Jesus Christ!

God loves each of us so much that He came to this Earth Himself, in the form of Jesus Christ, in order to “Justify” us all who would believe!

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

God is willing to justify each of us because Jesus Christ was faithful to obey His Father!

2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Jesus Christ came into this world to conquer death because He knew we did not have that ability!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

What is the truth?

All those that truly believe in the work of Jesus Christ to obtain our salvation are counted as righteous enough to stand before our righteous God!

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

What are the facts?

The fact is that God the Father, loves God the Son so much that He will justify any human being who honors His only begotten Son!

We can only stand before God if we stand in the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ!

What are the facts?

Faith in Jesus Christ is God’s righteousness and the only righteousness that can make each believer acceptable to God!

Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

And no one will ever be misled by Jesus Christ!

*****Gal 2:17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
Gal 2:18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

We must first realize why we are sinners. We are not sinners because because we sin!

We sin because we are sinners!

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

The question stated in this verse is, Can Jesus Christ be making us to be even greater sinners by trusting in Him rather than trusting the Laws of Moses?

The answer is—God forbids this to happen!

Does trusting in Christ Jesus make it easy for us to break the law by knowing we will always be forgiven? We are foolish to think in this way!

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Then shall we continue in sin knowing that God has more “Grace” than He does “Wrath”?

Again God forbids this also!

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

We must realize that “Justification” cannot come by keeping any law.

Those that make there own selves righteous by laws are sinners!

Laws can only show us how we fail!

At the same time we cannot reject the laws!

The Law still has it’s place in the plan of God just as much as “Faith”!

Every “Born Again” child of God brought to Him by the “Faith” of Jesus Christ, will then seek to please God.

We cannot please God by if we are always at odds with the laws of this world.

We must only remain at odds with all those things that go against the Word of God!

Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

We must all them live according to the ways of Jesus Christ!

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Living in the ways of Jesus is living in the ways of God!

*****Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

How can we truly live for God? God must become the controlling principle of our lives!

**1) We must die to the law.

The purpose of the Law is to show us that we are sinners.

The purpose of the Law is to show us just how far short we are of becoming righteous and perfect.

The purpose of the Law is to show us that we stand no chance of ever being accepted by a Holy God!

The Law condemns us to death!

Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: “which is the second death”.

The only hope of Salvation is to die to the Law.

And there is no hope in self-righteousness!

**2) We must be crucified with Christ Jesus.

*****Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This can only take place when we truly believe that Jesus Christ bore all our sin and actually died a sure death on Calvary’s Cross!

This is the “Faith” that we must have!

If we are not identified with Christ Jesus then we cannot be saved!

Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

God can count us as already being punished only because He has accepted the death of His Son!

Our security lies in our “Faith”!

**3) We must live for God.

We must surrender ourselves to the work that God has placed before us!

We must allow Jesus Christ to live in our heart!

We cannot be in charge of our own life we must allow Christ Jesus full control of our life!

Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

We must allow Jesus Christ to live through our body!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

**4) We must trust in the “Grace of God”!

*****Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

To “frustrate” the “Grace of God” means we can make the “Grace of God” useless.

Frustrate means to set aside, make void, or make ineffective.

When we frustrate the “Grace of God” we have done away with the Love of God!

When we frustrate the “Grace of God” we have made the death of Jesus Christ meaningless!

God’s Grace and God’s Love are one and the same!

Faith is the key to a loving relationship with our God!

Being found in Jesus Christ is being found in His righteousness which is our only means of pleasing God!

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Most of us try to schedule Jesus into a small part of our lives and when we do this we have missed the purpose of the Cross!

The cross that Jesus bore was not made for carrying!

The cross that Jesus Christ bore for us was made for dying!

Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

There is no pride in the weight of our own cross and the burdens we try to carry.

The purpose of the cross was to teach us to die to our own selves!

This is why Jesus spoke these words:

Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Mat 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus Christ carried all our burdens of sin to His death on the cross.

To be “Justified” we must die to ourselves and live a New Life through Jesus Christ!

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Questions?

Let’s Pray!