Body: | How Can Man Be Justified With God?
The dictionary defines the word justify as "To declare guiltless or
blameless". This word as it is used in a Biblical way, "To regard and treat
as righteous on the ground of Christ's mediatorial work".
The Apostle Paul said in Romans Chapter 5, verse 1, "Therefore being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ".
He continued his message to the people in Rome by stating in Romans Chapter
6, verses 17 and 18, "But God be thanked, that you were the servants of
sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was
delivered you. Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of
righteousness".
Sin is the only thing that will separate man from God. Romans Chapter 3,
verses 23 through 26, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitation through faith in
his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which
believeth in Jesus".
When a person comes to realize he is a sinner and is separated from God as
the result of sin, he is in the position to look for the way to be
justified with God or to have sins forgiven in order to be regarded as
righteous on the ground of Christ's mediatorial work.
The writer of the Roman letter, the inspired apostle, stated clearly that
being justified by faith and making peace with God will be realized when
our faith is great enough to cause us to obey from the heart the form of
doctrine delivered. (Romans Chapter 6, verses 17-18)
The doctrine delivered is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. In
I Corinthians Chapter 15, verses 1 through 5, "Moreover, brethren, I
declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have
received, and wherein you stand; By which also you are saved, if you keep
in memory what', I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. For
I delivered unto you first ol' all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was
buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures".
The doctrine was the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. One cannot
obey the facts of the gospel, but one can obey a form of his death, burial
and resurrection. When one has come to believe that Jesus is God's son and
the saviour of man from his sins, he being moved by faith to repent of his
sins, that is, he determines to discontinue to live in sin, he being
willing to confess that faith in Christ as beina God's son is a proper
subject to be buried in baptism for the remission of sins, then raised a
new creature.
In Acts Chapter 2, the Apostle Peter talking to the ones in sin told them
they had crucified the Son of God. They were concerned about their
condition, thereby showing faith. They asked in Acts Chapter 2, verse 37,
"Men and brethren, what shall we do?". In verse 38, "Then Peter said unto
them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost"'. In Acts Chapter 2, verse 41, it states, "Then they that gladly
received his word were baptized". And in verse 47, we see the blessing
received. It says they were "praising God, and having favour with all the
people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved".
Their being saved is equivalent to being justified with God as to be
justified means to be declared guiltless or blameless or to be regarded as
righteous on the ground of Christ's mediatorial work.
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