Jul17-23: Justified by Faith

Teaching Points

1. What is Justified or justification by faith?

ANSWER:

• Strong’s: H6663—to be right, to cleanse, clear self, be righteous.
• G1344—to render just or innocent.
• Innocence by faith
• Rom. 3:19, 20—contextually justified is the opposite of guilty. The answer to guilt is justification.

2. What is faith?

ANSWER:

• Heb. 11:1—Substance of things hoped for; evidence of things not seen.
• Faith is hoping for something that is not yet happened based on God’s promise.
• Justification by faith is innocence based on a future promised event.  

3. Who receives justification?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:20—those who believe. 

4. What makes it possible for us to be justified?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:24, 25—redemption and propitiation of Christ. 
• Redemption: ransom paid in full, riddance.
• Propitiation: Expiatory (place or thing), atoning victim, to expire, die away, finish, also the lid of the ark (mercy seat). Sprinkling of blood of atoning victim and mercy seat on the Day of Atonement expiated sin. 

5. Where else does the Bible use the word propitiation?

ANSWER:

• Heb. 9:5—Mercy seat. True justification takes place in the Most Holy Place.
• Propitiation in Romans 3:25 is that act of saving us and the Most Holy Place is where He (Jesus) does His final work of redemption. 

OBSERVATION:

• Justified means to declare or render innocent or just—the opposite of guilty.
• Faith is hope in a promised future event.
• Justification by faith means made innocent by hope in a future promised event—being declared innocent (justification).
• Justification comes only to those who believe.
• Redemption is the process of salvation including the propitiation and the remission of past sins.
• The Mercy Seat was where the blood of the expiatory victim was sprinkled to expiate sin. The propitiation is not finished until the blood is used to expiate or blot out sin.
• True justification takes place in the Most Holy Place where Jesus does His final work of redemption.

6. How is the work of propitiation done?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:25—though faith in His blood. Blood does the work of propitiation or atones. Blood transferred sin.
•  The final purpose of redemption is not just to take away sin but also to blot out sin so there is no more record of past sins on the person’s account.

7. What step must Jesus take before the work of remission of sins is complete?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:25—He must declare His righteousness for remission of past sin.
• This clearly indicates that Christ stands between God and the sinner pleading His blood and righteousness on behalf of the sinner.

8. How is “declare” defined?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:25—evident token, proof, evidence, sign, demonstration. “To declare”—a declaration, an act of legal pronouncement. 

9. What clues do we have that this declaration and remission of sin happens in the future?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:22, 28 justified by faith.
• Rom. 3:25 Jesus declares His righteousness for sin that are past.
• This future event only deals with past sins—not future sin—therefore this declaration of Christ’s righteousness and actual remitting of sin must take place during a specific time right before probation closes—during the Antitypical day of Atonement or judgment. (Declaring one innocent or justified must take place in a judgment setting).
• Isa. 43:25, 26 declaring and blotting out of sin are related to justification.

10. Who is Jesus the justifier of?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 3:26—Him which believeth in Jesus.  

OBSERVATION:

• Propitiation is done by blood.
• Blood is used not only to take away sin but also to blot out sin—complete expiation.
• The believer puts his faith in the promise of his sins being taken away and completely blotted out by Jesus’ blood.
• Before past sins are remitted, Christ must declare His righteousness before the Father on the sinner’s behalf. 
• This declaration is a legal pronouncement. 
• By faith in Christ’s death for us and faith that He credits His righteousness in place of our past record of sins, Jesus saves us from sin—this is justification. Now by faith, Jesus’ record of righteousness is put in the place of our record of sins.
• Both declaration and blotting out of sin is involved in justification.
• The condition of justification is believing or faith.

SOP

• We have the precious promise that every sin, if sincerely repented of, will be forgiven. To turn to God with contrition of soul, claiming the merits of the blood of Christ, will bring to us light, pardon, and peace. But we must turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, with a decision to be doers of the words of Christ. Our past sins will sometimes come to mind, and cast a shadow over our faith, so that we can see nothing but merited punishment in store for us. But at such times, while we feel sorrow for sin, we should look to Jesus, and believe that he has pardoned our transgressions. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." To those who, though they have repented, are troubled over their past sins, who are tempted to think that perhaps they are not forgiven, Christ says, "Go, and sin no more." You have found peace with God; through his grace you have entered upon a new life; "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Then allow no unbelief to come in. Commit the keeping of your souls unto God as to a faithful Creator; he will keep that which is committed to his trust against that day. Instead of looking inward with regret and despair, look outward and upward in faith. Unless you are constantly fighting the fight of faith, the past will press its shadow over the present.  {RH, January 13, 1891 par. 12} 
• All who have truly repented of sin, and by faith claimed the blood of Christ as their atoning sacrifice, have had pardon entered against their names in the books of Heaven; as they have become partakers of the righteousness of Christ, and their characters are found to be in harmony with the law of God, their sins will be blotted out, and they themselves will be accounted worthy of eternal life. The Lord declares, by the prophet Isaiah, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” [Isaiah 43:25.] Said Jesus, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven.” [Revelation 3:5; Matthew 10:32, 33.]  {GC88 483.2}
• Imputation of the righteousness of Christ comes through justifying faith, and is the justification for which Paul so earnestly contends. He says: "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. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 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 propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. . . . Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law" (Romans 3:20-31).  {1SM 397.4}

CONCLUSION:

• Paul describes justification as the answer to the problem of guilt. In definition justification is innocent or being declared innocent.
• Justification is Christ’s righteousness legally declared in the place of a person’s past record of sin. When the sinner accepts Christ by faith, then God looks at His life as innocent—no longer guilty.
• True justification takes place in the Most Holy Place where Jesus finishes His work of redemption.
• Both declaration and blotting out of sin is involved in justification.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• Do you realize the importance of the work Jesus is doing in the Most Holy Place right now for you?
• Are you thankful for Jesus pleading for your salvation?
• Does this truth drive you to deeper consecration and love for our wonderful Saviour? 
• Are you accepting Christ’s righteousness in place of your record of sin by faith?