Justified – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: Justified

Romans 8:30 – Righteous & Glorious

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Will

And whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Truth to Learn

All Christians have been called, justified, and glorified!

Behind the Words

The word translated “justified” is dikaioō, which means “to regard as just, innocent, or righteous.”

“Glorified” is from doxadzo, meaning “to consider or to make glorious” or “to give honor to someone.”

Meaning Explained

Paul told us that all things work together for good to those “who are the called according to His purpose.” And, those whom God foreknew He predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. Now he tells us those whom He foreknew and predestined, He also called, justified, and glorified. Let’s look at each of these three things. All of these verbs (foreknew, predestined, called, justified, and glorified) are expressed in the Greek aorist tense indicating that all these things were done at a point in time in the past.

What does it mean to be “called” by God? There are two senses of this word. The first is often referred to as the “external call.” This is a simple invitation to action. In Matthew chapter 22, Christ referred to a man who was present at a wedding without a wedding garment. The master of the wedding had asked his servants to invite as many as they could find to the wedding and this man may have heard the invitation. But, this man did not have the wedding garment, which was a sign of true invitation. As a result, the master of the wedding commanded that this man be cast into outer darkness, stating that “many are called but few are chosen.” This man heard the external call. The other sense of the word is referred to as the “internal call.” Going back to Christ’s parable, the guests who had the official wedding garment were ones who received the internal call. They were the true guests; they were chosen.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

It is because of this gift, this calling, this predestination, that we are also justified, that is, in God’s record book we are marked as having the righteousness of Christ, not because we have done anything, but because God chose us. That’s grace!

Finally, Paul tells us that because God has justified us, He has also glorified us. Even though from our perspective this hasn’t yet happened, from God’s perspective He has already glorified us. He has already given us our glorified bodies and made us in all ways like Christ.

Application

The Bible teaches us that we have been chosen by God; therefore, let’s submit to His will and commit to serving Him and glorifying Him with every fiber of our being. And, let’s give all the praise to God!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:24 – Free Righteousness

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Will

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Truth to Learn

Through faith in Jesus Christ we are declared to be righteous.

Behind the Words

“Being justified” is translated from dikaioō. This is based on dikaios, which as we saw in verse ten means “meeting God’s standard of always doing what is right.” The oō ending of a verb generally indicates “bringing out something about a person.” The verb is expressed here in the passive voice indicating action done to someone. So, this word means that someone is being declared righteous.

The word translated “freely” is dorean, an adverb based on the noun dorea, which refers to “a gift.” Hence, dorean means “gratuitously” or “as a free gift.”

“Grace” is translated from charis, which refers to “a favor done without expectation of anything in return.”

The word “redemption” is translated from apolutrōsis, which is a compound word made up of apo, meaning “from or away from” and a form of lutron, which means “a ransom that is paid for someone.” It denotes the rescuing of captives (sinners) from captivity (sin) through the payment of a ransom (Christ’s blood) for them.

Meaning Explained

Paul now continues on his statement of justification by faith, declaring to us that even though we are all sinners and have come short of God’s glory, we can be declared righteous (justified). Since we are all sinners, we need to be redeemed. So what does this mean? The fact that Paul used apolutrōsis instead of simply lutron implies that not only was a ransom paid for us (the blood of Jesus Christ) but, having paid that ransom, He also took us away from the captor (sin).

Here’s a deeper explanation of what this verse says.

Because of the faith spoken of in verse 22, because we believed in the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary, even though we are sinners, we are justified (declared righteous by God) freely (without payment on our part, simply as a gift) by God’s grace (a favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God) through the ransom that was paid for us by Jesus Christ (His blood), and we have been taken out of our captivity to sin.

Wow! Read that again!

In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul said almost the same thing in a slightly different way:

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Application

Paul has shown us that there is no way we could earn the righteousness that we need to stand before Almighty God. He has also shown us that we can obtain that righteousness for free, simply by believing in the blood of Christ.

If that doesn’t drive us to our knees in praise and adoration, nothing will!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 3:20 – Good Deeds

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Will

Therefore by the works of law no flesh will be justified in His presence, for through the law is the knowledge of sin.

Truth to Learn

No one can do enough good deeds to be saved.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is translated from the Greek word dioti, which is a compound word made up of dia, meaning “through” or “by” and hoti, which means “that.” Hence, dioti basically means “through that, because of that, or for this reason.”

The word “works” is from ergon which means “a product of labor, a work, or a deed.”

The word translated “flesh” is sarx, which literally means “flesh of a living creature.” It is used here to denote all of mankind, both Jew and Gentile.

“Justified” is from dikaioō, which means “to declare someone righteous” or “to make someone righteous.”

The phrase “in His presence” is translated from enōpion. This is another compound word. It is made up of en, indicating a static position (in, on, over, etc.) and ops (a derivation of optomai – to see) which refers to “sight” or “eyes.” So, literally this word means “in His sight,” though it is often translated “before Him” or “in His presence.”

The word translated “knowledge” is the Greek word epignosis, which means more than simply knowing something. It means “to recognize and understand something” or “to have full knowledge of something.”

Meaning Explained

Remember that whenever we see a “wherefore” or a “therefore” we need to see what it’s there for. In the previous verse we learned that the Law was given so that all those who tried to obey the Law would be found guilty before God without excuse. Therefore, that is, in light of this fact, because of this… “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His presence.”

What Paul is saying is that justification before God cannot be obtained by obeying any set of rules no matter who made the rules. Why? Because it is through rules (Law) that we recognize sin and sinfulness.

If you recall the account of the temptation of Adam and Eve, up until God gave them the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were without sin. If they had eaten of the tree before they were told not to, they would not have been sinning; but due to the fact that they had been commanded not to, it suddenly became sinful to do so.

What Paul is telling us in these verses is that we cannot become righteous by following any set of rules, whether God-made or man-made. How then can one become righteous before God? Is it impossible? Paul is going to begin telling us in the next two verses.

Application

Just because we can’t be declared righteous through doing good deeds doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do them. We ought to do them out of obedience and gratitude. In other words, we can’t be saved by doing good deeds, but once we are saved, we should do them because we want to, not because we have to.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:24 – Works Prove Faith

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Will

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Truth to Learn

Your works of obedience confirm that your faith is real and alive.

Behind the Words

The opening word of this verse in the Greek text is a form of horaō, which literally means “to stare.” By implication, however, it means “to see,” “to discern,” or “to understand.” The tense and mood of this particular word can be interpreted as either present, indicative (meaning “you are currently discerning”) or present, imperative (meaning “discern,” as a command). So, either James is stating a fact in conclusion or he is demanding that the reader accept what he is saying.

The word translated “justified” is a form of dikaioō, which is a derivative of dikaios, meaning “just” or “righteous.” The oō ending to a Greek verb generally indicates a quality or characteristic. Hence, dikaioō, refers to a person having the characteristic of being righteous or just. This verb is expressed here in the passive voice, indicating that it is a characteristic that is given to a person, not one which a person gives himself. James is saying that a man becomes justified, or a man is declared righteous, by works and not by faith only.

The last word in this verse is the Greek word monon which means “only” or “alone.” Without this word this verse is in violent disagreement with all the verses around it.

Meaning Explained

This verse is often taken out of context and misquoted to try to prove that salvation is works based. If you use this verse in isolation of the others and drop the last word you get,

You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith …

But, James is not declaring that we are saved by works. Works cannot save us. There were people in James’ day, just as there are today, who claimed to be saved by faith and believed that they can “live like the devil” without reprisal because they are saved by faith. But the apostle has clearly articulated that a faith which is not accompanied by works of obedience is an empty, dead faith. He says, “You can’t have just faith alone!”

James is in the process of backing-up his argument with a couple of examples, the first of which is Abraham. As a result of his having believed God, Abraham was declared to be righteous. He was saved by faith. James declares, however, that it was Abraham’s obedience to God, his works, which proved his faith was real. As we have discussed for several verses now, it is the good works, the godly living, and submission to God’s will, that prove our faith to be genuine saving faith.

So, James’ conclusion regarding Abraham is that he is justified by works, not by faith alone. Without the proof given by his works, his faith is empty, void, dead, and not a saving faith.

Application

Only you and God really know if your faith is genuine, if you have truly submitted yourself to God, and have accepted the blood of His Son as payment for your sins. If you are truly saved, your works will demonstrate it to others.

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:21 – Faithful Obedience

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Will

Abraham our father – was he not justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

Truth to Learn

It is our works of obedience to God which demonstrate that our saving faith is genuine.

Behind the Words

“Father” is translated from the Greek word patēr, which refers to a person’s biological father. However, it is also used to refer to any ancestor, and in a spiritual sense is applied to God. James’ use of the word here obviously refers to an ancestor, and since he was writing primarily to converted Jews, he refers to Abraham as “our” father.

Dikaioo is the Greek word translated “justified.” It is the verb form of the noun dikaios, which means “righteous” or “just.” The verb is expressed here in the passive voice, indicating an action that is done to the subject (Abraham). Thus, this word means that Abraham was “justified” or “made righteous” because his works proved his saving faith.

The word which is translated “offered” is anapherō, which is a compound word made up of ana, meaning “up” and pherō, which means “to bear” or “to carry.” Hence, it literally means to “carry-up.” It is a picture of a person carrying a sacrifice up to an altar and is, therefore, translated as “offered.”

Meaning Explained

This is James’ first example of someone who was “justified by works.” In Genesis chapter fifteen, we see Abraham having just rescued the people of Sodom, including his nephew Lot, from the armies of Chedorlaomer. That night, God spoke to Abraham in a vision. Abraham responded by complaining to God that He had not yet fulfilled His promise of a son for Abraham. God then reiterated His promise to Abraham that he would, indeed, have a son born to him and He took Abraham outside saying:

“Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Then in the following verse we read:

And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

That was the point in time when Abraham was saved, that is, declared righteous before God. However, it wasn’t until about fifteen years later that God finally blessed Abraham with his son, Isaac. Then, when Isaac was a teenager, God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice on Mt. Moriah. When Abraham was about to slay Isaac on the altar, God stopped him, having seen that Abraham was willing to be obedient to Him even in offering up his most cherished son.

James is telling us in the current verse that it was this obedient action regarding the offering of his long awaited, promised son that proved Abraham’s faith. In a very real sense, James says that Abraham was justified by works. That is, his action of obedience was the proof of his faith in God. God did not declare Abraham righteous at this point, because He had already done so, and once a person has been declared righteous by God, that person is forever righteous in God’s eyes. Abraham believed that God would make his descendants as numerous as the stars, and he proved his faith by being willing to sacrifice Isaac, believing that God could raise him up.

Application

Does your obedience to God demonstrate that you believe the blood of Jesus has cleansed you from your sin? Or are you still trying to earn or justify your salvation by doing good works of your own choosing or those prescribed by your church?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Corinthians 4:4 – The Final Judge

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Will

For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.

Truth to Learn

Serve God with diligence and with a humble spirit. Don’t worry about what others say.

Behind the Words

“I know” is translated from the Greek verb suneidō, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and eidō, meaning “to know.” Together they mean “to be consciously aware of.” It is expressed in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.

The word “nothing” is from oudeis, which is made up of ou, meaning “not” and heis, meaning “one” or “one thing.” So, oudeis literally means “not one thing.”

Dikaioō is the word translated “justified.” It means “to bring out the fact that a person is righteous or without fault.” It is also expressed here in the perfect tense.

The word “judges” is translated from anakrinō, which we saw in yesterday’s verse meaning, “to discern, to decide, or to judge.” It is expressed as a present tense participle, indicating continuous ongoing action. We could paraphrase the end of this verse as “He who is continuously examining me is the Lord.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse, Paul boldly proclaimed that it is a very little thing to him if he is judged by the Corinthians or even a court of law (remember, this literally reads “man’s day”). He went on to say that he does not even make judgment against himself. In today’s verse he clarifies this last statement. He says that he is not consciously aware of anything against himself. In classical Greek literature, the expression he used means “I am not conscious regarding myself of any guilt or neglect of duty.” He is not claiming to have reached a state of sinlessness (which some refer to as “complete sanctification”), rather he is saying that regarding his ministry in Corinth, he is not aware of any malpractice or negligence of duty. He did what God called him to do and he did it wholeheartedly for God, not for himself.

He quickly follows this up with, “yet I am not justified by this.” In other words, just because he is not consciously aware of any faults in his ministry, it does not mean that he is claiming himself guiltless. He leaves here the possibility that he may have committed some act of neglect or malpractice in his ministry to the Corinthians. If so, he simply states that he is not aware of such an act.

In a final statement on the subject, Paul proclaims what should be obvious to any Christian: God is the Judge and final authority on all thoughts and actions of all Christians. If Paul had committed any neglect or malpractice while ministering to the Corinthians, he knows that God will judge such actions. That’s why it is such a small concern to him regarding what people in Corinth say.

Application

Each one of us has responsibilities that God has given us in spreading the gospel message and in building up His church. We are to perform such duties in complete subservience to God, not concerning ourselves with what others say about it. If we are doing our part as a totally committed servant, giving Him all the glory, then we needn’t be concerned about what others say. Give all you have and keep your eyes on Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 8:30 – Righteous & Glorious

Posted on July 4, 2010 by Will

Romans 8:30- Righteous & Glorious

Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Truth to Learn

All Christians have been called, justified, and glorified!

Behind the Words

The word translated “justified” is dikaioō, which means “to regard as just, innocent, or righteous.”

“Glorified” is from doxadzo, meaning “to consider or to make glorious” or “to give honor to someone.”

Meaning Explained

Now, Paul makes it very clear that those who are foreknown, predestinated, and called are truly saved Christians. How do we know that? Paul tells us that they were also justified. Remember that Paul started out this letter teaching us that justification does not come from obeying the Law; rather, it comes only by the grace of God through faith. He says it was not earned because if it was earned, then it was not of grace. It is the gift of God. That’s also what he says in Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. It is because of this gift, this calling, this predestination, that we are also justified, that is, we are imputed with the righteousness of Christ, not because we have done anything, but because God chose us. That’s grace!

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 5:9 – Saved from Wrath

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:9

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

Truth to Learn

Christians will not experience the effect of God’s wrath.

Behind the Words

The words “we shall be saved” are translated from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save, deliver, make whole, or preserve safe from danger.” It is written here in the future tense and passive voice, indicating something that will be done to us some time in the future.

“Wrath” is from the Greek word orgē, which refers to “wrath or anger as a state of mind.” Aristotle said that orgē, is strong desire with grief. Another word sometimes translated as “wrath” is thumos, which refers to “indignation, the outburst of angry actions stemming from wrath.” Thus we see that orgē refers to the angry feeling, not the action that stems from it.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul showed us the greatness of God’s love for us. Though we are sinners and not good or righteous people, Christ died for us. Paul continues with, “Much more then …” In other words, the statement to follow is of even greater significance.

He then says, “having now been justified by His blood.” At first appearance this may seem contradictory to what Paul has just taught us in the previous chapter, that we are justified by grace, through faith. Actually, these are fully in agreement with each other because the shedding of blood is what fulfills God’s law of justice making it possible for Him to mark us as righteous in His record book. As it says in Hebrews 9:22, “without shedding of blood there is no remission (of sins)”

Even though God is all powerful, He can only do what is consistent with His own righteousness and law of justice. That law requires that sin must be paid for with the shedding of blood. Therefore, it is the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross, the giving of His perfect life as substitutionary payment for our sins, that permits God to declare us righteous.

But Paul doesn’t stop there. The “Much more then” comment doesn’t refer to the shedding of Christ’s blood but to the fact that, “we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” Remember, while we are still sinners Christ died for us. But much greater than the fact that He died for us while we are still sinners is the fact that because of His blood we will be saved!

Once again this appears a little confusing since we refer to ourselves as having already been saved. You see, there are two aspects of our salvation. As a past and completed action we have already been marked in God’s book as righteous, and legally we have already been saved from the penalty of our sins. And, as a result, in the future we will be saved from the wrath of the Almighty Judge who will judge all men. That is to say, we will appear at the Bema Seat Judgment of Christ where we will be rewarded for the things we have done for Him, not at the Great White Throne Judgment where unsaved sinners will suffer the result of the wrath of God in the lake of fire.

Application

For a Christian, being saved doesn’t mean being saved from sin, it means being saved from the consequence of sin. It means that we will not experience God’s indignation. What a blessed truth!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 5:1 – Peace Through Faith

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:1

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

Salvation by faith produces peace with God.

Behind the Words

“We have” is from the Greek verb echō, meaning “to hold” or “to possess.” However, there is a variation in the form of this verb depending on which Greek manuscripts are used. Some texts have this in the indicative mood indicating it as a present fact (“we have” as it is translated here). Other texts have this verb expressed in either the subjunctive mood (“we may have” or “we should have”) or the imperative mood (“let us have” as a command). The difference in the readings is only the difference between an omicron (short o) and an omega (long ō). In spite of these differences, the reading of “we have peace” is justified by the fact that the parallel verbs (“we have” and “we rejoice”) in the following verse are both in the indicative mood.

The word translated “peace” is eirēnē, which does, in fact, mean “peace.” However, this is not so much an expression of contentment, satisfaction, and quiet, as it is “a state of reconciliation with God.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous chapters the Apostle Paul has shown:

1) That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;

2) That this applies to both Jews and Gentiles;

3) That there was no way to obtain righteousness (become justified) but by pardon, not by personal merit, but by grace, through faith;

4) That this was also the manner in which Abraham and David were accepted before God.

He will now show us a couple of the effects, or fruits, of this justification that we have. The first is, because we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God. About this peace, Matthew Henry in his Commentary on the Whole Bible said,

It is sin that breeds the quarrel between us and God, creates not only a strangeness, but an enmity; the holy righteous God cannot in honour be at peace with a sinner while he continues under the guilt of sin. Justification takes away the guilt, and so makes way for peace. And such are the benignity and good-will of God to man that, immediately upon the removing of that obstacle, the peace is made. By faith we lay hold of God’s arm and of his strength, and so are at peace …

Those who try to work for their salvation can never have peace because they never know whether they have done enough (which they never can) and so are always worried about it. In contrast to that, Paul says that because our salvation is given to us as a result of our faith by a loving God who will never take it away, we have peace and assurance.

Next, Paul will show us what else we have as a result of our justification by grace.

Application

Do you have peace with God? Can you stand in His presence assured that He is at peace with you? You can have this peace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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Romans 4:2 – No Bragging

Posted on December 7, 2009 by admin

Romans 4:2

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Truth to Learn

Abraham was not saved by doing good works.

Behind the Words

“Boast” is translated from kauchēma, which is derived from the verb kauchaomai, meaning “to brag” or “to boast.” Kauchēma refers to the object of bragging or “something worthy of bragging.”

The word translated “before” is pros, which relates the object “toward” which something is directed. In this case, Paul is saying that Abraham has nothing about which he can brag toward God.

Meaning Explained

Paul is continuing on with the rhetorical question that he posed in the previous verse. These few verses are where he is demonstrating to the Jewish Christians in Rome the truth about what he has been saying for most of this letter, namely that justification comes by faith, not works.

Although it might look like circular reasoning at first glance, here’s what John Calvin said about the sense of this verse,

If Abraham was justified by his works, he might boast of his own merits. But he has no ground of boasting before God. Therefore he was not justified by works.

You see, if Abraham did have some grounds for boasting, he would have boasted about them to God. But he never did because by his own acts he knew he was not worthy of justification. Hence, he was not justified by works. If you read Genesis 11:27 – 25:10 you will see that, although Abraham did some amazing and faith-full things in his life, he had a problem with lying, especially concerning Sarah his wife. This is not the sort of thing that would qualify someone to be justified by works, is it?

On the surface it may appear that Paul’s and James’ teachings with regard to faith and works are at odds, for James said:

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. (James 2:23-24)

This is the problem with quoting Scripture out of context. For you see, James is not teaching that righteousness is achieved by works. He is teaching that works are the proof of faith and its resultant righteousness. If a person has genuine faith in the blood of Jesus Christ then his or her works will give evidence of saving faith. I’m sure that we all can think of someone who claims to be a Christian but doesn’t act like one. James would say that this person has no faith because they have no works to prove it, and Paul would agree.

Application

All Christians should be doing good works. Not to gain salvation, or to receive complete sanctification, and certainly not to keep from losing salvation. We should be doing good works because it’s what our Heavenly Father does and it’s what He wants us to be doing. It demonstrates our family resemblance. It’s part of the family business!

In God’s service, for His glory,

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