What is justification by faith?
A. Become a new creation in Christ. 2 Cor.15:17
1. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
2. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ. 2 Cor.5:18
3. God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.
And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Cor.5:19
4. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.
We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Cor.5:20
5. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness
of God. 2 Cor.5:21
B. Justification is by faith not by observing the law! Romans 3:20-26
1. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight:
or by the law is the knowledge of sin. Ro.3:20
2. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets; Ro.3:21
3. 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. Ro.3:22
4. 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: Ro.3:23-24
5. 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; Ro.3:25
6. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which
believeth in Jesus. Ro.3:26
7. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Ro.3:28
C. How does God create in Christ a new creation? Acts 2:36-38
1. Therefore let all Israel be assured of this:
God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:36
2. When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles,
"Brothers, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37
3. Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38
4. A new creation is one who has spirit and soul and body and the Holy Spirit which is God’s word.
D. This is how man saves himself from this corrupt generation. Acts 2:40-42
1. Man has to accept the message that says Jesus is Lord and Christ.
2. Man has to repent and be baptized for forgiveness of sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
3. Man has to devote himself to the apostle’s teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread
and to prayer.
E. A living faith is shown in one’s daily living! James 2:21, 23, 26
1. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
2. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. James 3:24
3. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:26
4. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in
advance for us to do. Eph.2:10
5. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your
brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 1 Peter 1:22
6. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have
received, and wherein ye stand; By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached
to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 1 Cor.15:1-2
F. Conclusion: Faith is the first and last step of justification!
For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to
last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." Ro.1:17
May the Lord bless you and keep you always! Preach this June 28, 2015