• The Object of Justification — Rom 3:25-26
  • Christ's sacrifice displays God's righteousness in His dealings with men in Old Testament dispensations
    • How can a holy God forgive sin and still be righteous?
      • Through the cross
      • Through forbearance
    • God's righteousness is declared
  • Christ's sacrifice displays God's righteousness in His dealings with men in this present time
    • God is just — sin has been punished
    • God is justifier — He took the punishment
• The General Consequences of Justification by Faith — Rom 3:22-31
  • It humbles man
    • Man is unable to merit justification
    • Salvation is available to all on exactly the same condition
    • Boasting is excluded — Eph 2:8-9; 2Co 11:16-18; Phl 3:4-7; 1Co 1:26-31
  • It honors God — Rom 3:28
  • It eliminates any national aspect to Christianity — Rom 3:29-30
    • Not solely the God of the Jews
    • Not solely the God of the Gentiles
  • It eliminates salvation through ordinance — Rom 3:30
  • It confirms the law — Rom 3:31
    • Faith in the atoning work of Christ is a confession —
      • That the law is righteous
      • That the law is just in its" demand
    • Faith in the atoning work of Christ is the confession that Christ alone could satisfy the demands of the law
• The Condition of Justification — Rom 3:28
  • It is by faith "alone"
  • Faith is not a work which merits justification
  • Faith has an object — a Person
  • Faith is a commitment to a Person of trust — 2Ti 1:12
• Faith Is Sufficient for Complete Justification
  • Justification is immediate
  • We can never be more justified
• Faith Is Sufficient for Certain Justification
  • The "works" system cannot produce assurance
  • The "experience" system cannot produce assurance
• Faith Is Sufficient for Permanent Justification
  • Cannot be lost by lack of works
  • Not based on our faithfulness
  • Resident in God's righteous character and activity
• Faith Is Sufficient to Demonstrate Justification
  • Empties of boasting — fills with praise
  • Change toward Christ
  • Change toward sin

Practical Observations

• Justification is an objective reality based on concrete historical facts — 1Co 15:3-4
• Justification is not experience-centered, and the church is drowning in the sea of experience today.
  Eastern Religion: "You go in and in and in and then you go in and in and in and after that you go in and in and in."
• There is no deeper life — there is no higher life — there is nothing greater than the revelation of justification by faith in the Gospel of Christ