JUSTIFICATION #1 INTRODUCTION

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2

The ultimate issue

The subject of justification deals with the ultimate universal issue--the alienation of humanity from the Living God. Nothing is more basic, more fundamental, than this. Those that are distracted by the surface assessments of contemporary religion do themselves great harm. The most critical collapse of our day is not found in the family, the government, or the economical structure of the land. It is found in the estrangement of mankind from its Creator! Men do not think like God! They are not longing to hear from him, and are not concerned about their insensitivity toward Him. That is the tragedy of our time!

All heaven is involved

All of heaven is in tune with this circumstance, and is set to do something about it. The Father sent the Son to correct the situation (1 John 4:14). The Son laid down His life to bring men back to God (1 Pet 3:18). The Spirit was sent into the world the world to convince it of the reality of sin, the righteousness of its Savior, and the judgment of its enemy (John 16:8-11). The holy angels are delegated to be the servants of those that are the heirs of salvation (Heb 1:13-14). No Redeemer was sent to correct political misgivings! No Savior was dispatched to mend the home! A death did not occur to remedy financial disorders or patch up malfunctioning bodies. Jesus did not come to put bread on the table, solidity in the nation, or sweetness in marriage. As wonderful and desirable as all of these things are, none of them required a redeemer! People needed to be reconciled to God! They needed to be justified from all of their sins! Until this happens, men are described as "having no hope, and without God in the world" (Eph 2:12).

An uncommon theme in our day

It is not fashionable these days to preach or teach on this subject. During my 50+ years of evaluating preaching, I have heard relatively few messages or instruction on the subject of justification. Apart from the powerful proclamations of my father, and godly men from the assembly to which I ministered for over 32 years, it is difficult to recall any preaching on this theme. This is indication of how far the church has drifted from the Gospel. It has not given due heed to the message of which it is the exclusive custodian. It has been diverted to lesser issues, and thus has become largely ineffective in "this present evil world." This is not something to be taken lightly! If the justification of humanity has priority with God, all who do not hold the same priority are in competition with Him. There are really no Divinely recognized competing priorities, and we must not allow such to rise in our midst. As custodian of the truth (2 Tim 3:15), the church is responsible for maintaining the perspective of God's Word, as well as the Word itself. This sounds strange to the institutional mind. It is, however, a "joyful sound" to those that have sensed the magnitude of human transgression.

-- TOMORROW: WHAT IS JUSTIFICATION? --