God’s law requires perfection. As imperfect, we lack the necessary goodness to enter heaven. In order to be declared right with God, I must be righteous. But I am not righteous; I am a sinner. How then, can I justify myself to God? Be Justified by Faith (16). Be Crucified with Christ (20). I. Justified by Faith, v.16. Justified, from the greek, meant to be declared righteous. It is an act, not a process. “Justify” (dikaioō; noun, dikaiōsunē; adjective, dikaios) is a forensic term borrowed from the law courts. (Boice, p.448) It means “to declare righteous or innocent.” The opposite of “to justify” is “to condemn” or “to pronounce guilty.” Boice said, “Such a term involves an objective standard, and since righteousness is understood to be the unique characteristic of God, that standard must be the divine standard.” Justification does not express an ethical change or influence (though ethical changes follow). Rather, it expresses the judicial action of God apart from human merit according to which the guilty are: pardoned, acquitted, adopted as God’s children and fellow heirs with Jesus Christ. J.I. Packer explained, “To ‘justify’ in the Bible means … to declare … of a man on trial, that he is not liable to any penalty, but is entitled to all the privileges due to those who have kept the law. Justifying is the act of a judge pronouncing the opposite sentence to condemnation—that of acquittal and legal immunity.” Acts 13:38-39, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” See Romans 3:20-31. Romans 5:1, 9, 18-21. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither… fornicators (sexually immoral), nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals), 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous (greedy), nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” Galatians 3:11, 24. Justification is a judicial act of God by which He recognizes a person as righteous and declares a person free from guilt and punishment. The result is that a person is brought into a right relationship with God. “…justification comes to the sinner by the atoning work of Jesus and…is applied to the individual sinner by faith.” (Leon Morris) In Justification God pardons and accepts believing sinners. Paul states Justification in 3 different terms in v.16: Generally — “a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.” Personally — “even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:” Universally — “for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” Justification happens — By Faith. “Justification by faith alone is the article upon which the church stands or falls.” -Martin Luther Faith is the means. (Note. Not the source) Boice said, “Faith is trust… It begins with knowledge, so it is not blind. It builds on facts, so it is not speculation. It stakes its life on the outcome, so it is not impractical. Faith is trusting Christ and proving his promises.” We have believed in Christ. (Into Christ) We run to Him for refuge and mercy. This is more than an assent to the facts of the gospel. This is a commitment to the person. This is a turning away from the other “person” or option. (Law) Our entrance into the kingdom of God is by faith alone. Our reward in the kingdom will be according to our good works. A fact, Augustine cited as, “a case of God’s gracious crowning of His own gifts”. II. Crucified with Christ, v.20. Paul died to the law by being crucified with Christ. (19-20) He lives for God because Christ lives in him. Believers are in union with Christ. We are united with Him in his death, burial, and resurrection. Thus, we died with Him to the law (cf Rom. 6). This death severs us from the requirements of the law. Paul (and by implication, all believers) received the benefit of Christ’s crucifixion. Because Christ was crucified and died spiritually in our place, we do not have to die spiritually. (Note. Propitiation, Substitutionary Atonement) The phrase, “I have been crucified with Christ,” means “Christ’s crucifixion counts for me, so that it is the same as if I had been crucified when Christ was crucified.” At least four things were nailed to the cross when Jesus died. Jesus, His charge, Sin, You! As the death of Christ marked a total change in the relationship of Christ to all things … so it did for Paul, the Galatians, you! If you are a follower of Christ, then you died there with Him! I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live — forevermore! Dying to the law (v.19) is being crucified with Christ. The law demanded death; and Christ died in our place. Now we die to the law that we might live unto God. It is no more we who live, but Christ living in us! As the old man is dead… The “new man has the…indwelling Christ empowering him and living through him”. (MacArthur) Christ liveth in me! Spurgeon said of this phrase, “I do not know a better epitome of Christian experience than this.” v.20c, Christ loved us. Christ gave Himself for us. The very Son of God did this for us! Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Paul, writing in his present, uses the past tense. (Loved me) To extend the fullness of this wonderful doctrine even further…He implies the eternality of Christ’s love for His bride. Jesus loved you on the cross. Jesus loved you in the manger. Jesus loved you from the majestic presence of Almighty God on high… There never was a time when Jesus did not love His people!! Be edified and solidified on this very fact — Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so! These doctrines (justification by faith alone, adoption, propitiation, substitutionary atonement, eternal love) raise an obvious problem. Since by His free grace God has already declared us righteous, then why bother to become a better person? (Ryken, p.69) What incentive do we have to live for God? To pursue holiness? To be obedient slaves to our master? Such doctrines, from the human perspective, seem irresponsible. Ryken says, “It sounds, in fact, like winning the spiritual lottery.” If God gives righteousness away for free, who will ever work for him again? “Only when I see myself as completely loved and holy in Christ will I have the power to repent with joy, conquer my fears, and obey the One who did all this for me.” (Keller) “You must either have salvation wholly because you deserve it, or wholly because God graciously bestows it though you do not deserve it. You must receive salvation at the Lord’s hand either as a debt or as a charity. There can be no mingling of the ideas.” (Spurgeon)