“In The Beginning…”

“In The Beginning…”

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“In The Beginning…”“In The Beginning…”

Lessons About LifeRevealed In The

Scripture’s First Book

“In The Beginning…”“In The Beginning…”

Justification By FaithGen 15, 17, 22

Presenter: Jeff Smith


Romans 4:24b-25

…who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.


Romans 5:1

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


Romans 5:9

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

“In The Beginning…”Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.


1 Corinthians 6:9-11

And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God.


Galatians 3:7-9

Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.”

So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.


Introduction “Justification” is a very important N.T.

doctrine At the very core of the gospel of Christ To be saved, one must be “justified”

Our purpose to properly understand “justification by grace through faith”

Justification By Faith


Definition Of “Justification” Term = “to be pronounced free of guilt”

A legal term in N.T. Greek One who has been declared innocent or

acquitted of guilt The Scripture presents only 2 ways of

how a man may be “justified”



Definition Of “Justification” How a man may be “justified”…

If he has not sinned He has never violated God’s law…he

has kept the law of God perfectly He could truthfully say to God…

“You owe me salvation!” Rom 4:1-4




If he has not sinned Not saying man is born in sin or that he

has to sin But he does sin Rom 3:9, 20, 23

1 Jn 1:8, 10




If he has sinned He has violated God’s law…he has not

kept the law of God perfectly How could such a “guilty” man be

declared “not guilty” (innocent)?




If he has sinned God is willing to show mercy, forgive

his transgressions and sins God will forgive if man is willing to

show faith & repentance Rom 4:5-8




If he has not sinned He has kept God’s law perfectly

If he has sinned He needs God’s mercy & forgiveness



Definition Of “Justification” God wants man to have enough faith in

Him that when He commands something to be done, man trusts Him and obeys

(spiritually, socially, morally, etc.) This has always been the kind of faith

God desires in man



Illustration Of “Justification” Perhaps the best way to understand this

concept is to see it in someone’s life Abraham = a great example to study

Rom 4:23-25 15:4 He illustrates how justification & faith

are connected Rom 5:1 Gal 3:8, 24



Illustration Of “Justification” Before examining Abraham, we must

define 1 more important N.T. term The term is “reckoned” Rom 4:3 Other translations have “counted” or

“accounted” or “credited”


“In The Beginning…”“Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”

In His “ledger,” God credits righteousness to those who display the faith He demands. Rom 1:17

A Greek accounting termlogidzomaiTo put to one’s

account


Illustration Of “Justification” When Abraham displayed faith in what

God said, God made a “credit entry” into His “ledger” on Abraham’s behalf This was how Abraham (a sinner) was

“justified” (declared innocent) God’s grace + Abraham’s faith


“In The Beginning…”Gen 12:4

Passage

Event In Abraham’s Life

AgeLeft Haran Heb 11:8 75

Gen 15:1-6 ??Told of his “numberless seed”

Gen 16:16 86Ishmael is born

Gen 17:1-5Rom 4:17ff

99Isaac is promised

Gen 22:1-19Jas 2:21-23

??Isaac is sacrificed


Illustration Of “Justification” Abraham’s faith was displayed over his

lifetime (not just a “1-time” act of faith) Calvinism teaches man must have an

“experience of faith” (1-time act) This is error…not taught in the Scripture



Illustration Of “Justification” Abraham displayed this faith even…

…in difficult situations …when facing the unknown

Abraham shows the following to be true



Conclusion Consider Gal 3:6-9, 22-29

Abraham = the “father of the faithful” His was the kind of faith that gave him

credit for righteousness in God’s “ledger” Even though he was a sinner, he was

“justified by grace through faith”



Conclusion Consider Rom 4:2-5 and Jas 2:21-22

Abraham justified by faith Abraham justified by works Which way is it?? Faith that unites belief w/ obedient action

when God has commanded something



Conclusion You can be like Abraham…a “justified”

believer whose faith is given “credit” in God’s ledger Even in situations that are difficult or

when facing the unknown



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“In The Beginning…”

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