#124-G70 ~ Important questions to address
Here we’re spending more time on the important subject of justification by faith. Unfortunately most people, even church-goers, do not understand it. Instead of accepting this simple but important truth they’ve complicated it by bringing their own “works” in to the picture. Salvation and qualifying for Heaven is all about Jesus Christ and what HE did to provide a way for it. And that doesn’t involve or include ANYTHING that we might DO to contribute to it. All we “DO” for salvation is accept BY FAITH what He did. And there’s no DOING in faith. The MERIT in faith is in the object, not the subject.
Then later I go into a series of important questions and comments everyone needs to address.
1. Don’t we tell unbelievers BEFORE they are saved that Christ died for their sins, paying the complete penalty for them? Yes! Don’t we say that if a debt is paid, it is “forgiven?” Of course we do!
2. If people reject this message, can Christ’s work on the cross for them somehow be undone? No!
3. Isn’t it believing this, that Christ paid the complete penalty for our sins, a REQUIRED part of believing the gospel message for salvation? Yes!
4. Where in the Bible do we have a clear presentation of the gospel message? Answer: I Corinthians 15:1-4 is probably the simplest and clearest.
ALL this goes to show the NEED we all have for God’s grace. Salvation is not earned or deserved. It comes to us strictly by grace through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is HIS work and His work ALONE that saves us [Ephesians 2:8-9]. Salvation is all about the merits of Christ, not ours.
I then begin a series of comments about justification by faith.
1. Justification is about the ADDITION of divine righteousness to one’s account while forgiveness is about the SUBTRACTION of sins from one’s account. Hence, it is justification that provides salvation, not forgiveness.
2. What Christ accomplished at the cross cannot be undone by people’s unbelief. And what He accomplished was for all mankind no matter what people think about it. Jesus paid it all!
3. Forgiveness was provided at the time of the cross when Christ paid the full penalty for man’s sins. Justification occurs only when someone believes in what Christ did for them at the cross.
4. Many people for whom Christ died are going to go to hell and be in torment FOREVER. But not one who is justified by faith is going to hell.
5. The apostle Paul teaches us that people are not forgiven by faith, but justified by faith.
All together this is the difference between salvation and no salvation at all. If you’ve not accepted what Christ accomplished for you through His death, burial, and resurrection, I hope you will today.
Thank you for being a part of this ministry! I hope you’ll join us again next time.
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