More thoughts on Justification by faith alone!!

These are some more thoughts on Justification...this is from a sermon by Paul Washer...

Justified does not mean that men are righteous because therefore men would no longer sin, but justified means to be declared righteous. It’s a legal declaration that God declares men to be righteous FREELY, even though we did not deserve this.

Just like in Psalms 69:4 “They hated me without a cause” Jesus was hated without a cause. Did Jesus ever give anyone any reason to hate Him? No, they hated him without a cause. Same way we are justified…we are justified without a cause. Did we give God any reason to justify us or declare us righteous? The only thing a sinner could motivate a Holy God to do would be condemn him. But God, has done a great work so that a sinner might be made right with God. Irregardless of all his trespasses, sins and crimes against deity, God has justified men (declared them righteous) even though men never gave Him a cause. Some people sing songs that say, “God, what did you see in me that you saved me?” That’s the wrong question to be asking! There is nothing in us worthy to save! God only saw an object of wrath. He saw someone that had broken every one of His law and rebellion against Him. That’s what He saw.

Two reasons God saves….1) God is love and 2) to demonstrate His glory, His kindness, His great mercy, His undeserved grace to those who deserved only His wrath…Grace! Grace! God’s grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace! Grace! God’s grace…Grace that is greater than all our sin!!

There was a reporter who was interviewing an orthodox Jew, Muslim and a true born again Christian.

The reporter asked the Orthodox Jew, if you died today where would you go?

The Orthodox Jew would probably answer either Paradise or Abraham’s bosom…

The reporter as why:

The Jew responds because I love the law of God, I honor the law of God, I am a righteous man,

He goes to the Muslim and ask, Sir if you were to die today, where would you go?

He responds to Paradise

The reporter ask why would you get to go?

The Muslim responds I love the Koran, I have made the daily prayers, the daily pilgrimages, giving of alms, I am a righteous man.

The reporter comes to True Christian, sir where would you go if you died tonight?

The Christian responds I would go to Heaven

The reporter ask why?

The Christian responds: In sin I was conceived and in sin did my mother bring me forth. I have broken every law of God has ever given. I deserve wrath and hell and nothing good from God.
The reporter replies, “I don’t understand sir, these other men are going to heaven because they are righteous man by their own virtue, merit and deeds and it’s exactly what they deserve, but you tell me you’re going to heaven and yet you describe to me in the most horrendous way all the reasons why you should not, why sir are you going to heaven?”
The Christian cries out I am going to heaven based on the virtue and the merit of another…Jesus Christ my Lord! Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling