Us With Jesus: Ministry

UWJ|TT7: Acquitted Sinner

1. What is the basis for justification on God's part?

"That being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:7.

NOTE: Justification is a theological term which means that a sinful man is declared or made righteous in the sight of the Holy God. See "Justification," SDA Bible Commentary, rev. ed, p. 635.

2. How is this justifying grace made available to sinners?

"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him." Romans 5:9.

3. What is the only way sinners are justified or made righteous?

"Yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law." Galatians 2:16.

4. What is the basis for granting justification?

"The gift is not as through one who sinned; for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification." Romans 5:16.

5. What is the condition for faith to be reckoned for righteousness?

"But to him who doesn't work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness." Romans 4:5.

6. How does grace, as the basis for justification, exclude righteousness by works?

"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Romans 11:6

7. What is inseparable from the experience of justification by faith?

"Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses." Acts 13:38, 39.

8. How does Christ impute righteousness to the believer?

"For as through the one man's disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous." Romans 5:19.

9. What does the imputed righteousness of Christ enable God to do?

"To demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus." Romans 3:26

10. What experience follows upon our acceptance of Christ as our righteousness?

"Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1.

11. What is proven by any attempt to be justified by the law?

"You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace." Galatians 5:4.

12. Does faith exclude works?

"But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?" James 2:20.

13. What is the evidence of genuine, living faith?

"Yes, a man will say, "You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18.

14. What, then, are the visible proofs of genuine justification by faith?

"Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. You see then that by works, a man is justified, and not only by faith." James 2:21-24.