SERMON 147: JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
Germaine Charles Lockwood

About 4,000 years ago, God spoke to Abraham. We read in the Bible in:

Genesis 15:6: And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Genesis 15:6.

Yes, Abraham believed in the LORD. God accounted it to Abraham for righteousness. This was before circumcision. This was before God gave the law to Israel through Moses. The faith of Abraham caused God to account it to Abraham for righteousness.
Abraham was justified, accounted righteous through faith. This was without deeds of the law. Abraham believed God. Abraham had a living faith. He did what God told him to do. Abraham obeyed God. Even when God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac, Abraham through faith was willing to obey God. Genesis 22. A living faith is trust conjoined with obedience. Listen to the word of God recorded in the Hebrew Bible in:
Habakkuk 2:4: . . . But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4.

Yes, the just shall live by his faith. The word “just” means righteous. “Justified” means to make righteous. Abraham believed in the LORD, and the LORD God accounted it to him for righteousness. The just shall live by his faith. Do you believe in God? Do you trust God? Is your belief in God, your faith such that you are willing to obey the word of God? You can be justified through faith. Do you want to be righteous before God?

The law was given to Israel after the time of Abraham during the time of Moses. Now consider that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “The just shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11.) The law was added because of transgressions.       (Galatians 3:19.) Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin, (Romans 3:20.) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23.) The law was our tutor to bring us to Messiah that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24.) Yes, the law was our tutor or school master to bring us to Messiah. Will you come to Messiah? 

Moses prophesied the coming of Messiah in the fifth book in the Bible, Deuteronomy 18:15-18. In Daniel 9:24-27, God foretold when Messiah would come. In Isaiah 53, God foretold that Messiah would be an offering for our sins. Yes, Messiah came when God said that He would come. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. In Psalm 16:10, David the king and prophet foretold that Messiah would be raised from the dead. He was raised. This is good news for you. Listen to:

Acts 13:37: but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man, Yeshua Messiah, is preached to you the forgiveness 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 13:37-39.

Listen to:

Romans 3:24-26: being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:24-26.

Yes, justification is through faith in Messiah Jesus. Justification includes judicial acquittal of guilt, by God based on the offering of Messiah, the propitiation by the blood of Messiah. The justice of God is satisfied by Messiah’s death for our sins. Listen to:

Romans 4:25: (Messiah) who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. Romans 4:24.

It is written in:

Romans 5:8, 9: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Romans 5:8, 9.

Yes, we are justified by His blood. We are saved from the wrath of God through Him. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord.”
Are we justified by faith only? The word of God does not say that we are justified by faith only. “but faith working through love.” Galatians 5:6. A saving faith is a faith that works through love. Faith is trust conjoined with obedience. If you believe in God, in Messiah, in the word of God, then you will obey the word of God. Listen to:

James 2:20-24: But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. James 2:20-24.

Yes, you need to have a living faith that works through love that obeys God. Did you notice that the only time that the expression “faith only” is used in the Bible has a “not” in front of it: “not faith only”? Listen again to:

James 2:24: You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. James 2:24.

Yes, you want to have a faith that works through love in accordance with Galatians 5:6.
Do not have a dead faith. A dead faith is not a saving faith. Listen to:

James 2:26: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:26.

Justification by faith only is not taught in the scriptures. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, we read many examples of working, living faith:

By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice. . .
By faith Enoch was translated. . .
By faith, Noah being divinely warned . . . prepared an ark . . .
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out . . .
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise. . .

These examples of what God’s people did by faith are mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 along with others. They had faith that obeyed, that worked through love. 
Yes, we are justified through faith in Messiah. Saul of Tarsus wrote in:

Philippians 3:9: . . . that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. Philippians 3:9. 

Will you have the righteousness which is from God by faith? Repent now, turn away from sin and turn to Messiah in faith and be baptized into Him. Listen to:

2 Corinthians 5:21: For He (God) made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21.

How can you be in Christ? Listen to:

Galatians 3:26, 27: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal. 3:26.27.

Yes, through faith you need to be baptized into Christ then you will have put on Christ.
Faith comes first. Infant baptism is not valid. Listen also to:

Romans 6:3, 4: Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death. Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Roman 6:3, 4.
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Yes, the believer is immersed, buried in baptism, baptized into Christ, into His death.
Will you through faith put on Messiah in baptism, and then rise up to walk in newness of life? You will then with the help of the Spirit of God be able to live a righteous life in Messiah. We read in 1 John 3:7: “He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He (Messiah) is righteous. “ 1 John 3:7. “And this is the promise that He (Messiah) has promised us—eternal life.” 1 John 2:25. Will you have a righteous life in Messiah now and eternal life, a home in the heavenly New Jerusalem?
Acts 2:38: . . . “Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; . . . Acts 2:38.

Amen!