Week 15
Justification and Reconciliation
Reading Reference: Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, vol. 1, ch. 9; Gospel Outlines, Subject 142, III; Subject 149; Lesson Book, Level 1, Salvation—God’s Full Salvation, chs. 13-14; Rom. 3:10, 24; 5:10; Eph. 2:13; 2 Cor. 5:18-20
Memory Verse: Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 3:24)
Suggested Songs:
Scripture Reading: Rom. 3:10, 24
Points to Emphasize
- “There is none righteous, not even one”—Rom. 3:10
Since justification is God’s declaration that a man is righteous according to His righteousness, it is not possible for us to be justified before God through the works of the law or through behavior. Perhaps our behavior is better than others, but it is short compared to God’s righteousness. According to God’s righteousness, there is none righteous, not even one.
- Justified by His blood is to be accepted by God according to His standard of righteousness—v. 24; 5:9
Justification is the grace of God to save us according to the righteousness of God. Therefore, justification is both grace bestowed upon us and God’s righteousness accomplished for us. It is God’s love that causes Him to have grace upon us, and God’s righteousness that causes Him to accomplish redemption for us.
Our justification is free because of the grace of God, which comes through the Lord’s redemption by His blood and which is in Him. It is not related to any price we paid, any of our works, or anything in ourselves. God’s justifying grace cannot come to us apart from the Lord’s redemption. When someone pays for a Bible, it can be freely given. Similarly, God can give us His justifying grace because the Lord paid the price of redemption.
The Lord’s blood accomplished what we could never accomplish through our behavior before God’s righteous law. We can be justified before God’s righteousness in the Lord’s blood.
- Man’s conflict with God
Since the time Adam sinned, man has had conflict and discord with God. We have had conflict with God from the time of our birth. We are in conflict with God in all our daily living and walk. We have not only received from Adam a life that has conflict with God, but in this life we also have Satan’s nature and are enemies to God. From the time of our birth, we are against God and are God’s enemies. Our human living is against God.
- Reconciled by Christ death is to be brought back to God and to be secured in His salvation—5:10; Eph. 2:13; 2 Cor. 5:18-20
Reconciliation means the action of bringing two parties back into oneness or harmony. At the fall, man not only sinned against God, but also became the enemy of God. For sins, forgiveness is enough; but because man has become God’s enemy, he needs something more. He needs to be reconciled.
If you become someone’s enemy, you need to be reconciled to him. Without reconciliation, you would probably never talk to him. If you see him, you may avoid him. When you are in class, you would not look at him. But, if another friend would reconcile you to him, then you can make up and be his friend again.
Ultimately, God prepared a Savior for us. He died on the cross and was punished for us. Therefore, God has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ. God is at peace with us. He has no problem with us.