Gospel 101: Part 5 - The Prescription - Justification

hi there once again this is Phil Carlson

with a quick message for your personal

professional and spiritual growth and

this video is part five of a nine part

Series this is the second part of the

section within this series on God's

prescription for Humanity's problem and

of course Humanity's problem entered

into the scene following the key ideas

that we talked about in our second video

which was the premise so of course we

have talked about let's just review in

the first video we talked about the four

categories that I would break up the

gospel into when speaking with people

about it in terms of doing deep study

and trying to understand it better for

themselves in our second video we talked

about the premise which is the goodness

righteousness Holiness and total power

of God where God is in charge of all

things and not just in charge but the

Creator the originator and ultimately

god holds all authority so if we're

going to define a term we have to make a

reference to God if this is a valuable

and and deeply important term God is our

referent point so we can't talk about

love without referring to God we can't

talk about righteousness Holiness peace

without looking to God as our referent

Point first

okay so that was our our premise God and

also uh creation the fact that all

things have been created by God for God

for his glory and that especially

includes Humanity in our third video we

talked about the problem the problem is

sin in short but we talked about the

fall within this concept of sin the Fall

From Grace the fall into sin and how sin

invaded humanity and the Earth and then

we also talked about after talking about

the fall we talked about the impact the

effects of sin the effects of the fall

and how we are living in that now

and then in our fourth video we talked

about the idea of reconciliation being

reconciled to God the primary issue

related to sin is a broken relationship

and a broken relationship that is

essentially rooted in treason God being

perfectly good holy and righteous has

given Humanity a an option and that was

to trust him and to do as he commands

and there was only one command to obey

don't eat the the fruit from the tree in

the garden which everyone says it's an

apple but there is nothing in the text

of scripture that actually says it's an

apple it just says fruit but Humanity

disobeyed god with his only command he

gave them when it came to a negative

command he did say be fruitful and

multiply to Adam and Eve that's a

positive command but the negative

command was don't eat from this tree and

Humanity disobeyed that command so the

result is a broken relationship that

needs to be reconciled but as I

mentioned it's treason against the ruler

of the universe as well and that is

where we get to the issue today of

justification now a big concept within

Christianity is justification by faith

what I want to focus on besides the fact

that yes this is something that comes as

a gift from God to people who trust in

Jesus why is that

how does that work how is Humanity

Justified what does it even mean that

humanity is Justified before God through

faith in Jesus well first we need to

start by understanding this concept of

justification now for justification

before God this means that we have to

have been brought from a position of

rebellious

enemies standing before God that we've

been enemies of God to now being brought

into right standing before God now

people will sum up justification as

saying just as if I never sinned

that's not really accurate yes that's

the net result of justification but

justification is really an issue of how

does God bring perfect Justice to bear

without contradicting

any of his character

his Mercy

is not something contradictory to his

Justice

God in choosing to redeem Humanity from

the treason we've committed against God

has made a way through bringing our sins

bringing our evil to Justice punishing

that evil

without contradicting the fact

that he also wants to have mercy on us

and he has Mercy on us without

contradicting contradicting the fact

that he wants to bring the evil to

Justice to not bring the evil to justice

is to contradict his own character which

is perfect and to not have mercy on

humanity is also to contradict his own

character in that he has decided

by his own free choice that he wants to

redeem humanity and that this was part

of his plan from the beginning he always

intended to redeem sinful Humanity at

the same time there are human there are

people

members of the human race in fact the

vast majority of us who will never

accept that Jesus is the Messiah that

will never accept the justice and

righteousness and Holiness and mercy and

grace of God who will never accept God

on God's terms

and the result of this is that for them

God is perfectly good and righteous and

even holy and loving

to punish their sin

eternally by sending them to hell

and yes scripture does actually talk

about them being cast into the Lake of

Fire this is not something where

Humanity chooses hell and God doesn't

send anyone to hell no

the scriptures are clear

and if people are going to make a claim

well God doesn't do this then they need

to show it in scripture and if people

want to claim that God does do something

they need to look to the scriptures

because for those who are Christians we

have an allegiance we have a standard to

our understanding of God

and a word used in ancient languages for

this is canon

and it's not talking about the thing

that shoots a cannonball

no a Canon is a standard

it is something that is the measuring

stick the measure by which everything is

to be tested and the Canon is scripture

66 books

from Genesis to revelation

and So within this Canon of scripture we

need to be able to find the standards

for our understanding and so yes people

can use scriptures out of context to

prove many things that aren't true but

if you're going to make a claim that

something is true you should at the very

least be able to point to the scriptures

that back it up and address the

scriptures that seemingly contradict it

I'm not going to be able to get into all

of that in this video but let's continue

on I don't want to get bogged down in

these things that are important to make

sure we lay out so first we're going to

look at a scripture found in First Peter

and we're going to look at First Peter

chapter 2 verses 24 and 25 and he

himself is talking about Jesus bore our

sins in his body on the cross so that we

might die to sin and live to

righteousness for by his wounds you were

healed for you were continually straying

like sheep but now you have returned to

the shepherd and guardian of your souls

so Jesus brought Justice through taking

the punishment we deserved on his body

on the cross

but it's so that we might die to sin and

live to righteousness so there's

something that comes after that so we're

not simply just brought to Justice we're

brought into a new life the sins that we

committed aren't just simply brought to

Justice we ourselves are brought into a

new life a life of dying to sin and

living to righteousness now that's

beyond the scope of just justification

but justification without that is just

an excuse for more sin that wasn't part

of God's plan God's plan is to not just

make us just in his sight and just

before his standard of righteousness in

terms of our past sins or future sins or

any sin we've committed God's desire is

that we would actually begin to look

like him imitate his character and it

says for by his wounds you were healed

now this verse and the and the verse

afterwards verse 25 these are

referencing Isaiah chapter 53. in Isaiah

chapter 53 is a Core teaching regarding

what Jesus did on the cross and I'm

going to start at verse 4. surely our

griefs he himself bore now of course as

Christians we recognize this is talking

about the Messiah this is talking about

Jesus Jews 2000 years ago there had been

debate is this talking about the Messiah

or is this talking about Israel

and there were was a segment of Jewish

teachers and believers

who believed that Isaiah chapter 53 was

talking about the Messiah and in fact

there was a debate is the Messiah going

to be a suffering servant or is the

Messiah going to be a conquering King

now what wasn't understood is that as

now in the in the New Testament

Christians understand the Messiah is

both the Messiah comes the first time as

a suffering servant and the second time

as a conquering King

but it says here surely our grief see

himself bore and our sorrows he carried

yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken

smitten of God and Afflicted but he was

pierced through for our transgressions

he was crushed for our iniquities the

chastening for our well-being fell upon

him and by his scourging we are healed

now what exactly is going on in detail

we don't know but one thing we do know

from what I've read so far

the sin that we committed and the

punishment that we deserved for that sin

it's coming upon him

now is it that God is pouring his wrath

on his son in our place

so that Jesus is the recipient of the

Wrath or is it that the Wrath against

sin is being poured on the sin

and it's just sort of separating us from

the sin so that we're basically the sin

is washed away from us that the sin is

no longer a part of our identity

now people try to say this is one or the

other either it is what some people call

expiation which is the removal of sin

and guilt just washing it away it's

being covered up and buried

and being sent off or people will say

it's propitiation which is another way

to say that the wrath of God is fully

appeased his his just wrath the thing

that comes from his just desires for

righteousness for goodness his hatred of

evil the things that are against his

character the things that are treasonous

against all that is good and loving and

true

that his wrath against that is actually

fully poured out on Jesus in such a way

that those who have faith in Jesus no

longer are going to be the object of his

wrath Jesus became the object of the

Wrath because Jesus became identified

with our sin people argue is it

expiation is it propitiation

it's both

and those who try to separate it out and

then try to say well it's one and not

the other

they're actually leaving out key

scriptural ideas let's keep reading

but he was pierced through for our

transgressions he was crushed for our

iniquities the chastening for our

well-being fell upon him and by his

scourging we are healed all of us like

sheep have gone astray doesn't that

sound like what I just read in First

Peter that's because first Peter is

quoting this intentionally

each of us has turned to his own way but

the Lord has caused the iniquity of us

all to fall on him that's Jesus the

Messiah he was oppressed and he was

afflicted yet he did not open his mouth

like a lamb that has led to slaughter

and like a sheep that is silent before

its shears so he did not open his mouth

by oppression and judgment he was taken

away and as for his generation who

considered that he was cut off cut off

out of the land of the living for the

transgression of my people to whom the

stroke was due

I'm going to repeat this by oppression

and judgment he was taken away okay

that's what happens with the trials and

he's beaten and he's eventually

crucified and as for his generation who

considered that he was cut off out of

the land of the living

for the transgression of my people to

whom the stroke was due

so Jesus it's saying is actually

cut off

out of the land of the living so Jesus

is killed

for the transgression of my people to

whom the stroke was due

so the people are deserving of

punishment and yet he's the one who's

taking it on himself

verse 9 his grave was assigned with

wicked men yet he was with a rich man in

his death because he had done no

violence nor was there any deceit in his

mouth but the Lord was pleased to crush

him putting him to grief if he would

render himself as a guilt offering he

will see his offspring he will prolong

his days and the good pleasure of the

Lord will prosper in his hand now some

people have a hard time with this verse

when it says it pleased the Lord to

crush him

and they say well this is divine child

abuse because they say well there's God

the father and this is God the son who's

on the cross and God the father is

actually crushing his own son and it

pleases him and so this is child abuse

the problem is and this goes back to our

video on the premise if we recognize

that Jesus is fully God

and God the father and God the son are

not two separate beings they're actually

the same being

they're two different persons but they

have the same substance

they are the same essential God

and this decision for Jesus to go to the

Cross was a cross made by God the Father

God the son and God the holy spirit this

is what Jesus chose and why would it

please the father to crush his son

it's because of the fact that the sun is

doing this to glorify the father so that

other siblings other Sons other

daughters would be brought into the

family and we'll bring into this we'll

talk more about that later

but this is about growing the family

through the sacrifice of the sun where

the son willingly chooses this

and if it's painful to the Sun

it's painful to the father as well as a

result of the anguish of his soul he

will see it and be satisfied by his

knowledge the righteous one my servant

will justify the many as he will bear

their iniquities therefore I will allot

him a portion with the great he will

divide the booty with the strong because

because he poured out himself to death

and was numbered with the transgressors

yet he himself bore the sin of many and

interceded for the transgressors

so that's Isaiah chapter 53 and we've

just gone through Verses 4 through 12.

and this talks about how God has brought

Justice to the sin

this is how God has Justified people who

trust in Jesus

it's basically entrusting in Jesus we're

able to point to what he did on the

cross and say look what he did on my

behalf this was your plan from eternity

past Lord

and so by your own works in the Sun

by the Wrath I'm due going upon the sun

on that cross

you have declared me righteous by

trusting in this work it's a title deed

it is it is like the proof the paper

that has been signed that says you are

no longer guilty your fee has been paid

your punishment has been satisfied and

yet you yourself

never had to actually suffer that

because someone else stood in your place

it's as though the judge who has just

passed a death sentence

gets down from his podium takes off his

robe and then says and I will take your

place

and since he's still the judge

he's able to judge that as a fulfillment

of the punishment

and the judge does not contradict his

righteousness or his Justice the

goodness of the decision but this is

also because the one who's been declared

no longer guilty is going to be

transformed from the inside out they're

not the same person that they were

anymore and that means their desire to

commit sin is actually being changed to

desire to live righteously let's now

look at Romans chapter three we're going

to start at verse 20 Because by the

works of the law no flesh will be

justified in his sight for through the

law comes the knowledge of sin so we

won't be justified before God

because we do good things

because we do the right thing

that's not how it works instead the law

that reveals our sin that's all it can

do that's all it has the power to do the

law does not have the power to redeem us

only to accuse but now apart from the

law the righteousness of God has been

manifested being witnessed by the law

and the prophets even the righteousness

of God through faith in Jesus Christ for

all those who believe for there is no

distinction for all have sinned and fall

short of the glory of God everyone is

guilty and so that means there has to be

another way people are Justified how are

they Justified verse 24 of chapter 3

being justified as a gift by his grace

through the Redemption which is in

Christ Jesus whom God displayed publicly

as a propitiation in his blood through

faith Jesus was displayed publicly on

the cross as the one who took the

punishment we deserved in our place

this was to demonstrate his

righteousness because in the forbearance

of God he passed over the sins

previously committed

so God could have immediately killed

every single member of humanity for our

sins instead he held off because he had

this plan for Redemption for the

demonstration verse 26 I say of his

righteousness at the present time so

that he would be just and the justifier

of the one who has faith in Jesus where

then is boasting it is excluded by what

kind of law of Works no but by a law of

faith for we maintain a man who's

justified by faith apart from works of

the law

or is God the god of Jews only is he not

the god of the Gentiles also yes of

Gentiles also since indeed God who will

justify the circumcised by faith that's

Jews and the uncircumcised non-jews

Gentiles through faith is one do we then

nullify the law through faith may it

never be on the contrary we establish

the law so the fact that people can be

saved and Justified before God through

what Jesus did on the cross the fact

that they can do that

trusting what Jesus did actually upholds

the goodness and righteousness of God it

does not diminish it

and this is something and it's because

the justice and righteousness of God

requires a punishment and there here is

this public display of Jesus on the

cross yes evil will be punished evil

will be punished and for anyone who's

been victimized sincerely anyone who's

been harmed and you're looking for

justice you can look to the cross and

know God will punish sin he will punish

evil and he did it two thousand years

ago on that cross in Jesus and for those

who do not trust in Jesus

they awaited punishment in the future

that is terrifying and this is why it's

so important for everyone who is not

justified before God yet to trust in

what Jesus has done on the cross and

know that what he's done will satisfy

the good and righteous commands of God

now I don't have time to get into this

in this video But there again for those

who don't think that propitiation is a

thing that God punishes evil

that ha he has wrath against evil and he

has wrath against people who commit evil

and that that wrath has to be satisfied

through a proper not not just a

sacrifice yes you can talk about a

sacrifice but someone has to Die the sin

requires death as it says in the Book of

Romans for the wages of sin is death

that's what you get when you sin well in

Numbers chapter 25 and it's really that

the whole chapter you can actually see a

story involving the wrath of God

appeased through someone being put to

death

now this is a key moment where if you

read it carefully you can even see the

same words in Hebrew that are referring

to the sacrifices that are done on the

altar in the temple in the Tabernacle

that are called an atoning sacrifice the

same language is used for the killing of

someone engaged in an act of sin that no

one was willing to actually get up and

do something about it in fact an order

had gone out the people who are

committing the sin need to be put to

death no one did it but one man his name

in Hebrew is Pincus or Phineas in in

English Phineas actually gets up and he

does something about it and God calls it

an atoning sacrifice so this is where we

see propitiation clearly shown in the

Old Testament and of course Isaiah 53

points towards propitiation and of

course as I defined it earlier it is the

wrath of God being poured out against a

sacrifice that is a substitute in the

place of the person who really deserves

being under God's Wrath

so finally

regarding justification and

justification by faith let's look at

Romans chapter 8 verses 29 to 30.

and this is where we will land the plane

for this video it says For Those whom he

foreknew he yelled well let's back up

verse 28 and we know that God causes all

things to work together for good to

those who love God to those who are

called according to his purpose how do

we know this For Those whom God foreknew

he also predestined to become conformed

to the image of his son so that he would

be the firstborn among many Brethren

this is what I was referencing earlier

the purpose of Jesus going to the cross

and bringing Justice on himself in the

place of everyone else who trusts in him

is so that they would become Sons and

Daughters of the Living God

and these verse 30 whom he predestined

he also called and these whom he called

he also Justified and these whom he

justified he also glorified we'll get to

our next Concept in our next video which

is regeneration being made into a new

creation before God it's absolutely a

key part of the good news not just that

we're Justified that we're both but that

we are made into New Creations and

that's the only way the justification

makes sense is through us being made new

will God bless you and have a great day