Not Guilty By Association

Not Guilty by Association (Rom. 3:19-26; 4:1-3; 5:1-11) Guilty The law “speaks to” those subject to it (Rom. 7:7) Is both a guide to right/wrong conduct and a warning of the consequences of wrong conduct. Makes us aware of our sinfulness/guilt We are all accountable All have sinned and fallen short (Ps. 130:3; 143:2; Ecc. 7:20; Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:11; James 2:10; 1 John 1:8-10) We are all guilty! The great fault of the Pharisees is that they trusted in their own righteousness (Luke 18:9) Even our righteous acts are as dirty rags to God (Isa. 64:6) Our rightful sentence is death (Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 6:23a) Innocent Justified by grace through faith (solafideanism) (Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7) "Justified means 'just-as-if-I'd never sinned.' Acquitted = “Found” not guilty, despite the fact that we are guilty (see Ps. 103:10) Our sin is not “imputed” to us (i.e. we have been held responsible for it) (Rom. 8:1; John 5:24) The Gospel is announced first in Genesis, after the Fall, where God finds Adam and Eve in their guilt and self-righteousness. Their fig leaves cannot hide their shame from God, but the Redeemer God sacrifices an animal and clothes them in its skins, anticipating 'the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.' Already the Gospel is announced not as divine assistance in producing an inherent righteousness, but as God's covering of the believer with the righteousness of another.

According to Augustine, man’s faith in Christ justifies him. Confession of Christ is efficacious for the remission of sins. We are justified by the blood of Christ, and we have no merits which are not the gifts of God. St. Anselm in the 11th century wisely counseled, 'You have not yet considered how great your sin is,' and to those who trust in their own inherent righteousness, the realization of God's purity sends them away sad, angry, or more determined to try even harder to attain righteousness by their own works. Some, however, like the disciples, will relinquish their own works and, like Paul, place them in the 'debit' rather than 'credit' column and their despair will turn to joy in the allsufficient merit of Christ. Where things went wrong for the Catholic Church: Most medieval Christian scholars taught justification as an instantaneous act. It was not until the Council of Trent (1545-1563) that justification was officially confirmed as a process based on human merit derived through divine grace. Justification by grace through faith was the heart and soul, the central theme, of what we call “The Reformation” Articulus stantis aut candentis ecclesiae -“The doctrine by which the church stands or falls.” - Martin Luther. John Calvin agreed, calling justification by faith the “hinge” of the Reformation. Through redemption (purchase/ransom – apolutrosis, Gk) (Isa. 53:11; Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Cor. 6:20; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:11-12; 1 Tim. 2:6 & 14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 5:9) Propitiatory (Sufficient) (Rom. 5:16-19) Substitution: Jesus served our sentence (Gal. 4:4-5) John R. W. Stott eloquently states: Jesus Christ came into the world to live and to die. In His life His obedience to the law was perfect. In His death He suffered for our disobedience. On earth He lived the only life of sinless obedience to the law which has ever been lived. On the cross He died for our law-breaking, since the penalty for disobedience to the law was death. All that is required for us to be justified, therefore, is to acknowledge our sin and helplessness, to repent of our years of self-assertion and selfrighteousness, and to put our whole trust and confidence in Jesus Christ to save us. (The Message of Galatians, p. 62).

Peace: Freedom from God’s wrath (Rom. 5:1) Passed over because of the blood (Rom. 5:9; Col. 1:14) Abraham was justified by faith, not works (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:13) As are all who believe (Hab. 2:4; Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:2; Gal. 2:16)