Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn.
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Coming up next on
"The Grace Pipeline,"
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learn how to be at
peace with your past.
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Please join us now.
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Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline."
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For the last several programs,
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we've been talking
about justification,
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and today we're going to learn
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how justification
can bring you peace.
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Forgive me for
meddling, but I must ask
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is there a sin from
your past that haunts you?
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Have you ever confessed to
God, received His forgiveness,
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but you just
cannot forgive yourself?
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Well, this program is for you.
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Today, we will summarize
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God's legal
transaction of justification
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which can bring you
peace with the past.
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This series follows
the Bible study book
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God privileged me to write,
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which is also titled
"The Grace Pipeline."
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If you're using
your companion book
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to follow along, today we
begin on page 75 of chapter 5.
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Now to better grasp
the idea of justification,
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let's first look
back to the scriptures
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that were used by the
early Christian church
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which was nothing
less than the writings
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of the Old
Testament and that supplied
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the foundation for understanding
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the teachings of
the New Testament.
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Deuteronomy 25:1
provides us with an insight
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to the legal
action of justification.
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The scripture says
if there is a dispute,
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come to court that
the judges may judge them
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and justify the righteous
and condemn the wicked.
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In this setting, a judge heard
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the case against an
accused and made a judgment.
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If there was insufficient
evidence to prove guilt,
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he cleared them and declared
them innocent or justified.
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Of course, if evidence existed,
he condemned the guilty.
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In the Old Testament, God warns
He will not justify the wicked.
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His anger is
aroused where judges
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who accept bribes
to acquit the guilty
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or condemn the innocent.
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Anyone who perverts justice
is an abomination to the Lord.
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So weighing the
Hebrew understanding,
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we see that
justification is a legal action.
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It is performed by a judge.
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Condemnation and justification
are forensic terms.
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They have to do with examining
the evidence to decide questions
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that arise from a crime.
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They are polar opposites.
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"To condemn means to
declare an accused party guilty
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and worthy of punishment.
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To justify means to pronounce
an acquittal of the charges,
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making an official declaration
that the accused is innocent."
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We all know we
are guilty of sin.
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Romans 3:23 tells
us, "All have sinned
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and fallen short
of the glory of God,"
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If we are guilty of sin,
we are worthy of punishment.
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Oh, but thank God that
the verse ends with a comma
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and the rest of the story
is told in the following verse.
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Listen with amazement
to the love and redemption
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God provides us
through His grace pipeline
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as I read Romans
3:23 and 24 together.
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And it says, "All have sinned
and fall short of the glory
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of God, being
justified freely by His grace
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through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus."
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Justification is
the sovereign legal act
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of a holy and just God.
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It results from
the atoning sacrifice
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of Christ on the cross.
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Let's summarize
this legal process.
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Roman 5:8 and 9
tells us that God loved us
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while we were still sinners
and sent Christ to die for us
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that we might be
justified by His blood.
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Through repentance, we receive
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the remission of
our past offenses.
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The blood of Christ
covers the forensic evidence
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that stood
against us and redemption
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and forgiveness are the pardon.
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As we considered
in the past program,
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Romans 4:25 tells us
that Christ was raised
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to secure our justification.
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The resurrected savior
serves as our high priest
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who is blotting out our
sins in the heavenly sanctuary
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and He is continually
interceding as our advocate.
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Roman 5:17 and 18
clearly states that
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Christ's righteous act becomes
our gift of righteousness.
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His righteousness,
His perfect character
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stands in place
of our character.
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And robed in His righteousness,
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His credit is given
to our heavenly record
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and that puts us in
right legal standing with God.
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What is the result of Christ
standing in as our substitute?
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Living the perfect life,
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we never lived and
dying the death we deserved,
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the demands of diving
justice are satisfied.
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There are no
longer legal grounds
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to justly inflict
the penalty of sin.
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God declares us free of guilt
and He grants us an acquittal
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by His grace
justification is ours.
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And once
justified, you can declare
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I'm just as if I
had never sinned.
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This is the good news
of the gospel of grace.
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When we
understand God's plan for us,
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we can celebrate His goodness
as Paul did in Romans 8:31-33.
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And here he says, "What then
shall we say to these things?
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If God is for us,
who can be against us?
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He who did not
spare His own Son,
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but delivered Him up for us all,
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how shall He not with Him
also freely give us all things?
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Who shall bear a
charge against God's elect?
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It is God who justifies."
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Quite an exciting
promise, isn't it?
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Now let's turn our
focus to Zachariah Chapter 3.
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This is an important
Old Testament passage
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that demonstrates justification
has always been by grace
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through faith and
the promised Messiah.
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Let me set this up
for you before we read.
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In Zachariah Chapter 3,
the prophet records a vision
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that graphically
portrays God's gracious plan
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of both imputed righteousness
or righteousness that has been
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credited to our
account and of justification.
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In the first verse, he speaks
of scene that angel of the Lord
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who bible scholars
agree and have identified
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as Jesus Christ
before His incarnation.
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So there in Zachariah 3
Joshua is standing before him
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and the accuser
of the brethren satan
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stands to oppose Joshua.
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Zachariah receives this vision
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following the
release of a remnant group
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of Israel's nation
from Babylonian bondage.
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God's justice had sanctioned
the fiery trial of their exile.
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The people have
rebelled against him in action
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and attitude and had warranted
the sufferings of condemnation
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which finally
brought them to repentance.
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Once again the Merciful
Maker secured their release
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from captivity and
returned them to Jerusalem.
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Joshua was the first appointed
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high priest of
the returning remnant.
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Now in vision, the
prophet sees Joshua standing
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as a representative of
the people before Jesus.
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He was clothed
in filthy garments.
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He is defiled with
sin and satan points
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an accusing finger
of blame at Joshua.
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With violent opposition
he lists the transgressions
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of the covenant people arguing
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that God should not
restore them to divine favor.
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Did satan have
grounds for his allegations?
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He knew that God
has a perfect standard
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of right doing and right being.
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He knew the Lord's
Ten Commandments of love
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are a reflection of
His righteous character
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and that God requires created
beings to observe His divine law
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as an expression of their love,
respect and covenant faith.
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Certainly, this
nation had all sinned
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and fallen short of God's glory.
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The Bible is clear in both
the Old and the New Testaments
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that the wages of sin is death.
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Satan reasoned,
they deserve to die
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and questioned how
the great God of justice
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could ignore
their transgressions.
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So the arch accuser
standing there underestimated
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the love, mercy,
and grace of the Lord.
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Joshua's knees must
have been trembling.
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But then in Zachariah 3,
let me read to you what happens.
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Verses 2 through 5.
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"The Lord said to Satan,
'The Lord rebuke you, satan.
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Is this not a brand
plucked from the fire?'
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Now Joshua was
clothed with filthy garments,
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and was standing
before the Angel.
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Then He answered and spoke
to those who stood before him,
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saying, 'Take away the
filthy garments from him.'
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This is remission of
sin and to him He said,
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'See, I have removed
your iniquity from you,
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and I will clothe
you with rich robes.'
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There is imputed righteousness.
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And I said, 'Let them put
on a clean turban on his head.'
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That's justification.
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So they put a
clean turban on his head,
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and they put the clothes on him.
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And the Angel of
the Lord stood by."
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The vision revealed God's
continued plan of remission
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of sin and imputed
righteousness by grace.
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The special
turban that was placed
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on the high
priest had a golden plate
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with the inscription
"Holiness to the Lord.----
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In vision, this represented
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the restoration
of the priesthood.
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God declared Joshua
and His people justified
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by grace and reconciled to Him.
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Let me tell you something.
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You may not have
thought about this
00:11:10.82\00:11:12.21
but satan is not omnipresent.
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He is a created
being with limited presence
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to only place at a time.
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He assigns his unholy alliance
of demons, those fallen angels,
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to lure his into temptation
and then to work his CSI agents,
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the crime scene
investigators, who go around
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collecting forensic
evidence to present against us.
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The enemy wags an
accusatory finger at us
00:11:38.60\00:11:41.90
declaring our guilt and
trying to hand off a baton
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of condemnation that
we may use it on ourselves
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to beat our heads
and bash our hopes.
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Don't accept it.
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Don't be the devil's fool
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or else you will never
experience peace with God.
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Many years ago, a
precious friend of mine
00:11:59.37\00:12:01.99
lived in the darkness of
a drug and alcohol addiction
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that lead to a
promiscuous lifestyle.
00:12:05.56\00:12:08.45
Hearing her
testimony for the first time,
00:12:08.48\00:12:11.11
totally caught me off guard.
00:12:11.14\00:12:12.97
I could not believe this
innocent Christ like woman
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filled with love
and heavenly wisdom
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had ever dwelled anywhere
but in the light of the Lord.
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She is a brand
plucked from the fire
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and the living memorial
to God's grace of salvation.
00:12:27.69\00:12:31.88
Although she received
divine deliverance from sin,
00:12:31.91\00:12:35.99
sordid memories of
the past haunted her
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for sometime afterward and
she could not forgive herself
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for the damage
that she had done.
00:12:42.41\00:12:45.00
So approaching her
one day after church,
00:12:45.03\00:12:48.23
her pastor put his finger
on the problem asking her,
00:12:48.26\00:12:52.22
"Do you believe
God has forgiven you?"
00:12:52.25\00:12:55.32
"Well, of course," she replied.
00:12:55.35\00:12:57.69
And he said,
"Then don't you think
00:12:57.72\00:12:59.69
it's a little arrogant of
you not to forgive yourself.
00:12:59.72\00:13:03.75
Aren't you putting
yourself above God?"
00:13:03.78\00:13:06.57
"Well, that's
ridiculous," she steamed,
00:13:06.60\00:13:08.85
"I'm doing no such
thing." And she stormed off.
00:13:08.88\00:13:12.80
His comments infuriated her.
00:13:12.83\00:13:15.76
But later that day
as the Lord helped her
00:13:15.79\00:13:18.65
to reflect on the
wisdom of the pastor's counsel,
00:13:18.68\00:13:22.28
she slowly began
to accept it as truth.
00:13:22.31\00:13:26.27
The life changing breakthrough
00:13:26.30\00:13:28.37
she so
desperately needed occurred.
00:13:28.40\00:13:32.08
And she dropped that
baton of self condemnation.
00:13:32.11\00:13:36.02
She forgave herself at last.
00:13:36.05\00:13:38.44
God cleansed her
conscience of guilt silencing
00:13:38.47\00:13:41.80
the torment of self accusation
and giving her confidence
00:13:41.83\00:13:46.05
to draw ever closer
to His throne of grace.
00:13:46.08\00:13:50.38
She lives at peace with
her past now and with her Lord.
00:13:50.41\00:13:55.74
The Apostle John
wrote in 1 John 3:20 and 21.
00:13:55.77\00:14:01.69
"For if our heart condemns us,
00:14:01.72\00:14:04.98
God is greater than our
heart, and knows all things.
00:14:05.01\00:14:09.35
Beloved, if our
heart does not condemn us,
00:14:09.38\00:14:12.22
we have confidence toward God."
00:14:12.25\00:14:16.29
Feelings of condemnation cause
a guilty conscience before God.
00:14:16.32\00:14:21.01
Guilt keeps us at an arms
distance from His embrace.
00:14:21.04\00:14:25.41
Our sympathetic Savior
wants to give us peace of mind
00:14:25.44\00:14:29.71
so that we will feel
confident in His presence.
00:14:29.74\00:14:33.28
If we repent and depend on
Christ as our propitiation--
00:14:33.31\00:14:38.05
which we've studied
in an earlier program,
00:14:38.08\00:14:40.46
means to cover sin.
00:14:40.49\00:14:42.73
When we accept Christ
as our covering for sin,
00:14:42.76\00:14:45.69
our propitiation, He
makes atonement for our sin,
00:14:45.72\00:14:49.43
covering them over.
00:14:49.46\00:14:50.83
And Paul tells us in Romans 8:1.
00:14:50.86\00:14:54.48
"There is
therefore now no condemnation
00:14:54.51\00:14:58.21
to those who are in
Christ Jesus, who do not walk
00:14:58.24\00:15:02.01
according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit."
00:15:02.04\00:15:06.93
To be in Christ is to have a
personal relationship with Him.
00:15:06.96\00:15:12.88
Have you confessed your sins
00:15:12.91\00:15:15.19
and asked God for
the gift of repentance?
00:15:15.22\00:15:17.80
Are you in Christ?
00:15:17.83\00:15:19.41
If so, because of your
relationship with Christ,
00:15:19.44\00:15:22.23
God has
pronounced you justified.
00:15:22.26\00:15:24.90
There is no longer any
basis for His condemnation
00:15:24.93\00:15:28.84
or for your self condemnation
where you once felt alienated
00:15:28.87\00:15:33.82
from Him, you can now
draw close with confidence.
00:15:33.85\00:15:38.37
Isaiah 43:18 and 19 is
one of my favorite verses.
00:15:38.40\00:15:43.34
Let me read this to
you from the amplified.
00:15:43.37\00:15:45.88
"Do not earnestly
remember the former things,
00:15:45.91\00:15:50.90
neither consider
the things of old.
00:15:50.93\00:15:53.67
Behold, I am doing a new thing.
00:15:53.70\00:15:57.21
Now it springs forth, do
you not perceive and know it
00:15:57.24\00:16:01.49
and will you
not give heed to it?
00:16:01.52\00:16:03.94
I will even make a
way in the wilderness
00:16:03.97\00:16:07.18
and rivers in the desert."
00:16:07.21\00:16:09.73
God does not want
you to dwell on the past.
00:16:09.76\00:16:12.63
He does not want you to
dwell on former mistakes
00:16:12.66\00:16:16.32
from which you
have been justified.
00:16:16.35\00:16:18.78
What He's saying here is release
the past and press forward.
00:16:18.81\00:16:23.56
You know Paul makes that clear
also in Colossians 1:20-23,
00:16:23.59\00:16:28.70
that when God forgives
you, He provides the blessing
00:16:32.14\00:16:35.57
of peace and the power of
His promise linked with love
00:16:35.60\00:16:39.89
is to present you holy
blameless and above reproach,
00:16:39.92\00:16:44.04
if you steadfastly
continue in the faith.
00:16:44.07\00:16:48.73
It is through Christ
that we have access by faith
00:16:48.76\00:16:53.62
to God's grace pipeline as
Paul noted in Romans 5:1 and 2.
00:16:53.65\00:17:00.27
He says, "Therefore,
having been justified by faith,
00:17:00.30\00:17:05.14
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:17:05.17\00:17:09.57
through whom also
we have access by faith
00:17:09.60\00:17:13.61
into this grace
in which we stand,
00:17:13.64\00:17:16.60
and rejoice in hope
of the glory of God."
00:17:16.63\00:17:22.74
Stand firm in Christ
and you will continue
00:17:22.77\00:17:26.90
to have access by faith
00:17:26.93\00:17:28.99
into the bountiful
blessings of God's grace.
00:17:29.02\00:17:33.13
This is our fourth program
on justification by faith.
00:17:33.16\00:17:36.81
We have examined how
God can be a just judge
00:17:36.84\00:17:41.99
and at the same time,
the one who justifies us.
00:17:42.02\00:17:45.83
We have considered
the mercy seat covering,
00:17:45.86\00:17:48.89
the seat of
God's judgment throne,
00:17:48.92\00:17:51.32
and how Christ is symbolically
our mercy seat covering.
00:17:51.35\00:17:55.74
We've proven from scripture that
00:17:55.77\00:17:57.98
it is the imputed
righteousness of Jesus Christ,
00:17:58.01\00:18:02.07
His righteousness
credited to our account
00:18:02.10\00:18:04.85
by virtue of our relationship
with Him that justifies us
00:18:04.88\00:18:09.41
freely by God's grace
and through our faith.
00:18:09.44\00:18:12.96
We've also proven
that there is no other way,
00:18:12.99\00:18:15.78
no other process by
which we may be justified.
00:18:15.81\00:18:19.88
We have examined Paul's teaching
00:18:19.91\00:18:22.76
which proves,
particularly in Galatians 5:4,
00:18:22.79\00:18:26.68
that if we attempt to
be justified by works,
00:18:26.71\00:18:31.19
we have fallen from grace.
00:18:31.22\00:18:34.12
But if we stop here,
there will be someone out there
00:18:34.15\00:18:38.66
who still wants to
argue that the Apostles Paul
00:18:38.69\00:18:42.32
and James were at
odds in their teaching,
00:18:42.35\00:18:45.16
one saying that we
are justified by grace
00:18:45.19\00:18:48.45
and the other claiming
that we are justified by works.
00:18:48.48\00:18:52.09
I don't want to leave any
stone unturned that might hinder
00:18:52.12\00:18:56.81
your understanding
of this vital topic.
00:18:56.84\00:18:59.59
So let's briefly consider
what these two Apostles taught.
00:18:59.62\00:19:04.73
Paul makes a
glorious defense of the gospel
00:19:04.76\00:19:08.65
of grace in his
letter to the Romans.
00:19:08.68\00:19:11.60
In Chapters 3-5, he presents
the picture of man's condition
00:19:11.63\00:19:17.21
before justification
and sets forth the gift
00:19:17.24\00:19:21.60
of God's grace that
freely justifies the human race.
00:19:21.63\00:19:26.27
Let's look at what he
says in Romans 3:24-31.
00:19:26.30\00:19:32.97
"Being justified
freely," he writes,
00:19:33.00\00:19:35.95
"by His grace
through the redemption
00:19:35.98\00:19:39.14
that is in Christ
Jesus that God might be just
00:19:39.17\00:19:43.84
and the justifier of the
one who has faith in Jesus.
00:19:43.87\00:19:47.65
Therefore we conclude that
a man is justified by faith
00:19:47.68\00:19:52.41
apart from the deeds of the law.
00:19:52.44\00:19:55.09
Do we then make void
the law through faith?
00:19:55.12\00:19:58.16
Certainly not.
00:19:58.19\00:19:59.56
On the contrary,
we establish the law."
00:19:59.59\00:20:04.47
Paul argues good works are
not the cause of justification.
00:20:04.50\00:20:10.18
No one can be justified
by conformity to the law
00:20:10.21\00:20:14.11
or dependence upon
religious rights and ceremonies.
00:20:14.14\00:20:18.78
Justification is a gift
from God received by faith
00:20:18.81\00:20:24.16
and Christ atoning sacrifice
and His imputed righteousness.
00:20:24.19\00:20:30.45
Now you'll notice that
concern someone might misapply
00:20:30.48\00:20:33.60
this teaching,
Paul quickly added
00:20:33.63\00:20:35.70
that faith establishes
the principle of the law.
00:20:35.73\00:20:39.58
The Lord did not
give the law in vain.
00:20:39.61\00:20:42.10
It pointed man to
Christ who perfectly fulfilled
00:20:42.13\00:20:47.33
God's requirements
and as we recognize
00:20:47.36\00:20:50.33
all that He has done for us,
we will be eager to please Him.
00:20:50.36\00:20:55.12
Anyone in relationship
with Christ will uphold
00:20:55.15\00:20:59.33
His eternal
principles and morality.
00:20:59.36\00:21:02.63
While good works are not
the cause of our justification.
00:21:02.66\00:21:06.95
They certainly
come as the consequence.
00:21:06.98\00:21:10.94
In Romans 4, and
I believe it's 1-25,
00:21:10.97\00:21:14.72
Paul uses the Old Testament
and the patriarch Abraham
00:21:14.75\00:21:19.31
as a witness to God's
unchanging plan of salvation.
00:21:19.34\00:21:24.72
Through faith and in spite
00:21:24.75\00:21:26.74
of seemingly
hopeless circumstances,
00:21:26.77\00:21:30.22
the childless Abraham
believed God's promise
00:21:30.25\00:21:34.78
that he will become the
father of a great nation
00:21:34.81\00:21:38.03
and God accounted it
to him as righteousness.
00:21:38.06\00:21:41.70
Paul argues that
the uncircumcised
00:21:41.73\00:21:44.34
patriarch Abraham
was justified by grace
00:21:44.37\00:21:49.27
through the
righteousness of faith.
00:21:49.30\00:21:52.34
And then Paul makes
it clear in Romans 4:11
00:21:52.37\00:21:57.12
that it was only
afterward that the law was added
00:21:57.15\00:22:01.32
and Abraham received
the sign of circumcision
00:22:01.35\00:22:05.45
as a seal of the righteousness,
of the faith which he had,
00:22:05.48\00:22:09.92
well, he was
still uncircumcised.
00:22:09.95\00:22:13.37
Circumcision was
merely the outward evidence
00:22:13.40\00:22:16.72
of an inward working that
God had accomplished in Abraham.
00:22:16.75\00:22:20.32
A sign to the
patriarch and his descendents
00:22:20.35\00:22:23.48
that the righteousness
granted him was by faith.
00:22:23.51\00:22:27.88
In the same
fashion, Christians today,
00:22:27.91\00:22:30.22
our baptism is a sign of
the faith and justification,
00:22:30.25\00:22:33.79
we have already experienced.
00:22:33.82\00:22:36.59
So throughout his
letter to the Romans,
00:22:36.62\00:22:38.85
Paul's focus was
from the standpoint
00:22:38.88\00:22:41.60
of man's condition
before justification.
00:22:41.63\00:22:46.34
Let me repeat this because
I don't want you to miss it.
00:22:46.37\00:22:49.07
Throughout his
entire letter to the Romans,
00:22:49.10\00:22:52.80
Paul's focus was
from the standpoint
00:22:52.83\00:22:56.26
of man's condition
before justification.
00:22:56.29\00:23:00.20
Now in contrast,
the Apostle James
00:23:00.23\00:23:04.18
uses the example
of faithful Abraham
00:23:04.21\00:23:07.17
as he sets forth
a different aspect
00:23:07.20\00:23:10.35
of justification
focusing from the standpoint
00:23:10.38\00:23:14.21
of man's condition
after being justified.
00:23:14.24\00:23:18.79
In James 2:20-24, James writes,
"But do you want to know,
00:23:18.82\00:23:26.73
O foolish man, that
faith without works is dead?
00:23:26.76\00:23:31.75
Was not Abraham our
father justified by works
00:23:31.78\00:23:35.37
when he offered
Isaac his son on the altar?
00:23:35.40\00:23:38.50
Do you see that
faith was working together
00:23:38.53\00:23:41.08
with his works, and by
works faith was made perfect?
00:23:41.11\00:23:45.26
And the Scripture was fulfilled
00:23:45.29\00:23:47.13
which says,
Abraham believed God,
00:23:47.16\00:23:50.29
and it was accounted
to him for righteousness.'
00:23:50.32\00:23:53.25
And he was called
the friend of God.
00:23:53.28\00:23:56.08
You see then that
a man is justified
00:23:56.11\00:23:59.33
by works, and
not by faith only."
00:23:59.36\00:24:04.66
You see what
James is pointing out
00:24:04.69\00:24:07.75
is that God's faithful
friend Abraham maintained
00:24:07.78\00:24:12.10
his right standing
with God through actions
00:24:12.13\00:24:15.01
of obedience prompted by faith.
00:24:15.04\00:24:18.03
James argues that
after justification
00:24:18.06\00:24:22.01
we will confirm to
the Lord's commandments
00:24:22.04\00:24:24.63
as evidence that
our faith is sincere.
00:24:24.66\00:24:28.22
Genuine faith seeks to
be obedient to God's will.
00:24:28.25\00:24:32.98
We cannot expect to
remain justified by faith
00:24:33.01\00:24:36.63
while living in sin.
00:24:36.66\00:24:39.66
Justification by grace
leads to sanctification by grace
00:24:39.69\00:24:45.66
resulting in a life
that separated from evil
00:24:45.69\00:24:48.98
and set apart for God and
leading to personal holiness
00:24:49.01\00:24:53.74
as we develop the
character of Christ.
00:24:53.77\00:24:56.81
Our Lord Jesus taught us
to pray in Matthew 6:9-13
00:24:56.84\00:25:02.97
and I've added some notes here.
00:25:03.00\00:25:05.13
He taught us,
"Our Father in heaven,
00:25:05.16\00:25:07.53
Hallowed be you
name, Your kingdom come.
00:25:07.56\00:25:10.61
Your will be done On
earth as it is in heaven.
00:25:10.64\00:25:14.24
Give us this
day our daily bread.
00:25:14.27\00:25:17.68
Forgive us our debts,
there's justification,
00:25:17.71\00:25:21.74
as we forgive our debtors.
00:25:21.77\00:25:24.12
And do not lead us
into temptation, but
00:25:24.15\00:25:27.23
deliver us from the evil
one, that's sanctification.
00:25:27.26\00:25:31.87
For yours is the
kingdom and the power
00:25:31.90\00:25:35.34
and the glory forever. Amen."
00:25:35.37\00:25:39.61
By the blood of
Christ and the grace of God,
00:25:39.64\00:25:43.65
our sin, debt is
forgiven and we are anxious
00:25:43.68\00:25:47.64
not to offend our
Heavenly Father again.
00:25:47.67\00:25:50.81
We desire sanctification.
00:25:50.84\00:25:54.73
Personal holiness is not
the cause for our justification
00:25:54.76\00:26:01.14
but comes as the
consequence of justification.
00:26:01.17\00:26:06.28
Justification is only by grace.
00:26:06.31\00:26:08.65
It takes but a
moment as we receive
00:26:08.68\00:26:11.34
the Lord Jesus Christ as
our savior and on the basis
00:26:11.37\00:26:14.97
of Christ imputed righteousness,
God declares us justified
00:26:15.00\00:26:20.53
which entitles us
to all the advantages
00:26:20.56\00:26:24.11
and rewards of His
perfect record of obedience.
00:26:24.14\00:26:28.11
The Apostle Peter
states this perfectly
00:26:28.14\00:26:32.22
in 1 Peter 2:24 where he says,
"Who Himself, speaking of Jesus,
00:26:32.25\00:26:39.10
bore our sins is His own
body on the tree, that we,
00:26:39.13\00:26:45.34
having died to sins,
might live for righteousness."
00:26:45.37\00:26:50.90
Justification
leads to sanctification.
00:26:50.93\00:26:55.26
Sanctification is
also a work of grace,
00:26:55.29\00:26:59.44
the progressive
work of a lifetime.
00:26:59.47\00:27:02.98
God sanctifies us by
Christ imparted righteousness
00:27:03.01\00:27:08.17
which remarkable gift we will
focus on in our next program.
00:27:08.20\00:27:12.56
But first I want to ask,
I hope you've noticed that
00:27:12.59\00:27:16.31
difference between
what Paul and James did.
00:27:16.34\00:27:20.61
Remember, Paul's argument
in Romans is justification
00:27:20.64\00:27:25.45
before--he's talking about
a man before his justification
00:27:25.48\00:27:30.62
where as James
talks about it afterwards.
00:27:30.65\00:27:33.39
So what we want is
to find sanctification
00:27:33.42\00:27:36.35
and yoked with Christ,
00:27:36.38\00:27:37.94
he empowers us to walk
in harmony with His will.
00:27:37.97\00:27:41.38
Faith is the only
method by which we can cease
00:27:41.41\00:27:44.18
hold of Christ
and His righteousness.
00:27:44.21\00:27:46.86
From start to finish,
it is from faith to faith
00:27:46.89\00:27:51.80
that just shall live by faith.
00:27:51.83\00:27:55.14
So please remember grow in grace
00:27:55.17\00:27:59.27
and in the
knowledge of our Lord.
00:27:59.30\00:28:01.12