God's Justification of the Righteous

James 2:14-26 Justification

Pastor Martin concludes his two-part series on justification, distinguishing between the 'once-for-all' justification of the ungodly by faith alone, based on Christ's imputed righteousness, and the 'present' or 'declarative' justification of the righteous by works. Expounding James 2:14-26 and Matthew 12:33-37, he argues that while the former secures pardon and acceptance, the latter vindicates the genuineness of a believer's faith through their obedience, both in this life (as with Abraham offering Isaac) and at the final judgment. The sermon aims to provide assurance to believers while stirring them to godly living and evangelical fear, holding these truths in biblical tension.

4 illustrations in this sermon

Review of Justification of the Ungodly (Part 1)

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Courtroom Setting for Justification

In this part of the sermon: Martin reviews the previous week's sermon on the justification of the ungodly, defining 'justify' as the opposite of 'condemn' in a legal, courtroom sense, and reiterating its…

The legal terms 'justify' and 'condemn' bring to mind a courtroom, a judge, and a verdict, illustrating the nature of God's judgment.

Someone is making a judgment when there is either justification or condemnation. And that brings you into the flavor of a courtroom,

3:19 - 3:27 Read in full sermon

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Believer's Life vs. Christ's Life

Driving home: If it happened between the time you were conceived and the time that you died, it has absolutely nothing to do with the basis of your acceptance or your pardon before God.

Drawing a line representing the believer's life and another for Christ's life, Martin visually emphasizes that the basis of justification is solely Christ's perfect obedience and atoning death, not anything in the believer's life.

Now, while you remember, I said, here was the believer. Last week, I drew him with three legs. I hope I didn't do that. No, I didn't.

10:18 - 10:24 Read in full sermon

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Faith as an Empty Hand and Focused Eye

Driving home: It's the heart of the sinner resting upon this perfect, perfect life and not anything that ever happened in his rotten life.

Faith is described as an 'empty hand receiving' and an 'eye focused out of your own life history' onto Christ, illustrating that faith looks outside oneself for righteousness.

Not works, not anything else, but faith. Because faith is the empty hand receiving. Faith is looking outside of yourself. Faith, as it were, has its eye It has its eye It has its eye focused out of your own life history.

14:11 - 14:28 Read in full sermon

Future Justification at the Last Day

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Apple Tree or Thorn Bush

In this part of the sermon: Martin extends the concept of declarative justification to the final judgment, using Matthew 12:33-37 to show that God will again sit as judge, declaring individuals righteous or…

God will declare us to be either an 'apple tree' or a 'thorn bush' in judgment day, illustrating that our lives reveal our true nature.

It is similar to present vindication. It is similar to declarative justification. God will find us and declare us to be genuinely righteous men or genuinely wicked men. In other words God is going to look at us in the day of judgment and say either this is an apple tree or this is a thorn bush.

46:46 - 47:14 Read in full sermon

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