Big Difference 7 - Guilty of ALL vs. Innocent and justified

Rom 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

Yep, that's what happened under the law. However...

Col 2:13-14 When you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He took it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Rom 3:21-24 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...

Rom 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...

JUSTIFIED: Greek word Dikaioo -
-to render righteous or such he ought to be
-to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered
-to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be
-to render as just or innocent

What guilt? The law made everyone guilty. But by faith in Christ we are now JUSTIFIED - declared to be righteous, rendered righteous and innocent!


*For an explanation of this Big Difference series, see the original post.*

Righteousness apart from law

Rom 3:19-26

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

The answer is always B - 2/12/08

Romans 5:1. The correct wording is:
(Vanna, I'd like a vowel and two consonants*)

A. "Therefore, having been justified by all the good things we've done, we have peace with God, as long as we keep doing all those good things."

B. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..."

C. "Speak now or forever hold your peace." (But remember, forever is a mighty long time...)

*I once heard that many Wheel of Fortune contestants accidentally say "I'd like to vuy a bowel" rather than "I'd like to buy a vowel." I have no clue as to the validity of this claim.

One

In June of last year, Bino posted a great blog that I keep going back to called "Dismantle the confession booths." The post is simply a series of Bible verses that show how, among other truths, we have already been forgiven. We don't keep getting forgiven over and over again, through confession of sins or through any other method or act. As I've previously stated, I've printed out all the verses (over two pages worth) and I'm using it to memorize many of the scriptures.

The scripture that I'm on right now is this one:

Rom 5:17-18
17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. (NASB)

I don't like pulling scriptures out of their context (like many people do with, oh, say, let me try to think of an example, hmmm - oh yeah, 1 John 1:9!), especially the above passage with the rich verses and chapters that surround it. Romans is definitely an epistle in which Paul used a lot of words at a time - many sentences and paragraphs - to form larger points. But yet if I keep the whole context in mind this is one of many smaller sections that are worth taking the time to memorize and meditate upon.

There is one word in particular that I want to focus on here. That one word is "one." It's such an important word when it comes to understanding the gospel! Why? Well, as the passage points out, the bad news - the condition that all of mankind has been in (sin, death, judgment, condemnation) - was the result of the transgression of one man, Adam. Sin and death entered the world through one man, Adam (oh yeah, context - see verse 12), and through this one man's offense, judgment came to everyone, resulting in condemnation. You never had to even commit one single sin, and yet you were condemned from the start because of the transgression of Adam. It's not fair, is it?

Well, the gospel isn't fair then, either! (Thank God!). The gospel - the good news - is also based upon what one man did! Whereas sin, death, judgment and condemnation came through one man's disobedience, the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness came through one man's obedience. Paul uses the words "gift" or "free gift" six times in Romans 5 and 6. The gift of righteousness and eternal life came solely through the obedience of one man, Jesus. You never had to even commit a single righteous act, and yet you've been given the gift of righteousness because of the grace of God given through the one man, Jesus!

Take some time and read through Romans 5 (not limiting yourself to that, of course) and see what it says about you, all because of the act of one man (having nothing to do with your own acts or lack thereof). Justified! Standing in grace! Saved from wrath! Reconciled! The grace of God abounding to you! Righteous! Reigning in life! Eternal Life!