Justification by Faith or Works

Justification is an important concept in God’s plan. Questions that can come up are, “How am I justified?”; “When am I justified?”; “Who does the justifying?”; or “What do I have to do to be justified?”

To be justified means: to stand before God in a state of righteousness. Just before the Reformation, Martin Luther struggled with these questions, and finally broke away from the Catholic Church

I. Justification by Faith or Works

A. Martin Luther before he left the Roman Catholic church, was a dedicated servant of the Roman Catholic Church and was taught Justification by works - but had no peace

1. Did many hours of pentence so God would forgive him of his sins

2. Was so afraid to take communion because he thought he was not worth - many hours in confession:

B. He was saved by reading Paul's Epistles - Didn't understand James Epistle

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

C. His confusion

1. Romans 3:28 - Paul's declaration of Justification

Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

2. James 2:24 - James declaration of Justification

James 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

3. Both Scriptures use the same Greek word for justified - 1344 dikaiow dikaioo dik-ah-yo’-o

4. Seemingly the same context

a. Romans 4:3 - Abraham being Justified

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

b. James 2:21 - Abraham being Justified

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

D. Does the Bible contradict itself?

1. When does Paul say Abraham was justified?

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Abraham was justified when he believed

2. When does James say Abraham was justified?

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Abraham was justified when he offered Isaac upon the altar

E. A lesson in interpretation.

1. While at first is looks like the context of the passage in Romans and the context of the passage in James are the same,

2. And using the same word for “justified”,

3. But, they are different concerning when Abraham was justified.

4. The word dikaiow has two meanings

a. To be declared righteous

b. To show one to be righteous

5. We need the context to determine the meaning in each passage

F. Faith without Works is Dead

1. James 2:14-24

James 2:14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

James 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

James 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. {alone: Gr. by itself}

James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. {without: some copies read, by}

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

James 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? {Seest…: or, Thou seest}

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

James 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

2. Romans 3:23- 5:2

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; {set forth: or, foreordained} {remission: or, passing over}

Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Romans 3:29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

Romans 3:30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

Romans 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Romans 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

Romans 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Romans 4:9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

Romans 4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

II. Abraham's Works Sealed or Vindicated his Justification

Romans 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

Romans 4:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

Romans 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Romans 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

Romans 4:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. {before him: or, like unto him}

Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Romans 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Romans 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

Romans 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

III. Important Exhortations about Justification in Paul's Epistle to the Galatians

A. If we are of faith, we have the same promise as children of Abraham -

Galatians 3:6-9

Galatians 3:Romans 5:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. {accounted: or, imputed}

Galatians 3:Romans 5:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Galatians 3:Romans 5:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Galatians 3:Romans 5:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

B. Admonishes to Stand fast in your liberty- Galatians 5:1-6

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.

Galatians 5:3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.

Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Galatians 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

IV. Definition of Justification – Two meanings, we have to look at the context to know author’s intension

1344 dikaiow dikaioo dik-ah-yo’-o

from 1342; TDNT-2:211,168; v

AV-justify 37, be freed 1, be righteous 1, justifier 1; 40

1) to render righteous or such he ought to be

2) to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered

3) to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be