TEACHING NOTES ‌‌ Introduction Last week we talked about the biblical definition and application of forgiveness. We learned that God desires to forgive us and reconcile us to a right relationship with Him. This leads us to the next biblical concept that is often misunderstood. Today we’re going to learn about justification and righteousness. ‌ Note: This is a huge topic. This teaching is meant as an introduction. ‌ Justice in the Bible ‌ Modern people understand justice as crime and punishment. When we say “justice has been served” we usually mean that someone has been adequately punished. This leads to the attitude that people must pay for their sins. The focus becomes less about stopping the problem and more about retaliation. ‌ In the Bible, justice is about balance and order. Injustice is when things have become out of balance or disordered. Justice is God’s desire to put things right or to bring order to chaos. ‌ Justification = Heb. צְדָקָֽה׃ (sedaqah) - just, righteous, devout relationship. Grk. δικαίωσις (dikaiosis) - to be put right with (righteous), acquitted, vindicated, set free, removal of guilt. ‌ Justification = Righteousness (right relationship) ‌ Psalm 103:6 ESV 6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. ‌ A loving God takes up the cause of the oppressed and works on their behalf. ‌Why? Because God wants to put right all that is wrong. ‌ First use of Justification/Righteousness in the Bible ‌ Genesis 6:9 ESV 9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. ‌ Righteous = Heb. צַדִּיק (ṣǎd·dîq) - just, upright, devout. In the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint), saddiq is translated as dikaios or dikiaosis meaning “justified.” Notice that Noah’s righteousness is described as being blameless and walking with God. Righteousness is all about relationship. ‌ After the flood, humanity had a new start. But they continued to allow sin to rule and turned away from their Creator to worship other gods. After the incident at the Tower of Babel, humanity was dispersed into 70 different nations and given over to the evil spirits they worshiped. Injustice and chaos ruled the world. But God refused to give up on humanity. He chooses Abraham to create a nation that would bless the world and bring justice and righteousness to all people. ‌ Genesis 15:6 ESV 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. ‌ Believed = Heb. הֶאֱמִ֖ן (he’emin) - to prove to be firm, trustworthy, reliable, faithful, permanent. The idea here is that Abraham regarded Yahweh as trustworthy, changed his worship to Yahweh alone, and did what God called him to do. ‌ Counted = Heb. יַּחְשְׁבֶ֥ (yahsebe) - regarded, credited, reckoned, imputed. ‌ Righteousness = Heb. צְדָקָֽה׃ (sedaqah) - just, upright, devout. ‌ This verse is very important because it is the basis for Paul’s explanation of how faith makes us righteous or justified. Joshua 24:2 tells us that before Abraham was called by Yahweh, he was worshiping other gods. Abraham was worshiping the gods of Ur (near Babylon). But after Yahweh revealed Himself to Abraham he stopped worshiping other gods and began to worship Yahweh alone. Abraham proved his allegiance (faithfulness) to Yahweh by obedience. This is exactly what Hebrews 11:8 teaches by saying, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Abraham’s faithfulness to Yahweh alone made Him righteous in God’s sight. ‌ Abraham descendants become the nation of Israel. God keeps His promises to Israel and makes a covenant with them. As long as Israel remained faithful, they would considered to be in a righteous relationship with God. Of course, Israel did not stay faithful to God and suffered the consequences. ‌ God tells Isaiah that a righteous Servant (the Messiah) would come to do what Israel had failed to accomplish. The Messiah would lead the entire world back into a righteous relationship with God. ‌ Isaiah 53:11 ESV 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. ‌ Make many to be accounted righteous = Just as God counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness (right relationship), the Messiah would expand righteousness to the entire world. How did the Messiah do this? ‌ He shall bear their iniquities = The Messiah would “lift up” our sins on the cross defeating its power over us and making us right with God. ‌ Paul uses Abraham’s story to explain how Jesus has accomplished a righteous relationship with everyone who declares their allegiance (faith) in Jesus. ‌ Romans 4:20–22 ESV 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” ‌ No unbelief made Abraham waver = To be sure, Abraham wavered many times in terms of moral behavior, but not in faithfulness to God. Abraham made many bad decisions in his life, but he never turned away from Yahweh to worship other gods. Abraham kept on trusting in God’s promise. ‌ Romans 4:23–25 ESV 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. ‌ Written also for our sake = Just as Abraham’s faith counted as righteousness for him, our faith in Christ counts as righteousness for us. ‌ Delivered up for our trespasses = Jesus was “lifted up” on our behalf to deliver us from the rule of sin over our lives. His sacrifice (gift) to God secured our salvation. He was delivered up to God so we can be delivered up to God. ‌ Raised for our justification = The resurrection of Christ proved that His sacrifice was accepted by God and gives us right relationship with God. ‌ Romans 5:1–2 ESV 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ‌ Justified by faith = How can we receive justification/righteous with God? By continuing in faith (faithfulness). Notice this is present tense language, not a one time experience or a one time prayer. ‌ We have peace with God = Without faith in Christ, we remain enemies of God. Those who are enemies of God have no peace. But those who have been justified are in a right relationship with God and have become His family. ‌ We have also obtained access to grace = Not only are we made right with God, but we also have access to God and His grace. ‌ We rejoice in hope = Our response is continual joy and worship. ‌ Conclusion ‌Today we respond to God’s Word with joy and worship. We repent of our sins which are weighing us down and trust in God’s forgiveness. We accept the righteousness of God as our own, given through Christ.