Sermons
April 6th, 2025 by Pastor Solley040625AM What Makes a Just Man
Sub. Justification
Theme: Pictures of Biblical justification.
Text: Matt 27:17-19
“What Makes a Just Man” Matthew 27:17-19
Introduction
I want to speak to you this morning about Biblical justification and what make a man just before God in both position and walk. The Bible clearly states that none of us are born in a state of justification before God, just the opposite. We all have been born into this world in a state of sin and there is noting that we can do in and of ourselves to change that, all born apart from God. We, naturally born in a state of sin, with a sin nature, cannot please God in relation to God or a walk with God. We are not justified and that is where Biblical justification comes in.
I. Bible justification is an act of declaration: It is an act of declaration where one party declares another to be just before God, to have a relation and position in God and in Jesus Christ.
A. This declaration can be made only by God Himself: No one else can declare one to be just before the just and true God, only God.
1. That declaration can only be made through the Lord Jesus Christ: Only after one repents and receives the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior, only after one is born again can they be declared just by and before Almighty God.
2. No other way can in individual be justified before God: One cannot work to be justified, one cannot depend upon a church, a family, good intentions, or even a sincere desire to be just before God, one must come a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
3. Justification comes only by the new birth as we will see in a few moments: But one can be declared justified by God.
B. This declaration then leads to a walk that pleases God: The declaration must come first, but it does lead to a new way of life, a new walk in Christ, a way of life that is pleasing to God. The declaration leads to a new way of life.
1. The Bible says we are to walk in newness of life: Rom 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
2. The Bible says we are then to walk as children of light: Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
3. The declaration comes first, salvation in Christ first, then that declaration leads to a new walk, a new way of life:
II. In the Bible there are only a few people identified by name as being just, pointed out by name as being justified: All who have ever been born again, placed faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, have been justified and that goes all the way back to Adam when he repented of sin before God and that continues today when one receives Jesus Christ as their personal savior. Certainly all the Old Testament prophets, the seven thousand with Elijah, the apostles, all that have believed in Christ down through the ages have been declared justified by God because of Jesus. Declared justified by God before God because of Jesus Christ.
A. But only a few identified by name as being justified in the Bible: When we look at those ones we see who and what makes justification possible and the walk before God that justification makes possible as well.
B. I want to look at a few of those ones this morning to see what justification is and the walk justification can lead to:
PROP: Every individual here this morning needs to know if they have been declared justified by God for eternity hangs in the balance.
TS. We also need to see the walk that justification makes possible.
Body
I. In Jesus we see the justifier of all who place faith and trust in Him: Matt 27:17-19 As Jesus stood falsely accused before Pilate that man knew Jesus had done nothing worthy of death, those who accused Jesus knew Jesus had done nothing worthy of death. The Bible says the wages of sin is death and Jesus never sinned and they knew it.
A. Then an unsaved woman says what they all knew, Jesus was a just man: Matt 27:19 This is very important because it is only a sinless one, a just one who can make justification possible for sinful man. All of mankind would be condemned to an eternity in hell if Jesus were not a just man. Jesus was not declared just by God the Father because Jesus Christ has always been just, always sinless.
1. No one has ever been born into this world as Jesus was: Born of a virgin, no earthly father, no sin nature to inherit. We get our sin nature from Adam. Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: But Jesus had no earthly father. No one ever born into this world as Jesus was born.
2. No one ever lived as Jesus lived: Sinless, Jesus never sinned. 2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Jesus never committed even the smallest of sins. No one ever lived like Jesus.
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3. No one ever died like Jesus died: Giving His life for the sins of others, for the sins of the world. John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. No one ever died like Jesus died, a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
4. No one ever rose again as Jesus arose: Matt 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. The angel did not roll the stone away from the tomb to let Jesus out, Jesus was already risen from the dead. No one arose from the grave as Jesus did.
5. And no one has ever come back as Jesus is coming back one day: Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Jesus is coming back one day soon.
6. What does all of that mean?
B. Jesus, and only Jesus Christ, can be the justifier of all who believe in Him: Rom 3:24-26 That is as clear as clear can be. Only Jesus can be the justifier. – Rom 3:24-26 No church, no religious leader, no family, no friends, no good works, only Jesus Christ can be a justifier. – Rom 3:26 – If you want to be declared just by God, if you want a home in heaven, if you want to be delivered from sin and saved from hell you must come through Jesus Christ.
1. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Only through Jesus can one be just.
2. Only Jesus loves us that much: Rom 5:8
3. And you can be saved if you come to Jesus seeking forgiveness and salvation: Rom 5:9
C. In Jesus we see the justifier of all who place faith and trust in Him:
II. In Cornelius we see one seeking for salvation in Christ and was justified because of it: Acts 10:21-22 Here we find a lost man seeking Christ, seeking salvation, one who knew he needed more than he had to be justified before God.
A. Cornelius was considered to be a just man to everyone who knew him: Acts 10:22 Notice what was said about him.
1. He feared God: Acts 10:22 He had a knowledge of God, of heaven, of hell, and he feared the one day coming judgment of God. The Bible tells us that all one day will give an account to God, that there is a day of judgment coming for all of us. He feared God.
2. He was a man of good report among people: Acts 10:22 No open blemishes on Cornelius, a man of good report.
3. He treated the Jewish people well: Acts 10:22 Not like so many today, he treated the Jewish people well.
4. He was seeking spiritual things: Acts 10:22 The Holy Spirit of God is the one used in this world to draw people to Christ and the Holy Spirit was drawing Cornelius and that man listened.
5. But none of those things saved Cornelius: None of those things made him just before God. Men yes, God no.
B. And then Cornelius gets saved: Acts 10:24-27 , 37-48 The emphasis of this is not the speaking in tongues but of a lost man and many others coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. None of those were declared just because of anything they had done.
1. But when they found Jesus, heard the gospel message, they were born again and declared Just by God the Father: All through Jesus, all because they repented and called on the name of the Lord.
2. Romans chapter ten was played out right here: Rom 10:8-10 They called in the name of the Lord. – Rom 10:13 – Now they had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, a position, now they were declared just as if they never had sinned.
3. If you want that position in Christ, that relationship with God, to be declared justified, you need to be born again:
C. In Cornelius we see one seeking for salvation in Christ and was justified because of it:
III. In Noah we find a justified man who separated from sin: Gen 6:9 This now has to do with walk, with manner of life. Noah was already justified as we pick up this account. – Gen 6:9 – He was a just man, that is past tense. Noah was already born again.
A. Because of his relationship with God Noah was determined to separate from sin: Gen 6:4-8 The days we are living in are dark days, days when men love darkness more than light, evil days, but they have not reached the evil of the days of Noah.
1. Every imagination of the heart and mind of man was only evil continually: Gen 6:5 That is very strong language and it comes from God. All of society had fallen into the practice of gross sin. More than we can imagine today.
2. Except for one man and his family: Gen 6:8-11 In that world filled with violence Noah and his family stood apart.
3. Can you imagine the enormous pressure on Noah and his family to give in and go with the world? Everyone around him including aunts and uncles, cousins and most likely brothers and sisters practicing the worst kind of sins and trying to pull Noah with them.
4. But Noah stood firm with the Lord, stood against the sins of his day and God pointed that out: Gen 6:9 This concerning the walk of a just man.
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B. If you are saved today then you ought to walk, I ought to walk, we ought to walk as Noah did, separated from sin: We do live in a dark and sinful world today. – 2 Tim 3:1-8 – Many other passages I could turn to detailing the sins of the last days, of our day and age. And the problem is that many who claim the name of Jesus go right along with them.
1. Did you know drunkenness is still sin? God hasn’t changed His mind about alcohol, it is still sin. Yet so many who claim the name of Jesus also claim social drinking has become acceptable to God.
2. Did you know fornication and adultery are still sins? God hasn’t changed His mind. But so many today flaunt outside of marriage relationship and even many churches embrace those things. They need to be preached against.
3. Did you know blasphemy is still a sin? Yet listen to the language coming out of the mouths of professing Christians. No evil communications are to come out of our mouths.
4. Did you know lying is still a sin? Yet I have many people lie outright to me as if they are telling the truth.
5. The sins listed in the Bible are still sins: Eph 5:3-7 Many other places we could look as well.
6. According to the Bible I am to separate from those things: Eph 5:7-8 Let it be not once named is strong language as well.
7. Declared justified I am to separate from sin:
C. In Noah we find a justified man who separated from sin:
IV. In Joseph we find a justified man who took no pleasure in sin: Matt 1:18-25 Joseph was already a just man as we see in verse nineteen which is past tense. – Matt 1:19 – Joseph justified, born again, sometime before this. This also has to do with walk.
A. Joseph not only separated from sin Joseph took no pleasure in sin: Matt 1:19 In Jewish society at that time when a man and woman were engaged or espoused that engagement period was for one year. They were pledged to each other and that year became a testing period in which if one or the other were found to be unfaithful or impure the marriage would be off and that one was indeed made a public example of. Joseph did not want that.
1. Consider all that Joseph knew before the angel spoke to him: Matt 1:19 Mary had been unfaithful, involved with another man.
2. To break the engagement would arouse suspicion: It would point to Mary being unfaithful.
3. Joseph took no pleasure in sin: Matt 1:19-20 Had the angel not spoken to Joseph he may very well have taken Mary to be his wife in spite of his suspicions. Joseph took no pleasure in sin.
B. Many professing Christians today while not engaging in sin seem to take great pleasure in sin: Not actively engaged but still taking pleasure in sin in the things we look at and take in day by day.
1. We know that fornication and adultery are sins that God condemns: Yet many commit them in the things they look at and are involved in. Jesus said to commit those sins in the heart is the same as committing them in the body.
a. Surveys done by different groups have found that fifty percent of professing Christians asked admitted to viewing pornography on a regular basis, both men and women.
b. That is taking pleasure in sins that God says will destroy the soul of an individual.
2. The Bible clearly states that consuming alcohol is sin: Yet many Christians have to get bottles that look like one is consuming alcohol or take a non alcoholic beer or wine. That is taking pleasure in sin.
3. What of the movies we choose to watch? We take pleasure in sin.
4. What of the websites we visit? We take pleasure in sin.
5. What of posts we mark that we like on facebook? We take pleasure in sin.
C. A just man should take no pleasure in sin:
D. In Joseph we find a justified man who took no pleasure in sin:
V. In John the Baptist we find a justified man who spoke out against sin: Mark 6:20 The same man who heard John gladly and did many things that John said ought to be done condemned John to the chopping block and had him beheaded. Why?
A. John spoke against sin: Mark 6:17-19 Herod had nothing against John but the woman he was committing adultery with did. The message of John brought on his death.
1. Notice what takes place: Mark 6:20-28 The one that danced could have asked for anything up to the half of his wealth and power.
Mark 6:23 Her answer reflects just how much people hate the truth of the Word of God and any preaching against sin. – Mark 6:24-25
2. The answer of Herod reflects just how much people hate the preaching against sin: Mark 6:26-28
3. As long as preaching does not touch people where they live they are fine with it: But as soon as the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to touch their sin, to convict people of sin there becomes a problem.
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4. The feel good message is always an acceptable one: God loves you, God loves all of us, Jesus gets us, heaven is a beautiful place God has ready for all, do the best you can, the feel good message is always an acceptable one and a popular one.
5. But the message against sin is always a combative and combustible one: And people get angry and want to do away with the preacher or move away from the truth.
B. People will not like it when you take a stand against sin: Our words are to be graceful yet seasoned with salt. We are to be loving and kind yet speak out against sin. We are to be soft and gentle yet strong and even forceful. There is a balance.
1. But to ignore sin, to keep silence helps no one: When you ignore sin others think you condone sin.
2. And when you do take a stand it will bring the same ire that it brought to John the Baptist: But John was more concerned with pleasing God than man. – Acts 5:28-33
3. People may not want to kill you but that is the level of anger that will be there:
C. But what does God want us to do?
E. In John the Baptist we find a justified man who spoke out against sin:
Conclusion
What then of justification in relation to our position and our walk?
I. In Jesus we see the justifier of all who place faith and trust in Him: Matt 27:17-29 As Jesus stood falsely accused before Pilate that man knew Jesus had done nothing worthy of death, those who accused Jesus knew Jesus had done nothing worthy of death. The Bible says the wages of sin is death and Jesus never sinned and they knew it.
II. In Cornelius we see one seeking for salvation in Christ and was justified because of it: Acts 10:21-22 Here we find a lost man seeking Christ, seeking salvation, one who knew he needed more than he had to be justified before God.
III. In Noah we find a justified man who separated from sin: Gen 6:9 This now has to do with walk, with manner of life. Noah was already justified as we pick up this account. – Gen 6:9 – He was a just man, that is past tense. Noah was already born again.
IV. In Joseph we find a justified man who took no pleasure in sin: Matt 1:18-25 Joseph was already a just man as we see in verse nineteen which is past tense. – Matt 1:19 – Joseph justified, born again, sometime before this. This also had to do with walk.
V. In John the Baptist we find a justified man who spoke out against sin: Mark 6:20 The same man who heard John gladly and did many things that John said ought to be done condemned John to the chopping block and had him beheaded. Why?