In the sermon titled 'Justification by Faith,' Jason Dohm explores the biblical doctrine of justification through faith, emphasizing its significance in the Protestant Reformation. Using the parable from Luke 18:9-14, Dohm contrasts the self-righteousness of the Pharisee with the humility of the tax collector, illustrating that true justification comes from a humble plea for mercy rather than self-reliance. He discusses key scriptures including Romans 3 and Ephesians 2, underscoring that faith is the sole means of accessing God's grace, which is a gift, not a result of works. Dohm warns against the Catholic doctrine that combines faith and works, arguing it undermines true faith. He stresses the importance of recognizing faith as an 'alien righteousness,' an external gift from God, and asserts that while salvation is by faith alone, genuine faith produces good works as evidence of a transformed heart. The sermon concludes by encouraging believers to rest in the completed work of Christ, acknowledging that justification by faith resolves the dilemma of reconciling a holy God with sinners, and glorifies God in the process.

Good morning. Our sermon text comes from Luke 18 verses 9 through 14. Please follow along with me. Also he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I possess. And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted father we thank you for that in this One parable you give the entire doctrine of justification, Lord, is so beautiful.

God, I pray that many would understand this for the first time today and be saved, Lord, that there would be men, women, kids among us that would beat their breasts and confess, Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner. Oh Lord, that is why we're gathering, That is why we're preaching your word to rejoice in your saving grace and to see your kingdom expand with sinners. Father would you and your glory be on high display today. Please bless my brother. God give him supernatural preaching power.

God would your Holy Spirit just pour through each one of us, those who belong to you giving us a greater love for justification, a greater desire to preach justification. And for those of you, those of us who do not confess Christ, who are trusting in themselves, would you lay low pride? Would you lay low self-reliance and self-justification? Would you cause them to cry out for Christ alone? In Jesus name, amen.

May be seated. So does having a double-sided handout for note taking mean that the sermon is going to be very long? Yes. Yes it does. You have been warned.

You have been warned. I'm also in charge of the Lord's Supper Meditation, so I can abbreviate that out of penance. So delighted to be preaching this sermon. The net of this sermon means that you can be saved. This wasn't true.

You couldn't be saved. Hell will be filled with disciplined people, who were thought well of by their neighbors and their family members, and their co-workers, and their friends. Meanwhile, there will be many, ones who committed murder, ones who committed adultery, ones who had patterns of perpetual lying, until God took hold of them and gave them the gift of repentance and faith. If you don't believe that, you're probably not ready to be saved because you still think it's possible to be good enough. I pray that the sermon will strip that away from you, if that would be possible.

That terrible notion that there's some sort of a line and if you're just on the right side of the line you're good enough to make it into heaven. Only those who abandon that kind of insane hope and throw themselves completely on Christ can be saved. Do you know that? Justification by Faith, which is the title of the sermon and particularly appropriate for this week when we celebrate the Reformation. Justification by faith is right at the heart of the Protestant Reformation.

When you think about Luther and the Reformation, you really think about Luther thundering this doctrine of justification by faith. Even more fundamentally, the Reformation was about the supremacy and the sufficiency of Scripture. But justification by faith was one of the first core Bible doctrines that was rescued from the errors, the damnable errors, the errors that would send you to hell that were in the Catholic Church at that time and that are in the Catholic Church at this time. Their doctrine has not changed since the Reformation. They are a kinder, friendlier version of the same errors that will send you to hell.

Do not be fooled by the kind face. Since the fall of man into sin in Genesis chapter 3, every man, woman, boy, and girl has been a wretched sinner with no way within himself or within herself to make it right. So when you are saved, you are saved by faith or you are not saved at all. When you are saved, you are saved by faith. That has always been true.

That is true today. That will be true until Jesus comes back to judge the living and the dead. As we come to our topic, let's ask for the Lord's help. God, I thank You for saving grace and the gift of faith. If we are to stand on our own, we must stand condemned.

You are a holy God and a righteous judge. Nothing that we've ever thought or said or done could ever escape your notice. It has not escaped your notice. We stand condemned according to your law, but you have made a way through your son Jesus Christ, the just for the unjust. A just one, your son, offering himself up to pay the penalty for unjust sinners.

I pray that we would be laid low so that we can rejoice in the greatness of your salvation today. May it be so in Jesus' name. Amen. Here's a roadmap for our time. Number one, we'll look at a few of the critical texts of Scripture which established the doctrine of justification by faith.

Number two, I'll collect up and summarize those truths. They will have been the truths that we will have already encountered in these three texts of Scripture. I'll put them right together. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. There will be eight of them.

And then number three, I'll already be over time, and I will apply briefly. Number one, how do I know this? I preached this in Malawi. I was over time there too. And I feel freer to be more over time here, so you're in for it.

Number one, a few critical texts of Scripture which established the doctrine of justification by faith. Please turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3. Justification by faith is everywhere in Scripture. Old Testament and New Testament, especially New Testament.

I'm going to preach a whole sermon on justification by faith today with the best scriptures that I know and I'm not going to touch Galatians once. Think about that. Galatians is the book of justifications by faith. That just means there's such an abundance to establish this doctrine that you can pick great texts on justification by faith and never touch the book that is pointed at this doctrine. Amazing.

Amazing. Or I picked the wrong text. That's another possibility. But I don't think so. Romans chapter 3.

I'll be reading Romans chapter 3 verses 19 through 31. Here's the context. In Romans chapters 1 and 2, Paul has condemned all Gentiles for violating the law written on their hearts. The Gentiles didn't enjoy the privileges of the Jews. They didn't have the written law, but There was a law written on their heart because God made you that way and they violated that law and it made them guilty even though they didn't have this.

So Paul has already made that argument. And he has condemned all Jews for violating God's written law. They had more privileges, they had more knowledge, and they didn't come out any better. In fact, it's really worse. The more light you have, the more you don't walk by the light that God gives you, it increases your condemnation, doesn't reduce it.

And so, all Gentiles stand condemned, and all Jews stand condemned, and there's no one else. You're either a Jew or a Gentile. So he's condemned the human race in The chapters leading up to this. Now Romans 3, 19-31. Now we know that whatsoever 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." So that's a summary of chapters 1 and 2.

Every mouth stopped. You cannot even offer a defense because you either had the law written on your heart Or you had the written law, or you had them both, and you're a law breaker standing condemned. Shut your mouth. Don't you dare defend yourself, is what Paul says. Paul says this is going to be the end point.

Occasionally you'll hear an unbeliever say, I can't wait until judgment day and I can give God a peace of my mind. Not true. When you stand before Him, you will be laid bare, and you will know that He is right and you are wrong, and you will not open your mouth and give him a peace of your mind. Verse 20. 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 is not New Testament doctrine. Justification by faith is not New Testament doctrine. It was witnessed by the law and the prophets.

Paul says it right here. Verse 22, 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. Where is boasting then?

It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Or is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith?

Certainly not. On the contrary, we establish the law. In verse 10, if we were to back up to verse 10, Paul quotes Psalm 14 verse 1. It's a Psalm of David. There is none righteous, no not one.

So again, Romans chapter 1 and chapter 2, the Gentiles stand condemned because they violated the law written on their hearts. The Jews stand condemned because they have violated the written law given to them. None is righteous, No, not one. That brings us into our text, verse 19. 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.

Gentiles guilty, Jews guilty, everyone guilty. Me guilty, you guilty, everyone you know condemned before God. This is where we are in verse 19. Then verse 20. Therefore, meaning as a consequence of the universal condemnation of mankind, no one can be justified by the deeds of the law.

Because of all that Paul establishes, and all the lead up to this in Romans, no one can be justified by the deeds of the law. The law just makes us aware of sin. Look at verse 20, Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in a sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. What good is the law for an unbeliever? It gives him knowledge of sin.

It's right there in black and white. If you say this is the standard and you begin to judge your thoughts and your words and your deeds by this law, you can only come to one conclusion. I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. It's a holy standard that puts you in this desperate condition in your own mind so that you're connected with reality.

Because it is the desperate condition that you are in before God. What has Paul done? He has established the bad news. So you cannot be justified by the deeds of the law because you can't Unsin. Unsinning is not a thing.

It's not a thing. It's not, have I done more good or more bad in a balance of scales? It's only guilty or innocent. That's how justice works. It's not Amount of good versus amount of bad.

By the way, if you define good deeds right, you haven't even done that. You have nothing to put on the scales there. But that aside, justice works on the principle of guilt or innocent. Not amount versus amount. Guilty or innocent.

So which are you? Guilty or innocent. Paul has given you the bad news. You're guilty. You deserve condemnation.

Now Paul begins to speak of righteousness with God. Justification. Justification just means declared just. Declared to be righteous. So he begins to speak of righteousness with God as the righteousness of God.

Righteousness that proceeds forth from God. It is an external righteousness. It doesn't reside in you, it resides outside of you. It comes from outside of you. The Puritans would call it an alien righteousness.

Outside. Not an alien from outer space. But from outside of you. An alien righteousness. An external righteousness coming from outside yourself.

And Paul says that all who have faith or who believe are justified freely by His grace. So you have it twice here. Freely by His grace is redundant. Freely means you got it without price. By His grace means it was a gift from Him.

He is piling up words so you get the picture. So we don't miss it. Free by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. How can God give us this gift freely? Well, because Jesus bought it.

Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is verse 24. If you are tracking verse by verse, we are in verse 24 now. Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This is verse 24.

If you are tracking verse by verse, we are in verse 24 now. Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Christ bought it so God can give it. So justification by faith is an oversimplification. I don't believe in justification by faith.

Gasp! Meaning, it's shorthand. We abbreviate things so we don't have to say a great long thing. That's why you abbreviate. So fine, it's shorthand.

Justification by faith. But justification by faith is an oversimplification. Really, the Bible doctrine that was taught by the Reformers is justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Justification by faith is shorthand for that. Justification by grace alone.

It's a gift. You couldn't buy it. Jesus bought it with His blood. Through faith alone. This is how you lay hold of the gift, is through faith.

But it is a gift in Christ alone. Paul does not teach that faith saves. Paul teaches that Jesus saves. This is so critical. If faith saves, you deserve the credit for your salvation.

Heaven help us. If your faith doesn't save you, Jesus saves you. His blood washes you clean. You lay hold of Jesus and his person and his work by throwing yourself upon him. That's what faith is, throwing yourself upon the Lord Jesus.

Do Muslims have faith? You bet. They have a belief system, they believe in that system, they believe sincerely in that system. Are they saved? No way!

Do Jews have faith? You bet. Do Hindus have faith? You bet. Do humanists have faith?

You bet. Do atheists have faith? You bet. They have a system that they are placing their trust in. None of them are saved, not one of them.

Because It is the object of faith. What do you have faith in? What do you believe in? What have you thrown yourself upon and bet it all on? Christians bet it all on Jesus.

That's what saves them. It's the object of faith. Verse 25, in his forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed. Does that mean those sins didn't count? It's sort of confusing.

He previously passed over those sins. No, they counted. It means he didn't kill you immediately when you sinned. You rebel. The wages of your sin was death.

He could have paid you those wages on the spot, but he's patient. He's patient and he gave you an opportunity over time to repent of your sins. He could have called it due right at that moment and you could have only said of God, he is just. He is just. So this is what Paul is talking here.

Not about God passing over sins as though they didn't count, there would never be a reckoning. He's talking about the patience of God that He didn't kill you the first time you sinned. Or the second, or the third, or the thousandth? Think of the patience and the longsuffering and the mercy of God that He gives us time to believe in Him. The Gospel is not God overlooking sin.

It is God shifting the punishment of sin. It is the innocent dying for the guilty. There is only one innocent. That is Jesus. He lived a life of perfect innocence.

He always obeyed his father with a cheerful, thankful heart every second of his life. So he's the only one who could be a substitute for me or for you. That is how, in the words of, I think it's verse 24. No, it is verse something. Verse 26.

Verse 26, that is how God can be both just, maintaining His holiness, being a righteous judge, and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus. That is how. He can be both. He can maintain his righteousness and be a perfectly righteous judge. Keep his holiness intact.

Not pass over sin as if it doesn't matter. You know that's a total violation of his character. He can never do that. He can never do that because that's not who he is. He's perfectly holy.

And yet, he can justify, he can declare righteous the ones who have faith in Jesus, because Jesus is perfectly holy and is willing to die for sinners. That solves the great dilemma. Do you understand what a great dilemma that is? How can this perfectly holy God, how could there even be a way ever for a sinner to be reconciled to Him? This is how.

This solves that great problem. And so all boasting by humans is excluded and we can just boast in God. That's where this chapter ends. You're free to take your eyes off of yourself, not boast of yourself, and just fix your eyes on your Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and relish what He has done for sinners. That's what God was after in all this.

Look again at verse 28. Therefore we conclude, he's concluding, I'm summing up this part of my argument. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. They're separate things. Only one justifies.

No law, yes faith. The law keeping that justifies is Jesus' law keeping. If you got measured on your law keeping, you would simply stand condemned with no hope because you can't unsin. It isn't a thing. But there is law keeping that justifies.

It is Jesus' law keeping. He perfectly kept the law which makes him an acceptable substitute. All are justified the same way. Old Testament Jews are justified in the same way as Old Testament Gentiles are justified in the same way as Old Testament Gentiles, are justified in the same way as modern people, are justified in the same place that the people who are saved on the day that Jesus comes back would be justified. By faith.

There's never been any other way to be saved or justified or declared righteous in God's sight. Never has a person ever been right with God except by faith in any time of human history past, current, or future. Look at the beginning of chapter 4. I'm just going to read the first five verses here. This establishes that point.

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God. That's what the scripture says about Abraham's salvation.

What does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. This unrighteous man was declared righteous because he believed God. It was actually through the blood of Jesus Christ, even though Jesus Christ wouldn't be born for another 1500 years. Amazing.

God can do that. Verse 4. Now to him who works the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness." He is saying faith is one thing and work is completely other and you can't have both at the same time. They are by definition they are different and separate and cannot touch.

It's either of works or it's of faith. It cannot be a mixture of the two things. This is why Catholic doctrine is damnable doctrine. This is why official Catholic doctrine to this day will send you to hell. Because as soon as you add works to faith, you have polluted the whole thing.

You have polluted The whole thing. Paul quotes here Genesis 15-6. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Genesis 15 verse 6. So When in the Bible was salvation of faith?

Genesis. Anyone who has ever been saved has been saved by faith. Turn to Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2. I'll be reading verses 1-10.

Ephesians 2, 1-10. Paul writes, And you, Ephesians, just barely out of paganism, I added that. And you, Ephesians, barely out of paganism, He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath just as the others. But God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved.

And raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Now the word justify or justification doesn't appear, but salvation appears a lot and there are synonyms. If you're justified you are saved. If you are saved You are justified.

So don't be disturbed that the word justification or justify doesn't specifically show up in this text. Paul is talking about being declared righteous by the work of Christ. We start dead in verse 1, and you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, not sick, not needing a tweak, but needing raised from the dead. You were dead in trespasses and sins. Why were we dead?

Because we are by nature children of wrath. It is way worse than we sin sins. I Understand what's being taught here. You think, I deserve condemnation because I know there are thoughts that I shouldn't have thought, words that I shouldn't have said, and things that I shouldn't have done. That is true.

There are thoughts you shouldn't have thought and words you shouldn't have said and things you shouldn't have done. That's not the half of it, Paul teaches. It's way worse than we sin sins. He says you're by nature children of wrath. Children of wrath." Meaning, God ought to be angry with you before you've ever thought the wrong thought or said the wrong word or done the wrong thing.

Because the word, or the thought, or the deed, was just the overflow of a heart that really hates him, and wants to supplant him, wants his spot. You have a heart. You were born with a heart that wants his spot. And so you hate him because he has the spot of God. And you hate him.

And you will not be governed by Him. I will not be governed by you. So before you start with the thoughts and the words and the deeds that violate His written law, You hated the things that he loved, and you loved the things that he hated. And you deserve his wrath just because of what you're like. Forget what you did.

God ought to hate you because of what you're like. This goes so deep. This goes so deep beyond, well I've got a list, I need to do better on the list. That is so far away from the nature of our condemnation. I didn't do good on my list.

That's not Bible thinking. Bible thinking says, the reason the history of my thoughts and words and deeds is what it is, is because I have a heart that's just bent towards God. I hate that he has that spot. I want that spot. If I could kill him and dethrone him, I would do it in a heartbeat to get that spot.

Verse 4, among the sweetest words in the Bible. From that, being your condition. But, God who is rich in mercy. Why didn't God just leave you there? You hated him, you wanted a spot, you would have killed him and cast him off of his throne in a second if you could have.

He wasn't content to just leave you there and let you get what you deserved. He's rich in mercy. So he did something about your condition. Verse 7 says what God is after. That in the ages to come, he wants to show us the riches of his kindness.

Why did God do this? Well, because he wanted to show us how kind he is through ages. There are ages coming and what God was really after was to show off the riches of his kindness by just lavishing them on you through endless ages. That's really what he was after. Who is this God?

Who is this God who would take someone who was so bent against him and make him an object of his goodness and his grace so that through a million eons, however long that is, could just show how kind he is by lavishing kindness on you. That's the glory of the Gospel on display here. Now these very famous verses, look again at verses 8 and 9. For by grace it is a gift you have been saved through faith. You access this gift by throwing yourself upon Christ.

And that not of yourselves. Again, he is piling up words just like what we saw in Romans 3. It's by grace, it's a gift, but you might not have gotten it. It's not of yourself. It is the gift of God.

That's the third installment of you didn't deserve it. It's by grace, you didn't deserve it. It's not of works, you didn't deserve it. It is the gift of God, you didn't deserve it. Not of works, you didn't deserve it, lest anyone should boast.

He has to say it four times so that you don't take the credit for salvation. Four times. You must be so stubborn. Glad I'm not like you. Verse 10.

Well, no. Let me bear down on a couple of phrases. By grace. Salvation is a free gift. Listen to Romans 11 verse 6.

And if by grace, then it is no longer of works. Otherwise, grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace. Otherwise work is no longer work. If it is grace, it can't be work.

If it is work, it can't be grace. We already saw that. We are seeing it again in Romans chapter 11. Paul says these things over and over and over again in his writings to make sure we get it. By grace, it's a free gift, it cannot be works.

Through faith. Our confession calls faith the alone instrument of salvation. So it's an instrument, it's a tool that allows you to lay hold of this grace given through the death of Jesus Christ, but it is an alone instrument. It is the only tool for the job. It is the only tool that will work.

It is the only channel to access this gift of God which is freely given. It is the alone instrument. Paul for clarity says not of works twice in that one verse. What does that mean? This is so important.

It means faith is not a work. Faith is not a work. Faith is not a work. Faith is not a work. Faith is not a work.

It's so easy to turn faith into a work. Okay, I did it. God did all this, but I have to put this thing over the finish line by believing I did that. No, no. It's the free gift of God.

Even faith is a gift. If you have it, it just seemed like it was me. I know, I know. It seemed like it was me too. The Bible is telling you it wasn't you.

The Bible is telling you. It felt like it was you, but it wasn't you. It was God giving something to you. You are by nature a child of wrath. You're so bent against him, you never would have thrown yourself upon his mercies in a thousand lifetimes if it wasn't a gift given to you.

Finally verse 10. Well, I wanted to skip something to make it shorter, but I'm not going to. This explains what is often called the unbreakable chain of salvation. Listen to Romans 8 verse 30. Write that reference down.

Romans 8 verse 30. Often called the unbreakable chain of salvation. Just listen to this. Moreover, whom He, whom God predestined, picked out ahead of time. These he also called.

He picked them out ahead of time and then when they were alive and the timing was right he called them. Whom he called, these he also justified, and whom he justified these he also glorified. That's why it's called the unbreakable chain of salvation because it starts way upstream where your salvation, if you're saved, really started. God decided to make you an object of His grace. He predestined you to be saved.

He picked ahead of time that even though he knew you would be such a sinner, he determined to make you an object of his grace, but then it moves you through this progression and there are no escape hatches along the way. It doesn't say, moreover, whom he predestined, some of them he also called. No. Moreover, whom he predestined, these he also called. No escape hatch.

Whom he called, these he also justified. No escape hatch. And whom he justified, these he also glorified. No escape hatch. There's no loss along the way.

You don't start with a big number and end with a smaller number. You start and end with exactly the same number because God starts and then finishes. Where are you in that chain? Me, my, I, it doesn't appear there at all. It's talking about the work of God.

Do you get it? It's a gift. It's because of what he's determined. It's because there are sinners who he desires to show the riches of his kindness through the ages. Finally, verse 10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." This is the afterthought.

Salvation has already happened. You were by nature a child of wrath, but God, who was rich in mercy, reached into that, called you, justified you, and He is going to glorify you. And He created us, this creation, this work of God was in Christ Jesus. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works that we should walk in in them. This means that good works flow out of salvation.

Can't put the cart before the horse. Carts don't carry horses. Horses pull carts. You don't resolve to do better. Turn over a new leaf.

Have awesome New Year's resolutions that you give yourself wholehearted to and salvation comes out of that. No! God makes you born again. He gives you the gift of repentance and faith, and then you get a new heart, and out of that new heart flows things that never could have flowed out of the heart of stone. This is the teaching.

Good works don't earn salvation. They flow from salvation. You must have a new heart to do good works as the Bible defines good works. The right thing for the glory of God. Many people do the right thing externally.

They are beneficial. You'd be glad if you were the recipient of them. They are not good works in the eyes of God because they are for your own glory. They are not for His glory. They are not good works in His eyes.

You might have heard, salvation is by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone. Amen, that is taught here. I'll say it again. Salvation is by faith alone. You can only be saved by faith.

There's no other way. But saving faith is never alone. It always produces evidence. A new heart has to act differently. A new heart has to have new affections.

By definition, it's new. It's different. It's of God. James chapter 2, this is our third and final stop in the exegesis of text. James chapter 2, I'll be reading verses 14-26 where James argues there are two kinds of faith.

James 2, beginning in verse 14. James writes, What is a prophet, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? Many translations add such. Can such faith save him?

Can a faith like that save him? Verse 15. The brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food. One of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled. But you do not give them the things which are needed for the body.

What does it profit? Rhetorical question. The answer is nothing. It doesn't profit at all. Verse 17, thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Someone will say, you have faith, I have works. Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God, you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. Do you want to know, oh foolish man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham, our father, justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled which says Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the Spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James is teaching that there are two kinds of faith. One is alive, genuine, saving. Another is dead, counterfeit, Damning. James is teaching that there is a damning kind of faith. Meaning, you thought it would be saving, you claimed it as something that could save you, but it abandons you when God judges and is worse than having no faith at all.

It is the faith of demons that says, there's one God. Well, good for you, Paul says. You do well. At least the demons have a good sense to tremble. James is teaching that genuine faith shows itself by working its way out into life.

That's what all of what I just read means. That's the summary of it. Genuine faith works itself out in life. When we say justification by faith this is the faith that we mean. Real saving faith that bears fruit.

There is no fruit. There is no genuine faith. It is the counterfeit kind. It is the damning kind. Now, don't be alarmed by the term justified by works in this text.

Did you realize that? That's why I came to this text. Because you can't preach this doctrine without coming to this text and dealing with, James says they're justified by works. If it wasn't bad enough that he said it of Abraham, it's worse that he says it of Rahab. He says it three times in this text.

Justified by works. Luther hated that phrase so much that early in his writings he said, James doesn't belong in our Bibles. Luther was very disturbed by this. Reformed folk get tense when we hear justified by words. There is nothing to be afraid of in this text, or any text for that matter.

Justified is used in two ways in the New Testament. Listen to what you see when you go to the lexicon. The primary usage is to render righteous, to declare righteous. That's what we've been talking about all the sermon before now. To render righteous or to declare righteous.

Here's the second meaning. The secondary meaning. To show evidence of being righteous. So most of the time when you see it in the New Testament it means to render righteous, to declare righteous, and Reformed people are all comfortable with that. Luther likes that.

The secondary meaning means to show evidence of being righteous. So you're living it out in the secondary meaning. Same word, two meanings. So you have to go to the context to see what it means. Here is an example in the New Testament where it is the secondary meaning of the word.

Consider Matthew 11.19. Jesus is talking about how He has been treated by the Jewish establishment. The Son of Man, Jesus, the Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say look a glutton and a wine-bibber a friend of tax collectors and sinners But wisdom is justified by her children. So this is the word. Wisdom is justified by her children.

Because Jesus came, and he would accept the invitation and go to your party and eat and he would drink wine. He was never drunk at time in his life. He never sinned. But he would accept your invitation and he would come and he would eat and drink. And we see that in the New Testament.

And the Jews were very disturbed by it. And so they said, you're a glutton, you're a wine-bibber, you're a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus says, but wisdom is justified by her children. Now, is Jesus saying that wisdom is rendered righteous by her children? No, he's saying that wisdom shows evidence of being righteous by the fruit-server.

The fruit-server actions. It's the evidence. So that's an example of that secondary meaning. James, So I'm not making this up out of thin air. I don't need to even go outside of what I just read to prove that James doesn't mean that you are justified in the sense that you are declared righteous by your works.

But that James is actually teaching the same thing that Paul is teaching. How do we know that? Well, he gives us two examples. Abraham and Rahab. Abraham believed God in Genesis 15 verse 6 and he subsequently offered up Isaac in Genesis chapter 22.

Which happens first? Genesis chapter 15 or Genesis chapter 22? He quotes Genesis 15 verse 6. He tells us why Abraham was saved. He believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

It's just the same verse Paul quoted out of Genesis 15, 6. Subsequently, afterwards, on a timeline Abraham demonstrated a new heart. Demonstrated that he was a saved man through his obedience to God in Genesis chapter 22. Everybody here knows Genesis chapter 15 comes before Genesis chapter 22. We get a second example.

Rahab received and sent out the spies. This is in Joshua 2. Go to Joshua 2 and see that Rahab has a magnificent confession of faith, particularly magnificent for a Gentile pagan harlot. In the beginning of the chapter, Joshua chapter 2, and in the end of the chapter, she does what is cited in this text. Confession of faith, the beginning of the chapter, sending out the spies at the end of the chapter.

She just proved that something happened in her heart. Her actions demonstrated that she had a new heart. She was saved by grace and it worked its way out in her life. Abraham was saved by grace through faith and it worked its way out in his life. It was because she believed God that she sent out the spies.

When you go look at Joshua 2, I challenge you, go look at Joshua 2 and measure it against this conclusion. It was because she believed God that she sent out the spies. When you go look at Joshua 2, I challenge you, go look at Joshua 2 and measure it against this conclusion. It was because she believed God that she sent out the spies. Absolutely so clear there.

Okay, we've been to Romans 3, Praise the Lord. We've been to Ephesians 2. Praise the Lord. We've been to James 2. Praise the Lord.

Now, let me summarize the core truths of the doctrine. All things that I've already said, but now I want to put them one right after the other, these eight. Number one, justification is the free gift of God. Therefore justification is not of works, therefore faith is not a work. These are all the arguments that Paul was making.

And they're essential. They're essential to you not trying to take credit for being saved. Justification is the free gift of God. Therefore, justification is not of works. Remember we saw in two or three different places, if it's works it can't be grace, if it's grace it can't be works.

Therefore, justification is not of works. Therefore, faith is not a work. I get credit for my faith. No, God gets credit for my faith. It was a gift.

Two, faith is the alone instrument of justification. There's one way to be justified, faith. Faith is alone. It is the alone instrument. Faith is the alone instrument of justification.

Faith does not save, but it is the instrument that lays hold of Jesus and his work which save. You with me? Faith does not save, but it is the instrument that lays hold of Jesus and his work they save. Three. Adding to faith nullifies the faith.

Adding to faith kills it. James said there are two kinds of faith. You want to kill your faith? Add to it. It renders it not saving faith.

It renders it useless. Adding to faith nullifies the faith. Adding to faith kills the faith. The nature of saving faith is that it trusts exclusively in Christ and His works. How many times in the Gospel of John have we encountered claims that could not be more exclusive?

This is the nature of faith. It is exclusive. The nature of saving faith is that it trusts exclusively in Christ and its work. Entrusting yourself to anything other than Jesus and His works damns a person. Not faith plus works, Not faith plus baptism in the Lord's Supper.

Not faith plus church attendance. Not faith plus morality. Not faith plus self-discipline. Not faith plus my family lineage. Not faith plus anything.

Faith plus anything is damning. Good Catholics are damned. Are there people in the Catholic Church who aren't good Catholics, meaning They don't really subscribe to official Catholic doctrine. They really believe in justification by faith alone, by grace alone, through faith alone and Christ alone. Yeah, I think there are people in the Catholic Church that are like that.

They're born again. They're not good Catholics because they reject Catholic doctrine. Official, millennia-long-standing Catholic doctrine. Official, millennia long-standing Catholic doctrine. Four.

So I pounded on the pulpit on that a couple of times already. Why am I doing that? Because Christians have lost discernment over this matter. And because the face of the Catholic Church is so much more friendly, there are no inquisitions, they don't want to burn us anymore, People assume that the doctrines are different. They are not different.

Official Catholic doctrine goes back to the Council of Trent where they said Justification by faith alone is anathema. It condemns you. So a good Catholic should say exactly the opposite of what I'm saying. They should say, I'm preaching damning doctrine. Discerning Christians understand you can't have your cake and eat it too on this one.

Is it or isn't? The doctrine hasn't changed. Number four. Good works do not produce justification. Faith produces justification.

And justification, another word for that, would be born again. Justification produces results in good works. There's the root and the fruit. The root is, I'm saved, I have a new heart. The fruit is, I start acting in ways that I never could act before.

Doing the right thing for the glory of God. Number five. Justification has always been by faith alone. You ever hear anyone teaching that justification was by works under the Old Covenant and now it's by grace? They have no idea what they're talking about.

They certainly haven't read the New Testament, let alone the old. Justification has always been by faith alone. How do we know that? Because Abraham was saved by faith. In Genesis 15.

The object of faith has come into focus. Jesus has come into focus. He is the object of our faith. But that is the only change. In other words, the old covenant saints didn't know that it was Jesus' blood that was washing them clean while they were sacrificing those lambs.

But it always was. Number six. Saving faith is an alive faith that produces fruit. Saving faith is an alive faith That produces fruit. There is a counterfeit.

Dead faith. No fruit. There's a counterfeit for everything. There's a counterfeit for everything. Number seven.

Justification by faith solves the great dilemma. Justification by faith solves the great problem, dilemma. How can a perfectly holy God be reconciled to filthy sinners? How can God be just, maintain his character, which is immutable, it cannot change. It cannot change.

It cannot change. How can he stay like this, but be reconciled to sinners? Listen to what our confession, the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith says, Both the exact justice And rich grace of God is glorified in the justification of sinners. Both the exact justice, not one sin ever overlooked, and rich grace of God is glorified in the justification of sinners. When a sinner is declared righteous because of the blood of Jesus Christ, the exact justice of God is glorified.

It took the Son of God's blood to wash that clean. How's that for the exact justice of God being glorified? And the immense rich free grace of God is justified at exactly the same time. You and I couldn't have thought of that. God thought of that.

Number eight, finally. God is glorified by justifying sinners. What's the greatest thing about God? He's almighty, made everything, knows everything, he's everywhere at once. Those are all great things.

But God who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, finds something better about God than that. At least for us. God is glorified by justifying sinners. Justification is God centered, not man centered. It's so easy to take this doctrine and Put man at the center of it.

No, God is at the center of this. God is using this to exalt himself as a merciful God full of grace, giving filthy sinners what they never could have earned, and withholding what they deserved. Keep justification by faith as a God-centered doctrine, not as a man-centered doctrine. Three quick applications. Rejoice in the scandal of the Gospel.

Wretched sinners can be reconciled. Back to our sermon text. Two go to the temple. The Pharisee is a tax collector. The Pharisee is quite proud of himself.

He fasted twice again this week, like last week, like the week before that. He tithed, he gave a tenth of all he had. Again, how many consecutive years? Very precise, very careful about his law keeping, Very self-disciplined, very moral, very respected. Going to hell.

Going to hell. If his life is required of him this day, he spends an eternity in torments with all of his discipline and his morality. A tax collector? Despised? Thinks he deserves it?

Despised, thinks he deserves it, can't even turn his eyes to heaven, he beats his breast, says, God have mercy on me, have mercy on me, I'm a sinner, Don't give me what I deserve. Have mercy. He went home justified. Some of you have been restrained from the evil that's in your heart. And so you've never been outwardly scandalous, and you're going to hell.

That God would show you your desperate condition? Do you know that I believe that God hates your self-righteousness more than he hates the murder of the murderer. You think, well I'm closer to being saved. God looks on your self-righteousness with such contempt. You're probably worse.

You're probably worse in his eyes than the adulterer or the murderer. Because you think you're something. Two. Rest in the person and work of Christ. We saw in Romans 8.30 the unbreakable chain of salvation.

Not an I to be found, not a me to be found. God, God, God. God predestines, He calls, He justifies, He glorifies. If God has given you the gift of faith, in other words, If you find yourself with the ability to throw yourself upon Christ with no other hope, to put all your eggs in that basket and abandon every other hope, you can rest. The law keeping for your salvation is done.

He kept it. He kept it perfectly. Now you can rest. If you are in Christ, you are secure. Now that always has to be said alongside James 2 to say, hey there's fake versions of this out there.

Be careful that you don't think wrongly about this and delude yourself. But honestly, I don't want to focus on that. I don't want this to die the death of a thousand qualifications. If you're in Christ by faith, in union with Christ by faith, you can rest. No one will ever snatch you out of His hand.

You can rest. Number three. If you are free, then live free. We are purchased with precious blood. I haven't spent a lot of time talking about substitutionary atonement.

We touched on it. But these are doctrines that just go together like that. Justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, sits on the foundation of Jesus' substitutionary blood. He bought that freedom with his death. That freedom with his death.

We are so careless with our freedom. We think it's an excuse to sin. Think of the cost. No cost to you. It is free.

No cost to you. Great cost to him. He left heaven and lived among sinners and gave himself up to be treated like you deserve. You should not be careless with that. God, the glory of this doctrine.

Thank you for hundreds of years ago recovering the pure truth of this, bringing it back into favor among your people. Let it impart such joy to our hearts that The law keeping that is required has been done, finished, kept. Now we who are in your Son can rest in your Son. I pray that we would rest on him like we never have. We'd be filled with joy like we've never been filled with joy.

Pray this in Jesus name, Amen.