Speaker: Pastor Joshua Hughes

Text: Philippians 3:1-16

Article 8: The Justification of Sinners. We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice on our behalf. By his perfect obedience he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God. Inasmuch as Christ was given by the Father for us, and his obedience and punishment were accepted in place of our own, freely and not for anything in us, this justification is solely of free grace, in order that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. We believe that a zeal for personal and public obedience flows from this free justification.

Big idea: Only the discharging of sin’s debt and declaration of righteousness accomplished in Christ makes you forever right with God, so receive it, rest on it, and reappropriate it by faith.

WSC Q33. What is justification? A. Justification is the act of God's free grace by which He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight. He does so only because He counts the righteousness of Christ as ours. Justification is received by faith alone.

Romans 3:19-20

2 Corinthians 5:21

1. Paul's Pastoral Concern

Galatians 5:1-6

2. Paul's Prior Confidence

3. Paul's Powerful Confession