Category Archives: Justified

Bible, Condemnation, Gifts, Justification, Justified, Salvation, Scripture

ONE TO MANY, MANY TO ONE

ROMANS 5:16

“The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one offense, resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the gracious gift arose from many offenses, resulting in justification.”

“All for one and one for all.” If you have ever been part of a sports team, you probably chanted that before a big game. The idea is that the strength of many is stronger than the strength of each individual by itself. They call it synergy. We get stronger the more we work together. I’ve seen that happen in sports and in work. Many equals more.

Well, put that all aside for a minute because today we have a verse that goes against that thought. At first glance this verse seems a little hard to understand, but after some deep dives it becomes clear. Paul is saying that the sin of one man (Adam) led to condemnation for all. On the other hand, the sins of the many led to the sacrifice of one God-Man (Jesus) which gave us justification. One to many and many to One.

APPLICATION

We are not God and never will be. Our future glorification will not make us God or even god-like. Don’t believe that hogwash. However, God does justify us and expects us to share that gift we have received with others. There are two different Greek words translated “gift” in today’s verse. The first one is dóréma and means a gift that is freely given. It’s only used here and in James 1:17 which says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”

The second Greek word for gift is charisma which is really a grace gift. It implies deliverance from danger or passion. It is used 17 times in the New Testament. So, you may be asking yourself why do we need two words for gift in the same verse. One source I looked at described it this way. “Charisma emphasizes the ‘graciousness’ or supernatural nature of the gift, while dorea highlights its ‘free’ and unmerited aspect from the giver.”

Christ’s gift of salvation and His gifts of grace are not meant to be repaid by us. We could never payback what He paid. We read in Deuteronomy 13:4, “You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him and cling to Him.” That still applies today. That’s what the Lord expects in return. Can you do that today?

Father, thank You for sending the One (Jesus) to die for the many (including me). I accept His gift of grace and salvation. 
 

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Justification, Justified, Peace, Scripture

PEACE WITH GOD

ROMANS 5:1

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

You hear a lot about peace today in regard to peace between nations or other groups. Peace in the Mid East is always in the news. Peace between Ukraine and Russia has been prayed for by many. Peace deals are made and broken all the time. It is very hard for men to live in peace with each other. The slightest thing can bring an end to decades of peace. When will it all end?

Even though we may never have true peace on earth, we are promised “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” What a promise. But that peace hinges on what Paul wrote about in the previous verse (4:25) – our justification. In fact, Paul starts out today’s verse saying the same thing. He says, “having been justified.” That’s an Aorist Participle Passive. Thank you, Carl, that really blessed my heart. Now, hang on. You need to understand the Aorist tense. It is an action that is completed in the past completely without any focus on how long it will last. In other words, it’s one and done! Praise the Lord.

APPLICATION

The other verb in today’s verse is the simple Greek word for “have.” The importance of this verb is that it is in the Present Indicative Active. Present tense means it is ongoing. So do you get the picture here? We were justified through the blood of Jesus when we accepted Him as our Savior and Lord. Because of that completed action, we now have lasting peace with the Father. How much better can this get?

I can’t help but think about that song that says, “I’ve got peace like a river. I’ve got peace like a river. I’ve got peace like a river in my soul…” Let me ask you this morning if you have that peace. If you decided to place your trust in Jesus and follow Him, He has given you that peace. Do not let anyone or anything rob you of that peace that is eternally yours. Nothing can take that away from you. It’s His promise to you, and we know He does not break His promises.

One more thing! Notice Paul wrote “peace with God.” Paul knew that when you have that you also have the peace of God. What’s the difference? Peace with God, as I said, is done by the justification of our sins through Jesus. Peace of God is what you receive in your heart and soul as a result of that. Jesus told us, “Peace I give to you.” We have the peace of God when we receive peace with God. They are intertwined. Just rest in it.

Father, You are the One Who give us peace through Your Son Jesus. I will enjoy that peace.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Eternal Life, Justified, Raised, Resurrection, Scripture

FINISHED WORK

ROMANS 4:25

“He who was delivered over because of our wrongdoings, and was raised because of our justification.”

My dad always taught me to finish the job completely. My first lesson in that was mowing the grass. He said the yard wasn’t complete until all the pinecones were picked up and the trim work was done (this was before we had weed eaters). He also taught me that a car wasn’t cleaned completely until the tires were clean. He compared that to wearing a nice suit but dirty shoes. He was all about getting the job finished well.

Jesus finished His job completely. Paul states as such in today’s verse. He wasn’t just “delivered over” for our sins. He was also “raised because of our justification.” His resurrection finished the job. His shed blood paid the price for our sins, and His resurrection gave us the promise of eternal life. What a complete work that was and still is.

APPLICATION

The verb used here for “delivered over” is paradidómi. In Matthew 10:4 it is used to describe Judas Iscariot. “Judas Iscariot, the one who also betrayed Him.” The Topical Lexicon says this about this word. “Whether used of a traitor, a judge, an apostle, or God Himself, the word always carries the sober idea that what is ‘delivered up’ passes irrevocably into another’s control.” What does that say about God’s actions described in today’s verse? God did not betray Jesus. He willingly gave Him up to death to satisfy His own wrath on mankind.

But God always has a plan, a perfect plan. He also raised Jesus up. The verb used for “raised” is egeiró which Strong’s defines as “to waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e. Rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence) — awake, lift (up), raise (again, up), rear up, (a-)rise (again, up), stand, take up.”

Now, to be clear, Jesus didn’t just go to sleep on that cross. He died. He gave up this life on earth only to be raised by His Father to defeat death and the grave. As followers of Christ, we too will defeat death and the grave. How? Through our justification in Christ! We give up this life on earth and pass directly to a better life with Christ eternally. Thank You, Lord!

I give You praise for all You have done in and through Your Son, Jesus.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Children, Circumcision, Grace, Grandchildren, Justification, Justified, Scripture, Works

NOT BY WORKS

ROMANS 4:10

“How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;”

I love my children and grandchildren – period. Nothing they have done has caused that love. They are loved because they are my family. There is nothing they can ever do that will change that love. Once they were birthed into my family they were forever loved. Can you relate? I cannot imagine my life without them. Even if disagreements occur, even if separation occurs, I will never stop loving them.

Paul states it clearly in today’s verse that nothing Abraham did resulted in his justification. He states the facts of the case from Genesis. This is presented so succinctly in the following: “…hence it clearly appears that circumcision could not be the cause of his justification, since it followed it; and if Abraham when uncircumcised was a justified person, as it is certain he was, why may not uncircumcised Gentiles be justified also? and especially when it is observed, that the covenant made with Abraham when uncircumcised, included the Gentiles;” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)

APPLICATION

God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 15 to multiply his seed and give him a land. Fourteen years later God cut covenant with him through circumcision. Fourteen years! If God had required circumcision in order to be justified, He would have told Abraham to do it immediately upon the promise He made. Why did God do it the way He did it? Why wait fourteen years and then required circumcision? I think (and this is just my opinion) that God wanted to separate justification by faith from any works. He still does today.

Think about it. When you come to faith, you don’t have to do a bunch of stuff to get saved. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,…” Receive and believe – that’s it. Now, once you are saved, God expects obedience. He does expect us to follow through on baptism as a sign of our salvation. He does expect us to give generously to invest in His kingdom’s work. He does expect us to serve Him by serving others.

But all those things I just mentioned are post-salvation, not pre-salvation. Just like Abraham was saved (justified) before circumcision, we are saved before any acts or works of faith. I pray you are not trying to achieve your salvation. You will never be able to do that. Receive and believe. Then God will give you Holy Spirit Who will guide you into righteous living. Amen!

Lord God, I am so thankful that I did not have to do something to be called Your child. I came in simple faith, believing in Your Son, Jesus Christ.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Belief, Bible, Justification, Justified, Scripture, Works

DON’T WORK, JUST BELIEVE

ROMANS 4:5

“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,”

Sentence structure is important for a writer. Jumble up your words and thoughts and the reader has a hard time understanding what you are trying to tell them. I have had some tough English teachers in my lifetime. I won’t call any names, but one that I had in college was the worst ever. She threatened to fail any student that had a comma splice in their final essay. I found out later that she was known as the toughest English professor there. Wish I had known that before.

Paul uses three different verbs in today’s verse. Actually, two are participles that are tied to the main verb which is “is credited.” We saw that verb in the previous verse. If there was any doubt as to what Paul has been saying about works and faith, he makes it clear here. It is not our works that justify us and bring righteousness. It is belief in Him – plain and simple.

APPLICATION

Take a look at what God does for us. I love that Paul writes that He “justifies the ungodly.” Can you raise your hand on that one? I sure can. When I think back to my position before Christ, that is exactly what I was – ungodly. That word “ungodly” is the negative of “respect.” It means to show a lack of reverence or a failure to honor what is sacred. Boy, that was me. I knew all about God but failed to live for Him. But He justified me anyway when I turned to Him.

We are not required to clean ourselves up, to do some kind of hard labor before our belief kicks in. We simply believe. We recognize Him for Who He is – Lord. And we are given that gift of faith that will lead us to a righteous lifestyle. We don’t get there overnight. It takes time for us to learn how to live godly. But through prayer and His Word, we learn what He expects from us.

Do you believe? Do you really believe? Have you accepted this gift of grace and received your justification? God loves you with an everlasting love. He reached down from heaven and has chosen you to be His child. He called your name and, if you have answered, you are forever His. He will never leave you or forsake you. Now, stop trying to work for your salvation. Trust in Him and believe. Follow Him and obey.

Father, I thank You that since I did nothing to get saved, there is nothing I can do to “unsave” myself.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Abraham, Bible, Faith, Justified, Scripture, Works

WAS HE LOOKING?

ROMANS 4:1

“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?”

How many times have you lost your keys lately? Mine mysteriously disappear all the time. I usually blame my wife (lol) but it’s always my fault. They are lying exactly where I put them. I just forget where I put them. I need to get one of those “clapper” thingies so I can just clap my hands and hear the beep. What do you think?

When I first read this verse, I mistakenly thought Paul was saying Abraham “found” something. The Greek word translated “has found” is heuriskó which can mean find, get or obtain. What is important is that is in the Perfect tense which means it happened in the past but has lasting results. Whatever Abraham got, it stuck. That applies to us also. When we get it, we don’t lose it.

APPLICATION

Keeping with the theme of the past couple of chapters, Paul uses Abraham to show that all men are justified through faith, not works. You need to remember that Abraham was where Jews kind of “hung their hat.” They all pointed back to him to try to prove their validity as God’s people. However, as Paul will show shortly, Abraham was counted as righteous long before any works. In fact, the topic of circumcision comes up again in later verses. I don’t want to steal my own thunder on those verses, so we will save that for later.

What have we obtained? How did we obtain it? Don’t you just love Matthew 11:28-30? “28 ‘Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.’” In verse 29 we see we “will find rest.” That’s the same word we are looking at in Romans 4:1. We have obtained rest. How? By simply coming to Jesus.

In Philippians 3:9 we find the perfect companion verse for today’s word. “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,” There you are – our righteousness is His, not ours. And we are “found in Him.” What else do you need? Nothing! He is all we need to find or obtain. Have you found Him?

Lord God, I thank You that everything I will ever need I have found in Christ.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Faith, Justified, Salvation, Scripture, Works

BY FAITH

ROMANS 3:28

“For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

As part of my role as Global Ministry Shepherd for Every Man A Warrior, I need to fly from time to time. I don’t mind flying, but I have to admit that it does not hold the same level of excitement it did years ago. One thing remains the same. I have to trust the pilots, flight crew and flight maintenance staff when I board that plane. When that plane takes off from the ground, climbing to over 30,000 feet, I have to place my faith in these people (whom I do not know) to keep me safe and bring me safely back to the earth.

In today’s verse, Paul makes it crystal clear that our salvation is strictly by faith and not in anything we do. He writes, “justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” Actually, the word “by” is not in the text exactly. “Faith” is in the dative case. I know that blessed you but hold on. One of the ways the dative case is used in Greek is to indicate the instrument or means by which an action is performed. In this case it is used to show how we are justified. Faith is the instrument of justification. Isn’t that cool?

APPLICATION

Immediately, I am reminded of Ephesians 2:8-9. “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Can I “get in the weeds” for a moment? In verse 8 “grace” is also in the dative case which means it is the instrument by which we are saved. So, is faith the instrument or grace the instrument? Both! It is because we place our trust in Jesus and accept Him as Lord of lives (faith) that we can receive the gift (grace) that saves us.

Hebrews chapter 11 is known as “The Hall of Faith.” The author of this letter describes various saints who lived “by faith.” Each time “by faith” is used in verses 3-11 it is in the dative case. Go read that chapter and read it this way – “through the instrument of faith.” That may help you put the focus on the right thing. It was not about the persons named in these verses. It was all about their faith.

I just love the old hymns. One of my favorites is “Have Faith in God.” I want to close today’s blog giving you the first stanza and chorus. This will also serve as my closing prayer today.

Have faith in God when your pathway is lonely
He sees and knows all the way you have trod
Never alone are the least of His children
Have faith in God, have faith in God

Chorus: Have faith in God, He’s on His throne
Have faith in God, He watches ‘oer his own
He cannot fail, He must prevail
Have faith in God, have faith in God

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Justified, Redemption, Salvation, Scripture

OUR JUSTIFIER

ROMANS 3:26

“for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Boy, we are good at justifying ourselves, aren’t we? We can justify (claim it’s right) just about any behavior when we are caught. Well, I wouldn’t have done that if they hadn’t done that to me. God just made me this way. We’ve all heard these or said these. The fact of the matter is we are just sinful creatures looking for a way out of our mess. We’ll claim anything or blame anyone to remove our guilt.

But there is only One Who can do that. Paul tells us so in today’s verse. He says, “so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” The word “justifier” is really a Present Participle and is better translated as “the One who is justifying.” The NIV translates it as “he makes sinners right in his sight.” I really like that. The Amplified says, “the One who justifies.” Whatever translation you use, look back at the original text to check it out.

APPLICATION

“The believer is ‘made righteous/justified’ (dikaióō) by the Lord, cleared of all charges (punishment) related to their sins. Moreover, they are justified (dikaióō, ‘made right, righteous’) by God’s grace each time they receive (obey) faith.” (HELPS Word Studies) Our justification comes only through Jesus. He makes us right in His Father’s eyes. I love Romans 8:33 which says, “Who will bring charges against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;”

In Luke 10:25-29 we have the story of a lawyer who questioned Jesus about how to inherit eternal life. Of course, Jesus asked him a question in return, to which the lawyer answered correctly. Look at how this story ends. Verses 28-29 read, “28 And He said to him, ‘You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.’ 29 But wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” That’s us right there. We want to justify ourselves. Stop trying to do that.

Take a moment right now and give thanks to the Lord for your justification (if you are a believer). Thank Him for making you right in His eyes. And when you’re through thanking Him, tell someone else about Jesus so He can make them right too. Let’s all “Make Heaven Crowded.”

Father, I praise You for being my justifier and for making me right in Your eyes.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Disgraceful, Gifts, Grace, Justified, Scripture

THE GIFT OF JUSTIFICATION

ROMANS 3:24

“being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,”

Who doesn’t like to receive gifts, right? I am at the age now that I had rather give them than receive them. I really don’t need anything. I appreciate any gift I receive, but I really just don’t need another thing in my closet or in my house. However, there is one gift I received in 1977 that has lasted me every day since then. I received that gift of justification mentioned in today’s verse. It has never gone out of style, got worn out or been outgrown.

Paul calls our justification “a gift by His grace.” That’s pretty awesome, don’t you think? The Greek literally says, “being justified freely by the grace of Him.” This justification is freely given without any expectation of payment, without a reason or obligation. (Topical Lexicon) Isn’t that the kind of gift you want? We have all probably received gifts that were given with ulterior motives. Payment was expected. A gift was expected. Loyalty was expected. That’s not the kind of gift we get from God.

APPLICATION

In Matthew 10:8, Jesus uses this word. It reads, “‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.’” Just as we have received this grace gift of justification freely, we should give out grace freely to others. Jesus was giving His disciples instructions here, but His words apply to us as well.

We are even told in Revelation that we will receive water from the spring of the water of life, and we are to drink freely (Revelation 21:6; 22:17). We are promised this by the great Promise Keeper. We will be able to drink freely and deeply. I can’t wait. How about you?

Give thanks to Him today for the free gift you have received through Him. God does not dangle this just out of your reach. He gives it to us freely and without a hidden agenda. Aren’t you glad He has done this? It makes no matter where you are. He loves you and wants to bless you with this gift. Will you accept it? Will you praise Him for it?

Father God, words cannot express my gratitude.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Condemnation, Confession, Deserved, Justice, Justified, Scripture, Sin

DESERVED CONDEMNATION

ROMANS 3:8

“And why not say (just as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), ‘Let’s do evil that good may come of it?’ Their condemnation is deserved.”

Man, these past few verses have been a tough grind. You have to back up and reread verses 1-7 of chapter 3. Context is always key. For instance, in today’s verse, if you just took out the phrase “Let’s do evil that good may come of it” you would totally pervert what Paul is teaching here. You have to look at the whole picture.

Then Paul says that those who pervert the truth he and others have been teaching are worthy of condemnation. The word for “condemnation” is kríma which, according to HELPS Word studies, is “(‘the results of a judgment’) dramatically links cause-to-effect. Indeed, every decision (action) we make carries inevitable eternal results.” We have to remember that. Our choices have consequences – every time. It could be a good one or a bad one.

APPLICATION

Paul goes so far as to say, “their condemnation is deserved.” Endikos is the Greek word translated here as “deserved.” Some translations say “just.” That’s probably a closer definition. It’s only used one other time in the New Testament in Hebrews 2:2 (I’m adding 3b to give a fuller context). “2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every violation and act of disobedience received a just punishment, 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”

I quote Psalm 51:1-4 most mornings as I pray. Verse 4 carries the same idea Paul is writing here in Romans 3:8. David wrote in Psalm 51:4, “Against you, you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” God has the right to judge our sin because He is the antithesis of sin. He is holy and righteous!

Ask yourself today if there is a sin in your life which you have become comfortable with. I can think of something right now in my life. As I write this, I am confessing it as sin and asking the Lord to cleanse me. I don’t want anything to come between the Lord and myself. I pray the same for you.

Forgive me, Lord, for taking salvation for granted and not continuing to stay “confessed up.”

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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