Ephesians

I have been so blessed by the ladies' bible study I attended this spring. I'm amazed at the level of depth and comittement to study I see in the women that are a part of this study. It's been challenging me to get in there and work hard through the scriptures to discover the amazing truths our Lord has for us. I plan to add my notes from the study here, hoping to present them in clarity. Please leave a comment if you have a question or I've been unclear.  This page is a bit of a work in progress, so I'll be glad to hear your prayerful input. :-)

Ephesians 1:3  "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."

What are these "spiritual blessings" that God has blessed us with? The following is a list of all that we receive in the process of our salvation. Not only is this list striking to read through, but it is more awe inspiring when we realize that it all a gift from our Lord.  It is accomplished by Him, given by Him, initiated by Him, and for the purpose of His own glory. Hallelujah! What a mighty God I serve!

The Order of Salvation:
 1. Election - God's choice
 2. Gospel Call - hearing
 3. Regeneration - born again
 4. Conversion - faith & repentance
 5. Justification - declared righteous
 6. Adoption - sealed by the Spirit
 7. Sanctification - progressive, positional, glorification
 8. Perseverance
 9. Death
10. Glorification - receiving a resurrected body


These are my notes from the week I had the privilege of leading the discussion on the topic of Justification.
May 19, 2011


Prayer: Ephesians 1: 15-19

Review: The Order of Salvation - Election, The Gospel Call/Effectual Call, Regeneration (new birth), Conversion (faith & repentance)

These are all gifts given by the Lord, a result of Christ’s finished work , the Father’s initiative, and the Holy Spirit’s continued work in our lives.

Justification

Read: Ephesians 1

Definition: “Justification before God is an act of God (Rm 8:30,33) by which He declares righteous those who, through faith in Christ, repent of their sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19;11:18;Rom. 2:4;2 Cor.7:10; Is.55:6-7) and confess Him as sovereign Lord (Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 12:3; 2 Cor. 4:5; Phil. 2:11). By this means, God is enabled to ‘be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.’ (Rom. 3:26) “ John MacArthur (MacArthur Quick Reference Guide To The Bible, 2001)
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Definition: Propitiation - Propitiation is not placating a vengeful God but, rather, it is satisfying the righteousness of a holy God, thereby making it possible for Him to show mercy righteously. (The New Scofield Study Bible, 1988)
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Justification as explained by James M. Boice (Foundations of the Christian Faith, 1986)

Two points:
1. It is God who justifies and not we ourselves.

Here we are helped by the image of the salvation triangle. Propitiation, redemption and justification, three key words for understanding the death of Christ, may be used to connect Christ, the Father and Christians, thus forming a triangle. (see attached) We are the recipients of two acts: redemption and justification. We contribute nothing to our salvation. Christ is the initiator of two acts: propitiation and redemption, for it is he who achieves salvation for us. God the Father is the recipient of one act: propitiation, Jesus satisfying God’s wrath. On the basis of this the Father initiates the last act: justification, in which he reaches out in grace to reckon the ungodly to be right with himself.

2. Justification is given as a legal pronouncement, not a reference to people becoming more holy.

When a judge justifies someone, he does not make that person upright or blameless. No changes are made in the person whatsoever. Rather the judge declares that in his judgment the person is not guilty of the accusation that has been made and is instead in right standing before the law that the judge was appointed to administer.The judge is not saying anything about the accused person’s character.

The Christian doctrine, strictly speaking is justification by faith and not merely justification. Alone, justification means to declare righteous, as we have indicated.But justification by faith is God’s declaring believers to be righteous not on the basis of their own works, but on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice.

The gospel says that when those who have been made alive by God turn from their own works which can only condemn them and instead, by faith, embrace the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, God declares their sins to have been punished at Calvary and imputes the righteousness of Christ to their account.
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Bible Dictionary (dictionary.com)

Justification: a forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1-10; Titus 3:7). It proceeds on the imputing or crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect righteousness, active and passive, of his Representative and Surety, Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:3-9). Justification is not the forgiveness of a man without righteousness, but a declaration that he possesses a righteousness which perfectly and for ever satisfies the law, namely, Christ's righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:6-8). The sole condition on which this righteousness is imputed or credited to the believer is faith in or on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is called a "condition," not because it possesses any merit, but only because it is the instrument, the only instrument by which the soul appropriates or apprehends Christ and his righteousness (Rom. 1:17; 3:25, 26; 4:20, 22; Phil. 3:8-11; Gal. 2:16). The act of faith which thus secures our justification secures also at the same time our sanctification; and thus the doctrine of justification by faith does not lead to licentiousness (Rom. 6:2-7). Good works, while not the ground, are the certain consequence of justification (6:14; 7:6).
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Justification according to Paul ~ Romans 3-5

Chapter 3 - all are guilty of breaking the law, because of Christ’s righteousness, the Father justifies us, declaring us righteous as well.

Chapter 4 - This justification is a gift of faith, not a result of works, practices, or following the law (as seen by OT examples).

Chapter 5 - Results of Justification

1. Peace with God
2. Standing in Grace
3. Exult in hope of the glory of God
4. Exult in tribulations
5. Love of God poured out within our hearts
6. Saved from the wrath of God
7. Reconciled to God
8. Exult in God
9. We hold a position of reigning with Christ
10. We are free from condemnation
11. We are made righteous
12. Grace will reign where sin once did
13. Eternal Life