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When a man is justified before God, he is declared not guilty with reference to the sins he has committed against God. Amazingly, God's "not guilty" verdict does not relate to just one crime, but to every sin the justified man has ever committed or will commit. Paul declares that we have no penalty to pay for sin, which includes past, present or future sins that we may commit. Those who have been justified by faith, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Therefore, if we are justified there is no penalty to pay for sin and we are free to any charge of guilt or condemnation.
Douglas Moo writes it beautifully, “Because we are justified by faith in conjunction with our union with Christ, we escape the sentence of spiritual death that out sins have justly earned. Transferred into the new regime of life, we no longer fear that our sins will ever condemn us.”
Justification by faith also occurred in the Old Testament. Psalm 37:5-6 says, “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.” No believer in God had a righteous nature in Christ during the Old Testament. Justification and righteousness was expressed by their faith in God.
Psalm 34:22 says, “The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned” and Psalm 64:10 says “Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult.”
In Genesis 3:15 it states, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” Here God ...
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...ker Academic, 2001.
Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.
Grudem, Wayne, and Elliot Grudem. Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005.
Luther, Martin. “Martin Luther’s Definition of Faith.” Ligonier Ministries. Accessed May 5, 2014. http://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/martin-luthers-definition-faith/.
Moo, Douglas. Romans: The Niv Application Commentary Series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.
Piper, John. “God Credits Faith as Righteousness.” http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/god-credits-faith-as-righteousness. August 1, 1999. Accessed May 5, 2014. http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/god-credits-faith-as-righteousness.
Schreiner, Thomas. Romans: Baker Exegetical Commentary On the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998.