WATCH OUT!

Mark rocked the house (that is to say, really served us) by pointing us to the truth of justification yesterday. Mark showed us from Mark 7:24-8:21 that legalism is like leaven (leaven is a fancy word for yeast). A little bit of yeast goes a long way. You work some into a batch of dough, and it makes the whole loaf start to rise. The point is that leaven works quietly but thoroughly. Legalism works the same way.

At it’s core, legalism is seeking to relate to God apart from Christ. It is depending on the law or good works to earn acceptance from God. Sometimes this happens when we confuse justification with sanctification. A refresher:

• “Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners, accepting them as just ad so putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself.” J. I. Packer, Concise Theology, 165.
• “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace by which our whole person made new in the image of God, and we are made more and more able to become dead to sin and alive to righteousness.” Westminster Catchism, Q. 35.

There are some important differences between justification and sanctification:

• Justification is instantaneous, sanctification is a process.
• Justification is a decision God makes about you, sanctification is making decisions with God.
• In justification, the Christian is declared righteous, in sanctification, the Christian begins to become righteous.
• Justification is based entirely on Christ’s righteousness, sanctification is Christ’s righteousness being worked out in the Christian’s life.

We must never forget how we got where we are. If you get confused, you will seek to justify yourself. We need to be constantly reminded of the truth of justification. Martin Luther sees this so clearly:

“There are few of us who know and understand this article [of justification] and I treat it again because I greatly fear that after we have laid our head to rest, it will soon be forgotten and will again disappear… And indeed we cannot grasp or exhaust Christ, the eternal Righteousness, with one sermon or thought; for to appreciate Him is an everlasting lesson which we shall not be able to finish either in this or in yonder life.” Ewald Plass, What Luther Said, II:715.

We cannot grasp or exhaust Christ… this is why we are committed to preaching over and over again about justification, the gospel, and the glory of Christ. Which is why I’m going to keep hitting it on this blog as well. Luther again:

“The article of justification, which is our only protection, not only against all the powers and plottings of men but also against the gates of hell, is this: by faith alone in Christ, without works, we are declared just and saved.” Ewald Plass, What Luther Said, II:701.

Important questions on this important topic for parents and teens:

• What is justification?  How does it differ from justification?
• How does legalism tend to creep into your life through a misunderstanding of justification and sanctification?
• Right now, are you more aware of your sin han you are of the cross?
• Do you often lack joy?  Why?  What does this say to God abot your view of justification?
• Do you live with a vague sense of God’s disapproval?  Why?  Are you often more aware of what you haven’t done for God than what Christ finished for you?

Categories: Monday Matters, five15 blog