Three Pillars of the Gospel
Atonement
Sin brings death: Romans 6.23
In God's Covenant arrangement Adam is the representative head of the human race
God warned Adam in Eden that the penalty for sin is death: Genesis 2.17
Atonement: the divine logic of love - John 3.16
God's mercy brings forgiveness > God's grace brings eternal life
Having no merit of our own we are saved by the merits of another, our substitute
Atonement in four steps
i. Christ is our substitute when we are united to him by faith
Being united to Christ he represents us and answers for us
Faith unites us to Christ – faith is the uniting grace
Union with Christ means we share his destiny: Romans 8.1
ii. Sin is transferred from us to Christ our substitute
Our guilt is imputed to Christ: Galatians 3.13
Christ's righteousness is imputed to us
iii. As the Lamb of God Christ clears the debt and stain of sin
Being a perfect sinless sacrifice the debt he paid was not for himself but for his people
Being a perfect and acceptable sacrifice he clears sin's stain
iv. Christ is our High Priest and represents us before God
A High Priest is appointed by God: Heb 5.1-5
A High Priest enters God's presence alone to make atonement
Christ though sinless himself was made sin for us
As our sin-bearer he dies
As sinless he lives: 2 Corinthians 5.21
He completes the act of atonement: Ex 28.33-35
The righteousness God provides
God's way of salvation is just and righteous: Romans 3.26
For his people Christ presents a righteousness that is perfect and acceptable to God
Such perfect righteousness must be rewarded with eternal life as promised in the Covenant: Romans 6.23
2. Justification
Our Justification is not by us or in us but an act of God's grace for us
Justification is a verdict and a sentence – it is a forensic act
Justification does not alter the thoughts or actions of the person who is justified
Justification gives or confirms our standing before God
The verdict
Negative: Not guilty: Romans 8.1
Positive: Righteous: 2 Corinthians 5.21; Romans 5.1
In a court of law a verdict does not change the accused's character
It confirms their standing in law – either guilty or not guilty
The verdict passed does not change my inclinations but gives me a new status
The verdict is that I am not guilty – that I am righteous and that gives 'peace with God': Romans 6.1 – John 8.1-11 and 1 John 2.1; 3.9
The sentence
Negative: 'No condemnation': Romans 8.1
Positive: 'Eternal life' = every blessing God has to give
God is obligated by his covenant promise to those who are co-heirs with Christ
The sentence passed is permanent, irreversible, irrevocable, irresistible, irrepressible, immutable, unchallengeable: Romans 8.38-39
How justification works
Justification is a judgement given by the Divine Judge
There is a counsel for the prosecution, Satan: Revelation 12.10
We must answer Satan's accusations
The accusations are valid and true (Romans 1 to 3)
We deserve a guilty verdict and a capital sentence
There is also a counsel for the Defence – Jesus our Advocate: 1 John 2.1
He uses three arguments in our defence:
1. that my faith has united me to Christ, who now answers for me
2. that the penalty I owed the court Christ has paid in full and redeemed me from my debt
3. that Christ's righteousness is put to my account and is what I am now to be judged by
The only just verdict is 'not guilty'
The only just sentence is that I inherit all the blessings of the covenant
3. Sanctification
Sanctification is the state of becoming or having been sanctified
Sanctification and sanctified are about being holy, becoming holy orbeing made holy
The simple meaning of 'holy'
The simple meaning of 'holy' and 'sanctified' is to be separated, to be set-apart
This is how the word is most frequently used in the Bible
It may mean to put to one side or to be given a special place
This is often to be set-apart for God's exclusive use andmay refer to people, places or property
'The Holy of Holies' was a place set apart for God's exclusive use
Old Testament Israel was set-apart by God for his exclusive purposes
Believers are set-apart by God as his own, for his glory and to receive his mercy and grace
We call this setting-apart 'election'
2. Sanctification: a process
Sanctification often describes the Christian's progress in personal holiness
Sanctification is a life-long growth in knowing and following the Lord Jesus Christ
Sanctification is never complete in this life - we have many set-backs and failures
Progress in sanctification is always through God's grace and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit
The more sanctified we are the more we understand how unsanctified we are
Our personal progress in sanctification can never be the basis of our acceptance with God
3. Sanctification: a gift of grace
Sanctification that is the basis of our acceptance with God is a gift of God's grace
We receive the gift of complete (or 'replete') sanctification through union with Christ
Christ becomes our sanctification: 'You are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.' (1 Corinthians 1.30)
This complete sanctification is called definitive sanctification
Christ becomes our definitive, replete sanctification the instant we trust him for salvation
Union with Christ means we possess the holiness of Christ - not as merit but as gift
Christ as our sanctification is the ground of our justification
Christ as our sanctification means God's verdict on the believer must be 'Not guilty' but 'Righteous'
Christ as our sanctification is an objective fact not a subjective experience
Christ as our sanctification does not change our thinking, our choices or our emotions
Christ as our sanctification changes our standing with God
Christ as our sanctification does not remove the need for progress in personal holiness
Christ as our sanctification is an encouragement to progress in personal holiness
'Christ our sanctification' guarantees peace with God – saving grace is glory begun!ur text here...