Take your hymnal out of the rack and turn it to hymn 219. The title is Jesus Paid It All. Ponder the words with me.

1 I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."

2 Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots,
And melt the heart of stone.

3 Since nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I'll wash my garment white
In the blood of Calvary's Lamb.

4 And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save,"
My lips shall still repeat.

Refrain
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow.

JESUS PAID IT ALL! That is the story of Justification. However, before I move on in this message, it is important that I give you a working definition of justification.

• The Definition of Justification

Justification means, "to declare righteous." Justification is God's declaration that those who trust Jesus Christ are perfectly righteous before Him. It is a legal concept, as when a judge gives a verdict. God is the great Judge. It is His law we have broken. Before I am saved, God declares that I am a condemned sinner. After I come to Christ, God declares that I am righteous because of what Christ did for me on Calvary. Justification is being brought into a new spiritual position before God (Romans 5:1-2). The believer is no longer a part of the cursed household of Adam, but has entered the blessed household of Christ. (David Cloud; The Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity.)

Romans 5:1-2 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Dr. Warren Wiersbe shares this illustration of justification.

It seems that there was a man in England who put his Rolls-Royce on a boat and went across to the continent to go on a holiday. While he was driving around Europe, something happened to the motor of his car. He cabled the Rolls-Royce people back in England and asked, "I’m having trouble with my car; what do you suggest I do?" Well, the Rolls-Royce people flew a mechanic over! The mechanic repaired the car and flew back to England and left the man to continue his holiday.

As you can imagine, the fellow was wondering, "How much is this going to cost me?" So when he got back to England, he wrote the people at Rolls-Royce a letter and asked how much he owed them. He received a letter from the office that read: "Dear Sir: There is no record anywhere in our files that anything ever went wrong with a Rolls-Royce." That is justification! (W. Wiersbe, Key Words of the Christian Life, p. 16)

• Why Do We Need To Be Justified?

About ten years ago pollster George Barna found that "74% of Americans strongly agreed with the statement – ‘God will judge all people.’" In fact, these people were right. God will judge ALL people according to the Bible.

Romans 14:12 "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

We need to be justified because we will come before God and be judged by Him. The BIG problem is that "…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23. Because we have all sinned, we are guilty before God. And, all who are judged guilty are sentenced to the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15).

Every person needs to be justified because we are all guilty before God and a Holy and Just God must condemn the unjust.

• How Can We Be Justified?

Job of old poses this question "how should man be just with God?" Job 9:2b.

There are many religions that teach and many people who believe that good works, and law keeping will bring about justification before God. I will never forget the day that I was in Rome and I came the Scala Sanctum (The Holy Stairs). These twenty-eight white marble steps, at Rome, near the Lateran Church are, according to tradition, the staircase that once led to the prætorium of Pilate at Jerusalem. Therefore the Church of Rome claims that since Christ climbed those steps, they are sanctified by His footsteps. Pilgrims come to climb on these steps and pray, believing that they are gaining merit with God and that this will induce God to justify them. Turn in your Bibles to Galatians 3:11 "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."

So, back to the question – how can we be justified? Turn to Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Faith in Christ appropriates what grace provides. Romans 3:24 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"

Faith is the mediating function through which justification is received. Remember, we are totally helpless to effect our own justification. It is through the shed blood of Christ & His resurrection that justification is made available. Turn to Romans 4:25 "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." Romans 5:9 "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." What these verses are saying is this. Christ added up the penalty demanded for man’s sin and gave Himself as an equivalent, paying the price on Calvary’s Cross. God showed that He accepted Christ’s payment by raising Him from the dead and now he is living proof that payment has been made and credited to the believer’s account.

• What Are The Benefits of Justification?

First there is the forgiveness of all sin according to Acts 13:38-39. Second, there is freedom from condemnation according to Romans 8:1, 33, 34. Third, we have peace with God as we have seen in Romans 5:1. Finally, believers are assured of living with God for eternity (Titus 3:7; Romans 8:30).

So, I ask you this morning, have you been justified? Have you been declared not guilty? If not, you are guilty and will be condemned to Hell. You must receive Jesus Christ as your Savior if you will be just before God.