Justification by Faith: The Anchor of Eternal Security

(Rom 3:28) "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."

1. Therefore —What is the “therefore” there for?

a. Man cannot save himself—Rom 1:18-3:20, 23—

b. The Gospel is about God’s righteousness apart from the Law—

c. The prophets were a witness to God’s unfolding plan, though they did not fully get it—(1 Pet 1:10-12)

d. God’s Way of Salvation—(Rom 3:24-26) it is:

(1) We are Justified by faith—"…being justified…” That is, when we believe, God makes a legal declaration that we are not only forgiven, but are also righteous!

(2) As a gift through grace—“…freely by His grace…: This entire process is a gift from God, beginning to end. It is entirely due to His grace and mercy toward us sinners

(3) Redeemed—“…through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” We have been bought back from the slave market of sin, we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of His Son.

(4) God’s Work, God’s Sacrifice—“…25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood…” God publicly demonstrated His love for His own Holiness, His hatred of sin, and His love for us by sacrificing His own son on the Cross

(5) We receive the benefits of this sacrifice by faith, and faith alone—“… through faith…”

(6) God was just to save the OT saints, and God is just to save us.

e. So Salvation was

(1) Planned by God

(2) Unfolded by God

(3) Accomplished by Christ on the Cross

(4) Applied through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in conviction and the New Birth

f. Therefore, we can boast in nothing except His Person and Work

2. Our Minds Are Made Up (Rom 3:28) "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."

a. We hold, we conclude, we have proven this to us and you.

(1) The German Reformer Martin Luther, said that this is the doctrine upon which a church stands or falls

(2) This is the verse that D. James Kennedy had carved into the wood front of his pulpit.

(3) This is the verse which unifies Bible Believers and True Churches everywhere,

(4) This is a concept that the heretics hate.

b. What does Paul hold? Salvation by Grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

c. Why does Paul Hold to Justification by Faith?

(1) The word teaches it—OT and NY

(2) The Holy spirit confirmed this in the life of Paul and all the Apostles—Heb 2:1-4—in signs and wonders

(a) In the signs of the Apostles—(2 Cor 12:12) "Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds."

(3) This way of salvation happened in Paul’s own life! He went from the Chief of Sinners (1 Tim 1:15) to the chosen servant of Jehovah.

3. What Do We Conclude? First, that we are Justified

a. To be justified is to be righteous

(1) As to our record

(2) No only sins forgiven, but also righteousness applied

b. To be justified is to be declared righteous by God on the basis of righteousness from God

(1) The righteousness is legal not actual, at this point.

(2) When God declares us righteous—He has said it, He will make it so—and here is where the Doctrine of Eternal Security is established. Once God has declared someone to be righteous, God Himself has then entered the fray to maintain our salvation.

(a) Christ has said that true believers will never face judgment for salvation—(John 5:24) ""Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

(b) Possession of eternal life accompanies true faith—(John 6:47) ""Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."

(c) It is God’s power that maintains my salvation—(1 Pet 1: 4 “… an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

(d) My salvation is maintained by Him because of His faithfulness—(1 Cor 1:9) "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."

(e) It is the nature of God to finish what He starts, and this verse makes that perfectly clear—(Phil 1:6) "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…"

(f) The strongest possible sayings are exercised to show how secure our salvation is, because of justification by faith—

(i) (John 10:28) ""And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand."

(ii) (Heb 13:5) "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.""



4. What Do We Conclude? Second, that this justification is by faith, not by works

a. The Bible’s Definition of Faith—Heb 11:1 “…Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…”

b. But First, a caution—there is a vain faith that does not save. 1 Cor 15:4

(1) Vain means “empty, useless…”

(2) You can worship God, and your worship be vain, if your doctrine is all messed up—(Mat 15:9) "And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'""

(3) We could have made a profession of faith under the preaching of Paul and it could still be fain if it was not real— (1 Cor 15:2) "by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain."

(4) You could have suffered persecution in vain if you believe another “gospel”—(Gal 3:4) "Have you suffered so many things in vain; if indeed it was in vain?"

(5) Vain faith has many forms.

(a) A family “faith” that is not a personal relationship with Christ

(b) A “faith” based on Tradition not Truth

(c) A “faith” that accepts the facts without confessing the Savior—James 2:19 “…You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble…”

(d) A “faith” that does not transform—John 10:27.

c. But Praise God, there is a True Biblical Faith, and the Bible is plain about what it consists of.

5. What is Saving Faith? (Heb 11:1) "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

a. What faith is: two parallel ideas—Heb 11:1—“substance” and “evidence.”

(1) Substance

(a) “Solid confidence—

(b) We are confident that God will deliver what He has promised.

(c) We are sure of God’s promises because God is the One making them

(d) It is as real as if we held it in our hands already—1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life…”

(e) “…of Things hoped for— Faith sees those promises as having been fulfilled already.

(2) Evidence (of things not seen)—
(3) Real proof, conviction, as in John 16:8. The one with true faith is convinced, has a conviction, a certainty, that God will keep His promises.

(4) “…Of things not seen…” As Paul says, “…we walk by faith, not by sight…” 2 Cor 5:7. We have not seen the things God has promised, but faith is the evidence of them, the conviction that they are real.

(5) The old argument—“you only believe that it is so, you can’t know…” The person saying this has no Biblical understanding of faith.

(6) Faith and Hope in the secular sense, or in the liberal religious sense, are kinds of wistful desires (“…I hope it is so, I really don’t know…”), whereas Biblical faith is knowledge and conviction.


b. The Practical Biblical Definition of Faith (from the Old Testament)—Heb 11:2 “…For by it the elders obtained a good testimony…”

(1) True faith has confidence and conviction, and it results in conversion, which is a disciple’s walk.

(2) The elders—the OT believers

(3) Define: testimony—The same word from which we get the word “martyr,” or witness

(4) But here the verb “witness” or “testimony” is passive—it does not refer so much to the witness of these believers, as it refers to God’s witness about them

(5) God has testified to the reality of their faith by including them in His Holy Word.

(6) So, this good testimony is God’s testimony about these men.

(7) True Faith leads to a good testimony from God! These all believed…These all lived their faith as well

c. An Illustration of Faith—Heb 11:3 “…By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible…”

(1) True faith involves knowledge—“…By faith we understand…” These facts must make sense to the human mind that has been enlightened by the Holy Spirit— “…By faith we understand…”

(2) In the example of creation, we encounter facts from Nature and Conscience, but primarily from the Word

(a) God spoke the universe into existence—Ps 33:6-9, Gen 1:1

(b) Isa 48:13 "Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together."

(c) Creation was an act of the Triune God—Gen 1:2 "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."

(d) Col 1:15-17 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."

(e) God the Son sustains the universe with that same spoken Word—Heb 1:3 "who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, …”

d. So, from the exposition and from the example, Faith is a conviction and certainty of things we cannot see— Heb 11:3 “…By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible…”

(1) (John 20:29) "… Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.""

(2) 1 Pet 1:7 “… Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:…”

e. Who is the Object of True Saving Faith? Heb 12:1-2—The Person and work of the Lord Jesus

6. What do we conclude?

a. That we are justified by faith apart from the deeds of the Law