(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Now in Job 25, it's a very short chapter, we actually hear from one of Job's three friends for the last time and thank God for that because their arguments are so repetitive and as we've gone through this series of just going through Job verse by verse, what has stood out to me the most is just how his three friends just keep repeating the same things over and over again. And I've read the book of Job so many times but not until I preach through it verse by verse and really studied for these sermons did I quite understand just how redundant and repetitive these men's arguments are. And they don't really bring a lot to the table and I understand why God in chapter 42 of Job says that his wrath was kindled against them because they had not spoken that which was right concerning him as Job had. But yet even from chapters spoken by these men who are obviously not righteous men in the sense that they're not speaking the truth and God tells us at the end of the book of Job, these guys did not speak the truth. We can still learn from this chapter and it's in the Bible for a reason. The Bible says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine. And so even when we have a chapter that is spoken by a man whom God has said did not speak right, we can still learn from it and see what he got right and what he got wrong. Now in this chapter he's responding to Job who is talking about the wicked and how they're eventually going to be punished in chapter 24. And he comes at Job with this thing of, well how can man be just before God? How can anybody be justified before God? Because Job has been saying all along, I'm righteous in the sense that he hadn't done anything to merit the type of punishment that he was getting. His ten children have died. He lost all of his wealth. He's covered in boils from head to toe. They're saying hey, this is because you have sin in your life and he's saying no I don't. And that's the argument that's going on back and forth between these men. And I believe that Job probably interrupted Bildad here. Because if you look at all the rest of the chapters, they're a certain length. You know, when Eliphaz is speaking, when Zophar or Bildad are speaking. This one's just so short it almost seems like Job just cut in because it's also the final response. He just cut in and just shut up, you know, and starts telling him the truth for the next several chapters and then they just leave off speaking to him. I think they get the idea that he was tired of listening to them. But in this passage he's saying well how can anybody be just before God? So Job's response in chapter 26 is to turn it around on them and in verses 2 and 3 he says well how has thou helped him that is without power? How savest thou the arm that hath no strength? How hast thou counseled him that hath no.. he's saying well what makes you better than me then? Is what he's basically saying there. But I want to just focus tonight on this one statement that he makes in verse 4 where it says, how then can man be justified with God or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Because that's actually a great question. How can man be justified or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Now what's interesting is that the word justified is used 19 times in the Old Testament. Out of 39 books of the Old Testament the word justified is used 19 times. Seven of those are in the book of Job which is interesting out of the whole giant Old Testament seven of the 19 mentions are in the book of Job. So this is something that Job and his friends are actually talking a lot about, the subject of being justified before God. And that's what I want to talk about tonight is what does it mean to be justified before God? And as Bildad asks, how can man be justified before God or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Now the first time that just, let's just look at the mentions within the book of Job here. Flip back if you would to Job chapter 9, Job chapter number 9. Because the word justified means, and if you look up all the different times that justified is used in the Bible which is over 50 times, you'll see that this definition is consistent, but justified means to be declared righteous. So let me give you some examples of what it means to be justified. For example, if someone goes to court and they're being accused of a crime, when that person is declared not guilty, that person has been justified or declared to be without fault, declared to be innocent of that particular crime, declared to be righteous. And if we look at the word justified, the first four letters are the word just. And the word just in the Bible is used as an exact synonym of righteous. Righteous and just are used interchangeably in the Bible. To be justified is to be declared righteous or to be declared not guilty. That's what that means. Now look what it says in Job 11 verse 2. Should not the multitude of words be answered, this is Job speaking, no I'm sorry, wrong place, where did I tell you to turn? Job 9, there we go, Job 9, sorry about that. Job 9 verse 20, listen to what Job says. If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. If I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. So the first thing I want to point out about justification in the Bible is that the Bible is real clear that we cannot justify ourselves, or we cannot be justified through our own righteousness or through our own works. And this is what Bildad is basically saying, he's saying, well look, everybody's a sinner, how can a man be justified before God since we're all sinners? How can he that is born of a woman be clean? There's none righteous, no not one is what the Bible says in Romans 3.10. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But the next verse after Romans 3.23 that we so often quote, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So that is one thought because being justified is a continuation of Romans 3.23. So it's for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. And it's interesting because Job uses the term redeemer about the Lord in the book of Job. He calls God his redeemer, he says, I know that my redeemer liveth in the famous scripture. And so Job is not trying to justify himself or declare himself righteous or say that he is perfect in the sense that he is without sin. He calls Christ his redeemer and he says, if I justify myself, my known mouth shall condemn me. And we know that what Job spoke was right according to God. Now think about how many people today with their own mouth are condemning themselves by justifying themselves or declaring themselves righteous based upon their own goodness and their own merits and their own works. Now Jesus Christ said in Matthew chapter 12, for by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. And Job said here in 920, if I justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me. And Jesus said, by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Therefore people who say things, and go to Matthew chapter 7, let me show you the best example of this, people who say things with their mouth to try to justify themselves before God in regard to salvation will be condemned by that which has come out of their own mouth. Look at Matthew chapter 7 for a perfect example of this. It says in verse 21 of Matthew 7, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works, and then while I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me that were iniquity. Now in verse 22 there, are these people trying to justify themselves or what? Or are they looking to Jesus Christ to be justified? Are they looking to the blood of Christ? Are they looking to the death, burial, and resurrection? Are they saying, hey, we believe salvation is by faith alone? Not at all. Because when they stand before God and they want to be justified, they're saying, look what I've done. I've prophesied in your name, in thy name we've cast out devils, in thy name we've done many wonderful works. What are they trusting? Their own works. Things that they've done. They're not even bringing up the Lord and the fact that he's the redeemer and the fact that Jesus Christ shed his blood or anything of that kind. But what's so funny about this is that people will literally point to this verse. I literally think that I get an email about this scripture every week of my life and you know what it proves? So I get a lot of emails though. But out of all the tons of emails that I get, I get an email about this scripture. Pastor Anderson, what do you do with that scripture if you believe salvation is by faith alone? What do you do with this scripture if you just believe on Jesus Christ and you're saved eternally? What do you do with that? And that should just illustrate for you, my friend, how blinded the unsaved are to where they can't even comprehend scripture at all. I mean they can just look at scripture and it just has no meaning to them, it just goes over that. How could anyone look at this scripture and say this proves that faith alone doesn't save you? Are they out of their minds? These people aren't even mentioning faith. But what are they mentioning? Works. And yet unsaved people all day long will point to this scripture and say see you have to do works. What are, I mean are we reading the same passage? The people who are trusting in their works are the ones who are damned here. And they'll say well but yeah but it says there in verse 23, you know you have to do the will, or I'm sorry in verse 21 it says you have to do the will of the Father. Yeah except look up what the will of the Father is. Every time Jesus talks about the will of the Father, he said this is the will of the Father that everyone that believeth, everyone that seeth the Son and believeth on him might have everlasting life and he shall raise him up at the last day. That's the will of the Father that they would believe on Christ and be saved. But these people are doing it in their own righteousness. Now a lot of people will point to this scripture bizarrely, unsaved people will point to this scripture and say well see right there, it's not just enough to call Jesus Lord, you got to do the works. But that's not what this says. This says not everyone that says to Jesus Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven, and then he gives examples about people that are trusting in their own works. So let me tell you this, whenever you preach that salvation is by faith alone, people will always come at you with this straw man argument that says oh so just praying a prayer saves you, praying a prayer saves you. That's what they'll always hit you with. When you didn't even, you said faith and they just say oh just pray a prayer. No, we didn't say praying a prayer saves you, we said faith in Jesus Christ saves you. Because when the Bible says that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, it says how then shall they call on him in whom they've not believed. So you could pray that prayer all day long and unless you believe in your heart on the Lord Jesus Christ, you're not saved just because you prayed that prayer. Because the Bible says with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. So it's the faith in Jesus Christ that saves us, that's what even leads us to legitimately call upon the name of the Lord. But what if somebody just calls Jesus Lord, Lord without believing on him for salvation? He said not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, is going to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Because we have to believe on him and call upon the name of the Lord. Now when you look at the word believe in scripture, it's often associated with the word trust. Because sometimes people misunderstand the word believe. Sometimes people try to intentionally twist the word believe. Some people will say believe means do works. You know, just because they're just trying to teach work salvation. I've had people say that. If you go back to the Greek, you know, believe means an obedient faith. You know, obeying all the commandments. No that's works. And I'll prove that a little bit later in the sermon. But faith in the Bible, putting our faith in Christ, believing on Christ is where we basically put our trust in Christ. Meaning that we're relying on Jesus Christ to take us to heaven. So for example, if a person said I believe in Jesus, you know, in the sense that Jesus exists, but if they said but I'm going to heaven because I'm a good person, because I've been baptized, because I go to church, that person's not believing on Christ. They're believing on themselves. They're believing on their own works. They're trying to be justified in their own righteousness. See to believe on Christ, and if you would flip over to Ephesians chapter 1, I think is probably the best place to illustrate this, Ephesians chapter 1. Look at Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13. It says, in whom ye also trusted, and a lot of people will say oh the word trusted ends in italics, you know, it's not part, look, ignore the italics, okay, because the King James Bible is properly translated, it's the word of God, and the word trusted has not been added, it's taken from verse 12, it's just Greek and English are different, so it's just, it ends up in italics, you know, you shouldn't get hung up on that. It says in verse 12 that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also that after that ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. So notice that according to this scripture, believing on Christ and trusting in Christ are the same thing. Do you see how they're used interchangeably? Trusting in Christ, believing in Christ, believing on Christ, okay. So for example, if I said I believe in Jesus, now I could mean that as I believe Jesus existed, okay. Or if I say I believe in Jesus, I could mean my faith is in Jesus, I'm trusting Jesus to get me to heaven, I'm relying on Jesus. So the word believe can mean both of those things, okay. So which one is salvation according to the Bible? Is it enough to just believe that Jesus existed? Or do we have to believe in Christ in the sense that our trust is in Christ, we're relying on Christ. That's what that means. For example, if I said, you know, Brother Romero, I believe in you, am I saying I believe he exists? No. I'm saying I have faith in you, I'm trusting you, I'm relying upon you, okay. Let's say I had to be gone for some reason, and Brother Romero was going to fill in and preach for me, I believe in you. What am I saying? I'm relying on him, he's going to have to come through, he's going to need to do a good job. That's what I'm saying, I'm putting some trust in him. And so that's what the faith that the Bible talks about is referring to. You know, for example, if somebody said I believe in aliens, they're basically just saying that they believe that they exist. They're not saying that they're trusting in aliens or relying on aliens. So we have to be careful that we don't misunderstand that. So here's the thing. A lot of people, and I'm taking the time to explain this because it's important, a lot of people will say that they believe in Jesus, but what they mean by that is that they believe that a guy named Jesus existed and that a guy named Jesus was crucified. That in many ways is a historical fact. It's funny because some people will just say, oh, I don't even believe Jesus ever even existed. Well, you know, there's been more written about Jesus than any other human being that's ever lived. So for a guy who never really existed, that's amazing that he has more written about him than anyone else who's ever lived. Obviously he really existed. That's considered even by the world to be a historical fact that there was a guy named Jesus who existed. And that's what the Bible is referring to, you know, by just people, you know, believing in Jesus Christ. It's not saying they just believe he existed. I mean everybody who lived around Jesus's day believed he existed because they could see him, they could look right at him, right? So when it said you've got to believe on the Son of Man, you've got to believe in Jesus Christ, it's talking about putting your faith in him to get you to heaven. So if you're trusting something else to get you to heaven, you may believe Jesus exists, but you're not trusting in what he did to save you. Okay? Then you're not saved. And that's what's going on with those people in Matthew 7. They believed Jesus existed, or at least they paid lip service to that, because they prophesied in his name. In his name they cast out devils. In his name they did many wonderful works. But it's obvious that they weren't trusting in Christ because of the fact that they're giving a listing of all their works to get them to heaven. I mean think about it. What if you were standing right now at the gates of heaven and God said, you know, you're not coming in. He's saying to you, depart from me, I never knew you. Would you be listing off your works to him right now? Think about it. If you were a faithful, believing Baptist, would any saved, born again Christian say to God, but God, wait a minute, what do you mean? What about all those works I did for you? Would anyone of Faithful Word Baptist Church ever say that? But yet people will try to pin this scripture on us, like this is about you guys, but you know what? It's really about them. Because they're the ones trusting in works. They're the ones who'd be saying, but God, you know, I did all these works. It's funny that, you know, that Left Behind movie, the Kirk Cameron and Everybody Disappears and everything like that, now I saw a trailer for it, okay, because when we were putting together the movie After the Tribulation, you know, we were taking little snippets from the trailers and stuff. And I saw a trailer for it and there's this preacher and he can't figure out why he's left behind. And he's like, I preached for you, I did all these works for you, you know. But that's kind of, that's what these people are saying. But here's the thing, that has nothing to do with whether or not you go to heaven. And I've heard people try to look at Matthew 7 and say, well these people must have believed in Jesus because they prophesied in his name, so that proves that believing is not enough. Wrong. They believed he existed, but they did not believe in him. They did not have their faith in him. They're not trusting in him. Look, in order to be saved, you must have all of your faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save you. His death, his burial, his resurrection. Not your own works. You can't say, well I believe in Jesus, but I'm going to heaven because I'm a good person. Wrong. Then you're not going. You're not saved because being a good person will, saying that and justifying yourself will condemn you before God. When you try to justify yourself, your very words will condemn you. Now let's look at some other scriptures on being justified. Go if you would to, let's jump forward here to Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13. I want to show you a lot of scriptures on being justified. Because remember, Bildad the Shuhite asked the question, how can man be justified before God? Look at Acts chapter 13. This is a good scripture on being justified. How then can man be justified with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? And when you go out soul winning and you talk to people, you get all different answers on this. You know, what does a person have to do to be saved? What does a person have to do to be justified? What does a person have to do to be declared righteous in the sight of God? And here's what it says in Acts 13, 39, and by him all that believe are justified. Isn't that a great scripture on salvation right there? All that believe are justified from all things from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. So can people be justified by obeying the commandments? Keeping the commandments? He said, no you cannot be justified by the law of Moses. You are justified by believing in Christ. Go to Romans chapter 2. Romans chapter 2. Lot of great scriptures on being justified. Romans chapter 2 is one that talks about how theoretically justification by works would be possible if you were to keep the whole law perfectly and always do all the right things without sinning. You know, I mean think about it. If you never sinned, would God send you to hell if you never sinned? How could he? You never sinned. And that's why in Romans 2 he says, you know what, if you were to do everything right you'll be saved. But then he explains in Romans 3 that's impossible because we've all sinned. There's none righteous. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by grace without the deeds of the law. Look at Romans 2.13, for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. So here in Romans 2.13 it says the doers of the law shall be justified. But in Acts 13 he said you can't be justified by the law of Moses. So how do we reconcile these two scriptures? Is this a contradiction? When Acts 13 says you could not be justified by the law of Moses and Romans 2.13 says well the doers of the law shall be justified. That's why. There are no doers of the law. Because we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We've all broken God's law. None of us has kept the whole law of God perfectly. That's why the rich young ruler when he asks Jesus, you know, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And he tells him, well how readest thou? You know, what is the Bible? What are the commandments? And he lists off all the commandments, or at least he lists off some of them. You know, honor thy father and mother, thou shall not kill, thou shall not commit adultery, thou shall not steal, thou shall not bear false witness, thou shall not covet. And he says to Jesus, all these things have I kept from my youth up. Does anybody believe that? I mean, he just kept all the commandments, even when he was a kid, even when he was a kid this guy didn't break God's commandments. Anybody believe that? Of course not. And what's funny is that one verse before that Jesus said to him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one and that's God. He just finished telling this guy, there's no one good but God. Next breath, this guy's like, I'm good, right? And by the way, that's a good verse that proves Jesus is God, because he is, we know he's good. He's the good shepherd and he's God. But it's just funny how this guy just, everything goes over his head. You know, there's none good but one. Okay, but that's not what I'm here to talk to you about. How do I get to heaven? Oh, I've already done all that. I've already lived. He says, okay, if thou will be perfect, one thing thou lackest. You know, I mean, Jesus is just taking this guy's word for it, that he was perfect on everything else. But he says, if thou will be perfect, he said, sell that you have, give it to the poor, you'll have treasure in heaven, take up the cross and follow me. So what's he doing? He's proving to this guy, you're not perfect. Even though you think you are, let me point out an area where you're sinning, you're greedy. You're laying up treasures upon the earth, you're not laying up treasures in heaven. And of course the guy goes away sorrowful because he had great riches. When the guy showed up, he believed in salvation by works. That's why he said, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? When he showed up, he believed in salvation by works. When he walked away, he believed in salvation by works. He didn't get it, he didn't understand. Jesus spoke to him in a parable and a dark saying. He did not comprehend what Jesus was trying to show him, that he was a sinner, that he needed to be like the publican, just a few verses removed from that passage where he beats on his breast and says, God be merciful to me, a sinner. He went home to his house that day, what? Justified. And that's the word that we're talking about today. He went home justified. Why? By doing a bunch of good works? No. By keeping the law of Moses? No. By being baptized and joining a church? No. By the circumcision? No. He went home justified by simply beating on his breast and looking up to heaven, or not even looking up to heaven, bowing his head and saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. He did not have faith and trust in himself or his good works. He called upon the Lord to save him with all of his faith on the Lord to save him. Totally humble, not boasting in his own works, beating on his breast saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Admitting he's a sinner and that he needs to be saved by the Lord, that he can't do it on his own. Are you in Romans 2? Flip over to Romans 3, it says in verse 20, therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Verse 24 we already talked about, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Verse 28, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. See how clear this is, that our salvation is completely by faith and not by any works or deeds that we do. The words deeds and works are used interchangeably. Go to Romans chapter 4, Romans chapter number 4. And while you're there, flip over to James chapter 2, because this is another verse that people will try to use to teach justification by works. And again, what does it mean to be justified? To be declared righteous. I heard one person say that justified means just as if I'd never sinned. As a way to remember, justified, just as if I'd never sinned. Which is true because our sins have been forgiven and forgotten of the Father, and as far as the East is from the West, so far has God separated us from our sins. But the idea of justification through works is ridiculous if you read the whole Bible. If you read it cover to cover and understand the Gospel, it doesn't make any sense. Because how could doing something good make up for the bad that I've done? And that's what justification means. Because think about it, what does justified mean? Don't turn there, but the first time in the Bible that the word justify is ever used, and usually if you go to the first time a word's used, it usually gives you an idea of what that word means. You know, a lot of times God will define a word for you the first time. Brother Corbin, would you flip the switch and turn on these air conditioning terms? Is it hot in here or is it just me? I think that those got switched off. Just switch them to cool, both of those two on the left there. But the first time justify is used is in Exodus 23, 7, and it helps us get an idea of what it means. It says, keep thee far from a false matter, and the innocent and righteous slay thou not, for I will not justify the wicked. Then the next time it's mentioned in Deuteronomy, where he says if there be a controversy between men and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them, then shall they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked. So in these early mentions of justify, it has a legal connotation. Even the word judge or judgment is related to the word justify. So the first time God's teaching us about justification in Exodus and Deuteronomy, he's talking about you go before the judge and you're either declared not guilty or you're declared guilty. And if you're declared not guilty, you're justified. So let's think about how a courtroom works. You walk into a courtroom, you've sinned. You're actually guilty of the crime, let's say. Let's say it's robbery and you have committed the robbery. You have robbed a convenience store and you know you've done it and you walk in there but you want to be justified. Why? Because you don't want to go to prison for armed robbery for X amount of years. How are you going to be justified? You're guilty. You've done the crime. Now you could lie about it and say, I didn't do it. You know, you get a lawyer and try to produce evidence and try to produce an alibi and try to deceive the jury or deceive the judge into thinking that you've not committed the crime. Wouldn't that be one way to be justified in that courtroom? Through deception, through lying. Now here's the thing. God's our judge. Is he going to be deceived or lied to? Okay, that's not going to work. How else are we going to be justified? Well imagine the ridiculousness of coming into that courtroom with a list of all the good things you've done and say, you know, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, yes I robbed this convenience store at gunpoint, but let me show you where I volunteered for charitable organizations. Let me show you. And here's the thing. The average person, what would you, think about this, use your imagination for a second. What if you were in that courtroom right now and the judge said, okay produce a list of good works for me after the next recess. What would you tell them? If you wanted to just really, I'm just talking about just walking into a courtroom and you just want to really impress them with the good things you've done. What would you tell them? And probably most of you are like really racking your brain and I don't know, what do I tell them? Why? Because we don't really have that many good works. To even counteract that human punishment of armed robbery, let alone all the sins we've done before God. We've committed thousands of sins in our lives. Every time we've lied or disobeyed our parents or stolen or coveted or thought of wicked thought, the thought of foolishness is sin. But even if it was just one crime, bring a list of your good deeds. We're like, oh man, I got to come up with something that I've done that's good. But even if, let's say we just really had done a lot and we could come in and say your honor, I've donated blood every year, I've volunteered and handed out turkeys down at the rescue mission on Thanksgiving time, a family in church, I bought them groceries, I'm really involved in my church, I go to church a lot. Do you think that any courtroom in America is going to accept that and say, okay, you're declared not guilty for armed robbery, just as if you'd never sinned. This is just gone from your record, you're completely declared not guilty, there's no punishment. I mean, do you really think that would ever happen? But why do we expect God to be that way? But that's what we expect God to do. We come to God with good works and say, oh God, here's what I've done, I've joined a church, I've quit drinking, you know, I'm living a clean life, and we expect God to just cancel out all our sins because of the good we've done. That doesn't even make logical sense. Doing good things cannot atone for the bad things that we've done. The only thing that can balance the scales of justice when we've done wrong is that we be punished for our crime. That's the only thing. You know, the only way that that courtroom is going to hand out justice is when the person who has committed the crime is punished. The biblical punishments, humanly speaking, are a beating, or a monetary fine that you pay to the victim, or death. Those are the three punishments that God doles out. There is no prison in the Bible. But when it comes to our sins, we know that the wages of sin is death, and we know that there's the second death in the lake of fire, eternal damnation, everlasting punishment, and so on and so forth. So our justification is not by our works or our deeds canceling out the bad that we've done. Not going to happen. That's why we can't be justified by the law of Moses because we've already broken it. We can only be justified through the faith of Christ because Jesus took our punishment for us, and because he took our punishment for us, that balances the scales of justice because he is being punished for what we've done. Now James 2 is the place that people go, I've got verse after verse after verse after verse that teaches justification by faith. But then there's one passage that teaches justification by works, in James 2. Now a lot of people will use James 2 and point you to James 2 when you're out soul winning to try to negate what you're showing them about justification by faith. Now let me just give you a principle on studying the Bible. If you have a hundred verses that say one thing, and one verse that says something different, which one do you think you're misunderstanding? All hundred? Or the one? I mean it's probably more likely, logically, that you're probably wrong about the one and not wrong about all hundred. And there, I could show you a hundred verses right now that make it clear that salvation is by faith alone and that we're justified by faith alone, one hundred. So when I was a child, I remember reading my Bible as a child, and I was saved and I knew I was saved by faith, and I came to James 2 and James 2 confused me as a child. Who's read James 2 and just went, what in the world? Probably everybody at some point. And I got to James 2 and I did not, it just confounded me. But I knew, I knew it could not be saying what it seemed to say, that salvation was by works or they were justified by works. I knew that couldn't be true, but I couldn't understand why. But I just knew this would contradict the whole rest of the Bible. So I just didn't worry about it because I said, you know what, I must be missing something about James 2. I'm obviously not understanding something here because I know that there's so much scripture teaching that salvation is by believing in Christ. I'm not going to let it bother me. And that's, by the way, that's the way you should read the Bible. Go with the clear scripture, the clear teaching of scripture, and if you come to something that's confusing or you don't understand it or it contradicts a whole bunch of clear scripture, you know, don't get too hung up on it because eventually you'll understand it. Because at this point I'm not hung up on James 2 at all, because I completely understand James 2. And later I was like, oh wow, that makes perfect sense. Now I understand why God put this in the Bible. But people can sometimes just use James 2, take it out of context, and try to negate what the Bible teaches about salvation. Now let me just go ahead and explain to you and prove to you from scripture that James 2 is not teaching that we are justified before God by works, okay? Let's look at James 2 together and see what it says. You can see why on the surface it does appear to be teaching that. Look at James 2, 14, what of the prophet my brethren, though a man say he hath faith and have not works, can faith save him? The first thing that jumps out at me when I start reading this passage is it says, if a man say he have faith, now does this guy even for sure have faith? This is just a guy who's saying he has faith. So a lot of people will take this where he says, if a man say he hath faith and have not works, can faith save him? And they'll switch this around and say, see, if you have faith and you don't have works, faith can't save you. This doesn't say he has faith. This says he says he has faith, which means that the author is implying that we don't know whether the guy really has faith or not. He might have faith, he might not have faith, we don't know, all we know is that he's saying he has faith. Does everybody get that? So that's the first thing we should point out. Here's a guy saying he has faith. We don't know whether he does or not. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what to the prophet? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Now if we look at that right there, the illustration that's given is a person who has no clothing or food, they need our help, we tell them depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, but we don't give them clothes and we don't give them food. It says what does it profit? When he says what does it profit, is he saying what does it profit us or what does it profit them? What does it profit them? They're the one who's naked, they're the one who doesn't have any food to eat, we're giving them a blessing verbally, but we're not doing the works, what does it profit them? So what the Bible's teaching here first of all is that faith without works does not profit others. It's not saying that if you have faith you can't get to heaven with just faith. I'm going to prove that in a moment. What it's saying is if I have faith but I don't have works, that doesn't profit anyone else. I'm not able to profit others, because look, giving clothing to others and giving food to others is the illustration when it says what does it profit. It's talking about helping others, doing something for others. Look, if I have faith but I have zero works, is anybody even going to know that I have faith? Well, but you might say you have faith, but here's the thing, nobody can see my faith through my lack of works. Let's keep reading. It says, yea, a man may say, thou hast faith and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest, I lost my place here, thou believest that there is one God. Thou doest well, the devils also believe and tremble, but wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Now again, this is misquoted constantly as the devils believe on Jesus Christ. Now does this passage, let's all look at it, does this passage say in verse 19, the devils believe on Jesus Christ? You know what it says? The devils believe that there's one God. Here's somebody else that believes that there's one God, Muslims. Has anybody ever taught as a Baptist that believing in one God gets you to heaven? Has any Baptist ever taught that? Believing in one God saves you. Well then that would mean all of Islam is saved, because they believe in one God, but guess what? It's a false God. Okay, it's not the same God that we believe in. It's not the same God that we trust in. And so what he's saying here is that the devils believe in one God and tremble, but wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Now here's where he talked about justification. He says, was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him of righteousness, and he was called the friend of God? Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way. For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Now let me point out to you a key word in verse 24 that is removed in the modern Bible versions. It's removed in the NIV. Listen to what it says. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. You say, why is that word important? Because what he's saying is, we see in what way? How means, I mean how we do it is in what way we do it. We see in what way a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. Let's see what that way is. Keep your finger in James 2 and go to Romans 4, because if you compare James 2 and Romans 4, it is crystal clear what is being said here. I wonder if the new King James, let me see if I have a new King James here, I was curious if the new King James changes that as well, because it's such an important, such an important change that they make. And then they make another change too, where earlier in the passage where it says, can faith save him? They change it to, can that faith save him? And then what they teach is that like, well there's a different kind of faith that doesn't save you. You know, like creating this new doctrine of like different kinds of faith, you know, like well the faith that doesn't have works is the wrong kind of faith, and it can't save you. Now, let me show you the actual true interpretation of what's being said here. It's real clear once you compare it with Romans 4, it's crystal clear. Look at Romans 4 verse 1, it says, what shall we say then that Abraham our father has pertained to the flesh hath found? Now are we talking about the same guy as in James 2? Because in James 2 it says, was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar, ye see then how that by works am I justified not by faith only. Look at Romans 4, what shall we say then that Abraham our father has pertained the flesh hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. Do we see that? It says, look, if Abraham were justified by works, he has whereof to glory. What does glory mean? Boast. To glory about something is to boast about something. He's saying, look, if he were justified by works, he has something to boast about, not before God. Because the Bible says, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast. And if we were saved by works, we would be able to boast. Say I'm saved because I did this, because I gave up this, and I did this, and I joined this. So he's saying here that yes Abraham was justified by works, according to James 2, not before God though, before man. Because the whole passage in James 2 is talking about being justified before man. He's talking about a guy saying he has faith. We don't really know if he has faith, so we're looking at this guy who has no works, saying he has faith, and we're saying, you know, somebody could say, show me your faith without your works, I'll show you my faith by my works. Look, our works demonstrate our faith unto other people. I mean how do we know that Abraham was a great man of faith? Because he offered Isaac his son upon the altar. I mean offering Isaac his son upon the altar showed a huge amount of faith. So before man, we look at that and nobody questions his faith because of the fact that he did that. But is that what saved him in the eyes of God? Offering Isaac his son upon the altar? Is that what justified him before God? Let's keep reading. It says, for what saith the scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace but of death, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also described it, the blessedness of the man unto whom God impudeth righteousness without works, saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. The Bible says a man who worketh not, how much works is worketh not? None. Him that worketh not, but believeth. Now a lot of people say this, well if you have faith, the faith will always produce works. Is that what Romans 4 says? Is that what James 2 says? No because James 2 says faith without works is dead. So if faith always produced works, it would be impossible to have faith without works. And faith without works is dead would be a meaningless statement. Did he say faith without works does not exist? No, he said faith without works is dead, it doesn't profit, nobody can see your faith, you're not justified before man because nobody even knows that you even have faith, you're profiting no one. You're accomplishing nothing. Now it says here in verse 9, let's pick up where we left off, Romans 4 verse 9, cometh this blessedness, what blessedness? The blessedness of having your sins and iniquities covered, forgiven, not imputed unto you. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also. For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness, how was it then reckoned when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. Now think about this, the Bible is clear that Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcised, and he got the circumcision after, as a sign of the faith that he had being yet uncircumcised. Now how old was Abraham when he was circumcised? How old was he? 99 years old, okay? So he must have got saved, he must have gotten justified before he was 99 because he was saved as an uncircumcised man. Okay? Well let me ask this, when did he offer Isaac his son upon the altar? Long after he was circumcised. Because here's the thing, when Abraham was circumcised, Isaac wasn't even born. Okay? So when he's offering Isaac his son upon the altar, a lad, that was many years later. So that proves that James chapter 2, when it talks about Abraham being justified by works, when it talks about him offering Isaac his son upon the altar, is not referring to his salvation before God, because in Romans 4 that was already settled before he was circumcised. Whereas he did the works, the greatest works, long after he was saved. He'd been saved for many decades when he performed the works of offering Isaac his son upon the altar. That is what justifies him, that is what he has the glory of, he could definitely boast about that, but not before God. Because he's justified before God by faith alone, we are justified by man by our works. How could we be justified by man by our faith? I mean can I walk into a courtroom and say I have faith? Well look at your works. Even if somebody was at our church and that person had zero works, would we say, oh there's a great man of faith? And you know, supposedly that guy, you know, he's got faith that could move mountains in his heart. Would you believe that if you don't see any works? Show me your faith. So look, it's impossible, listen now, this is the final conclusion, listen to this. It's impossible to be justified before God by works. Okay? Are you listening? And now listen to this. It's impossible to be justified before man by faith, because man can't see your faith. Man can see what? That's all man can ever see. So to sit there and take James 2 and teach, hey, justification is not by faith alone, it's by works also. You know what, you're taking it out of context, you're twisting it and you're using it to contradict everything that John taught, Acts taught, Romans taught, and all these other passages. And so that twists and changes the whole thing. Now let me show you some important verses in Galatians before I'm done. Go to Galatians chapter 2 on justification, being justified by faith. And this is a doctrine that we need to really nail down and understand, because this is the doctrine that has always been under attack and always will be under attack. The devil hates the doctrine of justification by faith. He wants people to go to hell. And you know what's going to take people to hell? Justification by works. You know, justification by the law of Moses. Justification by keeping the commandments, keeping the law. And you know, the seventh day Adventists, they will pay lip service and say, oh yeah, we're saved by faith. But then they turn around and tell you, you've got to keep the Sabbath to be saved. Now the Sabbath is a part of what? The law of? I mean, Moses talked a lot about the Sabbath. They're being justified by the law of Moses. They're trying to, it's not going to happen. And they will act like, oh yeah, you just believe in Christ, just put your faith in Christ to be saved. Okay, but then they have this doctrine called investigative judgment. And this doctrine of investigative judgment that the seventh day Adventists have, it stems from the fact that they falsely predicted the second coming of Christ in the year 1844. Now they weren't called seventh day Adventists then, they were called Millerites. And the Millerites are what formed into the seventh day Adventists later. And the Millerites, they said Jesus coming in 1844, a lot of them are selling everything they have, and spread the message, he's coming in 1844. And just like we have people in our day doing the same thing, when the Bible says no man knoweth the day or the hour, they still think, and the Bible says at such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh. So it's not going to be a time that people expect and predict. It's going to be a time when nobody thinks it's going to happen. So I don't know when Jesus is coming back, but I can guarantee you when he's not coming back, whenever any of these famous preachers predict. You can pretty much mark that off on the calendar as, well we know it's not going to happen on that day. I'm serious. Seriously, I mean, you know, oh these four blood moons, well we know that must have nothing to do with it, because all these people are writing books about it and everything. That must have zero significance, because he said at such an hour as you think not, no man knoweth the day or the hour, you can't sit there and predict it using math and using, no, oh it's going to happen in Y2K, oh it's going to happen in 2011, oh it's going to happen in the Mayan calendar, December 21, 2012, no. But this false prophet William Miller had this, he's coming in 1844, it went down in history as the Great Disappointment. That's what it's known as in the history books. It didn't happen. So some of Miller's followers said, well, okay, he didn't come back in 1844, but in 1844 what he did is he started cleaning up the temple in heaven. He started a major cleaning project in heaven, starting in 1844. And this is the same lying garbage that everybody does when they falsely predict the second coming of Christ. This is what the Jehovah's Witnesses have done six times. Oh, he's coming in 1918, he's coming in 1940, but then when he doesn't show up, they say, well he came, but he just came to us only. He's in the secret chambers, you know, like it says in Matthew 24, right? Well, he came, he just talked to us. Six times. Sell everything you have, whatever. But anyway, so these Millerites, they said, well, he didn't show up, but he started cleaning up the temple in heaven. He started the process of investigative judgment. He's starting to go through the files on believers and look at their lives and what they've done. So here's the thing. On one hand, the Seventh-day Adventist will tell you something, oh yeah, it's by faith, it's belief, yep. But then on the other hand, this investigative judgment teaches that Jesus is looking at your works to figure out who is going to heaven and who's not. So how is that justification by faith alone if he's doing this investigative judgment of your works? See how deceptive that is? But all these different religions, they all have a back door to how they sneak works into the gospel instead of just believing it's by faith. And you know what? I can stand here tonight and be humble and say my salvation has nothing to do with any of my righteousness, not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. The righteousness which is of God by faith and I am not having anything to boast of tonight. Nothing. I'm not going to boast to you tonight about how I gave up this and I quit this and I joined, no! It's all through Jesus. He gets all the glory. I am nothing. I have nothing. Oh, I gave my life to Christ. No, he gave his life for us. You got that backwards. I didn't give him anything. I have nothing to give. You can't come to Christ, oh if you give your life to Christ you'll be saved. He gave his life for you. Your life's not worth enough to get you in the door. And so salvation by faith, but here's some ways that people will try to sneak in works. Oh well, you're saved by faith but you can lose your salvation if you don't live right. And it's like, well instead of working to get saved, you just work to stay saved. See how they creep in with that? Either way you got to work to get to heaven according to these people. Or they'll say, well salvation's by faith but, you know, investigative judgment, starting in 1844 of all years, you know, just pick a year. You can go to Adventist.org and it says in 1844 Jesus started cleaning up the temple in heaven and investigatively judging everyone. But anyway, another way that people will try to creep in with this, and this is the one I want to touch on real quick before I close the sermon in Galatians, is that people will say this. They'll say, well, we're not saved by our works, but what they mean by works is doing good things, but they'll say, but you do have to stop doing bad things. Does everybody understand what I'm saying? So they'll say, well, you don't have to do good things to be saved. Well, salvation's not by works, you don't have to do good things, but you do have to stop doing bad things to be saved. But guess what? The Bible calls stopping doing bad things works. So basically, if I taught you and I said, hey, if you go to church, get baptized, put money in the offering plate, and volunteer and work for the church, you'll be saved. Okay, we all understand that I'm telling people to work. To work for salvation, to do works. But the way people will try to sneakily do this is they'll say, well, you don't have to do any of those things to be saved, but you do have to quit drinking, you know, quit fornicating, quit lying, quit stealing. You basically have to keep all of the commandments, all the thou shalt nots. You don't have to do good works, but you do have to stop doing bad things. And then they'll say, well, that's not works. I mean, how many times have you talked to somebody and said, well, I believe that salvation is by faith, but you do have to turn away from your life of sin, and you do have to stop drinking. And they pick certain sins, you know, drinking, smoking, you know, cussing, fornicating. They pick just certain, right, certain hand-picked sins, because they're not telling you to quit all sin, because then it would be so obvious that they're teaching a lie. Because the Bible says, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves in the truth that's not in us. So, you know, the preacher weighs 350 pounds, and he's telling you, you know, you've got to quit smoking to be saved. Now, here's the thing, the Bible never even mentions smoking, right? But why is smoking bad? Can somebody tell me why smoking is bad? It's bad for your health, right? It kills you, was the first answer I heard, it kills you. Guess what? Being 350 pounds kills you too. It does. Now, if you weigh 350 pounds, you will die probably 20 years earlier than if you weighed a normal weight. That will kill you. So if smoking's wrong because it kills you, well being 350 pounds is wrong because it kills you. And let me tell you something, we cannot just cherry pick other people's sins and say, well, you know, you've got to give up that particular sin, but then we have sins ourselves too. Now, I don't weigh 350 pounds, but guess what, I have other sins, right? I mean, you can't look at me and say, well, there's a sin. No, but you know what? I have sinned, just like you have sinned, and so if I got up and said, turn from your sins to be saved, I would be a hypocrite because I've not turned from all my sins and neither have you. So this is a back door work salvation approach. Let's look at some Scriptures and Galatians here. It says in Galatians 2.16, "...knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Now, do you get the impression from that verse that we're justified by faith and not works? He says it like three times in one verse. But some people still don't get it, that's why you have to be so repetitive with it. Go 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." Go to Galatians 3.24, it says, "...wherefore the law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." Look at Galatians 3 verse 8, "...and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." All of it saying, justification by faith, justification by faith, just believe, faith, faith, believe, believe. But notice, when it says we're not justified by works, in Galatians it uses a different term. It uses the term, the works of the law. Now there is another term that's used where it says good works. So sometimes when he talks about works, he says good works, and then sometimes when he talks about works, he calls it the works of the law. And those are two different things, my friend, and I'm going to prove that to you. Go to Deuteronomy chapter 27, Deuteronomy chapter 27. Now listen to this, while you're turning there, you're turning to Deuteronomy 27. Listen to this from Galatians 3, the passage we just read that said over and over again, justification by faith, justification by faith, not by the works of the law, not by the works of the law. Listen to this, Galatians 3, 10, "...for as many as are of the works of the law..." Everybody got that? "...and as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Everybody got that? He said look, if you're justified by the works of the law, you're under this curse, cursed is everyone that confirmeth not all the works of the law, where's the law to do them? Let's go back to where that quilt comes from. Galatians 3, 27 verse 26, it says, "...cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them, and all the people shall say amen." Now does everybody recognize that? What we just read from Galatians 3? That's what Galatians 3 is quoting. So when the Bible talks about the works of the law, it brings up this passage. Let's look at what those laws are. Back up to verse number 15, and we'll start the passage. "'Cursed be the man that maketh any graven image or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsmen, and put it into his secret place, and all the people shall say amen.'" Let me ask you this, is that telling us to do something or not to do something? What's it telling us not to do? Don't make idols, okay? Look what it says in verse 16, "'Cursed be he that seteth light by father or his mother, and all the people shall say amen.'" Telling us to do something or not to do something? Not to do something. Verse 17, "'Cursed be he that removeeth his neighbor's landmark.'" Verse 18, "'Cursed be he that maketh the wine to wander out of his way.'" Verse 19, "'Cursed be he that perverted the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow.'" Verse 20, "'Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife.'" Look, every single one of these laws in this particular passage are all telling you not to do something. None of them says do this in this passage. This passage is a list of negative commands telling you don't do this, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this, and by the way, you're cursed if you don't do all the words of this law and confirm them. So when the Bible in Galatians 3 is saying you're not saved by the works of the law, what's he telling you you're not saved by? Quitting a bunch of sins. Because look, what's Deuteronomy 27 telling you to do? Quit a bunch of sins. Don't do this, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this. He calls that the works of the law. So when we obey God's negative commands, when we obey the command not to steal, when we obey the command not to kill, we obey the command not to commit adultery, that is called the works of the law by Galatians 3 and it will not save you just like good works won't save you. Good works won't save you, doing good things won't save you, but also quitting stuff won't save you. Not doing bad stuff won't save you, but people will try to bring in this not doing bad stuff and say, well, it's not by works, but you do have to quit stuff. And they'll package it as repent of your sins, that's how they package this, and say hey if you repent of your sins you'll be saved. And they package it, but what they're basically teaching is do the works of the law and you'll be saved. So basically you've got a guy who's in open sin, they'll tell him well you're not ready to get saved unless you're ready to turn back. That is a lie. You need to get saved by faith right now. I don't care what sin you're involved in, you need to just believe on Jesus Christ and be saved. Then you need to be taken to church and taught the truth and then the growth is going to come later. You can't grow until you're a babe in Christ, then you start growing in the Lord. So again, just beware of work salvation. We got a pretty good answer for Bill Dadd, how can man be justified with God? He's basically saying man can't be justified. Well you're wrong Bill Dadd. Yes he can be justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Isn't it great to be declared righteous? I mean able to walk into heaven and be righteous. Not by works of rights as we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us. But isn't it great to be justified? Just as if I'd never sinned? Declared righteous in the eyes of God, not by our works but by faith alone. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father thank you so much for this teaching and the scripture Lord and thank you for giving us so many verses so that there wouldn't be any doubt in our mind. Thank you for showing us again and again just with this word justified that that's what saves us only, just believing in your death, burial, and resurrection Lord. Thank you for the free gift. Thank you for your unspeakable gift of eternal life and in Jesus' name we pray.