A Break from Galatians

This past Sunday, at Remedy Church, Phud (the teaching pastor) detoured from the book of Galatians to continue discussing the doctrine of Justification.  I don't think it is possible to overstate or spend too much time on this doctrine. Therefore, I stayed in my seat and listened to the Word preached.  

He preached Luke 7:36-50 and identified five correct responses to a proper understanding of Justification.  Here is the outline:

----- 5 Responses to Justification (Luke 7:36-50) -----

1) A believer who understands God's forgiveness loves "sinners" (37-39)

• If you understand forgiveness and justification, then you know that you were, and still are, a dirty, rotten sinner
• A proper response is that we will want to be around nonbelievers (1 Cor. 9:19-23)
• We are all sinners; Christ loved sinners

2) A believer who understands God's forgiveness stops trying to repay God for being forgiven (41-43) 

• We could not earn salvation, we cannot repay justification, and it is an insult to God when we try to do either
• We must accept the free gift of forgiveness 
• A  response of obedience out of gratitude is different than trying to earn or repay
• The proper response isn't repayment, but worship

3) A believer who understands God's forgiveness will become a servant (44-46)

• The opposite of selfishness
• This applicable to every area of our lives
• A proper response is giving our time, money, and everything else to Christ and Christlike service of others

4) A believer who understands God's forgiveness will love God much (47)

• Compare the Pharisee and the Prostitute
• We are all the 500; there is no 50
• There aren't good, average, and bad men; Christ is the one good man, and the rest of us are bad
• We are all Gomer, and Christ is our Hosea
• If you don't understand the depth/extent of your sin, then you won't have a proper affection for Christ
• We must understand God's holiness and our sin/depravity in order to understand properly the cross of Christ and have proper affection for God

5) A believer who understands God's forgiveness must [or has] put their faith in Christ, because only he can forgive sin (48-50)

• We must preach the Gospel to ourselves daily
• Jesus was re-preaching the Gospel to this woman; he was reminding her of God's forgiveness
• We should never grow tired of hearing the Gospel, and we cannot let ourselves go a day without hearing it

Read Romans 8:31-39 for a final thought.

Like I already stated, it is impossible to give too much attention to the work Christ did on the cross and continues to do in the lives of his elect. We should praise God that each one of these responses is possible because of that atoning work. The application of the Gospel to our lives is never ending, and we should never grow tired of hearing it.

I would like to also include the lyrics to my favorite hymn. The words are very relevant:

BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD ABOVE

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love, 
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on his hands, 
My name is written on his heart; 
I know that while in heaven he stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair, 
And tells me of the guilt within, 
Upward I look, and see him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

Because a sinless Savior died, 
My sinful soul is counted free; 
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness, 
The great unchangeable I am, 
The King of glory and of grace! 

One in himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by his blood
My life is hid with Christ on high, 
With Christ, my Savior and my God
With Christ, my Savior and my God