15 February 2015 - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - Justification Before God and Justification Before MenCreate an environment where love and grace are part of your household and they (your family members) will always come back. When we pray, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Testimony: A lady in the Philippines who was saved at 16 was taught the Ten Commandments, and was under constant condemnation. Bound by the condemnation, she felt rebellious and participated in the sin of pre-marital sex, had an abortion, and attempted to commit suicide many times. Her husband took alcohol and drugs and had affairs with a few women in Singapore. In anger, she started an affair too through online chatting. She tried her best to be right with God, but she always felt that she was in and out of closeness with God. After attending New Creation Church in Singapore, she learnt that God doesn't condemn her - her affair ended, her marriage was restored and the husband's addictions disappeared too. James 2:24 - James is not talking about justification before God. He is talking about justification before men. "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." (James 2:24 NKJV) Romans 4:1-5 - We are justified by our faith and not by our works. Paul deals with the root, while James deals with the fruit. If we base our justification on our works, our wages are counted to us as a debt to us, but all of us fail in keeping the entire Law, so it is impossible to be justified by works. We can only be justified by faith, and the righteous foundation for that is Jesus's work on the cross. "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness," (Romans 4:1-5 NKJV) Ephesians 2:8-10 - Even the faith that causes us to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is a gift of God. We can't boast of our faith because it is given by God, not earned. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV) James 2:17-26 - This faith is an expression (a fruit) of our already-present righteousness as a believer, not to justify ourselves. James is talking about proving our faith before men through good works. Abraham was about to kill his son Isaac, and Rahab was lying and betraying her nation by hiding spies from Israel. These are not good works recognised in the natural, but these are faith-works that are pleasing to God. "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:17-26 NKJV)  Abraham about to kill his son Isaac does not seem like a good work in the natural, but the Lord deems it as a good work because it shows obedience to and having faith in Him. Romans 13:1-7 - God wants us to honor the authorities and governmental bodies in our countries. We shouldn't slander them but we should pray for them. "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." (Romans 13:1-7 NKJV) Proverbs 10:13 - We are to discipline our children but take to care do it at the right time, and at the right location. The rod is for the back (buttocks area), not the face or the front. "Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding." (Proverbs 10:13 NKJV) The Bema Seat of Chirst is a place where believers will be rewarded for their works unto the Lord. Matthew 25:37-46 - The righteous are not even conscious of their good works. Those who are not saved are very conscious of their own works. How we treat the least of God's servants, we also do it unto the Lord. The right hand of God represents salvation. Hell was prepared for the devil and his demons, not for humans. God gives us a choice to choose Jesus, to be saved from hell. "“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”" (Matthew 25:37-46 NKJV)  Cain's self-righteousness caused his works to be evil in the eyes of the Lord. Let us give all glory to the Lord and depend fully on Him without boasting in our own works! 1 John 3:11-12 - Cain's works were evil because he brought the works of his hands, whereas God was pleased with Abel's offerings of the lamb and its blood was an atonement for his sins. Cain's works were evil because of his self-righteousness before God. "For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous." (I John 3:11-12 NKJV) John 6:28-29 - The only work that God wants us to be conscious of is to believe in Jesus. As we fix our minds and hearts upon Him, we will produce good works as fruits. "Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”" (John 6:28-29 NKJV) Ruth 2:10-12 - What Ruth did is not seen as a good work in the natural, but God rewarded her with a full reward for taking refuge in Him. "So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”" (Ruth 2:10-12 NKJV)  Like Ruth, we can be assured that we are claiming a full reward because we seek refuge under the wings of the Lord God of Israel! I hope that you have been blessed by reading this post on "15 February 2015 - Pastor Joseph Prince Sermon Notes Online - New Creation Church Sermon Notes Online - Justification Before God and Justification Before Men". Do any of the suggested articles below interest you?
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Hi I'm Milton Goh,
30, from Singapore. I am married to a beautiful wife and have one adorable 6 year old daughter. I am a Christian writer/author and I blog on this website about Christian, Parenting and Lifestyle content. Thanks for reading!
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