Raised for Our Justification
A Sermon on Romans 4:22-25
Originally preached Oct. 18, 1957
Scripture
22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the …
Sermon Description
What is faith? Is it simply belief in some divine power? Is it merely confidence in belief itself? In this sermon on Romans 4:22–25 titled “Raised for Our Justification,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to answer the question of what true faith is. Biblical faith is not a generic faith in an idea of God or even salvation, but it an absolute trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is a faith in the message that Jesus has died and risen from the dead. It is a faith that revolves around what Jesus has done for sinners by dying on the cross. It is the death and resurrection of Jesus that saves and makes the Christian right before God. It is Jesus’s work on the cross that brings the believer to a true knowledge of God the Father. The only thing left to do is to believe in Jesus, to come before God in need of His grace and mercy. Just as Abraham believed in the promises of God and it was accounted to him as righteousness, so too all that believe in the promise of God in Jesus Christ will justified before God. This sermon is a message of hope and peace in the salvation that Jesus’s brings.
Sermon Breakdown
- Justifying faith believes in God and glorifies God. It believes God's word solely because it is God's word.
- Justifying faith believes specifically in what God has said through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the final proof that Jesus is the Son of God.
- Through the resurrection, God says that Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification. Jesus died as a sacrifice for our sins, and God raised him to show he accepted that sacrifice.
- Abraham believed God's promise despite circumstances, and we must believe in Jesus's sacrifice for our sins despite our circumstances. Justifying faith believes God's word in spite of our own sinfulness and weakness.
- Justifying faith gives us confidence to stand before God, despite our sins and circumstances. We can have assurance of salvation because of what God has done through Jesus, not because of anything in us.
Sermon Q&A
What Questions Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Answer About Justification by Faith in Romans 4:22-25?
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the true nature of justifying faith according to Romans 4:22-25?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, justifying faith believes in God who raised Jesus from the dead. It's not just a general belief in God but specifically believes what God says through the resurrection of Christ. It's a faith that "believes the word of God solely and entirely" and "believes it in spite of everything to the contrary." True justifying faith looks entirely to Christ and not to oneself, resting on God's declaration that through Christ we are completely forgiven and righteous before Him.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between Abraham's faith and Christian faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Abraham's story isn't just a historical account but a pattern for all believers: "What was true of Abraham is true of every man who has ever or whoever will be reconciled to God." Abraham believed God's promise despite his own physical limitations, and Christians likewise believe God's word about Christ despite their sinfulness. As Abraham didn't consider his own body "now dead," Christians don't focus on their sinfulness but on God's promise. Abraham's faith was the template that shows how we are justified - not by works but by believing God's word.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the significance of Christ's resurrection in relation to justification?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that the resurrection is God's proclamation that He is "fully and completely satisfied with the work that His Son did upon the cross." If Christ had not been raised, we could conclude that He was unable to bear the punishment for our sins. The resurrection declares that Christ's work of atonement is complete and accepted by God. As Lloyd-Jones states, "The resurrection is the proclamation of the fact that God is fully and completely satisfied with the work that his son did upon the cross."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the meaning of Christ being "delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "delivered" means Christ was handed over by God Himself for our transgressions. God "laid on him our sins, made him to be sin for us." Christ was delivered to bear the punishment our offenses deserved. Then He was "raised for our justification," meaning the resurrection is God's declaration that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient and accepted. The resurrection proves God is fully satisfied with Christ's work and that believers are declared righteous in Him.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones warn about common misconceptions of faith?
Lloyd-Jones warns against several misconceptions: faith that focuses only on Jesus without acknowledging God the Father; faith that doesn't accept the literal physical resurrection; faith that tries to justify itself through works or personal merit; and faith that looks to itself rather than solely to Christ. He warns, "Are you looking in any sense to yourself? Are you in any sense relying even to the slightest extent upon any good you've ever done? ... If it is, you're not saved. You're not a Christian. Because the Christian is a man who looks only and entirely to the righteousness of Jesus Christ."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the boldness that comes with justifying faith?
Lloyd-Jones describes justifying faith as giving believers a holy boldness - they can "stand confidently and defy everybody and everything." This faith no longer fears death, the grave, or even judgment, "because it knows that it has passed from judgment unto life in Christ Jesus." Quoting hymns by John Wesley and Toplady, he illustrates how justified believers can stand boldly even on judgment day because they rest not on their own merits but entirely on Christ's finished work. This boldness is actually "extreme humility, because it looks out of itself altogether and entirely unto the Lord Jesus Christ."
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.