20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even /righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Justification: the gracious act of God whereby He declares righteous. everyone who believes in Jesus Christ.
Sin: that which proves unlike the character of God, namely His righteousness. or acting independently of God.
Righteousness of God: the absolute perfection of God. the absolute rightness of God in His being & must be revealed.
Redemption: It is the sin ward direction of the cross work of Jesus Christ; to buy back, to restore; to free from what distresses or harms. Refers to the antecedent bondage where a redeemer comes & frees from that bondage.

Propitiation: This is the God ward direction of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Propitiation means satisfaction. The holiness of God is propitiated or satisfied by the work of Jesus Christ, and now God is free to Justify and save anyone who believes in Jesus Christ.
Blood of Christ: This does not refer to the literal blood of Jesus Christ but is a symbol of the saving work of Christ; referring to His spiritual death on the cross.

20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
Note this vs starts off with the causal conjunction dioti dioti intro. a cause for what has just been stated: read 19
19 Now we know that whatever /Law ML
says, judicially declares it speaks to those who are under /Law, in order that every mouth may be closed,
& all /world may become accountable to God;
Question: why; why is every mouth closed & why is all the world accountable to God?
Because – vs 20

NASV no flesh shall be justified
NIV translates this: Therefore no one will be declared righteous so NIV defines the Greek word for Js as declared righteous
Gk. word is Fut.Pass.Indic. dikaiow dikaioo this is an interesting word: from the root word meaning just or righteous
justification. Verbs that end in oo generally indicate bringing out that which a person is or that which is desired, but not usually referring to /mode in which /action takes place. In /case of dikaoo it means to bring out /fact that a person is righteous.
dikaiwma dikaioma the result of being Js, God announces or proclaims one Righteous before Him.

1. first /word intro. a judicial setting. We have seen how /Bible is set in three primary issues:
(1) The existence of God, the supreme being with no beginning, & no end.
(2) The existence of a supernatural creation, known as angels. &
(3) in a court room setting, this is seen all through the bible, from the first chpt. of the first book given to man: Job. Where the issue, the question that the bible ask & answers: how can a man be righteous before God. how can he who is unclean be clean, how can man be just before God? & the all important question: 8:3 Does God pervert Justice or does the almighty pervert what is right?

So, the whole rest of the Bible is in a judicial setting dealing with how mankind can become righteous before God.

2. To be justified is to be declared righteous. It is a judicial term indicating that a verdict of declaring one righteous has been given. Js includes the remission of sin, & absolution from guilt.
Js or dikaioo is declaring one to be dikaios perfectly righteous

3. This excludes all possibility of condemnation. Many people who do not think through all that happens at salvation, like to think that one can loose their salvation, that is, that God will reverse His own judgment of justification. God takes away remission of sin, & declares the person guilty again, perverting the entire justice of God. Justification is set in contrast with condemnation in Deut. 25

25:1 "If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, lets learn of the court case going on in history from this passage.
1st there is a dispute only in this case it is not between men but between mankind & God.
2. they go to court man before God in time & at last judgment
3. and the judges decide their case G/F judging each individual
4. justify the righteous & condemn the wicked this is the great issue; how will we be +R before God, so as to escape condemnation?

Another passage where Justification is set against condemnation
If you are not Js then you are condemned.
Rom. 5:16 And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification.

4. Js is always accomplished on a just basis. This goes back to Job 8:3 Does God pervert Justice or does /almighty pervert what is right?
God cannot violate His own +R to Js mankind. That the claims against all sinners from God’s law must be satisfied
Js cannot be accomplished by God just overlooking man’s Un R state, or simply suspending with the sins of man. or by arbitrarily altering the demands of His own +R, but all these demands must be met. For man to be Js, man must be the +R of God Himself.

5. Question: how is God going to resolve these problems? Answer all /questions of Job? How is God going to Js man, that is declare man +R w/o perverting His R? By sending His Son, JC to cross, & in JC all the demands of God’s +R are fulfilled in JC. Js could never be based on the good works of a totally depraved mankind.
Js is always in accordance with God’s Grace Titus 3:7 that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Therefore Js is always freely given Rom. 3:24

6. The means of Js is by the grace of God, & the only thing compatible with the grace of God is our faith. faith alone, in Christ alone.
Once you begin to see the whole issue of Sal. & Js, you begin to see how it must be on the basis of faith alone, in Christ alone. Rom. 3:22, 25, 28, & 30. Gal. 2:16
Be sure you note that faith is merely the means of Js, not the basis of Js.

7. The basis of Js is also the grace of God, & the work of JC on the cross.
Rom. 5:8-9
When one believes in JC, God imputes that believer +R. then God sees that +R & declares that person to be Js. When God looks at the unbel., He does not see +R & pronounces that person condemned. But when the unbel. believes in JC, & God imputes +R to him on basis of grace, then God looks at him & sees +R, He pronounces him, Js. We are never said to be Js on the basis of our faith but on the basis of being imputed the +R of God.

8. /meaning of Js: judicial term meaning
to be declared R
/policy of Js: grace
/basis of Js: /cross work of JC; R imputed
to /one who believes in JC
/means of Js: faith in JC
/motivation of Js is divine Love

9. result of Js: Peace with God Rom. 5:1 Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

10. order of Js
1. God is +R
2. man is un R; totally depraved & can do nothing to change his state of un R.
3. This sets up a judicial barrier between God & man preventing fellowship between God & man
4. JC is perfect R
5. JC goes to /cross to bear /sins, /guilt mankind.
6. /unbel. sinner believes in JC by faith alone
7. At that moment God imputes to /believer +R
8. Then God sees that R & Js that believer, or declares that bel. as R. due to /imputation of His own R.

Js is an official, judicial act which occurs everytime anyone believes in JC. /Justice of God acts on our behalf by imputing His own +R, then God judicially declares us Js, which results in us having a relationship with God, forever.
Js is /judicial act by God, whereby He recognizes we have or we are His R.
Everything occurs simultaneously
Personal faith in JC
/Justice of God imputes His +R to everyone who believes
God judicially pronounces us Js, +R in status.
Js is not related to h/works, to anything that humans do, not by keeping /law. Rom. 3:20; 28; & Gal. 2:16

11. Js & forgiveness of sins. Many people confuse these two gracious acts & even make them interdependent.
1. Some teach that there is no forgiveness without Js.
2 Forgiveness is a subtraction while Js is an addition.
3. All members of h/r are forgiven of sins at /cross, whether or not they are ever Js.
4. Forgiveness is based completely on the work of JC on the cross, while Js is granted by means of faith.

5. Because of forgiveness God is free to impute +R at point of faith in JC.
6. The unbel. stands before God at the Great White Throne Judgment not because of sins. These have been forgiven by the cross work of JC, but he will be judged because he has rejected JC as Savior.
7. The judgment of sins frees /Justice of God for the grace blessing of Js

1. /Justice of God guards /+R of God by judging all sins on /cross, so there is no compromise in God’s essence in Js mankind. Job 8:3
2. By judging all sins on /cross, /Justice of God is now free to forgive all mankind of his sins.
3. with judgment of sins, comes forgiveness of sins, & now God is free to bless mankind with Js.
4. Sins are no longer an issue, no longer in /way of peace between God & mankind.
5. With forgiveness provided by JC /only issue between God & man is /+R of God, which is taken care of by Js