Chapter # 8 Paragraph # 4 Study # 13
April 15, 2008
Lincolnton, N.C.
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<396> Thesis:   "Justification" is the decree of God by which He judicially separates the "many brethren" from the impact (both "guilt" and "penalty") of their "Sin" (both what causes sins and the sins so caused). Introduction:   We have been looking into Paul's declaration that God has always had a "purpose" in mind for all of His acts in creation from before its beginning. He has always had a Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy within a context of created personalities in mind. The context of this declaration is one of serious conflict between the Creator, Who has the Purpose, and a select group of His created personalities. That the conflict exists is an irrational mystery (there can be no rationality in creatures opposing their Creator -- everyone knows the Potter has the right over the clay). But, that the conflict exists is also an irrefutable, current reality. That this irrational conflict exists is the reason for Paul's explanations in Romans 8. He seeks, by explanation, to firm up the determination of the heirs of the absolutely-for-sure-coming-Kingdom to submit to the pain of the process without murmuring or disputing. The single, most effective methodology of endurance is the giving of thanks. The second most effective methodology is understanding the steps God has taken to not only make sure that His purpose is finally fulfilled, but to also make sure that we understand that He is going to accomplish His purpose whether anyone likes it, cooperates with Him, pursues His agenda, or not. What we have seen so far is that God has this purpose in mind, He has foreknown those for whom He is building this Kingdom, He has predestined that "many brethren" will be participants in this Kingdom as "moral clones" of Jesus Christ, and He has acted in history far beyond the boundaries of subtle revelation by personally summoning those "many brethren" from their oppositional agendas to participation in His Kingdom. But, there are yet two matters of Paul's explanation of God's immutable intention: justification and glorification. This evening we are going to look into the issue of God's justification of the many brethren.