The Core Of The GospelSample

God Justifies The Ungodly

“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”

This is startling. God justifies the ungodly? What do you mean? That makes no sense. Yes, God justifies the ungodly. Not the godly—the ungodly. Why doesn’t God justify the godly? Because there are no godly. We’ve all sinned. But because he is full of grace and a merciful God, he will justify the ungodly person who:

· Does not work. That is, does not rely on his own works but on God’s works.

· Believes in Him who justifies the ungodly. That is, believes in a God who gives grace to sinners.

If we do that—not rely on our good works, but rely on a merciful Savior—God will justify us and make us right with Him. 

But how can God do this? How can he declare ungodly people forgiven and justified? There is only one basis—the cross. Romans 5:6 says, “Christ died for the ungodly.” He paid for our sins and satisfied the justice of God. I love this verse. Just love it. This is so contrary to the human mindset of earning it, of performance, of being good enough, of religion. We are all affected by this mindset. It’s inherent in us from the time we are born. Earn it. Be good enough. Measure up.

Do you remember the end of the movie Saving Private Ryan? “I only hope I earned what you did for me.” That’s the human mindset, and it’s embraced by every religion on the planet, including much of organized Christianity. But it’s not the gospel. The gospel does not say “earn it.” The gospel is the message of grace. 

God justifies the ungodly.