# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S279
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

II. THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS­­—COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

Definition
•

(THEOLOGICAL)

Justification denotes a verdict: “not guilty”
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Read Rom. 3:21–25a. What two key truths appear?

•

Justification and forgiveness (pardon) overlap

•

Justification is typically used of individuals
–

Read Rom. 4:2–8.

“We first want to show that faith alone makes a righteous person
out of an unrighteous one, that is, it alone receives the forgiveness
of sins.” Ap IV, 72

The Nature

The Nature

279

OF JUSTIFICATION

What happens when the sinner is justified?
God doesn’t count his sins against him, but gives the sinner
credit for Christ’s righteousness.
–

Read Phil. 3:8–9. What makes everything else look like rubbish?

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“Our righteousness before God consists in this, that God forgives
us our sins by sheer grace. . . and reckons to us the
righteousness of Christ’s obedience and that, because of this
righteousness, we are accepted by God into grace and regarded
as righteous. FC Ep III, 4

OF JUSTIFICATION (continued)

What happens when the sinner is justified?
•

Justification means all our sins are forgiven.
–

•

Luke 7:47–48 — the woman’s many sins are all forgiven!

Only the Trinity — the true God — justifies.
–

Note who is doing everything for sinners in 1 Cor. 6:9–11.

Setting

THE STAGE

WEEK THREE

Jesus

&
Justification

Read Rom. 3:9–26.
–

In a world of good guys and bad guys, why
does Paul (quoting Psalm 14) say that “no
one is righteous”?

–

What is the only true source of
righteousness?

–

How does it become ours?

2019 Convention Workbook