Justification 6 How Long Does It Take To Be Justified

Overview

How Long Does It Take to Be Justified?

Justification happens the moment faith is given. Scripture leaves no middle ground between belief and unbelief: "Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already" John 3:18. Jesus says it just as plainly: "The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned" Mark 16:16. A person is either justified or not—there is no third category.

The path to faith, however, varies. For some, the gospel takes hold immediately; for others, the Holy Spirit may work on the heart for days, weeks, months, or years before the flame of faith is kindled. What matters is that faith itself, when given, unites us at once to Christ and His finished work. Remember: we are justified through faith, not because of faith—faith is the empty hand that receives what Christ has already accomplished.

Scripture also distinguishes between strong faith and weak faith, though both are saving faith. Jesus marveled at the centurion: "Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith" Matthew 8:5-10. Yet he also rescued Peter, whose eyes drifted from the Lord to the wind and waves: "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:22-31. And the desperate father's cry, "I believe; help my unbelief!" Mark 9:17-24, is one many of us know firsthand. Both the centurion's bold trust and Peter's faltering step laid hold of the same Savior.

The pastoral comfort here is enormous. If your faith feels small, trembling, or mixed with doubt, you are not less justified than the believer whose faith feels strong. Saving faith does not save by its strength; it saves because of the One it clings to. When struggles come and our gaze drifts to the storm, Christ still reaches out his hand. Pray for renewed and deepened faith, return again to the gospel, and rest in the truth that the moment the Spirit gave you faith in Jesus, you were—and are—fully justified.

Transcript

O spirit, you alone have produced faith in us. The credit for us being believers is all yours. 0s

Help us now, O Lord, as we study to acknowledge your grace in giving us the gift of faith, 8s

in keeping it alive in our hearts. Renew our faith daily, making it ever stronger as we grow in 14s

the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We ask this in His name. Amen. 23s

Well, we continue our study on justification as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the 31s

Reformation. When we met two weeks ago, we talked about who benefits from justification. We talked 38s

about how we are justified through the faith that is ours that God gives us in the Lord Jesus Christ. 48s

We're justified through or by. We're not justified because of our faith, because then it makes faith 58s

into that which we do. Through or by our faith indicates that we are relying on the actions of 66s

another, the actions of course of Jesus Christ. Today I want to explore with you how long does it 74s

take to be justified? How long does it take to be justified? Let's open up to John the third 81s

chapter, please. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and then John. John chapter 3 verse 18, John 3 verse 18. 89s

So the question today is how long does it take for one to be justified? How long does it take? 106s

John chapter 3 verse 18, we read those who believe in Him are not condemned, but those who do not 116s

believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 128s

Those who believe in Him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already 136s

because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. Let's go to Mark the 16th chapter, 142s

Matthew and then Mark, Mark chapter 16 verse 16. 152s

Mark 16, 16 and there we read the, the one who believes and is baptized will be saved, 172s

but the one who does not believe will be condemned. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, 181s

but the one who does not believe will be condemned. Jesus teaches us then that we either believe or we 188s

don't. We are either saved or we are condemned. Now some people come to faith immediately when they 196s

hear the gospel, and for others it can take a while. Sometimes it's just instantaneously, 206s

they hear the gospel there, brought to faith, and other times it takes a while. In fact, the 215s

process of coming to faith can take days, it can take weeks, it can take months, it can take years 220s

with regard to that. The Holy Spirit, maybe at work on a person's heart for a long time before 228s

the flame of faith is kindled, but we either believe or we don't believe. There's no middle ground. 236s

You're either a believer or a unbeliever. Now while there's no middle ground with regard to faith, 248s

in words you either believe or you don't, there are variations with regard to the weakness or the 255s

or the strength of faith. Let's go to Matthew 8th chapter, please. Matthew 8 verse 5. 263s

So a person believes and is saved or they don't believe and they are condemned. There's no 280s

middle ground between belief and unbelief, but there can be variations in faith, weak faith or 288s

strong faith. So Matthew 8 picking up in verse 5. When the inner cappernum, a centurion came to him, 300s

appealing to him and saying, Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed in terrible distress. 308s

And he said to him, I will come and cure him. The centurion answered, Lord, I'm not worthy to have 318s

you come under my roof, but only speak the word and my servant will be healed. For I also 326s

Emma Man under authority with soldiers under me and I say to one, go and he goes into another 334s

comedy comms and to my slave do this and a slave does it. When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and 339s

said to those who followed him, truly I tell you in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 347s

Well, let's look at Matthew chapter 14, beginning with verse 22. 357s

So there can be variations with regard to faith, either weak faith or strong faith. 371s

Matthew chapter 14 will pick up in verse 22. 378s

Immediately, he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he 384s

dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to 390s

pray. When evening came, he was there alone. But by this time, the boat battered by the waves was 396s

far from the land for the wind was against him. And early in the morning, he came walking toward 403s

them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying 409s

it's a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, 415s

take heart, it is I do not be afraid. Peter answered him, Lord, if it is you, command me to come to 422s

you on the water. He said, come. So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water and 431s

came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened. And beginning to sink, 438s

he cried out, Lord, save me. So what happened with regard to Peter? What happened with his gaze? 445s

It went off of Jesus and onto the what? You know, onto the wind. Isn't that so often what can 453s

happen in our own lives when we're faced with difficulties or struggles or hardships that as 459s

our eyes by his grace are on him. There is comfort and peace. But the minute we start looking at the 465s

issue or the problem, that's when we start to get all jumbled up inside. Right? Instead of the eyes 473s

on him, Peter takes his eyes and looks at the storm, verse 31. Jesus immediately reached out his 480s

hand and caught him, saying to him, you of little faith. Why did you doubt it? So either half 488s

faith or we don't have faith. There's no in between point, but that doesn't mean that there aren't 499s

variations in faith. Because we see that in Scripture. There can be strong faith, there can be weak faith, 503s

there can be all kinds of faith in between those two poles. But we either have it or we don't. He 509s

turned, Jesus turned to the centurion and said, oh, ye of great faith. He turned to Peter and said, oh, 518s

ye of little faith. What's the difference between strong faith and weak faith? Here's the point. 524s

Both equally have claim on the gift of salvation and can be called saving faith. Whether the faith is 533s

strong or whether it is weak, both have equal claim. Indeed on what Christ has done for us and can 542s

be called saving faith. But a weak faith can be prone more toward doubts, more toward abandonment, 555s

more towards that jumbled feeling inside as we simply try and live life on our own strength. 566s

But is someone with weak faith just as saved as someone with strong faith? Absolutely. 574s

Absolutely. Let's go to Mark the ninth chapter, please. Matthew and then Mark, 583s

Mark chapter nine, verse 17. Mark chapter nine, verse 17. 590s

Someone from the crowd answered him, teacher, I brought you my son. He has a spirit that makes him 610s

unable to speak. And whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down and he foams and grinds his teeth 615s

and becomes rigid. They asked you disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so. 621s

He answered them, you faithless generation. How much longer must I be among you? How much longer must 628s

I put up with you? Bring him to me. And they brought the boy to him when the spirit saw him immediately, 634s

it convulsed to the boy and he fell on the ground and rolled about foaming at the mouth. 641s

Jesus asked the Father, how long has this been happening to him? And he said from childhood, 646s

it has often cast him into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if you are able to do 652s

anything, have pity on us and help us. Jesus said to him, if you are able, all things can be done 658s

for the one who believes. Immediately the Father of the Child cried out, I believe, 668s

help me, I believe. Have you ever experienced that? Have you ever experienced that? I believe, 677s

help me, I believe. You see, there can be variations in terms of faith. Okay, I want you to think 685s

through now with me these statements. These are either agree statements or disagree statements. 694s

So let's put this into practice because as you're reading along one day, 701s