"Justified In The Spirit"

I Timothy 3:16

The Lord Jesus Christ claimed to be God the Son, in all things equal with the Father (John 5:18; 10:33). Such a claim needed strong, indisputable confirmation. This confirmation was the work of God the Holy Spirit. He justified, or confirmed all the claims of Christ that he is the Messiah, the Son of God (John 14:9; 15:25-26; 16:8-13).

THE HOLY SPIRIT, BEING GIVEN TO HIM WITHOUT MEASURE, FULLY JUSTIFIED ALL THE CLAIMS OF JESUS THAT HE WAS THE CHRIST, THE MESSIAH, THE REDEEMER, THE SON OF GOD (John 3:33-34). When our Lord submitted to baptism to fulfill all righteousness, the Holy Spirit confirmed his claim by visibly descending upon him. The miracles he performed in conjunction with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:20) proved him to be the Son of God, whose mission it was to redeem and save his people (Matt. 1:21).

HE WHO WAS MADE TO BE SIN FOR US WAS JUSTIFIED FROM SIN WHEN HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD (Rom. 1:4). The body of our Savior laid in the tomb under the sentence of death, in an unjustified state for three days. But on the third day the Spirit of life came again into his body and he was "justified in the Spirit".

IN THE RESURRECTION, OUR SAVIOR WAS SPIRITUALLY JUSTIFIED AS THE SURETY AND REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS BODY, THE CHURCH. Our sins, which were imputed to him, he has put away by the sacrifice of himself. When he was raised from the dead God the Father declared that his work of atonement had effectually accomplished the everlasting justification of his elect (Rom. 4:25). "When the Sun of Righteousness arose from his sad, but short eclipse, he rose to set no more" (Augustus Toplady). And there is healing for sinners under the wings of that risen Sun of Righteousness!

THE HOLY SPIRIT CONTINUES TO JUSTIFY THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST TODAY (I John 5:6-8). He bears witness to the claims of Christ in the hearts and lives of chosen sinners, raising them from death to life in Christ, delivering them from the dominion of satan, making them new creatures in Christ, and transforming them into the sons of God by his almighty grace.

Don Fortner