God justifies the ungodly, but not the self-righteous
Everyone knows that in order for God to forgive your sins and accept you into his family, you must first prove yourself worthy of such acceptance, right? Not so fast. The fact of the matter is that the Bible teaches just the opposite. Scripture declares that God justifies the ungodly.
Yes, you read that correctly. God justifies the ungodly. But don’t take my word for it. Look at how the Word of God explains it: “To the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).
This concept is completely revolutionary to man’s natural way of thinking. We tend to think that God justifies those who are godly enough to merit justification. But that is not at all how it works in the Kingdom of God. The Gospel proclaims that man is justified through faith alone before he has performed any noble acts or righteous deeds (Romans 4:1-16).
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We often assume that our personal righteousness is quite impressive, but God’s Word sets the record straight: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).
Surely we must do something worthwhile in order for God to accept us, right? Wrong. God justifies the ungodly, but God does not justify those who are self-righteous. That is, those who are righteous in their own eyes. Romans reveals that “there is no one righteous" in God’s eyes. This is why we desperately need "a righteousness from God," which is exactly what God gives believers through faith in Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
“But now a righteousness from God, apart from Law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:21-24).
God justifies sinners who admit their sin. God justifies those who have fallen short of the glory of God. God does not justify those who assume they have arrived spiritually by their own zealous efforts. This is why Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).
While everyone is ungodly and in need of the Savior, only those who see their sin are ready to appreciate what Jesus did for us on the cross. Do you recognize your sin today? Do you see your need for the Savior? Do you realize that you are ungodly, unrighteous, and lost apart from Christ? If you are aware of your spiritual sickness and aware that Jesus came for sinners, then you are ready to receive Jesus.
“Faith without works is dead,” (James 2:26) but this does not mean that a person can work his way into the Christian faith. You can only repent and believe your way into God’s family. (Acts 2:38-41; Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). Good works are the fruit of saving faith in Jesus Christ, but good works never produce faith or earn the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is a free gift received through faith in Christ. (Romans 6:23)
Notice who Jesus had the harshest words for in his earthly ministry. It was not the prostitutes, tax collectors or adulterers who were called by the Lord to repent and believe the good news. Instead, his harshest words were reserved for the religious leaders who assumed that their righteous acts were worthy of salvation. But they were dead wrong.
Jesus told them:
“Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!…Woe to you, blind guides!…You blind fools!…You blind men!…Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” (Matthew 23:13,16-17,19,27-28).
God justifies the ungodly, but not those who claim to be without sin. (1 John 1:8-9). God justifies those who know their spiritual sickness, but not those who pretend to be spiritually healthy and who claim to have no need for the cross where Jesus gave his life for sinners.
Jesus told the self-righteous religious leaders:
“Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are” (Matthew 23:15).
On the other hand, Jesus told a woman caught in adultery: “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). God justifies the ungodly, but not unrepentant sinners, who are a long way from the kingdom of heaven. This explains why Jesus once told a group of people, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3).
Are you self-righteous? If so, you are in grave danger. However, if you are ungodly and you know it, and if you want to be righteous in God’s eyes, then there is tremendous hope for you today. You are near the kingdom of heaven. Turn from sin as you call on the Lord Jesus Christ and are saved.
You who are ungodly will be gladly received by the One who is perfect, loving and forgiving. You can pray this simple prayer right now: “Wash me Jesus with your precious blood.” And always remember: Jesus never turns away ungodly people who come to him in sincerity, humility, repentance and faith.
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
