We’ve all seen the signs. “No shoes, no shirt, no service.” If you aren’t wearing the right thing, you don’t get in. Everywhere from country clubs to high schools have dress codes, and if you violate the code, you get turned away. Heaven is the same way. There is a very strict dress code in order to get in. Contrary to popular belief, heaven doesn’t have gates open wide for anyone and everyone to come in. There is, in reality, only one way to get into heaven.

In 1834, Edward Mote wrote a hymn called “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less,” which we know today as “The Solid Rock.” In the fourth verse, he makes this amazing declaration: “Dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.” This morning, we’re going to see why the righteousness of Christ is the only thing we can wear that will allow us into heaven.

The biblical word for wearing the righteousness of Christ is seen in verse 1: justification. “We have been justified by faith,” Paul says. So we’ll quickly examine what justification is, and then we’ll see what it provides:

1.  What Justification Is

A. Justification is an external exchange.

It is our sin for Christ’s righteousness (2 Cor 5:21); sin goes from us, righteousness comes to us. This righteousness is not of ourselves (Rom 3), it is alien; namely Christ’s. How do we get it? Eph 2:8-9 = by grace through faith, not by works (ex: Abraham, Rom 4). We can’t get it ourselves, must be imputed.

B. Justification is an eternal transaction.

Jesus said "It is finished"; complete; we are in right legal standing forever. This cannot be undone or overruled (Is 43:13: when I act, who can reverse it?). We are allowed to enter His presence as we are permanently dressed in Christ’s imputed righteousness. In this way, God’s justice is satisfied; God is both just and justifier (Rom 3:26)

The “therefore since we have been justified by faith” in verse 1 actually sums up all of Rom 1-4: those who have placed their trust in Christ can rest assured, eternally secure.

2. What Justification Provides

A. We have peace with God.

People define “peace” in lots of ways, but whatever they think it is, everyone wants it. A search for peace is useless without coming to terms with God; you can’t have peace of God until you have peace with God.

1. Legal peace through our Advocate.

Notice the use of courtroom language in Scripture; what issues are at stake? 1) Imputed sin of Adam; 2) Individual sin of self; 3) Integrity of God as Judge. We are guilty, and God knows it. He can’t say otherwise, or He wouldn’t be God (Titus 1:2; Heb 6:18). Therefore, we must be actually made innocent in order to be properly declared innocent.

All this happens through Jesus, our intercessor, who ever lives and pleads for us; our Advocate. Satan’s accusations of our guilt are groundless in light of Christ’s righteousness applied to us. There will be times when Satan tries to convince you that you are not good enough to be loved by God, or that you mess up too much to have any real expectation of God’s work in your life: remember that his accusations have been stripped of their power; your righteousness is Christ’s righteousness, and against Jesus, none can bring any charge. (Rom 8:33-34)

2. Military peace though amnesty.

We are enemies of God, at enmity with Him; we are in direct opposition to Him; part of the enemy forces. How does the book of Romans describe us? Unrighteous (Rom 3:5), Worthless (Rom 3:12), Ungodly (Rom 4:5), Sinners (Rom 5:8), Enemies of God (Rom 5:10).

The kingdom of God has begun; it was inaugurated in Christ, and is coming soon in full force. On that day, all aligned against God will be destroyed; none will be spared. The good news is that God offers amnesty, a chance to defect from this broken kingdom that is facing imminent destruction and become part of His kingdom; to switch sides; to join the winning team.

So this kind of peace is the absence of war/combat (Col 1:19-20). To be certain, Christians are still involved in war during this life; but Christ has won and it will end.

Notice this neither the legal or military peace is primarily an emotional peace: you don’t need a ‘peaceful, easy feeling’ to have genuine peace with God. In fact, times of utter turmoil in this world don’t affect this peace in the slightest. We have peace with God. In Christ -- dressed in the righteousness of Christ -- that is an unalterable fact. It is more real than our feelings.

It's not inner tranquility; it's external and objective peace. Peace does not equal lack of worry or problems; all Christians WILL suffer (see Rom. 5:3-5). Yet even amidst suffering, even if we sense not His presence, we still have peace with Him; sins have been forgiven. So justification provides peace. It also tells us that…

B. We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.

1. What is the faith we are justified by?

a. Faith is the means, not the method.

Faith is not condition, qualification, or our own righteousness, it is the renouncing of all such pretences. Faith is an instrument; our faith does not save us, Christ saves us; faith is the means by which Christ’s righteousness is applied to us. What saves me? “My faith in Jesus.” No. “Jesus saves.” So it’s not “have more faith” it’s “have faith in Christ” – object of faith, not amount

b. Faith is the access, not the assurance.

Psalm 24: sin cannot enter God’s presence; sinners are prevented. Christ is not a sinner; He has access to heavenly places; curtain torn in two from top to bottom. Access also refers to prayer; those in Christ can pray directly to God, for Christ is their mediator. There is no access to God apart from Christ; that is why all false religions fail.

Remember Eph 2:8-10: all of this is by grace, free gift of God. Our assurance that God hears, that He will admit us into heaven, is in God’s grace, through Christ, not in ourselves; faith in Christ grants us His access, our assurance is in the unchanging Word of God. Faith in Christ means we share in His access; but what does He give us access to?

2. What is the grace in which we stand?

a. Grace offers communion, not only a cease-fire.

Grace is completely unmerited reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:16-21). We are made His children; adopted into His family (Eph 5:1 “as beloved children”). “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1

Christians are not a collection of friends, they are family; an eternal family with God as Father. The same God we were enemies of now invites us to commune with Him, both now and forever. And God does not stop freely giving when we become Christians: grace is a state in which His children live.

b. Grace offers confidence, not only comfort.

We stand in this grace; it is sure -- “I know whom I have believed.” When we lose comfort, our confidence remains, for it is in Christ, not our circumstances. Confidence is not in us, or from us, but in Him and secured there

“Christians, [Paul] has asserted, are justified. But we have not yet appeared before God on the Judgment Day. How can we know that this verdict of justification will do us any good when that Day comes? It is this underlying question that sparks his teaching here and throughout these chapters. The apostle’s answer is clear: In justifying us, God has already pronounced His verdict over us. It can be neither rescinded nor changed. True, we must still appear before God to have our “case” disposed of. But we can face that day with utter confidence, since God in Christ has already decided the case in our favor. Justification releases us from any uncertainty or fear about that judgment.” [Douglas J. Moo, NIV Application Commentary: Romans, 175]

This is what faith in Christ (object not amount) gets us: His access to God (communion) and His standing with God (confidence) – we may lose all feelings of peace and comfort here, but these truths are untouchable. That is why they are so important – they are the most real thing we will ever know.

One last thing that justification provides:

C. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

1. Our great hope is centered on the glory of God.

The glory of God will be most clearly seen at the return of Jesus. In the Old Testament, the glory of the Lord is a cloud over the Ark in the Holy of Holies. In the book of Daniel, the glory leaves the temple, but God promises it will return. At the birth of Jesus, the glory of the Lord shines around the shepherds announcing that God is with His people. And when Jesus leaves, he is taken into a cloud (glory); angels promise He will return “in the same way.”

Hope is not wishful thinking, but confident assurance. We are to be eagerly awaiting His return: why aren’t we more eagerly looking forward to it? The King is coming in glory! Everything that sin has tarnished will be set right; in the same way that the righteousness of Christ has destroyed the power of sin and death over me, the return of Christ in full glory will destroyed sin and death forever; He will be glorified unopposed.

That is the hope justification produces in us; the expectation of seeing Christ’s righteousness extended to the entire cosmos in the way it has already been extended to us.

2. Our genuine hope is cause for genuine joy.

We must always be prepared to give a reason for the hope we have; our hope is in righteousness of Christ. If you ask others to explain the hope they cling to they might say: “I am a good person. I live a moral life. I am kind.” But what of Christ? What of justification? What of peace with God through the blood of the cross? Our hope is not in ourselves: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness”

See what kind of joy this should produce in us? You have been saved! You have been redeemed! Is it any wonder that joy is the fruit of the Spirit? How can we who know Christ not know joy? If you want joy, don’t focus on joy. Focus on Christ; he brings joy!

This is why the Bible says we must rejoice in sufferings; are they crazy? No; joy is Christ, not comfort. Here is the reason for hope and joy: Jesus has done it; He has done all I need; nothing added, nothing missing. When judgment comes, and I stand before the throne, I will be faultless. Why? I am dressed in His righteousness alone.