#298 - Joby Martin // Stop Trying To Earn What’s Already Paid For - The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson

Summary4 min read

Episode Overview

Title: #298 - Joby Martin // Stop Trying To Earn What’s Already Paid For
Podcast: The Daily Blade: Joby Martin & Kyle Thompson
Date: February 20, 2026
Theme:
This episode unpacks the theological concept of “justification by faith,” arguing that Christians cannot and should not try to earn God’s favor or salvation through their works. Instead, Joby Martin emphasizes that justification is a gift already paid for by Christ and is received through faith alone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Context of Paul’s Teaching (00:20)

Joby Martin opens by reading from Paul’s letter (likely Galatians 2:15-21), emphasizing that even those “who had a head start” (Jews by birth) are not justified by keeping the law but by faith in Jesus Christ.
- “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not gentile sinners. Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ…” (Joby Martin, 00:25)
Key Point:
Having religious knowledge or background doesn’t guarantee right standing with God; justification is not about heritage or performance.

The Problem of Sin and God’s Justice (01:35)

Joby explains that sin is not just wrong—it is deadly and separates humanity from God. Because God is just, “all sin must be paid for.”
- “A just God could not overlook sin any more than a just judge could overlook a crime.” (Joby Martin, 01:55)
- Vivid courtroom analogy: If a judge ignored a murderer’s crime, outrage would ensue. God, being just, cannot ignore sin.

Two Ways Sin Can Be Paid For (02:30)

Self-Atonement:
Paying for your own sin results in eternal separation from God (“we call that hell”).
Substitutionary Atonement:
Accepting that Jesus paid for sin on our behalf.

God’s Character in Salvation: Justice, Mercy, Grace (03:00)

Because God is just, He demands payment.
Because God is merciful, He delays the payment (“to give you enough time to hear the gospel”).
Because God is gracious, He Himself pays the debt through Christ.
- “Jesus is the just and the justifier.” (Joby Martin, 03:27)

What Does “Justified by Faith” Actually Mean? (03:32)

To be justified is not simply to “believe that” Jesus died, but to “believe in” or trust Him (using the Greek word pisteuo).
It’s not about “doing a good job and earning it” because humans are spiritually dead.
- “If you are justified, that means you have put your faith in Christ and from God’s point of view, it’s just as if I’d never sinned.” (Joby Martin, 04:15)

Double Imputation (04:20)

Joby introduces the theological concept:
- Our record of sin is credited (imputed) to Jesus on the cross.
- Christ’s righteousness—His right standing before God—is credited to us.
  - Reference to 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made him who was without sin to be sin for us, that we would be made the righteousness of Christ.”

Salvation as a Gift (05:00)

“We are saved, we are redeemed, we are cleansed, we are adopted, we are justified by the finished work of Christ on the cross. Amen.” (Joby Martin, 05:36)
Emphasizes that salvation is a free gift that cannot be earned by works or “doing a good job.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Joby Martin (01:55):
“A just God could not overlook sin any more than a just judge could overlook a crime. Can you imagine if somebody murdered your wife... and the judge says, ‘You know what? Nobody’s perfect. Don’t worry about it’? You would stand up and scream at that judge...”
Joby Martin (03:27):
“Jesus is the just and the justifier.”
Joby Martin (04:15):
“If you are justified, that means you have put your faith in Christ and from God’s point of view, it’s just as if I’d never sinned.”
Joby Martin (05:36):
“We are saved, we are redeemed, we are cleansed, we are adopted, we are justified by the finished work of Christ on the cross. Amen.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

00:20 – Introduction to justification by faith; reading Paul’s teaching
01:35 – The reality and problem of sin; God’s justice
02:30 – Exploring the two possible ways sin can be paid for
03:00 – God’s justice, mercy, and grace explained
03:32 – The meaning of “justified by faith”; faith vs. works
04:15 – The “just as if I'd never sinned” explanation; double imputation
05:00 – Emphasis on salvation as a gift, not something you earn
05:46 – End of episode content

Summary Flow & Tone

The episode is clear, forceful, and pastoral, using relatable analogies (like the justice system) to make theological points accessible. The language is inviting yet uncompromising on the core message: Christians are freed from the impossible task of earning their way to God. The invitation is instead to trust, rest, and live in the gift already given through Christ.

Useful for listeners seeking clarity on how faith—rather than deeds or heritage—secures their status before God, and why trying to earn something already paid for is both futile and contrary to the gospel’s heart.

Loading summary

Transcript3 lines

[00:01]
A
Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the Spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.
[00:20]
B
All right. Day five, we're going to talk about justification by faith. We'll pick it up in verse 15. Paul. Paul says we ourselves are Jews by birth and not gentile sinners. What he's saying here is that we had a head start. We had the prophets, we were raised in the synagogue. We had the Bible. Like we. If anybody should know about putting their faith in God, we should know best. He says we ourselves are Jews by birth and not gentile sinners. Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. So we also have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law. Because by works of the law, no one will be justified. But if in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not. For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God. For if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. So what does justified by faith mean? Well, here's the deal. You and I were created by God for God as image bearers of him. The very first man, Adam, receives the breath of God, the rule of God. He opens up his eyes and he is face to face with his Creator. And that's what every single one of us were created for. Well, sin enters the world and we inherit that sin nature. And the problem of sin is not that it's just wrong and bad. The problem of sin is that it kills. It leads to death. And sin fractures our relationship with God. And because God is just, all sin must be paid for. Let me say that again. Because God is just, all sin must be paid for. That a just God could not overlook sin any more than a just judge could overlook a crime. Can you imagine if somebody murdered your wife and then you were in the court of law. And the judge looks at this murderer and says, you know what? Nobody's perfect. Don't worry about it. You would stand up and scream at that judge. You were unfit to sit in that seat of judgment. You were an unjust judge. Well, God is a just judge. And because he is just, all sin must be paid for. Now, there's two different ways that our sins could be paid for. When we sin against an everlasting God, it requires an eternal punishment. So you can either self atone. That means you pay for your own sin. That means at the day of judgment, you will be separated from God forever and ever and ever. We call that hell. Or you could take the substitutionary atonement that you could receive what Christ has done on your behalf. So because God is just, all sin must be paid for? Because God is merciful, God delayed the payment. You see, Romans 6:23 says, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. And you may ask, well, how come I'm not dead because I have sinned? Well, the reason is because God is merciful, he delayed the payment to give you enough time to hear the gospel, that you might be able to receive the gospel. So because God is just, all sin must be paid for. Because God is merciful, God delayed the payment. And because God is gracious, he made the payment on our behalf. That Jesus is the just and the justifier. If you want to do some homework, you could read Romans chapter three, and it describes all this. And so for anyone who believes that when Jesus died on the cross, somehow that counted for me. The Bible says that you were saved. And it doesn't simply mean believe that. It means believe in or trust in. The Greek word is pastuo. It means to put your faith in Jesus, to trust in Jesus. And that is how you're justified and what it means to be justified before God. Theologically, this breaks down a little bit, but it'll just help remember it. If you are justified, that means you have put your faith in Christ and forgot from God's point of view, it's just as if I'd never sinned. And the only reason that works is because what the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 5:21, that God made him who was without sin to be sin for us, that we would be made the righteousness of Christ. And so theologians call this double imputation, that when you put your faith in Jesus, you are justified by faith. When you trust that when Christ died on the cross, that counted for me then all of your sins, all of your record or debt is imputed or credited to Christ on the cross and he puts that record of debt to death and nails it to the cross and all of Christ's righteousness, not only his right activity but more importantly his right standing before God is credited or counted to you. Now it's not that we do a good job and earn it because we were dead but salvation means that we receive the free gift of salvation by grace through faith and not by works because if it was works of the law no one would be justified that we are saved, we are redeemed, we are cleansed, we are adopted, we are justified by the finished work of Christ on the cross. Amen.
[05:47]
A
Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.