The justification of the believer is
absolute, complete, final. "It is God that justifieth" (Rom. 8:33), and
"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be
put to it, nor any thing taken from it" (Eccl. 3:14). So absolute and
inexorable is this blessed fact that, in Romans 8:30 we are told, "Whom He
justified, them He also glorified": notice it is not simply a promise that God
"will glorify," but so sure and certain is that blissful event, the past
tense is used. "Them He also glorified" is speaking from the standpoint of the
eternal and unalterable purpose of God, concerning which there is no
conditionality or contingency whatsoever. To be "glorified" is to be perfectly
conformed to the lovely image of Christ, when we shall see Him as He is and be
made like Him (1 John 3:2). Because God has determined this, He speaks of it as
already accomplished, for He "calleth those things which be not as though they
were" (Rom. 4:17).
So far as the believer is concerned, the penal
side of the sin question has been settled once and for all. His case has been
tried in the supreme court, and God has justified him: in consequence thereof
the Divine decision is "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). Once those very persons were under
condemnation--"condemned already" (John 3:18); but now that their faith
has united them to Christ there is no condemnation. The debt of their
sin has been paid by their great Surety; the record thereof has been "blotted
out" by His cleansing blood. "It is God that justifieth. Who is he that
condemneth" (Rom. 8:33, 34). Who will reverse His decision! Where is
that superior tribunal to which this cause can be carried? Eternal justice has
pronounced her fiat; immutable judgment has recorded her sentence.
It is utterly and absolutely impossible that the
sentence of the Divine Judge should ever be revoked or reversed. His sentence
of justification results from and rests upon a complete satisfaction having
been offered to His Law, and that in the fulfillment of a covenant engagement.
Thus is effectually precluded the recall of the verdict. The Father stipulated
to release His elect from the curse of the law provided the Son would meet the
claims of justice against them. The Son freely complied with His Father's will:
"Lo, I come." He was now made under the law, fulfilled the law, and suffered
the full penalty of the law; therefore shall He see of the travail of His soul
and be satisfied. Sooner shall the lightenings of omnipotence shiver the Rock
of Ages than those sheltering in Him again be brought under condemnation.
How very, very far from the glorious truth of the
Gospel is the mere conditional pardon which Arminians represent God as
bestowing upon those who come to Christ--a pardon which may be rescinded, yea,
which will be canceled, unless they "do their part" and perform certain
stipulations! What a horrible and blasphemous travesty of the Truth is
that!--an error which must be steadfastly resisted no matter who holds it:
better far to hurt the feelings of a million of our fellow-creatures than to
displease their august Creator. On no such precarious basis as our
fulfilling certain conditions has God suspended the justification of His
people. Not only is there "now no condemnation" resting upon the
believer, but there never again shall me, for "Blessed is the man to
whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Rom. 4:8).
The dread sentence of the law, "Thou shalt surely
die," cannot in justice be executed upon the sinner's Surety and also upon
himself. Hence by a necessity existing in the very nature of moral government,
it must follow that the believing sinner be freed from all condemnation,
that is, so cleared of the same that he is raised above all liability to
punishment. So declared our blessed Saviour Himself, in words too plain and
emphatic to admit of any misunderstanding: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto
life" (John 5:24). He, the habitation of whose throne is "justice and
judgment," has sealed up this declaration forever, by affirming "I will never
leave thee nor forsake thee." Sooner shall the sword of justice cleave the
helmet of the Almighty than any Divinely pardoned soul perish.
But not only are the sins of all who truly come
to Christ eternally remitted, but the very righteousness of the Redeemer passes
over to them, is placed upon them, so that a perfect obedience to the law is
imputed to their account. It is theirs, not by promise, but by gift (Rom.
5:17), by actual bestowment. It is not simply that God treats them as if they
were righteous, they are righteous and so pronounced by Him. And
therefore may each believing soul exclaim, "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of
salvation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her
jewels" (Isa. 61:10). O that each Christian reader may be enabled to clearly
and strongly grasp hold of this glorious fact: that he is now truly righteous
in the sight of God, is in actual possession of an obedience which answers
every demand of the law.
This unspeakable blessing is bestowed not only by
the amazing grace of God, but it is actually required by His inexorable
justice. This too was stipulated and agreed upon in the covenant into
which the Father entered with the Son. That is why the Redeemer lived here on
earth for upwards of thirty years before He went to the cross to suffer the
penalty of our sins: He assumed and discharged our responsibilities; as a
child, as a youth, as a man, He rendered unto God that perfect obedience which
we owed Him. He "fulfilled all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15) for His people, and
just as He who knew no sin was made sin for them, so they are now made "the
righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). And therefore does Jehovah declare,
"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness
shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be
removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee" (Isa. 54:10).
By actually believing with a justifying faith the
sinner doth receive Christ Himself, is joined to Him, and becomes immediately
an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. This gives him a right unto and an
interest in the benefits of His mediation. By faith in Christ he received not
only the forgiveness of sins, but an inheritance among all them that are
sanctified (Acts 26:18), the Holy Spirit (given to him) being "the earnest of
our inheritance" (Eph. 1:13, 14). The believing sinner may now say "in the LORD
have I righteousness" (Isa. 45:24). He is "complete in Him" (Col. 2:10),
for by "one offering" the Saviour hath "perfected for ever them that are
sanctified" (Heb. 10:14). The believer has been "accepted in the Beloved" (Eph.
1:6), and stands before the throne of God arrayed in a garment more excellent
than that which is worn by the holy angels.
How infinitely does the glorious Gospel of God
transcend the impoverished thoughts and schemes of men! How immeasurably
superior is that "everlasting righteousness" which Christ has brought in (Dan.
9:24) from that miserable thing which multitudes are seeking to produce by
their own efforts. Greater far is the difference between the shining light of
the midday sun and the blackness of the darkest night, than between that "best
robe" (Luke 15:22) which Christ has wrought out for each of His people and that
wretched covering which zealous religionists are attempting to weave out of the
filthy rags of their own righteousness. Equally great is the difference between
the truth of God concerning the present and immutable standing of
His saints in all the acceptability of Christ, and the horrible perversion of
Arminians who make acceptance with God contingent upon the believer's
faithfulness and perseverance, who suppose that Heaven can be purchased by the
creature's deeds and doings.
It is not that the justified soul is now left to
himself, so that he is certain of getting to Heaven no matter how he conducts
himself--the fatal error of Antinomians. No Indeed. God also imparts to him the
blessed Holy Spirit, who works within him the desire to serve, please, and
glorify the One who has been so gracious to Him. "The love of Christ
constraineth us... that they which live should not henceforth live unto
themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:14,
15). They now "delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Rom. 7:22), and
though the flesh, the world, and the Devil oppose every step of the way,
occasioning many a sad fall--which is repented of, confessed, and
forsaken--nevertheless the Spirit renews them day by day (2 Cor. 4:16) and
leads them in the paths of righteousness for Christ's name's sake.
In the last paragraph will be found the answer to
those who object that the preaching of justification by the imputed
righteousness of Christ, apprehended by faith alone, will encourage
carelessness and foster licentiousness. Those whom God justifies are not left
in their natural condition, under the dominion of sin, but are quickened,
indwelt, and guided by the Holy Spirit. As Christ cannot be divided, and so is
received as Lord to rule us as well as Saviour to redeem us, so those whom God
justifies He also sanctifies. We do not affirm that all who receive this
blessed truth into their heads have their lives transformed thereby--no indeed;
but we do insist that where it is applied in power to the heart there always
follows a walk to the glory of God, the fruits of righteousness being brought
forth to the praise of His name. Each truly justified soul will say:
"Let
worldly minds the world pursue,
It has no charms for me;
I once admired its trifles too,
But grace has set me free."
It is therefore the bounden duty of those who
profess to have been justified by God to diligently and impartially examine
themselves, to ascertain whether or not they have in them those spiritual
graces which always accompany justification. It is by our
sanctification, and that alone, that we may discover our justification. Would
you know whether Christ fulfilled the law for you, that His obedience
has been imputed to your account? Then search your heart and life and
see whether a spirit of obedience to Him is daily working in you. The
righteousness of the law is fulfilled only in those who "walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:4). God never designed that the obedience
of His Son should be imputed to those who live a life of worldliness,
self-pleasing, and gratifying the lusts of the flesh. Far from it: "If any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).
Summarizing now the blessed results of
justification. 1. The sins of the believer are forgiven. "Through this
Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. And by Him all that believe
are justified from all things" (Acts 13:38, 39). All the sins of the believer,
past, present, and to come, were laid upon Christ and atoned for by Him.
Although sins cannot be actually pardoned before they are actually committed
yet their obligation unto the curse of the law were virtually remitted
at the Cross, antecedently to their actual commission. The sins of Christians
involve only the governmental dealings of God in this life, and these are
remitted upon a sincere repentance and confession.
2. An inalienable title unto everlasting glory
is bestowed. Christ purchased for His people the reward of blessing of the
law, which is eternal life. Therefore does the Holy Spirit assure the Christian
that he has been begotten "to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you" (1 Peter 1:4). Not only is
that inheritance reserved for all the justified, but they are all
preserved unto it, as the very next verse declares, "who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time" (v. 5)--"kept" from committing the unpardonable sin, from apostatising
from the truth, from being fatally deceived by the Devil; so "kept" that
the power of God prevents anything separating them from His love in Christ
Jesus (Rom. 8:35-38).
3. Reconciliation unto God Himself.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ... we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son" (Rom. 5:1,
10). Until men are justified they are at war with God, and He is against them,
being "angry with the wicked every day" (Psa. 7:11). Dreadful beyond words is
the condition of those who are under condemnation: their minds are enmity
against God (Rom. 8:7), all their ways are opposed to Him (Col. 1:21). But at
conversion the sinner throws down the weapons of his rebellion and surrenders
to the righteous claims of Christ, and by Him he is reconciled to God.
Reconciliation is to make an end of strife, to bring together those at
variance, to change enemies into friends. Between God and the justified there
is peace--effected by the blood of Christ.
4. An unalterable standing in the favour of
God. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace
wherein we stand" (Rom. 5:1, 2). Mark the word "also": not only has Christ
turned away the wrath of God from us, but in addition He has secured the
benevolence of God toward us. Previous to justification our standing was one of
unutterable disgrace, but now, through Christ, it is in one of unclouded grace.
God now has naught but good-will toward us. God has not only ceased to be
offended at us, but is well-pleased with us; not only will He never afflict
punishment upon us, but He will never cease to shower His blessings upon us.
The throne to which we have free access is not one of judgment, but of pure and
unchanging grace.
5. Owned by God Himself before an assembled
universe. "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak,
they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou
shalt be justified" (Matt. 12:36, 37): yes, justified publicly by the Judge
Himself! "These shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal" (Matt. 25:46). Here will be the final
justification of the Christian, this sentence being declaratory unto the
glory of God and the everlasting blessedness of those who have believed.
Let it be said in conclusion that the
justification of the Christian is complete the moment he truly believes
in Christ, and hence there are no degrees in justification. The Apostle Paul
was as truly a justified man at the hour of his conversion as he was at the
close of his life. The feeblest babe in Christ is just as completely justified
as is the most mature saint. Let theologians note the following distinctions.
Christians were decretively justified from all eternity:
efficaciously so when Christ rose again from the dead; actually
so when they believed; sensibly so when the Spirit bestows joyous
assurance; manifestly so when they tread the path of obedience;
finally so at the Day of Judgment, when God shall sententiously, and in
the presence of all created things, pronounce them so.