4. JUSTIFICATION.

"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:1:)

At the close of the preceding paper, we spoke of justification as one of the results of redemption ; let us now look at it a little in detail. It is a subject upon which many Christians are not clear, yet one upon which clearness is most important for settled peace and a true conception of the believers standing. Let us seek to gather from Scripture, first, a definition of justification; secondly, the ground upon which we are justified ; thirdly, the means ; and lastly, the effects.

"It is God that justifieth "-the One against whom man has sinned, the only One competent, or who has any right to do so. But what a view of grace it gives us. The insulted, wronged One declares the justification of those who had wronged and insulted Him. "That justifieth the ungodly"-sinners are the ones justified. It is as sinners that grace meets men, and justifies them where they are and as they are. A man's fitness for justification is his need of it, his title to it his sins. How much anxiety, useless efforts, vain struggles would be saved did the anxious sinner realize that he needed no fitness for justification but his sins; that his very struggles and efforts to be something else than a sinner only show that he wishes to justify himself, rather than let God justify him.

Justification is connected with forgiveness of sins, though they are not identical. "Be it known unto you . that 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.) Forgiveness of sins is their pardon ; it is the removal of the debt; it is an act of mercy, though on just and sufficient grounds. Forgiveness alone would leave one with the stain, the shame of his sins still upon him ; justification does more; it declares the sinner to be righteous, to have a positive standing before God as though he had never sinned, nay a more certain standing than if he had never sinned, as we shall see when we come to examine the grounds of justification. The first part of the epistle to the Romans is the great treatise on justification. An ordinarily careful reading of the first five chapters will show how frequently the words "righteousness," "justify," and the like occur. First, after a short introduction, in which the theme is given-the righteousness of God-(chap. 1:17), we have the solemn and awful fact brought out that man has no righteousness of his own. Man is looked at from every point of view. In chap, 1:, we see the lowest degradation, morally, in those who, not wishing to retain God in their knowledge, were given up to all manner of uncleanness-even linking God's name and professed worship with their vile affections and practices. In chap, 2:, we have in the first part, those who are able to judge the evil spoken of in the previous chapter, and yet do the same things, a state of hardness and impenitence that will surely bring down God's judgment. These are Gentiles, and such is their condition. The Jews are treated of next ; they had the law, boasted in it, but their own conduct was condemned by it. The very height of privilege to which they had been lifted through the law, outward nearness to and knowledge of God, only made more awful their fall from that place. Thus, after giving an exhibition of man, both as without law, the Gentile, and under law, the Jew, the apostle sums up the whole matter:"We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin . . . Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law :that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight:for by the law is the knowledge of sin." (Rom. 3:9, 19, 20.) This is the conclusion of the whole matter as to man's righteousness:he has none, whether Jew or Gentile :he is brought before the bar of God, aud tested by the light he has had, he is found guilty before Him. This, then, is man's standing before God naturally, without one particle of righteousness. Now comes in the display of another righteousness altogether-that of God. Naturally one would suppose that this righteousness could only be exercised against the sinner, that nothing but judgment could go forth against unrighteousness.
Here comes in, however, not only the grace, but the wisdom of God. He could not lay aside His righteousness, that would be to lay aside His being, an impossibility. Righteousness is in full exercise, but, amazing grace! for us- not against us. The very same justice which naturally would demand punishment, now not merely demands the pardon of the guilty, but declares him righteous before God. Pardon gives quietness in view of punishment, a knowledge that we have escaped it; justification enables one to ask, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" One can lift up the head, and look God in the face. God himself declares him to be just, that is, -positively righteous. It is just as if he had always been well pleasing to God. This is imputing righteousness to one who had none of his own. It is God's Tightness in full exercise, declaring the sinner who stands with closed mouth before Him to be clean every whit. This, then, in some sort, is the meaning of justification.

Next, let us see on what grounds so strange and amazing an act can take place. "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has forth to be a propitiation (or mercy seat) through faith in (or by) His blood, … to declare at this time His righteousness ; that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom. 3:24-26.) The grounds, or the reason why, God's righteousness is for instead of against the sinner are said here to be " the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,"-" a propitiatory through faith by His blood." The justice was turned against Him when He, as the substitute, took the place of the guilty. That wrath, in all its fulness and intensity, fell on Him. How well we know this ; but oh ! do we ever grow weary of it ? Blessed Jesus, Thou wast made sin for us, Thou didst bear our sins in Thine own body on the tree. The wrath spent itself on Him. Let the Christian be clear on this subject. Nothing can be more important than correct views of the atoning work of Christ. We are not saying that many who are saved do not fail to see the fullness and completeness of this work. If is sadly true that faulty or incomplete views of Christ's work are common, and the low state of soul resulting from this are also common. But for settled, abiding peace there must be the knowledge of wrath-bearing by our blessed Lord. We are justified by His blood, on that ground. – He has become the propitiatory-the mercy-seat where God meets the sinner. The mercy-seat was the cover of the ark, covering from view the law, preventing it, as it were, from being defiled by Israel and judging them. "Thy law is within My heart," said the Lord Jesus-perfectly loved and kept. But the mercy-seat was the place where the blood was sprinkled. The body of the beast was burned without the camp, as Christ suffered "without the gate," figure of that outer darkness of separation from the presence of God-"My God, My God, why has Thou forsaken Me." The blood of that beast burned at the greatest distance from God is brought within the vail and sprinkled upon the mercy-seat-the place of greatest nearness to God. So Christ entered by His own blood into heaven itself, there to appear in the presence of God for us. He is the mercy-seat, the meeting place where all the righteousness of God, instead of condemning the sinner, proclaims him free, nay, righteous. This is our standing,-the blood of Christ. On this rock we stand forever, not only forgiven, but having boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.
Thirdly, the means of justification. "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Rom. 3:28.) Law, works, wages, death. Such is the down grade for all who seek to be justified by the law. The whole fourth chapter of Romans is devoted to showing that the means by which we are justified are not works, but faith. Faith is the direct opposite of works. If it is by works, it could not be by faith. Faith is believing the record God has given. It is accepting a free gift. It is the acknowledgment that God is truce, that His love is real. Faith takes its stand before the mercy-seat at God's invitation. Many un-established souls stumble about this simple matter of faith, as though there was something difficult about it. Faith never occupies us with itself. We do not believe in our faith, but in Christ. Faith sees the blood, rests upon it, magnifies it. To be occupied with our faith is only another subtle kind of self-righteousness, which for the earnest soul is self-torture.

Lastly, what are the effects of justification? "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." How could there be any thing but peace when all wrath has been borne, all sins blotted out and forgotten ? Peace with God! feelings are not here thought of, but the relationship with God. We have now received the reconciliation. (Rom. 5:2:) "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Nearness to God, boldness to enter into the holiest. A standing in grace; the glory our joy, so that the trials by the way are not to be compared with the glory soon to be revealed. But Christ was "raised again for our justification." His resurrection declared God's full acceptance of His death for our sins, and now as risen He stands before God as our righteousness. Not only are we regarded as righteous, but He is "made unto us righteousness," so that He is in the fullest sense our representative before God. A glorified Christ is the measure of our acceptance, of our righteousness. Is there fault, spot, or blemish in Him ? Then there is none in His people who are in Him. "The love of God (God's love to us) is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Justified by faith ; sealed with the Holy Ghost. Boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him. Joyful exultation in the bright hope of that glory which even now is our home, to which we shall soon be introduced by Him who has done' it all.