“Court-Martial of Bucher Overruled by Navy Secretary." the newspaper headlines of May 6, 1969. What happy news that was to people of this nation, and most of all to Commander Lloyd Bucher himself! Who can forget the incident:The capture of the U.S. Navy intelligence ship Pueblo by the North Koreans; the eleven month confinement and savage persecution of Commander Bucher and his men; the happy homecoming of the eighty men; the charges brought by a Navy court of inquiry against Commander Bucher and another officer of permitting the ship to be searched and failing to destroy all classified material on the ship; and the ensuing threat of a court-martial.

In overruling the court’s recommendation for court-martial of the officers, Navy Secretary Chafee said, "They have suffered enough, and further punishment would not be justified." He also was quoted as saying, "I make no judgment regarding the guilt or innocence of any of the officers of the offenses alleged against them." U.S. Representative Otis Pike of New York backed Secretary Chafee, saying, "The Navy took a hard line position which the Secretary tempered with mercy." Thus did the officers of the Pueblo receive pardons for their alleged offenses. However, it is clear from Secretary Chafee’s comments that in no way were the officers cleared of the charges leveled against them by the court of inquiry. They were the objects of mercy and obtained exemption from court-martial proceedings and from possible punishment, but did not, and perhaps will never, have the stigma of guilt removed from their persons.

This incident provides a striking illustration of the distinction between the Christian truths of forgiveness and justification. The repentant sinner who turns to Christ will find mercy and pardon, the forgiveness of sins. But God in His infinite grace has purposed something more for the sinner who trusts in Christ. He offers not only forgiveness, but justification as well. The sinner is cleared of every sin and every charge that could be leveled against him by a holy, sin-hating God, and thus is declared to be righteous, or just; in other words, he is justified. How is this blessed fact possible? Because the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, took all of our guilt and sins as His own and bore the punishment for them on the cross. The two officers of the Pueblo received forgiveness for their alleged offenses_on the grounds that "they [had] suffered enough" _ but they were not justified. How much more blessed is the portion of the Christ-believing sinner:as a result of the atoning sufferings of Christ on the cross, he receives both forgiveness of sins and freedom from all guilt and shame and from every charge against him. "Who shall bring an accusation against God’s elect? It is God who justifies:who is he that condemns?" (Romans 8:33,34 JND translation).

"The sin alights on Jesus’ head,
Tis in His blood sin’s debt is paid;
Stern justice can demand no more,
And mercy can dispense her store.
"The sinner who believes is free,
Can say, ‘The Saviour died for me’;
Can point to the atoning blood,
And say, ‘This made my peace with God.’ “