Justified

‘And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.’— Acts xiii. 39.
‘A ND.’ For justification does not come first.
The robe of righteousness1 is not put on until the sinner is ‘purged from his old sins.” So this is God’s order—first, ‘Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins;’ and then, * By Him all that believed are justified.’
But ‘ in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.” ‘For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.’* But we have not ‘obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us.’5 So ‘that no man is justified-by the law in the sight of God, it is evident;” for’by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight.’7 ‘How then can man be justified with God ? ‘8 ‘The law was our schoolmaster to bring

1 Isa. Ivi. 10. 22 Pet. i. 9. ‘^ Ps. cxliii. 2.

*Rom. ii. 13. 6 Dan. ix. 10. ^Gal. iii. 11.

^Rom. iii. 20. 8 Job xxv. 4.

us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 1
This glorious justification by faith is sevenfold. We are justified, i. ‘By His grace n—the grace of God the Father, one of whose most wonderful titles is, ‘The Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” 2. ‘By His blood ‘*—that precious blood which has to do with every stage of our redemption and effectuated salvation; from the writing of our names ‘ in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,’5 till the chorus of the ‘new song” is full in heaven. 3. ‘By the Righteousness of One'{pi the One), ‘by the obedience of One;by which the free gift, the unspeakable gift of eternal life—nay, of Christ Himself to be our life8—’came upon all men unto justification of life. 4. “By the resurrection of Jesus our Lord, who ‘was raised again for our justification,’ the grand token that our Substitute had indeed fulfilled all righteousness for us.10
5. ‘By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.’1’ For true faith is founded upon the knowledge of Him, and * this is life eternal.’13 6. By faith; just only believing God’s word, and accepting God’s way about it.14 7. By works; because these are the

* For God released our Surety

To show the work was done.’11

necessary and inseparable evidence that faith is not mere fancy or talk.1 We are ‘justified by faith without the deeds of the law,” the old dead galvanic struggle to do duties and keep outward obligations; but not without works, which ‘do spring out necessarily from a true and lively faith;’ for ‘ faith without works is dead.”
‘Therefore, being justified by faith,’ what then? i. ‘We have peace with God.’* 2. ‘We shall be saved from wrath through Him.’5 3. We are made heirs of eternal life.6 4. We shall be glorified by Him and with Him for ever.7
What about my own part and lot in the matter? Whom does God thus justify? and may I hope to be among them? He begins indeed at the lowest depth, so that none may be shut out; for He ‘ would justify the heathen through faith,’8 and He ‘justifieth the ungodly.” The publican who could only cry, ‘God be merciful to me the sinner,”0 was justified. I can come in here, at all events.
But how shall I be actually and effectually justified now? Let God speak and I will listen ‘Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe :12 for there is no difference.’ ‘By Him all that believe are justified.'” ‘I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord.’ Do I? ‘Lord, I believe.’1* Then His righteousness is upon me, and I am justified.

1 Jas. ii. 24. 2 Rom. iii. 28 ; Gal. ii. 16; ib. v. 4.

8jas. ii. 26. * Rom. v. i. ^ Rom. v. 9.

6 Titus iii. 7. ^ Rom. viii. 30; John xrii. 22.

8 Heb. vii. 25; Gal. iii. 8. ^ Rom. iv. §. 10 Luke xviii. 14.

11 Ps. Ixxxv. 8. 12 Rom. iii. 22. 13 Acts xiii. 39.

14 Mark ix. 24.

‘Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.’1 And now, ‘He is near that justifieth me.” ‘Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.’3

By the grace of God the Father, thou art freely justified,—* Through the great redemption purchased by the blood of Him who died,—5
By His life, for thee fulfilling God’s command exceeding broad,—*
By His glorious resurrection, seal and signet of our God.7
Therefore, justified for ever by the faith which He hath given,8
Peace, and joy, and hope abounding smooth thy trial-path to heaven:9
Unto Him betrothed for ever, who thy life shall crown and bless,10
By His name thou shalt be called, Christ, * The Lord out Righteousness.’11

1 Gal. ii. i6. 2 Isa. 1. 8. 3 Rom. viii. 33.

4 Rom. iii. 24. 6 Rom. v. 9, ‘ Rom. x. 4.

7 Rom. iv. 25. 8 Rom. v. i. ‘ Rom. xv. 13.

10 Hos. ii. 19. 11 Jer. xxxiii. 16.