WITH men this is clearly impossible. Man, with all his boasted wisdom, could not devise any plan of effecting this.
For instance, a prisoner stands at the bar, really guilty of the crime charged upon him; the judge may forgive, but can he say to that guilty man, " You go away from this bar justified; from this time no person can lay anything to your charge "?
GOD ALONE can justify the guilty, and be righteous in doing it. The Epistle to the Romans shows God's wondrous plan of justifying the guilty (see chapter’s 1.-8.).
All are guilty, whether Jews or Gentiles, religious or profane. There is no difference; ALL HAVE SINNED. God says so. Conscience says so. You know, I know, it is so. Guilty!
Guilty “Yes," you say, “that is what perplexes me. I know I am a sinner. How, then, can I be justified, so that no charge can be laid to me?”
First let us see how this cannot be done; how you CANNOT be justified, and then see what God's only plan is of justifying the sinner.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." “For if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain "(Gal. 2:16-2116Knowing 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, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:16‑21)).
Do you say, “We must do our best to love God, and keep His commandments, and then hope He will forgive us, and justify us?”
Where does He say, if we do our best? or where is the man that does his best? No, on the doing plan no man shall be justified. God has said it, and it is hard to fight against God.
Let us now look at God's only way of justifying the ungodly.
Oh, wondrous answer to all my sins!
“Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in His blood.”
“'Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 3:19-28; 5:119Now 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. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:19‑28)
1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).
My reader, let your thoughts dwell on the cross of Christ. Blessed are the eyes that sec and the ears that hear God's testimony about the death of Jesus, the propitiation for sins.
“God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)).
What man could never do God has done.
He has laid our sins on Jesus; they are put away by His atoning blood. God has raised Him from the dead. “All that believe are justified from all things" (Acts 13:3939And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:39)). And God thus not only is just in forgiving the believer's sins, but is righteous in justifying the believer.
Though once guilty, yet justified, so justified by the death of Jesus, that not one charge can be laid to him that believeth. Oh, think of it, my fellow-believer! God hath so justified you by the blood of Jesus, that nothing can be laid to your charge: all, all has been borne by Jesus.
Is not this enough to give you peace?
Yea, the peace of God is yours. Yes, yours forever.
CHARLES STANLEY