Narrator:
TSS William Genthree
Duration:
9min
It is a remarkable fact that the reformation in Germany hinged more or less entirely upon the single question: “How can a man be just in the sight of God?” Justification by faith alone without the deeds of the law became the watchword of the reformers.
Job
In the eighth chapter of Job, Bildad the Shuhite presents his arguments to Job. If Job were pure and upright, surely God would make his habitation prosperous (Job 8:66If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. (Job 8:6)). “Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will He help the evil doers” (Job 8:2020Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers: (Job 8:20)). Bildad’s message is not very comforting. Man receives strictly what he deserves. Job ponders this. If it were so, what hope is there for man, for how can a man be just with God? (Job 9:22I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? (Job 9:2)).
“This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked” (Job 9:22I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? (Job 9:2)2). If the upright and the openly wicked suffer under the righteous government of God, then why did Job labor in vain? (Job 9:22I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? (Job 9:2)9). Job knows of the government of God. He says of Bildad’s argument, “I know it is so of a truth” (Job 9:22I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? (Job 9:2)), yet Job also knows better things of God. Bildad never contemplated the grace of God. If God removed the rod, Job would not fear to talk with Him (or so he thought), but he was in the midst of great trial. He did not know why and he did not know what to do. Job wished for a daysman, an umpire, between himself and God (Job 9:3333Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. (Job 9:33)). Job could wash himself with snow water and make his hands clean (Job 9:3030If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; (Job 9:30)), “yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me” (Job 9:3131Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me. (Job 9:31)). He knew that men went to great lengths to make their hands clean only to have their clothes condemn them. Job had a fear of God and he sought to walk uprightly, yet he did not have an assurance of righteousness. Job was going to great lengths to establish it, to prove it to himself and before men — Job’s integrity was apparent to all (ch. 29). Although Job knew that he wasn’t perfect (Job 7:2020I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? (Job 7:20)), he didn’t know his true nature, and, not knowing anything better, he was going about establishing his own righteousness hoping that God would accept it — “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment [was] as a robe and a diadem” (Job 29:1414I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. (Job 29:14)). However, this provided little comfort in his trial. Ultimately Job justified himself at the expense of God, but God had a purpose in it all; God is not capricious.
Propitiation
God called to Adam in the Garden and said, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:99And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (Genesis 3:9)). We must each understand where we are before God. Note, it was God that called, not Adam. We are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:11And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1)), “having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:1212That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:12)).
A man may dress himself up, but it does not change the man. He is still dead. A dead man cannot help himself by doing!
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom 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; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:24-2624Being 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. (Romans 3:24‑26)).
God in forbearance could pass over the sins of past believers (of sins that are past) because of the future shed blood of Christ, through which He is now also the Justifier of all that believe in Jesus. He is righteous in so doing, not because of any thing in us, but because of the blood of Christ Jesus. The blood sprinkled on the mercy seat in the tabernacle is a picture to us of propitiation (Leviticus 16:1515Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat: (Leviticus 16:15)). That blood permitted God (who saw in it the blood of Christ) to look down in favor upon Israel. The shed blood of Christ now permits God to extend mercy to man; it is unto all.
Since our righteousness is wholly of God, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, we have nothing to boast in. Justification cannot be on the principle of works; it is on the principle of faith — resting on the work that has been done for us. If one seeks to be justified by first being ‘godly,’ there will be great disappointment and much discouragement. Martin Luther sought in vain for God’s acceptance. It was not until he accepted the old monk’s statement, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins,” that he found peace. It is only through the shed blood of Christ that God can forgive sins. We come as we are, for it is:
Substitution
We come now to a second aspect of that work on Calvary. The blood sprinkled on the mercy seat was from the goat of the sin offering, but there was a second goat (Leviticus 16:20-2220And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat: 21And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 22And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:20‑22)). Upon that goat, by the laying on of both of Aaron’s hands, the sins of Israel were to be confessed; it was then sent away by a fit man into an uninhabited land, bearing their iniquities. This is a picture to us of Christ as our substitute. The laying on of the hands is a picture of personal identification with the work of Christ.
Deliverance
The only thing that cleanses us from an evil nature is death. We can do nothing to improve the old nature. No amount of self-mortification will ever obtain for us that which has been accomplished through the work of the cross.
Deliverance from sin is not achieved through rituals, cleansing, or any effort on our part, but through death. Baptism does not cleanse us, nor does it save us, but it does set us in a new place, disassociating us from a guilty and condemned world. Baptism is burial; nothing more completely separates man from this scene than burial!
And what of righteousness before men? Job had much to say as to his righteousness before men and much that he could glory in. Abraham likewise had much whereof to glory; “but not before God” (Romans 4:22For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. (Romans 4:2)).
Faith Works
On the other hand, men cannot see faith except by works: “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works” (James 2:1818Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. (James 2:18)). Notice, it is “I will show thee my faith” by my works. Works must of a necessity be a product of faith, and works acceptable to God cannot issue from any other source.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:22-2422But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (Galatians 5:22‑24)). The law of liberty (James 1:2525But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25)) now applies — against which there is no law. The old nature cannot yield fruits for God, but rather, it is condemned by a law that says “thou shalt not.” Contrariwise, the new nature cannot be restrained in bearing fruits. “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:1111Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:11)).