WHO is HE THAT JUSTIFIETH? God. Yes, God Himself. “It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth?" (Rom. 8:33-34.)
Strange theology this for the convicted sinner. It is as natural, as to breathe the air, for the soul that discovers its nakedness and sin, to seek to cover itself with a righteousness of its own. The demon of self-righteousness is deep down in the poor human heart, and not one is exempt.
I do not disown I'm bad, of course. I must be good to be saved: so run the thoughts of thousands. Ah! poor sinner, you have found your sins a heavy load, an impassable barrier between you and the glory of God, and you think to remove them yourself. “Toil on, toil on," whispers Satan. Liar! Murderer!
Soul destroyer! (John 8:44). God says, “It is not of works" (Eph. 2:9). God can no more accept your righteousness than your wickedness. What! a sinner turn Pharisee to be accepted of God. Away with the vain thought. “There is none that doeth good, no not one" (Rom. 3:12). Are you an exception?
“All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). Hateful, abominable, horrible in His sight. Cast away, then, the last rag at once. They are worse than worthless. Let self-justification go, and self-judgment take its place. It is God that justifieth; God alone.
And WHOM DOES HE JUSTIFY? The ungodly.
The ungodly? Yes, the ungodly. Justify the ungodly? Yes, justify the ungodly. Are you sure? Certain. You surprise me; I thought He justified the godly: surely you mistake the word. No, dear soul, no mistake. God means what He says, and says what He means. “To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly" (Rom. 4:5).
But it seems as though He were conniving at sin. Connive at sin? Impossible! God never makes light of sin. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. But yet He justifies the ungodly. Not their ungodliness. That is quite another matter. He could not justify ungodliness, but He can and does justify the ungodly.
He justifies them from their ungodliness.
“Well, this is a very new doctrine to me,”
I think I hear some reader say; "I thought we must be good." Perfectly true, but how? That's the question. Not by a patchwork reformation of a guilty sinner. The old Adam nature is incorrigible. “It is not by works of righteousness which we have done." (Titus 3:5).
Then How DOES HE JUSTIFY? “God is just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
(Rom. 3:26). “To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom. 4:5). Blessed news, joyful news! Believeth in Jesus. How very simple. It is all summed up in that precious little sentence. Believeth; him which believeth. Do you believe? Believe what? Believe in Jesus. Do you believe in God's dear Son? Jesus; Jesus who died.
Jesus who was buried. Jesus who rose from among the dead. Jesus who ascended. Jesus who sat down as Lord and Christ at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. (Acts 2:36; Heb. 1:3). Do you believe in Jesus?
Yes, or No. Not, do you believe about Him, but in Him Do you believe in Him? Well how do you reply?
Yes. Then your sins are forgiven (Acts 12:38).
No. Then all your sins are between you and God (John 8:24),
Yes. Then God justifies you atom. 8:33).
No. Then judgment stares you right in the face (1 Peter 4:5).
Yes. Then you have everlasting life (John 3:36).
No. Then you shall not see life (John 3:36).
Yes. Then you are saved (Eph. 2:5).
No. Then you shall be damned (Mark 16:16).
All the claims of God have been once and forever perfectly met in the death of His Son; the righteousness of God maintained; the glory of God vindicated. God is just, and the justifier of him which believeth, in Jesus (Rom. 3:26).
“His faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom. 4:5). “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”
(Rom. 3:24). “He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him "(2 Cor. 5:21).
“Who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification (Rom. 4:25).”
Oh! the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works (Rom. 4:6). “Blessed, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Rom. 4:7-8).
Well, and WHEN DOES HE JUSTIFY? When? Yes, when; at the judgment day? No, it will be too late then, What justification at the great white throne! The day of grace will be past and gone. No mercy then; no mercy there. No salvation then; no salvation there.
But I thought no one could be sure of going to heaven until we die. What you think and what God says are two very different things.
If you wait till then, you will never reach heaven at all. And who can tell? This very night, dear reader, God might require thy soul of thee. " Boast not thyself of to-morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth "(Prov. 27:1)." Oh! that men would consider their latter end" (Deut. 32:29). Tomorrow may be too late. God's time is now.
There is no to-morrow in the Gospel of God.
Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is the day of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2). It is him which believeth in Jesus now. Believeth now.
Not to-morrow, but now. Oh, sinner, take God at His word now. Will you? Do you believe?
Who is He that justifieth? God.
Whom does He justify? The ungodly.
How does He justify? By faith in Jesus.
When does He justify? Now. And
WHAT DOES HE JUSTIFY FROM? All things.
All things? Yes, all things. Praise be to His name, "all things." “Through this man (Christ Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things" (Acts 13:38, 39).
Not all sins, but all things. Everything you ever did. Sins, iniquities, transgressions, wickedness, failures, shortcomings, self-righteousness, false profession, unbelief, everything. By Him, (not by you) all that believe. Do you believe?
Then you are one, one of the all. And all that believe are justified from all things.
How simple! I never saw it like that before.
All that believe are justified from all things.
I believe I'm justified from all things. I'm one of the all.
Who is He then that justifies? God.
Whom does He justify? The ungodly.
How does He justify? By faith in Jesus.
When does He justify? Now.
What does He justify from? All things.
Well, that is simple indeed. I rest there.
But one question how about works? Works are the fruit of faith. The faith in Christ that justifies, alone can produce them to the glory of God. Without them faith is dead (James 2:20). Dead faith leaves you in your sins; a living faith manifests itself by good works.