“For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed.” (Rom. 1:1616For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16).) Evidently the gospel that Paul preached was the revelation of the righteousness of God. Let us take a sample of his preaching, and see if we do not greatly overlook this fact in our preaching.
The most striking sample that we shall find is in his preaching at Antioch in Pisidia. (Acts 13) Standing up in the Jews’ synagogue, he traces their history up to the raising unto Israel a Savior Jesus. Every eye is directed to Jesus, His death and resurrection—God having raised Him from the dead. Paul now declares the mind of God as to this. He says, “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” This, then, is the first part of the gospel. Forgiveness of sins, through or by Jesus. Just as the first part of the gospel in Romans is as to forgiveness, or justification from sins, up to chapter 5:11.
Now forgiveness, however blessed, does not include justification in the complete sense. You may forgive your child if he has done a very wrong thing, but you cannot justify him in wrong-doing, or as a wrong-doer. If you could, then justification must include forgiveness. Let us, however, be quite clear as to this first part of the gospel. The atonement for sins has been made by another, even Jesus, Son of God, and truly man. God has raised Him from the dead, and thus proved His acceptance of the work and Person of Jesus. So that He proclaims to the sinner forgiveness of sins—all sins. Therefore if we believe God, there cannot be a question that our sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake.
Now the next words, translated “And by him all that believe are justified from all things,” &c, do not exactly express the second part of the gospel. In the original it is not “by him,” but “in him” This makes an immense difference. The whole verse is most striking when literally translated: “And from all things from which ye could not be justified in the law of Moses, in him every one that believes is justified.” This is a truth of the greatest importance to you if you are a believer, for “in him every one”—therefore you—“every one that believes is justified.” By His work on the cross, our sins are forgiven; and in Him every one that believes is justified completely. Is not this exactly what we need? The certainty that all our sins are forgiven? This is just what is preached to us, and what God wishes us to know: “Be it known unto you.” Yes, you say, that is good, very good, as far as it goes; but I am a black mass of sin, and if a parent cannot justify his son in wrongdoing, how is God to be righteous in justifying me?
Well this is a tremendous question that no human wisdom can solve, and yet no one can have solid, enduring peace with God until this question is solved. And this is the question fully revealed in the gospel. Let us keep before us, then; these two things—justified “by him” and justified “in him.” These two things were evidently before the apostle at Antioch. We may not have noticed the distinction in these two verses. But is it not a fact that just as these two truths have been preached, explaining as they do the righteousness of God, in that proportion has God the Holy Ghost used the preaching of the gospel to souls?
In the Epistle to the Romans there are the two truths: first, the righteousness of God in forgiving our sins, justifying us from all we have done. All the world is proved guilty before God—all are wrong-doers. Not one that can be justified on the ground of right doing, or his own righteousness, for he has none; and clearly, on the principle of righteous law, no one can be justified, for all are already guilty. Now Satan would persuade us that God is a Father so full of love that He is indifferent about sin. How singular! this lying doctrine of the Fatherhood of God is Satan’s great doctrine just now. As if God thought so little of sin that He would never punish the sinner. True, God is love; but is He the great Father of lawlessness? What would become of any country if a similar principle of indifference to crime was adopted? Crime must be punished, or society would go to pieces.
If we take the word of God for our sole guide, no doubt we must differ from human theology. It is not the subject of the righteousness of Christ here. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” (Rom. 3:2121But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; (Romans 3:21).) Yes, the very thing we long to understand is now manifested or revealed, standing out quite apart from the law. And yet both the law and the prophets abundantly bear witness, that God would provide a righteousness in justifying the sinner.
From earliest days, the way of faith to God was through the death of a substitute: notably so in the faith of Abel. And further, not only the death of the offering, but resurrection from the dead, as in the offering of Isaac. Also the wrath of God against sin, as in the cry of the forsaken one in Psalm 22. Then also the offerings of the law pointed to the blessed One, bruised for our iniquities, Yes, God laid on Him the iniquities of us all. The sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow—all bearing witness that the righteousness of God should be fully vindicated; yes, that righteousness should be exalted above the heavens, How full of this theme are the Psalm and Isaiah, But now all is manifested, revealed. “Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” If then all have sinned and come short of that which is suited to God, then it must be quite clear the righteousness in which a sinner can be justified before God, must be entirely of God. How can man have this righteousness? Hero theology differs from scripture. Men would tell us it is by the righteousness of Christ—His keeping the law imputed to us, set to our account. It must be seen, if this be the case, if Christ’s keeping the law were sufficient to justify us, guilty as we are—then if we are righteous by His holy, righteous life, we should not need justifying again by His atoning death. This error takes away both the true character of sin, and the need of atonement. We are not, then, justified by the obedience of Christ to law, perfect as that was; but are “justified freely by his grace THROUGH THE redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” We must not forget that we are occupied with justification from sins, and how God is righteous in so justifying. As to anything on our part, there is absolutely nothing. It is freely, by His grace, or free favor. But by what means? The answer is, “ Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” “ We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.” In the great type, it was by or through the blood of the lamb. The lamb must surely be killed. It was God’s estimate of the blood: “When I see the blood, I will pass over.” They were sheltered from deserved judgment. For they were sinners, and they were wretched slaves; they were brought through the waters of death into complete deliverance from the enemy; then they could sing the song of redemption.
This is what we have “in Christ Jesus.” Redemption through His blood is the beginning and foundation of everything. It is the manifestation of the righteousness of God. When all failed to give deliverance to Israel—love, work and toil in the brickyards, promises, providences—the lamb was set forth. What a picture of Him, “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.”
This is how God reveals His righteousness in justifying all past believers before the death of Christ. The Creator of all things became man to give Himself, to make propitiation for their sins in the past. And not only so, but “To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness: that he [God] might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Whether, then, you look back at David’s sin, or at the present at your own sins, how is God righteous in justifying both David and you? The expiation or propitiation of Christ on the cross is the answer. He died that God might be just in justifying us. Redemption is through the blood, the death of the Lamb.
It may now be asked, Is the death of Christ the complete justification of the believer? Or is His death the complete revelation of the righteousness of God? According to scripture, we must answer, No. The redemption blood of Christ is the infinite price. Oh think of the death of such a Substitute! Think of God’s estimate of that awful atoning death on the cross. What was it for the holy One to be forsaken of God? But if that be all, would God be righteous in forsaking the only perfectly holy, holy One? And if that were all, could we lost sinners be justified? Never. And just here comes in the amazing importance of the resurrection of Christ from among the dead. “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” Yes, the apostle shows if Christ is not risen, preaching is utter folly, and faith is vain.
The Holy Ghost bears witness to the righteousness of God in this very matter, as Jesus said: “Of righteousness, because I go to the Father, and ye see me no more.” (John 16:1010Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; (John 16:10).) If Jesus had been left in the grave to see corruption, there would have been no righteousness, there would have been none on earth: for Jews and Gentiles, sunk in sin and guilt, had rejected the only righteous One. And that only One left dead! Oh it was not possible for God to be unrighteous—there is righteousness in heaven—God raised Him from the dead. Let us go on.