We have now reached a point in our discussion
of this mighty theme where it is timely for us to ask the question, Who are
the ones that God justifies? The answer to that question will necessarily
vary according to the mental position we occupy. From the standpoint of God's
eternal decrees the reply must be, God's elect: Romans 8:33. From the
standpoint of the effects produced by quickening operations of the Holy Spirit
the reply must be, those who believe: Acts 13:39. But from the
standpoint of what they are, considered in themselves, the reply must be,
the ungodly: Romans 4:5. The persons are the same, yet contemplated in
three different relations. But here a difficulty presents itself: If faith be
essential in order to justification, and if a fallen sinner must be quickened
by the Holy Spirit before he can believe, then with what propriety can a
regenerated person, with the spiritual grace of faith already in his heart, be
described as "ungodly"?
The difficulty pointed out above is self-created.
It issues from confounding things which differ radically. It is the result of
bringing in the experimental state of the person justified, when
justification has to do only with his judicial status. We would
emphasize once more the vital importance of keeping quite distinct in our minds
the objective and subjective aspects of truth, the legal and the experimental:
unless this be steadily done, nought but confusion and mistakes can mark our
thinking. When contemplating what he is in himself, considered alone,
even the Christian mournfully cries "O wretched man that I am"; but when he
views himself in Christ, as justified from all things, he triumphantly
exclaims, "who shall lay anything to my charge!"
Above, we have pointed out that from the
viewpoint of God's eternal decrees the question "Who are the ones whom God
justifies?" must be "the elect." And this brings us to a point on which some
eminent Calvinists have erred, or at least, have expressed themselves faultily.
Some of the older theologians, when expounding this doctrine, contended for the
eternal justification of the elect, affirming that God pronounced them
righteous before the foundation of the world, and that their justification was
then actual and complete, remaining so throughout their history in time, even
during the days of their unregeneracy and unbelief; and that the only
difference their faith made was in making manifest God's eternal
justification in their consciences. This is a serious mistake, resulting
(again) from failure to distinguish between things which differ.
As an immanent act of God's mind, in which
all things (which are to us past, present, and future) were cognized by
Him, the elect might be said to be justified from all eternity. And, as an
immutable act of God's will, which cannot be frustrated, the same may be
predicated again. But as an actual, formal, historical sentence, pronounced by
God upon us, not so. We must distinguish between God's looking upon the elect
in the purpose of his grace, and the objects of justification lying
under the sentence of the law: in the former, He loved His people with
an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3); in the latter, we were "by nature the children
of wrath, even as others" (Eph. 2:3). Until they believe, every
descendant of Adam is "condemned already" (John 3:18), and to be under God'
condemnation is the very opposite of being justified.
In his ponderous treatise on justification, the
Puritan Thomas Goodwin made clear some vital distinctions, which if carefully
observed will preserve us from error on this point. "1. In the everlasting
covenant. We may say of all spiritual blessings in Christ, what is said of
Christ Himself, that their `goings forth are from everlasting.' Justified then
we were when first elected, though not in our own persons, yet in our Head
(Eph. 1:3). 2. There is a farther act of justifying us, which passed from God
towards us in Christ, upon His payment and performance at His resurrection
(Rom. 4:25, 1 Tim. 3:16). 3. But these two acts of justification are wholly out
of us, immanent acts in God, and though they concern us and are towards
us, yet not acts of God upon us, they being performed towards us not as
actually existing in ourselves, but only as existing in our Head, who
covenanted for us and represented us: so as though by those acts we are
estated into a right and title to justification, yet the benefit and
possession of that estate we have not without a farther act being passed upon
us."
Before regeneration we are justified by existing
in our Head only, as a feoffee, held in trust for us, as children under age. In
addition to which, we "are to be in our own persons, though still through
Christ, possessed of it, and to have all the deeds and evidences of it
committed to the custody and apprehension of our faith. We are in our own
persons made true owners and enjoyers of it, which is immediately done at that
instant when we first believe; which act (of God) is the completion and
accomplishment of the former two, and is that grand and famous justification by
faith which the Scripture so much inculcates--note the `now' in Romans 5:9, 11;
8:1!... God doth judge and pronounce His elect ungodly and unjustified till
they believe" (Ibid.)
God's elect enter this world in precisely the
same condition and circumstances as do the non-elect. They are "by nature the
children of wrath, even as others" (Eph. 2:3), that is, they are under
the condemnation of their original sin in Adam (Rom. 5:12, 18, 19) and they are
under the curse of God's Law because of their own constant transgressions of it
(Gal. 3:10). The sword of Divine justice is suspended over their heads, and the
Scriptures denounce them as rebels against the Most High. As yet, there is
nothing whatever to distinguish them from those who are "fitted to
destruction." Their state is woeful to the last degree, their situation
perilous beyond words; and when the Holy Spirit awakens them from the sleep of
death, the first message which falls upon their ears is, "Flee from the wrath
to come." But how and whither, they, as yet, know not. Then it is they are
ready for the message of the Gospel.
Let us turn now to the more immediate answer to
our opening inquiry, Who are the ones that God justifies? A definite reply is
given in Romans 4:5: "Him that justifieth the"--whom? the holy, the faithful,
the fruitful? no, the very reverse: "Him that justifieth the ungodly."
What a strong, bold, and startling word is this! It becomes yet more emphatic
when we observe what precedes: "But to him that worketh not, but
believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly." The subjects of justification,
then, are viewed in themselves, apart from Christ, as not only destitute of a
perfect righteousness, but as having no acceptable works to their
account. They are denominated, and considered as ungodly when the
sentence of justification is pronounced upon them. The mere sinner is
the subject on which grace is magnified, toward which grace reigns in
justification!
"To say, he who worketh not is justified
through believing, is to say that his works, whatever they be, have no
influence in his justification, nor hath God, in justifying him, any respect
unto them. Wherefore he alone who worketh not, is the subject of
justification, the person to be justified. That is, God considereth no man's
works, no man's duties of obedience, in his justification; seeing we are
justified freely by His grace" (John Owen). Those whom God, in His
transcendent mercy, justifies, are not the obedient, but the disobedient; not
those who have been loyal and loving subjects of His righteous government, but
they who have stoutly defied Him and trampled His laws beneath their feet.
Those whom God justifies are lost sinners, lying in a state of defection from
Him, under a loss of original righteousness (in Adam) and by their own
transgressions brought in guilty before His tribunal (Rom. 3:19). They are
those who by character and conduct have no claim upon Divine blessing,
and deserve nought but unsparing judgment at God's hand.
"Him that justifieth the ungodly." It is
deplorable to see how many able commentators have weakened the force of this by
affirming that, while the subject of justification is "ungodly" up to
the time of his justification, he is not so at the moment of
justification itself. They argue that, inasmuch as the subject of justification
is a believer at the moment of his justification and that believing
presupposes regeneration--a work of Divine grace wrought in the heart--he could
not be designated "ungodly." This seeming difficulty is at once removed by
calling to mind that justification is entirely a law matter and not an
experimental thing at all. In the sight of God's Law every one whom God
justifies is "ungodly" until Christ's righteousness is made over to him.
The awful sentence "ungodly" rests as truly upon the purest virgin as much as
it does upon the foulest prostitute until God imputes Christ's obedience to
her.
"Him that justifieth the ungodly." These words
cannot mean less than that God, in the act of justification, has no regard
whatever to any thing good resting to the credit of the person He justifies.
They declare, emphatically, that immediately prior to that Divine act, God
beholds the subject only as unrighteous, ungodly, wicked, so that no
good, either in or by the person justified, can possibly be the ground on which
or the reason for which He justifies him. This is further evident from the
words "to him that worketh not": that this includes not only works which the
ceremonial law required, but all works of morality and godliness, appear
from the fact that the same person who is said to "work not" is designated
"ungodly." Finally, seeing that the faith which belongs to justification is
here said to be "counted for (or "unto") righteousness," it is clear
that the person to whom "righteousness" is imputed, is destitute
of righteousness in himself.
A parallel passage to the one which has just been
before us is found in Isaiah 43. There we hear God saying, "I, even I, am He
that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember
thy sins" (v. 25). And to whom does God say this? To those who had sincerely
endeavoured to please Him? To those who, though they had occasionally been
overtaken in a fault, had, in the main, served Him faithfully? No, indeed; very
far from it. Instead, in the immediate context we find Him saying to them, "But
thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of Me, O
Israel. Thou hast bought Me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled
Me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made Me to serve with thy
sins, thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities" (vv. 22, 24). They
were, then, thoroughly "ungodly"; yet to them the Lord declared, "I,
even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions"--why? Because of something
good in them or from them? No, "for Mine own sake"!
Further confirmation of what has been before us
in Romans 4:5 is found in both what immediately precedes and what follows. In
verses 1-3 the case of Abraham is considered, and the proof given that
he was not "justified by works," but on the ground of
righteousness being imputed to him on his believing. "Now if a person of such
victorious faith, exalted piety, and amazing obedience as his was, did not
obtain acceptance with God on account of his own duties, but by an imputed
righteousness; who shall pretend to an interest in the heavenly blessing, in
virtue of his own sincere endeavors, or pious performances?--performances not
fit to be named, in comparison with those that adorned the conduct and
character of Jehovah's friend" (A. Booth).
Having shown that the father of all believers was
regarded by the Lord as an "ungodly" person, having no good works to his credit
at the moment of his justification, the Apostle next cited David's description
of the truly blessed man. "And how does the royal Psalmist describe him? To
what does he attribute his acceptance with God? To an inherent, or to an
imputed righteousness? Does he represent him as attaining the happy state, and
as enjoying the precious privilege, in consequence of performing sincere
obedience, and of keeping the law to the best of his power? No such thing. His
words are, `Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are
covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin' (vv. 7-9).
The blessed man is here described as one who is, in himself, a polluted
creature, and a guilty criminal. As one who, before grace made the difference,
was on a level with the rest of mankind; equally unworthy, and equally
wretched: and the sacred penman informs us that all his blessedness arises from
an imputed righteousness" (A. Booth).
"Him that justifieth the ungodly." Here is the
very heart of the Gospel. Many have argued that God can only pronounce just,
and treat as such, those who are inherently righteous; but if this was so, what
good news would there be for sinful men? Enemies of the Truth insist that for
God to pronounce just those whom His law condemns would be a judicial fiction.
But Romans 4:5 makes known a Divine miracle: something only God could
have achieved. The miracle announced by the Gospel is that God comes to the
ungodly with a mercy that is righteous, and in spite of all their depravity and
rebellion, enables them through faith (on the ground of Christ's
righteousness) to enter into a new and blessed relation with Himself.
The Scriptures speak of mercy, but it is not
mercy coming in to make up the deficiencies and forgive the slips of the
virtuous, but mercy extended through Christ to the chief of
sinners. The Gospel which proclaims mercy through the atonement of the Lord
Jesus is distinguished from every religious system of man, by holding out
salvation to the guiltiest of the human race, through faith in the blood
of the Redeemer. God's Son came into this world not only to save sinners, but
even the chief of sinners, the worst of His enemies. Mercy is extended
freely to the most violent and determined rebel. Here, and here only, is a
refuge for the guilty. Is the trembling reader conscious that he is a
great sinner, then that is the very reason why you should come to
Christ: the greater your sins, the greater your need of the Saviour.
There are some who appear to think that Christ is
a Physician who can cure only such patients as are not dangerously ill, that
there are some cases so desperate as to be incurable, beyond His skill. What an
affront to His power, what a denial of His sufficiency! Where can a more
extreme case be found than that of the thief on the cross? He was at the very
point of death, on the very brink of Hell! A guilty criminal, an incorrigible
outlaw, justly condemned even by men. He had reviled the Saviour suffering by
his side. Yet, at the end, he turned to Him and said, "Lord remember me." Was
his plea refused? Did the Physician of souls regard his as a hopeless case? No,
blessed be His name, He at once responded "Today shalt thou be with Me in
Paradise." Only unbelief shuts the vilest out of Heaven.
"Him that justifieth the ungodly."
And how can the thrice holy God righteously do such a thing? Because
"Christ died for the UNGODLY" (Rom. 5:6). God's righteous grace comes to
us through the law-honouring, justice-satisfying, sin-atoning Work of the Lord
Jesus! Here, then, is the very essence of the Gospel: the proclamation of God's
amazing grace, the declaration of Divine bounty, altogether
irrespective of human worth or merit. In the great Satisfaction of His Son, God
has "brought near HIS righteousness" (Isa. 46:13). "We do not need to go
up to Heaven for it; that would imply Christ had never come down. Nor do we
need to go down to the depths of the earth for it; that would say Christ had
never been buried and had never risen. It is near. We do not need to
exert ourselves to bring it near, nor do anything to attract it towards us. It
is near... The office of faith is not to work, but to cease
working; not to do anything, but to own that all is done" (A.
Bonar).
Faith is the one link between the sinner and the
Saviour. Not faith as a work, which must be properly performed to qualify us
for pardon. Not faith as a religious duty, which must be gone through according
to certain rules in order to induce Christ to give us the benefits of His
finished work. No, but faith simply extended as an empty hand, to
receive everything from Christ for nothing. Reader, you may be the very
"chief of sinners," yet is your case not hopeless. You may have sinned
against much light, great privileges, exceptional opportunities; you may have
broken every one of the Ten Commandments in thought, word and deed; your body
may be filled with disease from wickedness, your head white with the winter of
old age; you may already have one foot in Hell; and yet even now, if you but
take your place alongside of the dying thief, and trust in the Divine
efficacy of the precious blood of the Lamb, you shall be plucked as
a brand from the burning. God "justifieth the ungodly." Hallelujah! If
He did not, the writer had been in Hell long ago.