GRACE FOR TODAY Radio Message #469
“It Is God That Justifieth”
Pastor
Don Fortner
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
2734 Old Stanford Road
Danville,
Kentucky 40422-9438
(Romans
8:33-34) "Who shall lay any thing
to the charge of God's elect? It is God
that justifieth. {34} Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us."
This is the doctrine of free justification by the
imputed righteousness of Christ. It is the very essence of the gospel. Every
other doctrine of justification is declared by the Spirit of God to be a false
gospel (Gal. 1:6-7). This is the only ground of solid joy, peace, comfort, and
hope there is for sinners before the holy Lord God. If my being just with God
depends upon me, or must in some way be determined by me, then I have no hope.
But, blessed be God, it is not man that justifieth; “IT IS GOD THAT JUSTIFIETH!’
GOD THE FATHER IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED
OUR JUSTIFIER (Rom.
8:33; 3:25-26; Isa. 45:20). He is represented in Scripture as having contrived
the scheme and plan of justification from eternity. He found a ransom for us
(Job 33:24). He laid help upon One that is mighty to save (Ps. 89:19). He set
up his Son as our Mediator, Surety, Representative, and Substitute before the
world began (Prov. 8). He accepted us in the Beloved as the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world (Eph. 1:6). It was God the Father who, in the fulness
of time, sent his Son into the world to execute his great scheme of grace (Rom.
8:1-4; Gal. 4:4). God the Father accepts and is well pleased with the
righteousness wrought out by Christ as our Representative. Once the Lord Jesus
had wrought out righteousness for us, once he had magnified the law and made it
honorable by both obeying all its precepts and principles and by satisfying all
its justice and condemnation, it was our heavenly Father who approved of it and
accepted it for us. Our heavenly Father has imputed the righteousness of Christ
to his elect (Rom. 4:6; 1 Cor. 1:30).
Yet, God the Father could
never have justified us without or apart from the obedience and blood of his
dear Son as our Substitute; and therefore GOD
THE SON IS SAID TO JUSTIFY HIS PEOPLE (Isa. 53:11). The question was asked
way back in the Book of Job, probably the oldest book in the Bible…"How then can man be justified with
God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?" To that question
there is only one answer – CHRIST (Rom. 10:4) Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
having fully obeyed and perfectly satisfied the law of God for us is “THE LORD
OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”, and we are made “the
righteousness of God in him.” This
is the very language of the Bible (Jer. 23:6; 33:16). As the God-man, our
Mediator, “He was delivered for our
offences and raised again for our justification.” He arose from the grave
as “The Sun of Righteousness, with
healing in his wings!” As our legal, divinely appointed Head and
Representative, our dear Savior was himself justified from all sin (the sins of
his people imputed to him) and we were and are justified in him (Isa. 45:25;
50:8; 1 Tim. 3:16).
The work of our justification is also ascribed
to God the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:11). It is the Holy Spirit who convinces chosen, redeemed
sinners of sin, of righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11). It is God the
Holy Spirit who works faith in us and causes us to look to Christ alone for
justification (2 Cor. 4:13; Col. 2:12-13). It is the blessed Spirit of God who
speaks peace to our hearts, sprinkles the blood of Christ upon our consciences,
and gives us peace with God, even the peace of perfect, full, complete,
everlasting justification (Heb. 9:14; 10:22).
AMEN.