p. 4 | Justification

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 19, 1907

Justification

In considering the subject of justification it is important to note just what the Scriptures say about it. While every statement of inspiration is true without qualification or limit, yet one truth does not exclude any other truth, and in order to have a well-balanced view of any doctrine it is necessary to read what the Bible as a whole says upon that doctrine.

Here are four simple statements concerning justification: “All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” “Much more then, being now justified by his [Christ’s] blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through him.” “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son upon the altar?” These scriptures, taken together, teach that we are justified by the grace of God; that we are justified by the blood of Christ; that we are justified by faith; and that we are justified by works. These statements are all true, and they do not contradict one another. A Scriptural view of the doctrine of justification gives its proper place and meaning to each one of these statements, and does not emphasize either one to the neglect or exclusion of the others. Let us consider them separately.

We are justified by the grace of God. Compare the following scriptures: “By grace have ye been saved through faith.” “Suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God; who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal.” “We believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.” “According to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” The gospel of salvation has its origin and its ministration in the grace of God. Not under compulsion and not as being under obligation to pay a debt, but freely and by grace God bestows salvation as a gift. “Much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.” It is the grace of God which makes possible the act of justification; it is the grace of God through which we may have the experience of justification.

We are justified by the blood of Christ. “In whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” “How much more shall the blood of Christ . . . cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ.” “Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood.” “Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world.” Christ “gave himself for our sins.” In the sacrifice of Christ we have the concrete expression of the grace and love of God toward us, the channel through which this grace was poured out for us, the satisfaction for our sins. The grace of God and the blood of Christ are thus inseparably connected in our justification.

We are justified by faith. In the words of Luther: “Faith taketh hold of Christ, and hath him present, and holdeth him enclosed, as the ring doth the precious stone. And whosoever shall be found having this confidence in Christ, apprehended in the heart, him will God account for righteous. This is the mean, and this is the merit whereby we attain the remission of sins and righteousness. ‘Because thou believest in me,’ saith the Lord, ‘and thy faith layeth hold upon Christ whom I have freely given unto thee that he might be thy mediator and high priest, therefore be thou justified and righteous.’ Wherefore God doth accept or account us as righteous, only for our faith in Christ.” Through faith we accept the gift of righteousness which comes from the grace of God and through the blood of Christ. Therefore the grace of God and the blood of Christ and our faith are inseparably connected in our justification.

Abraham was justified by works in that he offered his son Isaac upon the altar, and others may be justified by the same kind of works. These are not the works of merit as the ground of our justification, but the works of faith as the evidence of our justification. “Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect; and the scripture was fulfilled which saith, And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.” That kind of righteousness by faith which will not bear this test is spurious. Again we quote from Luther: “Because thou hast laid hold upon Christ by faith, through whom thou art made righteous, begin now to work well. Love God and thy neighbor, call upon God, give thanks unto him, praise him, confess him. These are good works indeed, which flow out of this faith and this cheerfulness conceived in the heart, for that we have remission of sins freely by Christ.” The works by which we are justified are the fruits of the righteousness freely bestowed upon us by the grace of God, brought unto us by the blood of Christ, and apprehended through our personal faith in Christ. Therefore the grace of God and the blood of Christ and our faith and our works are inseparably connected in the experience of justification.

When we speak of either of these ways of justification, we must include all the others. To advocate any one of them to the neglect or the exclusion of the others is to pervert the Scriptural teaching concerning justification.