JUSTIFICATION by Chas. P. Whitford

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 4, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 43.

JUSTIFICATION.

By Chas. P. Whitford

HOW SHALL a sinner become just in God’s sight? There is but one answer that can be returned to this question. No one is better qualified to answer it than the apostle Paul, who spake as he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost. Listen to his words: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Rom. 5: 1.

Paul describes the justification of the sinner as being accomplished by faith only. But does not James say that “by works a man is justified, and not by faith only”? James 2: 24. Yes. Then do not James and Paul contradict each other?—No. They are in perfect harmony. James tells us that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead.” Verse 17. Paul was speaking about that kind of faith that works.

When Paul declared, “The just shall live by faith,” it was equivalent to saying, “Now the just [the doers of the law] shall live [remain just, or continue doers of the law].” And how shall they continue doers of the law? Listen! By faith. If then a man is a doer of the law, will not this doing of the law justify him?—No. Why not? Paul answers the question: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident; for, The just shall live by faith.” Gal. 3: 11. “The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. . . . As it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Rom. 1: 16, 17.

It is plain that by faith the law is established in the heart. By faith the fruits of righteousness (right doing) are made to appear in the life of the believer. It is faith that lays hold of the arm of God, and his own mighty power does the work, or, in other words, we are enabled to do that which only the power of God working through us can do.

How the power of God can work in a man accomplishing that which he could not possibly do for himself, no one can tell. It would be as easy to tell how God can give life to the dead. How the Spirit works in a man to subdue his passions, and to make him victorious over pride, envy, and selfishness, is known only to the Spirit. It is sufficient for us to know that it is done, and will be done in everyone who wants that work wrought in him above all things else, and who trusts in God for the performance of it.

The gospel undertakes to create in men the righteous character which the law demands. It is not within any man’s power to become just in God’s sight, even though he wants to. Listen to Paul again: “For I know that in me . . . dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Rom. 7: 18, 19.

Paul here declares that it was utterly impossible for him to do good. In doing that which he did not want to do, he thereby acknowledged that the law was good. He desired to keep the law, because to do so was right. But he could not keep it. He says the evil that he did not want to do was just what he did do. Notice carefully, “Now then it is no more I that do it.” Verse 17. Why, Paul, who is responsible for your having done evil? Are you not responsible for having done wrong? I hear Paul saying, No, it is sin dwelling in me, “for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” Verse 15. Surely Paul’s condition was deplorable indeed, and in view of it he exclaims, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Is there no deliverance from this bondage of sin?—Yes, there is complete and everlasting deliverance. Tell us, oh, tell us, where can it be found? Answer—“Through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 7: 25. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

When we accept of Christ as our Saviour, when we lose all confidence in ourselves and in our ability to keep the commands of God, then it is that we become justified by faith, and our faith is counted to us for righteousness. Rom. 4: 5. Then it is that we have the honor of being called commandment keepers, and so it is proper to say, “Here are they that keep the commandments of God.” Rev. 14: 12. And yet there is not a man upon the earth that keeps in his own strength the commandments of God. If so, then he does not need Christ’s righteousness at all. His own righteousness would save him. But “what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Rom. 4: 3. Abraham’s faith was counted unto him for righteousness. It is said of Abraham that he kept God’s commandments, his statutes, and his laws. But he did not keep them so perfectly as to make him righteous, but he was accounted as righteous—as a commandment keeper—and why?—Because of his faith in God. Otherwise the reward must of necessity be reckoned of debt and not of grace. “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Rom. 4: 5.

“Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works?—Nay; but by the law of faith.” Rom. 3: 27. “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” Rom. 3: 31. When the apostle says we do not make void the law through faith, he means that faith establishes the law in the heart. It is faith itself that keeps the law. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for.” If the thing hoped for be right doing (keeping the commandments of God) faith establishes right doing, or keeps the commandments of God. The substance hoped for is the keeping of the commandments of God. Faith is the substance, therefore faith is the keeping of the commandments of God.

If it was sin working through Paul that did the evil, by the same logic it is faith working through us that does the good, or keeps the commandments of God. Paul said it was sin dwelling in him that caused him to do the things that he would not, and that he could not do the things he wanted to do. Then what power was it in Paul that caused him ever to do good? We will let him answer for himself: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus. . . . make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that

which is well pleasing in his sight.” Heb. 13: 20, 21.

We learn that it was the power of God in Paul that led him to do those things which were well pleasing in his sight. But this power was not manifest until he had surrendered every power of his mind as fully to God as it had been to the service of sin and Satan.

But does not Paul tell us in Phil. 2: 12 to “work out your own salvation”?—Yes; but how shall this work be accomplished?—By simply choosing whether we will let God work in us that which is good. God never invades the freedom of the will. As individuals we are left free to choose whether we will yield our members as instruments of righteousness unto God, or as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin. Rom. 6: 13. When we completely empty ourselves of self, when we surrender every power of our being unto God, then, and not till then, will he come in and take full possession of our very being. Then when he is in us, he can use us to do righteousness. The fruits of right doing will appear in our lives as a result of having yielded ourselves to God for his use. We can then say, as did our blessed Saviour, “I can of mine own self do nothing” (John 5: 30); “but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” John 14: 10. Now if I keep the commandments, it is no more I that keep them, but Christ that dwelleth in me. Contrast Rom. 7: 20.

Thus it is that God lives in us to will or direct all our undertakings, and thus it is that God himself does the work through us. Phil. 2: 13. This gives to Christ all the glory of our salvation. We have no part of the purchase price to pay. It is only when we understand this that we can catch the inspiration of Paul and say, with him, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The apostle realized what his words meant when he said, “For I am determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.” He knew that it meant the surrender of every power of his being to the service of God.

When we as completely yield ourselves to God as we have to Satan, then definite results will be seen in our characters and lives. We may well be compared to an instrument. What it will do depends entirely upon the one in whose hands it is. But there is this difference between us and an instrument. We have the power or will to choose who shall use us, but it is not in our power to do the work, and yet we are commanded to keep the commands of God, and we must keep them if we are saved, and all this time we are helpless to do the very thing we are commanded to do. But if I place myself as an instrument in the hands of God, he will not permit me to do evil so long as I remain in his hands. If I am kept from doing evil, he must keep me, because I cannot keep myself. But he wants to keep me from evil, for he has shown his desire to thus keep me in giving himself for me. Therefore, so long as I keep my eyes upon him, believe in him and his power alone, and not in mine own, I shall be kept from evil. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” Jude 24, 25.