Justification By Faith

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | Nov 1967

Whilst there were men of faith before the time of Abraham, and three of these are specifically mentioned in Hebrews 11, Abel, Enoch, and Noah, yet it is to Abraham that Paul goes back when he deals with the important matter of justification by faith in the epistles to the Romans and the Galatians. Abraham was a man of faith before he left Ur of the Chaldees When the God of glory appeared to him in Ur He told him to leave the land of his nativity and to come into a land that He would show him He went out by faith, not knowing whither he was going The call of God went deeper than that of leaving one land and going to another It involved his leaving his kindred and his father 5 house These conditions of separation were completed when he left Haran and entered the land of Canaan as we read in Genesis 12 Though Lot his nephew went with him the time came when the cleavage took place between Lot and his uncle, when Lot chose the pleasant land of the Jordan valley, where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were, and he descended to that land of fruitfulness but moral degradation.

War broke out in the land of Lot's choice, and he and his family and his goods were carried away with the goods and captives from the cities of the plain. When Abraham heard of Lot being carried away, he hastily set out in pursuit of the invading and victorious armies with the object of delivering Lot. In a night attack upon those armies near to the city of Damascus, Abraham smote and pursued them to Hobah. He brought back all the goods, also Lot and his goods, and the women and the people. These things we find in Genesis 14.

Then in Genesis 15 we are told that the Lot appeared to Abraham in a vision, and said to him, "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward" (verse 1). It may well be that Abram's thoughts were seriously disturbed as he thought of what might be the consequences of his attacking the armies of four great powers in the world at that time. Would they return and pour out their vengeance upon him? and what could he do to withstand them with the few men he had? The loan assured Abram that He was his shield, and what blows there might be from the enemy, they would not fall upon him.

Abram did not discuss the matter of his protection but he laid hold on the matter of reward; so he asked,

"0 Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Dammesek Eliezer (Eliezer of Damascus)? And Abram said, Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir."

The promise made to Abram when the loan called him in Ur was that God would make of him a great nation (Genesis 12.2), yet Sarah his wife had no children. Could God's promise fail? God's promises do not fail; the failure may lie with us through our lack of faith. Sarah, Abram's wife, gave her handmaid to Abram, as recorded in the next chapter (Genesis 16), in the hope that she might obtain children by her handmaid, but that was not God's way.

God assured Abram that Eliezer would not be his heir, but one born of himself would be his heir. He brought Abram out and it was night, and the heavens were beautiful as lighted by the infinite number of stars, and he was told to tell, that is to number, the stars, and the LORD said, "So shall thy seed be." What could Abram do? He could not number the stars. No one can, even in this day with the numerous instruments men possess. What did he do? "He believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness." It was night and everything was dark on earth, but the heavens were bright with light, and brighter than they was the promise contained in God's word. "So shall thy seed be."

Whoever had a hand in arranging the inspired books of the New Testament, and placing the epistle to the Romans at the beginning of the epistles, had a clear insight into the character of the teaching of this epistle. It is the great gospel episode, and shows clearly how the sinner who believes in Christ is justified by faith. It was written to the saints in the church of God in Rome. Though it was written to the saints in Rome, yet the present church of Rome denies that the believer in Christ is justified by faith, despite the words of Romans 5.1 (A.V.): "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rome teaches that the sinner is justified by his own works and sufferings: the gospel teaches that we are justified by faith in the work of Christ on the Cross. There He bore the sins of the sinner in His body on the tree (1 Peter 2.24). This was written by the man that Rome teaches was the first pope. Peter also said. "To Him bear all the prophets witness, that through His name every one that believeth on Him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10.43). When the believer's sins are forgiven, he is justified by faith.

These two truths are joined by Paul in Romans 4.2-5:

"If Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, has faith is reckoned for righteousness."

Words could not make the matter of justification by faith clearer. The one whose sins are forgiven by believing is the same one who is justified by faith. in Romans 4.25 we have the matter of the death and resurrection joined, "Who [Jesus our Lord] was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification".

(1)"It is God that justifieth" (Romans 8.33).

(2)"Being justified freely by His grace" (Romans 3.24).

(3)"Being now justified by His blood" (Romans 5.9).

(4)"Being therefore justified by faith" (Romans 5.1).

(1)God is the justifier of the one who is justified by faith. Faith excludes the believer's works. God challenges anyone in regard to His act of justification with the words, "Who is he 'that shall condemn?" He has a strong neck and a hard heart who would challenge the work of God.

(2)God justifies freely by His grace. Grace shuts out all human merit, the merit of human works or any other kind of merit. This statement of God's grace in justification comes in after the statement of Romans 3.23, "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God." The whole world is brought under the judgement of God (Romans 3.19). There is not one man of this world that doeth good and sinneth not. God could find no other way of dealing with men than in grace.

(3)"Being now justified by His blood, shall we be saved from the wrath of God through Him." "His blood" not only shows how it is possible for God to be just and yet justify the believing sinner, but also tells the infinite cost of a sinner being justified. There would have been no possible justification for man apart from the blood, that is, the death of the Lord.

(4)Then as to the justifying of a sinner, this is the condition that God lays down, that the sinner must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. An easier and more simple condition could not be conceived. On the ground of faith and that alone will a sinner be justified, and be at peace with God.

J. Miller | Nov 1967
Jottings