Justification by Faith 145 tion, is enough to negative these explanations. They are curi ous and memorable examples of misinterpretation of terms; that most fruitful source of further, wider and deeper error. JUSTIFICATION NOT THE SAME AS PARDON. The problem raised then, in religion, by the word Justifica tion, is, How shall man be just before God? To use the words of our Eleventh Article, it is, How shall we be “accounted righteous before God?” In other words, How shall we, hav ing sinned, having broken the holy Law, having violated the will of God, be treated, as to our acceptance before Him, as to our “peace with Him” (Rom. 5:1), as if we had not done so? Its question is not, directly, How shall I a sinner become holy, but, How shall I a sinner be received by my God, whom I have grieved, as if I had not grieved Him? Here let us note, what will be clear on reflection, that Justification means properly no less than this, the being re ceived by Him as if we had not grieved Him. It is not only, the being forgiven by Him. We do indeed as sinners most urgently need forgiveness, the remission of our sins, the put ting away of the holy vengeance of God upon our rebellion. But we need more. We need the voice which says, not mere ly, you may go; you are let off your penalty; but, you may come; you are welcomed into My presence and fellowship. We shall see later how important this difference is in the practical problems of our full salvation. But one thing is evident at first sight, namely, that this is implied in the very word Justification. For Justification, in common speech, nev er means pardon. It means winning, or granting, a position of acceptance. “You are justified in taking this course of action,” does not mean, you were wrong, yet you are for given. It means, you were right, and in the court of my opinion you have proved it. In religion accordingly our Jus tification means not merely a grant of pardon, but a verdict in favor of our standing as satisfactory before the Judge.
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