ADDRESSES ON ROMANS
need not dwell long on it here. We need only recall the teach- ing already set forth in Rom. 3:21-4:25, that "justification" means far more than "forgiveness." Forgiveness touches the penalty of sin, but justification touches the character, making one as though he had never sinned. We are justified before God. When God, the Supreme Judge. justifies us, He declares us not only guiltless, but positively righteous also. That is a verdict that can never be appealed. It can never he changed. We are eternally justified before God. In the eighth chapter of Romans, where Paul speaks of the eternal security of the be- liever. he asks this question, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" No one can appeal this verdict. Any- thing that a person may lay to my charge God knows. And He has eternally justified me. No one can reverse the verdict of the Supreme Court of Heaven. You have read lately of the decision given by the Su- preme Court of the United States in regard to the NRA. I did not understand all the technical language. and neither did you perhaps. But we did understand that the verdict came from the Supreme Court. Even the President had to conform, for there is no higher court. My Christian friend, you and I have been eternally justified by the Supreme Judge of this universe. Therefore Paul says, "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" Some time ago at the Church of the Open Door I led a wicked man to Christ. He told me all that he had done. He asked me to read the ten commandments; and as I began to read, he interrupted to say. "I broke that one; I broke that one." But he came to Christ. and I talked to him about justifi- cation. The other day, when I met him on the street, he asked me, "Does the blood of Jesus cleanse me from unrighteous- ness? Are you sure His blood is sufficient?" I referred him to the eighth chapter of Romans. where we read that the right- eousness of God is imputed to the sinner saved by grace. The Supreme Court of this universe has absolutely justified him who kneels before Calvary's cross. (Page 73
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