of Justification
Basic Principles
By HERBERT LOCKYER Liverpool, England
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S EEING that we live in a day in which men are being taught to do the best they can, and work out thereby a salvation of character by effort, it is fitting that we should consider the evangelical theme of Justification. Upon the need of justification we shall not linger. In the first three chapters of Romans, Paul proves that there is no hope in human merit. By inherent righteousness, whether in Jew or Gentile, can no man be justified in God’é sight. The Law declares the condition of all men to be sinful, guilty, and condemned; and the conscience of man is the concurrent witness that such a hopeless state is true. Every mouth is stopped, for the whole world is guilty of sin. And it is man’s despair that opens up the way for Paul to proclaim God’s gospel-plan of saving sinners. Man’s true rela tion Avith God had been forfeited by sin, and the result has been guilt, condemnation, and separation. Justification involves the restora tion of this relationship, through the removal of guilt by righteousness, of condemnation by forgiveness, of separation by fellowship. Such, we take it, is Paul’s gospel. T h e M e a n in g of J u stifica tion The term “ justification” occurs three times in the New Testament: Romans 4:25 and 5:16 and 18, while its cognates are found about fifty times, and nearly always with the same significance. The dictionary explains the word “ justify” as meaning “to prove or show to be just or right.” In law the term means an accused person’s proving his innocence and obtaining a verdict of “ not guilty.” It is an authorita tive declaration of a righteous standing before the law of the land. In theology it implies the clearing of the sinner from guilt and the re establishing of him in the favor of God. It is a divine act affecting man’s standing in the sight of God. s God’s justification, however, is not exactly parallel with man’s justification in a law court. The duty of a judge is to condemn the guilty and acquit the innocent, but in God’s justifica tion the sinner, although actually guilty, is ad judged to be righteous (cf. Rom. 4 :5 ). If there is no wrongdoing, then justification is simply the declaration of innocency. If wrong has been committed, then justification presup poses the putting right of the wrong before the verdict of clearance is pronounced. Before the legal bar of man, the righteous ness on account of which a man is justified or counted righteous, is his own; and before that bar pardon would be scorned by one who was innocent, and therefore, justified.
Further, an acquittal before men is not al ways accompanied with justification, but the sinner pardoned by and before God is always justified also. The justified man is not only acquitted as innocent, but regarded as having perfectly obeyed the law in the person of his Substitute, Jesus Christ. This New Testament justification is asso ciated with the royal prerogative of mercy, see ing that God pardons those who have been found guilty by the sentence of the law. It is a gift, and the Pauline phrase “ justified freely,” or gift-wise (Rom. 3 :24) brings out the gratui tousness of such a divine gift. It is interesting to note that the word “ freely” is the same word as that used in the phrase in John 15:25, where we are told that Jesus was hated “ with out cause.” “ Dorean” is the Greek term used in both cases. As gratuitous as was man’s hatred, so gratuitous is God’s love justifying sinners through Christ. Man had every cause to love, yet he hated God! God had every cause given by man to hate, yet He loves him. Further, pardon merely allows a criminal to go free, but divine justification indicates that the culprit’s position has been completely re versed and advanced to the honors and privi leges entitled by perfect obedience. And, as we shall see, such a position as this is not inherent or attained— it is transferred to us. Neither
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does “ justification” mean that we are made righteous in life, it simply means that we are declared righteous. It is a status rather than a state, seeing that it concerns our judicial and not our spiritual condition (cf. Deut. 25 :1 ), “ Justification” as used by Paul, and only by him, ex presses an imputation rather than an infusion. It signifies a change in man’s legal rela tionship Godward and not a change in his. character. It is no more an infusion of righteousness than condem nation, its opposite, is an in fusion of wickedness. Per haps, at this point, it may be fitting to observe a three fold imputation Scripture emphasizes. 1. The Imputation of Adam's Sin to All His Pos- tertty. In Romans 5:12-21— “ a [ Continued on page 104]
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