This morning, I'm going to kind
of take up where I left off. Been a little while. Our pastor
was out of town. And I started this message. It's a two-part message having to do with justified before
God. This is part two. Most of this message here is
taken from a book that our pastor put together. I think it's entitled
the same thing, Justified Before God. But this morning, an introduction,
just a short introduction, the last time I delivered a message,
we dealt with the first two parts of being justified before God.
The first truth having to do with that is God is the only
source of justification. This is stated in Romans 8, 33.
It is God that justify. The source of justification is
the sovereign love, mercy, and grace of God. And it's in and
by the Lord Jesus Christ. Truth number two that we dealt
with was God's elect are the only objects of this justification. This is clearly stated in Romans
8.33 also. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's clear from the scriptures
that the objects of God's grace and every blessing and every
benefit of salvation, including justification, are for those
whom God chose. to say by giving them to Christ
before the foundation of this world. Now this morning, we're
gonna pick up with truth number three, four, and five. Number three is Christ's righteousness
is the only ground of this justification. Number four, imputation is the
only means and the only instrument of this justification. And number
five, God-given spiritual life, knowledge, faith, repentance,
perseverance, and glorification are the fruits of this justification. Now, we'll begin this morning
with that third truth here having to do with Christ's righteousness
being the only ground of this justification. What do I mean
by Christ's righteousness is the only ground of justification? I mean that when God the Father
justified His elect, His whole view was what His Son would do
in time for His elect. This is the reason that God could
remain just and justify ungodly sinners. The cross of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the focal point of everything, everything in
time and everything in eternity. Even before time, God was looking
to the cross at what Christ would accomplish there by his obedience
unto death before time. In old eternity, Gary Shepard
says, when God chose a people, he chose them in Christ, based
on what Christ would do for them at the cross. When God justified
them, he would see in the righteousness that Christ, as our surety, would
bring in and accomplish at the cross. And even in eternity future,
the song of the redeemed will be worthy as the lamb that was
slain. So the cross was not only the
focal point in the beginning, it always will be throughout
eternity. What Christ accomplished by establishing
righteousness is the ground of our justification. Look with
me at Romans 8, 34. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. The Bible teaches that God is
holy, righteous, faithful, and just. He cannot be anything less
than the perfections of these attributes. He cannot deny himself. Whatever God purposes and plans,
he does. He must do so all of these things
in harmony with his holiness, his righteousness, truthfulness,
and his justice. He must do so in harmony with
all of these attributes. When God elected his people unto
salvation, he had to do this on a just and a righteous ground.
God's love, grace, and mercy are marvelous attributes to behold,
but when we see his love, grace, and mercy, acting and being applied
in perfect harmony with His holiness and His justice. It is the greatest
miracle of God's wisdom and power that a sinner has been blessed
to behold. To see and to know God as both,
as Isaiah 45, 21 says, a just God and a Savior, and as both
Romans 3, 26, just and the justifier of sinners. And to know him as both a loving
and merciful father and a righteous judge is the greatest revelation
of himself that God can and that he does to his people. And how
does God accomplish this salvation of his people and still honor
and magnify his justice? Well, it is upon the ground. of the merits of the obedience
unto death of the Lord Jesus Christ, as he stood as surety,
substitute, and redeemer of his people, who were given to him
by his Father before the world began. Christ says, all that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. That's what it's talking
about. Look at 2 Timothy 1.9. who had
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. A few years
ago, I looked up just the term in Christ, in the beloved, and
these sort of phrases that let us know what it's talking about
when it talks about the elect being in Christ. And, I don't know if I got it
now, 60, 70 times throughout scripture, it says this phrase. John Gill, an old writer, old
gospel writer, has this commentary on this verse I just quoted in
2 Timothy. John Gill says, and I quote,
God had in mind to save some. He chose his own son to be the
savior of them. He put those persons into his
hand where they are safely preserved so as not to be damned and everlastingly
perish, notwithstanding their fallen Adam and their original
corruption and actual transgression. that spiritual and eternal salvation,
which is by Jesus Christ, is before calling. This was resolved
upon from eternity, a council of peace was formed, a covenant
of grace was made, a promise of life given, persons were affixed
upon to be saved, a savior was appointed, and blessings of grace
were put into his hand, and all according to an eternal purpose,"
close quote. Also, this ground of justification
before God, described in the Bible by the phrase, the righteousness
of God. Look at Romans 1, beginning verse
16. Paul says, for I'm not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also the Greek,
For therein, therein this gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live
by faith. The righteousness of God, which is the ground of our
justification. That's the merit of Christ's
obedience unto death, his death on the cross for the redemption
of his people. In other words, Christ earned
all that is given to the elect. The elect didn't earn it. By his one offering, he assured
he, he paid the sin debt for his people and worked out and
established a perfect righteousness by which God is just to justify
those whom he had set apart for salvation. This is what is meant
by sinners being justified by his blood and perfected by his
one offering. Romans 5 beginning verse 8 says,
but God committeth his love toward us and that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Justification
in God's mind from eternity proceeded upon the stewardship engagements
of Christ to be performed in time. The Old Testament saints
were justified of God as they viewed the blood of the Lamb
of God, which was to be shed. This blood was now shed. That's what it's speaking of
here, much more than being now justified by his blood. Therefore,
Christ is shown to be faithful to his Father in fulfilling the
office of surety, whereby all the sins of God's elect were
paid in full, and the justification of all God's elect in eternity
past had been satisfied by Christ's surety. Christ's righteousness
established and worked out By that one offering for sin is
the ground of our justification before God. Look with me at Hebrews
10, 14. For by one offering, he hath
perfected forever them that are sanctified, are chosen, are set
apart for salvation. God is the God of grace, who
saves sinners by his grace through his justice being satisfied by
Christ. Everything in the complete salvation
of sinners is by God's grace. Look at Ephesians 2, beginning
of verse 8. For by grace are you saved through faith, and
not of yourselves is the gift of God. Not of works, let us
say, the man should boast. No part of salvation, no blessing
or benefit of eternal life is conditioned on the works, the
obedience, or the wills of sinners. Something that we don't know,
we don't know anything about by nature. It's all of grace
conditioned on the work of Christ. All of the following is all of
grace. God's election of his people,
God justifying his people, God's adoption, God's redemption, God's
regenerating and calling, God's preservation, and finally, God's
glorifying His people. It's all of grace. And this whole
salvation is all grounded upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ
accomplished at the cross. Romans 3, beginning verse 24,
being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption
that's in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance
of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness,
that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth
on Jesus. Here in verse 24 it says, being
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that's
in Christ Jesus. Young's literal translation says,
or having been justified, declared righteous freely. And that word
in another place is translated without a cause. They are justified
or declared righteous freely without a cause in themselves
by the grace of God. And what are those next words?
Through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. And that's what
we believe. That's what I believe that the
Bible teaches. We know and we preach and believe
that it is through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus. And I
know that I have never said nor do I believe that it was not
necessary for Christ to come and to die on the cross. We have
said here that it is through the redemption of Christ, which
is the ground and foundation of justification. This word through
means our free justification or being made righteous and declared
righteous of God. is all through the redeeming
work of Christ on the cross. It is God that's just in every
sense. It is God that pronounces this
justification and declares us righteous through the redemption
that's in Christ Jesus. This propitiation that's quoted
here in verse 25, is the justice of God completely satisfied by
the Lord Jesus Christ for all the people the Father gave him
and for whom he died on the cross. Perpetuation means the certainty
of their full salvation and the final glory. I must be justified. I must be born again. I must
be preserved and brought to glory. And all by God's grace based
entirely on the merits of Christ's death. His righteousness imputed
to my account as my surety, substitute, redeemer, life-giver, and preserver. Truth number four, imputation
is the only means and instrument of this justification. This is
stated in Romans 8.33. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Before the foundation of the
world, God chose a people to be saved. He gave them to his
son, making his son to be their surety. Christ has always been
and will always be surety of the everlasting covenant of grace.
The conditions and requirements necessary to ratify that covenant
and ensure the salvation and eternal life of all whom God
chose and gave to Christ, always upon Christ himself, alone, to
fulfill on the behalf of God's elect. There are people that God will
not charge with their sin, Isaiah 9, 6, and 7. For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his
shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. The government spoken of here,
of which the prophet speaks here, is the government of God's covenant
of grace, all conditioned on Christ. Having been made the
surety of his people, their sin debt was charged to his account. The son of God willingly took
this debt upon himself. He took it upon himself up front.
This is unlike in our day, we know surety. When you go to the bank, take
out a loan, you don't have any collateral or anything, somebody
has a sign for you. That means if you don't pay the
debt, they're obligated to pay that debt. And, but with this,
but with Christ, he became surety up front. Wasn't knowing that
we're not able to pay the debt completely. It says, he willingly
took this debt upon himself and agreed to come in time and pay
the debt in full by the price of his own blood. Christ coming
in time and paying the elect's sin is where redemption of his
people takes place in time. Because of Christ's suretorship,
the sins of God's elect were not charged to them, but it was
charged to Christ. This speaks of three things.
First of all, the non-imputation of sin of God's elect to their
account. Second of all, the imputation
of the sins of God's elect to Christ's account. Thirdly, the
imputation of the righteousness of Christ to the account of God's
elect. Consider the following verses
that teach these blessed truths. In Romans 4, beginning at verse
6, even as David, this is speaking of King David, also described
it, the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputed righteousness
without works. Saying, blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. God the Holy
Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul here to expand upon this Psalm
of David, Psalm 32. Verse one and two is where that
come from. When it comes to God justifying
the ungodly, the truth of imputation is clearly the issue both in
the Old Testament and in the New Testament. It answers the
question of how God can be just and still justify sinners. The
truth of imputation for justification is pictured throughout the Old
Testament. Beginning at Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve, having
sinned against God, Genesis 3, 7 said they sewed fig leaves
together and made themselves aprons to hide their nakedness. These fig leaf aprons are symbolic
of man's works and futile attempts to cover his exposure to God's
wrath. and to work his own righteousness
before God, covering himself with fig leaf apron. But God
revealed early on that man's works will not make him righteous
in God's sight. Therefore, God slew an animal
and made them coats of skin. Genesis 321 says, unto Adam also
and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skin and clothing. This is a beautiful picture of
the righteousness of God established by Christ, the Lamb of God, and
imputed to his people for their justification before God. Christ's
righteousness, imputed, is often symbolized by wearing a garment
or an armor. Job 29.14 says, I put on righteousness
and it clothed me. My judgment was as a robe and
a diadem, or a crown. Isaiah 61 10 says, I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God, for he had clothed me with the garments of salvation. He
had covered me with the robe of righteousness. As a bridegroom
decked himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself
with her jewels. Now concerning imputation, suretyship
is also a beautiful example and picture of imputation. We can
see in God's everlasting covenant of grace, Christ is the surety. In that eternal agreement complete
with wisdom and love, God the Father was in Christ, reconciling
the world of his elect unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them. 2 Corinthians 5.18 says, And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus
Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation,
to wit, that is to say, that God was in Christ reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and
hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. And this will
of God not to impute sin to his people, or not to punish them
for it." Now, folks, this was before time in that covenant
made between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It existed in God from everlasting. This will of God not to impute
sin to his elect is no other than the justification of the
elect. For to whom the Lord does not
impute sin, he imputes righteousness. And these individuals are properly
justified in the eternal mind and purpose of God God does not
leave his elect in some sort of limbo, with neither charge
with sin nor charge with righteousness. Where it says, and hath given
to us the ministry of reconciliation, which is the gospel of peace,
the word which preaches, publishes, and declares the peace made by
the blood of Christ, which is the gift to ministers and blessings
to the people, whereby God's people are reconciled to God
in their mind. See, God was reconciled to us
in old eternity. When he put us in Christ, he
did not charge us with our sin, he charged them to his son. And
he justified us based on what the son would do in time at the
cross. He was reconciled in His mind.
We have to be reconciled in our mind and in time by the Holy
Spirit. This happens. We're able to see
the true and living God in Christ and what He did on our behalf.
And all of this coming together. Truth number five. God-given
spiritual life, knowledge, faith, repentance, perseverance, and
glorification. are the fruits of this justification. Concerning the fruit of justification
that stayed in Romans 8, 32, he that spared not his own son,
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also
freely give us all things? All things include the gifts
of spiritual life, all graces of the spirit, and the eternal
blessedness of final glory. Also look at Ephesians 1.3. Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And in Romans 5.21, that as sin
hath reigned unto death, so even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. All whom God has justified by
His grace in Christ will be brought to know the only true and living
God through Jesus Christ. They'll be known as He has sent
of the Father to establish righteousness by His redeeming blood and also
to bring forth spiritual and eternal life, which is evidenced
by His resurrection from the dead. The work of the Holy Spirit
is to impart spiritual life, knowledge, and faith by the new
birth from above. This is when he gives us spiritual
eyes to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and
spiritual ears to hear the beautiful sound of his grace by the word
of faith. This is where he gives us a new
heart, that new mind, affections, and will Scripture said God makes
us willing in the day of His power. He gives us these things, that
new heart to know, to rest in, to desire, love, believe, and
to follow the true Christ of Scripture. God-given faith by
which the Holy Spirit brings God's elect to believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ, that faith is neither the means nor the
instrument by which God justifies His people. God-given faith is
the means by which God makes us aware and assures us of our
justification by his grace in Christ. It is the means by which
the Holy Spirit cleanses our heart wherein we are justified
in the court of our own conscience. Hebrews 9 14 says, how much more
shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered
himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God. And y'all know what those dead
works are. I think Bill had those, talked
about that in his last message. Those dead works are all those
works that the elect do prior to regeneration conversion. in
false religion, not knowing the true God, the true Christ. All
this work, all of us had a lot of works we did in false religion.
A lot of works. They were dead works. Fruit unto
death. They didn't accomplish anything. The conscience is, as it were,
our own mental courtroom, the seat of all judgment, within
our own minds by which we pronounce the verdict of guilty or not
guilty. We pronounce these verdicts upon
ourselves according to our own mental compass. Our natural conscience
is defiled by sin and self-righteousness. This is the evil conscience.
And nowhere does the defilement and evil of our own natural conscience
show forth more than in our efforts to cleanse our conscience and
clear ourself by our works, our decisions, our reformation, our
prayers, our confessions, along with any and all other religious
exercises. Now, this evil conscience in
our natural state of spiritual death and depravity, it stirs
up us to seek and establish a righteousness of our own, which we think will
cleanse us from sin and make us accept it with God. But the Holy Spirit convicts
God's people of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and shows them
that the only thing that will cleanse them from sin and make
them righteous is the blood of Christ, which is His righteousness
imputed, accounted to us. This Holy Spirit conviction is
how the Spirit in the new birth under the preaching of the gospel
of grace in Christ cleanses the conscience of God's elect. Now, Hebrews 9, 13, 14, I won't
read this, but it tells us and talks about the
purging. Purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living God. In closing, there is one thing
that must be made perfectly clear. Nothing that has been written
here denies or even diminishes the absolute necessity of faith,
repentance, and perseverance in our salvation of God's elect.
It simply states that faith, repentance, and perseverance
are not the grounds of salvation or justification, but they're
the fruits and the effects of justification. Based on the one
ground of Christ's righteousness imputed to our account, Consider
the following two truths. No sinner will be saved without
being brought by God, the Holy Spirit, in the new birth to faith,
repentance, and persevere. Where Christ's righteousness
is imputed to a person in God's appointed time, that person will
be brought under the preaching of the gospel, given spiritual
life, and brought to God, given faith to believe in Christ to
repent of those dead works and former idolatry, and to persevere
in the faith by the persevering power and grace of God in Christ.
Romans 6, 17, 18 says, but God bethink that you were servants
of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that former doctrine
that was delivered you, being then made free from sin. ye became
the servants of righteousness. Number two, no sinner has any
biblical or God-approved right to claim salvation. Salvation
by God's grace in Christ until he has been brought by God, the
Holy Spirit, to believe in Christ. Believe in Christ, we're talking
about this Christ I'm speaking of this morning, the true Christ. until he has been brought by
God the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ for all of salvation,
to repent of his dead works and idolatry, and to persevere in
the faith by God's power and grace in Christ. This holds true for every aspect
of salvation that God freely and fully provides for his elect
in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1, 4, and 5 says,
know and brethren, beloved, your election of God. For our gospel
come not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the
Holy Ghost, and in much assurance, as you know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake. The first evidences of God's
election of grace and justification based on Christ's righteousness
imputed, and even regeneration by the Spirit is faith in Christ
and repentance of dead works, and of course, persevering in
faith. The evidence of being a reprobate, not justified, not
adopted, not redeemed, and not regenerated by the Spirit is
a sinner who goes throughout his life and dies without believing
and resting in the Lord Jesus Christ, as he's presented, identified,
and distinguished in the true gospel. John 3.36 says this,
he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he
that believeth not on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath
of God abideth on him. The Bible tells us that justification
is unto life. Romans 5.18, therefore, as by
the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation,
even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon
all men, all rather, unto justification in life. Well, May the Lord give
us, all who hear these words here, eyes to see and ears to
hear these things, that God has prepared and freely given to
his people in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. To recap these
things that we've talked about here, to be justified before
God, God is the source of justification. The objects are God's elect of
this justification. The ground is Christ's righteousness
alone. Imputation is the only means
and the only instrument of this justification. And finally, the
fruit of justification a spiritual life, knowledge, faith, repentance,
perseverance, and glorification. This right here is justified before God.