This morning, the title of my
message is a study of justification. And of course, that's something
that you're never going to exhaust in just one or two or even a
hundred messages. This thing about justification,
how God justifies a sinner. Now, to be justified, to be clear,
is to be counted not guilty before God, but righteous in God's sight. Not guilty before God and righteous
in his sight. And what is it based upon? We
know we're sinners. We know we sin, all without exception. But this thing about being counted
not guilty but righteous in God's sight is based entirely on Christ's
righteousness imputed and accounted to us, and that alone. No contribution
from the sinner in this matter of justification. It's God that
justifies. It is exclusively the work of
Christ alone. Now that right there is what
we need to understand up front. As I begin this morning, I want
to make myself clear on a couple of things. That is having to
do with the justification of a sinner as it relates to the
cross of Christ, what Christ accomplished at the cross. The
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is the focal point. It's the
focal point on everything in time, after this world was created,
after Adam's sin and so forth, and in eternity. The cross is
the focal point. Even before time, God was looking
to the cross. and what Christ would accomplish
there by His obedience and His death on the cross. When God
chose a people in eternity before this world was even created,
He chose them in Christ based on what Christ would do for them
at the cross. When God justified them, He was
seeing the righteousness Christ would bring in and accomplish
at the cross. And even in eternity future,
what will be the song of the redeemed, those that Christ redeemed
at the cross? Revelation 5.12 says, worthy
is the lamb that was slain. So the cross was not only the
focal point in the beginning, before time, it always will be throughout
all eternity. will always be looking to the
cross of Christ. The title of the message is a
study of justification this morning. And as we begin to study, we'll
also have an opportunity to look at the surety ship of Christ
and that everlasting covenant of grace, because it is such
a important part of understanding how that God, the father, was
able to view his elect as justified before him, not guilty from eternity. I'll now make a few statements
concerning Christ as surety for God's elect. Let me say this
up front about surety. We really don't have anything as we, in an earthly sense, to
tell us exactly what surety ship is all about, but we do have
things like, I know you had Philemon and Onesimus, his slave that
stole from him and he went to Rome and he come in contact with
Paul and he wound up believing the gospel. Paul wrote back to
Philemon and told him about Onesimus and how he believed the gospel
and he told him this, he says, now, If he owes you anything,
if Onesimus owes you anything, he says, you put it on my account. I'll repay it. And that's Christ's
assurity. Okay, I wanted to say that. And
also you have like cosigners. that we have these days, some
of you early on might not have had credit and had to go buy
a car, and somebody had to sign for you. But that's not what
happened here. In that sense, if that person
you signed for don't pay the debt, you got to pay it. And
I'm sure some of you might have had an opportunity to even have
to pay somebody else's debt in that case. But the suretorship
of Christ, how Christ stood in the place of his elect on payment
of the sin debt that they owed. The fact is that all sinners,
whether you're elect or non-elect, deserve the vengeance of eternal
condemnation as truly and as much as any who actually suffer
it, elect and non-elect. But to say that there ever was
anything like a possibility of the elect of God suffering condemnation
is to deny the eternity of Christ's surety ship. To say that there
ever was anything like a possibility of the elect of God suffering
condemnation would call into question the binding force of
law and the efficacy of the surety ship of Christ prior to his death. To say that there was a likelihood
of any of the elect suffering the wrath of God would be to
make void the eternal covenant and counsel of God made before
time. It would also make it impossible
to account for the salvation and the justification of any
of those Old Testament saints who died before Christ suffered,
and in doing so would draw over portions of Scripture, a thick
cloud and difficulty in being able to understand those Scriptures.
When the Son of God, as the surety of His people, gave His bond
and His oath to the Father in that covenant, in which God the
Son freely surrendered himself to suffering instead of God's
elect, and to take the full punishment of their sins. This is what Christ
done, the Son of God, and the Father accepted it. In that transaction,
the elect's obligation and liability to suffer for those sins belong
to Christ alone. It follows, therefore, that if
the elect were ever liable to suffer the wrath of God for their
sins, that at whatsoever time the elect were liable to suffer,
at that time the Son of God could not have engaged as their surrogates
to suffer for them. And consequently, if God's elect
were ever liable to suffer for their sins before the cross and
until Christ suffered for them, then this would mean that the
elect were only delivered from the liability to suffer by the
death of Christ or at the time of the cross. If this be the
case, as some would suggest, then this would mean that Christ
did not engage to be the surety of God's elect until the time
of his death, as some would say. Now, if this be the case, that
is, that Christ did not assume the responsibility of surety
until his death on the cross, then, my friend, Every just idea
of the eternity of Christ's suretyship ceases to exist. But the question
is, is the eternity of Christ's suretyship acknowledged in scripture? Or where is the validity and
the efficacy of Christ's suretyship prior to his death? And how did any of those Old
Testament transgressors and sinners who died before Christ's death
ever escape damnation of hell if they had no surety. Were none
of those Old Testament saints saved and justified before God
who had departed out of this world during those 4,000 years
before the crucifixion of Christ? Surely there were some that entered
heaven. And on what ground did they enter
heaven? It was not due to their own works, because scripture
is clear on that, that by the deeds of law no flesh living
could be justified before God. Those Old Testament saints were
also not delivered by the actual sufferings of Christ, for that
had not even taken place yet before Christ's death. The only way you can account
for the salvation and justification of all those Old Testament saints
is by Christ's eternal covenant engagement as their surety. To
suffer for them in the fullness of time. On this ground and on
this ground alone, those Old Testament saints rose to immortal
glory. God did not charge them with
their sins, for he had charged their sins to Christ their surety. Christ promised that to the Father.
I'll repay it. And he came in time and fulfilled
that promise. And to say, to say anything Anything
less than that and other than that is to dishonor God and dishonor
Christ. And say there's a possibility
he might not do it. We know that's not the case.
Let's look at Romans 8, beginning at verse 28. And we know that
all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did
foreknow, for whom God did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren, that is, Christ. Moreover, whom God did
predestinate, them He also called, and whom He called, them He also
justified, and whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not
His own Son, but delivered him up for us all, that is, all of
his elect, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? That's a powerful statement.
It is God that justifies. Now, if such of the elect as
died before the death of Christ had so complete an exemption,
from all liability and responsibility to suffer the divine displeasure
for the guilt as to be exalted to heaven and actually placed
in the bosom of God, eternal love, can there be any reason
why the whole election of grace should not on the very same ground
that is, which is the surety ship of Christ, Christ their
surety. Why should not the whole election
of grace have the very same exemption? Did not all the elect stand alike
related to Christ as to surety? Did he not engage at once and
alike for them all? How then can any man think that
Christ's engagement to surety produce more and greater effects
in favor of a part, that is, of the Old Testament saints?
than of the whole of the elect after the cross. And how could,
in any sense, any of God's elect be liable to the wrath of God
one moment, one moment, after Christ became their surety to
pay the debt? God did not look at Christ as
surety to pay the debt and also look at his elect to possibly
have to pay for the debt. No. Christ alone was liable to
pay the debt, and he did in time, and that's how God justified
a sinner. Concerning the suretorship of
Christ and the everlasting covenant of grace, let's look at what
King David of old says in 2 Samuel 23 5. He says, although my house be not
so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and sure, For this is all my salvation
and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. Now, if
it was ordered in all things, that is, that everlasting covenant
made with David, and also all of the elect, it most certainly
includes in its nature the non-imputation of sin to the elect, and the
imputation of sin to Christ, and the transfer of all liability
to suffer for those sins from the elect
to Christ, their surety. And these all been imminent acts,
as some of the old writers called them. Imminent acts of the divine
will, or acts of God that only take place in his divine mind.
All true believers would agree that God, the God we worship,
is immutable. He does not change. Therefore,
these imminent acts of God are just as sure and certain as God
transient acts, or acts that take place in time, like the
creation of the world, or things like that. Therefore, they were
complete. The result is the sins of God's
elect in the eternal mind of God was not imputed to God's
people, but was imputed to Christ. and therefore God the Son was
the only person liable to suffer for the sins of God's elect.
If in all these things, all the things in which it, the everlasting
covenant of grace, was ordered, it was made sure, and if it contains
all salvation, all the elect must have been eternally secure
from all liability to wrath. by the surety ship of Christ.
And this occurred as the everlasting covenant of grace was ratified
by a joint oath between the Holy Trinity before time. Now, it's
clear that the subject that we're talking about this morning might
be a little unclear to some believers. The subject, which is that justification
takes its rise, or justification has its beginning. Not when we
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. God didn't wait till we believe
and then justify. That would be work, salvation.
And not even when Christ died upon the cross, but before the
foundation of the world and the everlasting covenant of grace.
It takes place in the very eternal council of the Almighty God and
the covenant there established between the Holy Three, the Father,
Son, and the Holy Spirit. When before the world began,
some were then chosen in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ,
and they were predestinated to be to the adoption of children. Let's look at some scriptures
that point us to the valid argument for this doctrine. Look at Ephesians
1, beginning at verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places, according as He, God,
hath chosen us in Him, in Christ, before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him
in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
And even before the world began, Paul says, that we were given
grace in Christ. 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9 says,
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. And then,
of course, we were viewed in Christ and we had that union
with our Lord Jesus Christ from everlasting. And this union with
Christ is, therefore, the ground of the conveyance or the giving
of every saving benefit which was received by the elect and
bestowed upon him. We have nothing in the way of
saving mercy, but what was proposed and declared before time. and
worked out in time. And that includes our justification.
You see, justification is one of those spiritual blessings
given us in Christ before the world was ever created. Look
back at Ephesians 1 again, verse 3, who hath blessed us with all
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And all these
graces were purpose to us, not on the basis of any personal
merit or worth that might be in us, and not in any action
on our part, but strictly in, with, and through the Lord Jesus
Christ. They were given us due to what
Christ would accomplish on our behalf. Justification has in
it two blessed articles of the gospel, two blessed parts. that
are considered and contained in the gospel of salvation. Number
one, that the sins of the elect, all the sins of the elect were
imputed or accounted or put upon our surety, the Lord Jesus Christ. They have been placed upon the
son of God. The God-man mediator became responsible. for the sin-debt of all of God's
elect, as he stood as surety. According to 2 Corinthians 5.21,
which says, for he, for God, hath made him, hath made Christ,
to be sin for us, who knew no sin, Christ, who knew no sin.
And he made full, Christ made full satisfaction on behalf of
God's elect, and paid their sin-debt in full. He didn't just pay parts
of the sin dead. He didn't just pay for the sin
before you come to faith. He paid for all of the sins of
his elect. Secondly, as we speak on the
two blessed articles of the gospel, the righteousness of Christ,
what he worked out in his doing, in his dying, in his shed blood
on the cross, is imputed and charged to those who were chosen
in Christ from eternity and appointed to everlasting life. And in 2
Corinthians, the last part of 521, that we, that the elect,
those that come to faith and repentance, his sheep, that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him, in Christ. So we see that the sins of God's
elect were imputed to Christ by surety. And the righteousness
of Christ was imputed to all of God's elect who were chosen
in the Son of God in the everlasting covenant of grace. And this was
done from old eternity. And when you start talking about
eternity, you really, it's hard for us to talk about eternity
because all we know is time. We know that the world was created
and we know where time is. We know when Christ came to this
earth, but eternity covers everything from before to when
there's no end. Thus justification should be
viewed biblically from three aspects. Firstly, as decreed
in the mind and purpose of God before the world was ever created
in the everlasting covenant of grace. Romans 8.33 says, Paul
says, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justify. Secondly,
justification should be viewed in the accomplishment and in
the manifestation of that covenant. by God the Son in his death and
resurrection. Romans 4 verse 25 says, who was
delivered for our offenses, speaking of Christ, and was raised again
for our justification. Or some say, on account of, or
because of our justification. Thirdly, justification should
be viewed in the grace of faith. as the Holy Spirit causes us
to experience our justification before God by the life and death
of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 13 says,
But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the
truth. Now, once we believe the gospel,
This gospel of how God saves a sinner based entirely on Christ's
righteousness alone, not on our believing, not on our giving,
not on our going to church. And you can put anything in that
blank, anything proceeding from us. but based entirely on Christ's
work alone, his shed blood, his righteousness alone. That's what
we look to as it is imputed and charged to our account. Once
we believe the gospel and see how we're justified before God,
justification is sealed up in us, but it took his rise in the
eternal counsel of the almighty God. God decreed it before the
world was ever created. He made provisions for it in
the mind and purpose of God. Christ was the Lamb slain before
the world ever began. And then in closing, we see our
justification when our sins are put upon Christ and laid to his
account. And as soon as they are imputed
to Christ from eternity, As He stood before the Father as our
surety in the everlasting covenant of grace, so soon may God impute
righteousness unto us and declare our justification. God justified
all of His elect in eternity before this world was ever created,
all based and conditioned on what His dear Son would do and
did accomplish at the cross of Calvary. God did not choose in
his eternal mind to justify the Old Testament saints in eternity
and then decide to wait and justify the New Testament saints at the
cross or at faith. No, all of God's elect were justified
at the same time. And that was in God's mind even
from eternity as he purposed it. And God does not change. He's immutable. And that was
in God's mind even from eternity and all, all of it based on the
righteousness of Christ alone as he stood as I surety to come
in time and pay the debt, pay the debt that we owed but could
not pay. Thank you.