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The justification of which Paul speaks is —

1. Not that gracious constitution of God by which, for the sake of Christ, He so far delivers men from the guilt of Adam's sin as to place them in a salvable state, and by virtue of which all infants dying in infancy are saved (see ver. 18); for justification is not common to the race, but is experienced by certain individuals.

2. Not the justification of those who lived under inferior dispensations, or who now live in countries where the gospel is not known. On this point there are two extremes.

(1) The unauthorised severity of those who hold that all heathens are doomed to damnation.

(2) The undistinguishing charity of those who insinuate that the heathen are perfectly safe, and need not be disturbed in their superstitions. Each of these is remote from the truth.

3. Not justification before men by the evidence of works (James 2), but the justification of penitent sinners before God, which is necessarily previous.

4. Not the justification of persevering believers at the last day. This will be pronounced on the evidence of works springing from faith, and evidencing its genuineness and continuance. Our business is with a present justification, "Being justified." Let us look at: —

I. ITS NATURE. We assume —

(1) That all men naturally are in a state of guilt and condemnation. Our hereditary depravity is odious to the God of Purity, while our consequent personal iniquity renders us liable to punishment.

(2) That the man of whose justification we are about to speak is convinced that this is his state.

2. What, then, is meant by justification in these circumstances? To justify a sinner is to consider him relatively righteous, and to deal with him as such, notwithstanding his past unrighteousness, by clearing and releasing him from various penal evils, especially from God's wrath and the liability to eternal death. Hence justification and forgiveness are substantially the same (Acts 13:38, 39; Romans 4:5, 8). Note that justification —

(1) Does not in the least degree alter the evil nature and desert of sin. It is the holy Lord who justifieth. The penalty is still naturally due, though graciously remitted. Hence the duty of continuing to confess and lament even pardoned sin (Ezekiel 16:62, 63).

(2) Is not, as Romish and some mystic divines contend, the being made righteous by the infusion of a sanctifying influence, which confounds justification with regeneration.

(3) Extends to all past sins (Acts 13:39). God does not justify us by degrees, but at once.

(4) However effectual to our release from past guilt, does not terminate our state of probation. As he who is now justified was once condemned, so he may again come into condemnation by relapsing into sin, as was the case with Adam.

(5) If lost, may be recovered (Psalm 32:1-5; cf. Romans 4:1, 8).

II. ITS IMMEDIATE RESULTS.

1. The restoration of amity and intercourse between the pardoned sinner and the pardoning God. "We have peace with God," and consequently access to Him. The ground of God's controversy with us being removed, we become objects of His friendship (James 2:23). This reconciliation, however, does not mean deliverance from all the evils which sin has entailed, viz., suffering and death, but it entitles us to such supports and such promises of sanctifying influence as will "turn the curse into a blessing."

2. Adoption and the consequent right to eternal life. God condescends to become not only our Friend, but our Father (Romans 8:17).

3. The habitual indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As sin induced the Spirit's departure, so the pardon of sin is followed by deliverance from it, because it makes way for His return to our souls (Galatians 3:13, 14; Galatians 4:1; Acts 2:38). Of this indwelling the immediate effects are —

(1) Tranquillity of conscience (Romans 5:5; Romans 8:15, 16).

(2) Power over sin, a prevailing desire and ability to walk before God in holy obedience (Romans 8:1, etc.).

(3) A joyous hope of heaven (ver. 2, Romans 15:13; Galatians 5:5).

III. ITS METHOD.

1. The originating cause is the free, sovereign, undeserved, and spontaneous love of God towards fallen man (Titus 2:11; Titus 3:4, 5; Romans 3:24).

2. The meritorious cause is Christ; for what He did in obedience to the precepts of the law, and what He suffered in satisfaction of its penalty, taken together, constitute that mediatorial righteousness, for the sake of which the Father is ever well pleased in Him. In this all who are justified have a saving interest. Not that it is imputed to them in its formal nature or distinct acts; for against any such imputation there lie insuperable objections from both reason and Scripture. But the collective merit and moral effects of all which the Mediator did and suffered are so reckoned to our account that, for the sake of Christ, we are released from guilt and accepted of God.

3. The instrumental cause is faith.

(1) Present faith. We are not justified by —

(a) Tomorrow's faith foreseen, for that would lead to the Antinomian justification from eternity.

(b) By yesterday's faith recorded or remembered, for that would imply that justification is irreversible. Justification is offered on believing. We are never savingly interested in it until we believe; and it continues in force only so long as we continue to believe.

(2) The acts of this faith are: —

(a) The assent of the understanding to the testimony of God in the gospel, and especially that part of it which concerns the design and efficacy of Christ's sacrifice for sin.

(b) The consent of the will and affections to this plan of salvation, such an approbation and choice of it as imply the renunciation of every other refuge, and a steady, decided, and thankful acquiescence in God's revealed method of forgiveness.

(3) Actual trust in the Saviour and personal apprehension of His merits.

IV. INFERENCES.

1. That we are not justified by the merit of our works, inasmuch as no obedience we can render can come up to the requisitions of the Law of Innocence.

2. That repentance is neither the cause nor instrument of justification. Repentance makes no atonement, and therefore cannot supersede the blood of Jesus; nor does it secure any personal or justifying interest in it; this is the object of faith only.

3. That the Spirit's work in regeneration and sanctification is not the previous condition of our justification, or the prerequisite qualification for it. For in that case we should be saved without a Saviour, which is a contradiction. The work of pardon for yon must precede the work of purification in you. In the cleansing of the leper, the blood was first to be used, then the oil (Leviticus 14). And in order to your salvation you must first bays "the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus," and then you shall have "the renewing of the Holy Ghost."

4. That our justification is not by the merit of faith itself a refined theory of justification by works.

V. REFLECTIONS.

1. How clear and urgent is the duty of seeking an experimental enjoyment of justifying grace.

2. How sacred are the obligations of the justified:

(1)  Gratefully acknowledge it.

(2)  Diligently improve it.

(3)  Practically evidence your enjoyment of it.

(Jabez Bunting, D. D.)

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KJV: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

WEB: Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;