Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc03/v04850

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 7KB | 124 lines

04856
 #9-18 Here again is shown that all mankind are under the guilt
 of sin, as a burden; and under the government and dominion of
 sin, as enslaved to it, to work wickedness. This is made plain
 by several passages of Scripture from the Old Testament, which
 describe the corrupt and depraved state of all men, till grace
 restrain or change them. Great as our advantages are, these
 texts describe multitudes who call themselves Christians. Their
 principles and conduct prove that there is no fear of God before
 their eyes. And where no fear of God is, no good is to be looked
 for.

04866
 #19,20 It is in vain to seek for justification by the works of
 the law. All must plead guilty. Guilty before God, is a dreadful
 word; but no man can be justified by a law which condemns him
 for breaking it. The corruption in our nature, will for ever
 stop any justification by our own works.

04868
 #21-26 Must guilty man remain under wrath? Is the wound for ever
 incurable? No; blessed be God, there is another way laid open
 for us. This is the righteousness of God; righteousness of his
 ordaining, and providing, and accepting. It is by that faith
 which has Jesus Christ for its object; an anointed Saviour, so
 Jesus Christ signifies. Justifying faith respects Christ as a
 Saviour, in all his three anointed offices, as Prophet, Priest,
 and King; trusting in him, accepting him, and cleaving to him:
 in all these, Jews and Gentiles are alike welcome to God through
 Christ. There is no difference, his righteousness is upon all
 that believe; not only offered to them, but put upon them as a
 crown, as a robe. It is free grace, mere mercy; there is nothing
 in us to deserve such favours. It comes freely unto us, but
 Christ bought it, and paid the price. And faith has special
 regard to the blood of Christ, as that which made the atonement.
 God, in all this, declares his righteousness. It is plain that
 he hates sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would
 satisfy for it. And it would not agree with his justice to
 demand the debt, when the Surety has paid it, and he has
 accepted that payment in full satisfaction.

04874
 #27-31 God will have the great work of the justification and
 salvation of sinners carried on from first to last, so as to
 shut out boasting. Now, if we were saved by our own works,
 boasting would not be excluded. But the way of justification by
 faith for ever shuts out boasting. Yet believers are not left to
 be lawless; faith is a law, it is a working grace, wherever it
 is in truth. By faith, not in this matter an act of obedience,
 or a good work, but forming the relation between Christ and the
 sinner, which renders it proper that the believer should be
 pardoned and justified for the sake of the Saviour, and that the
 unbeliever who is not thus united or related to him, should
 remain under condemnation. The law is still of use to convince
 us of what is past, and to direct us for the future. Though we
 cannot be saved by it as a covenant, yet we own and submit to
 it, as a rule in the hand of the Mediator.
04879
 * The doctrine of justification by faith is shown by the case of
 Abraham. (1-12) He received the promise through the
 righteousness of faith. (13-22) And we are justified in the same
 way of believing. (23-25)

 #1-12 To meet the views of the Jews, the apostle first refers to
 the example of Abraham, in whom the Jews gloried as their most
 renowned forefather. However exalted in various respects, he had
 nothing to boast in the presence of God, being saved by grace,
 through faith, even as others. Without noticing the years which
 passed before his call, and the failures at times in his
 obedience, and even in his faith, it was expressly stated in
 Scripture that "he believed God, and it was counted to him for
 righteousness," #Ge 15:6|. From this example it is observed,
 that if any man could work the full measure required by the law,
 the reward must be reckoned as a debt, which evidently was not
 the case even of Abraham, seeing faith was reckoned to him for
 righteousness. When believers are justified by faith, "their
 faith being counted for righteousness," their faith does not
 justify them as a part, small or great, of their righteousness;
 but as the appointed means of uniting them to Him who has chosen
 as the name whereby he shall be called, "the Lord our
 Righteousness." Pardoned people are the only blessed people. It
 clearly appears from the Scripture, that Abraham was justified
 several years before his circumcision. It is, therefore, plain
 that this rite was not necessary in order to justification. It
 was a sign of the original corruption of human nature. And it
 was such a sign as was also an outward seal, appointed not only
 to confirm God's promises to him and to his seed, and their
 obligation to be the Lord's, but likewise to assure him of his
 being already a real partaker of the righteousness of faith.
 Thus Abraham was the spiritual forefather of all believers, who
 walked after the example of his obedient faith. The seal of the
 Holy Spirit in our sanctification, making us new creatures, is
 the inward evidence of the righteousness of faith.

04891
 #13-22 The promise was made to Abraham long before the law. It
 points at Christ, and it refers to the promise, #Ge 12:3|. In
 Thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. The law worketh
 wrath, by showing that every transgressor is exposed to the
 Divine displeasure. As God intended to give men a title to the
 promised blessings, so he appointed it to be by faith, that it
 might be wholly of grace, to make it sure to all who were of the
 like precious faith with Abraham, whether Jews or Gentiles, in
 all ages. The justification and salvation of sinners, the taking
 to himself the Gentiles who had not been a people, were a
 gracious calling of things which are not, as though they were;
 and this giving a being to things that were not, proves the
 almighty power of God. The nature and power of Abraham's faith
 are shown. He believed God's testimony, and looked for the
 performance of his promise, firmly hoping when the case seemed
 hopeless. It is weakness of faith, that makes a man lie poring
 on the difficulties in the way of a promise. Abraham took it not
 for a point that would admit of argument or debate. Unbelief is
 at the bottom of all our staggerings at God's promises. The
 strength of faith appeared in its victory over fears. God
 honours faith; and great faith honours God. It was imputed to
 him for righteousness. Faith is a grace that of all others gives
 glory to God. Faith clearly is the instrument by which we
 receive the righteousness of God, the redemption which is by
 Christ; and that which is the instrument whereby we take or
 receive it, cannot be the thing itself, nor can it be the gift
 thereby taken and received. Abraham's faith did not justify him
 by its own merit or value, but as giving him a part in Christ.