Justification

Justification is a judicial term, and means an acquittal  from  guilt;  it  stands  opposed,  not  to  punishment, but to the desert of punishment. When a man, charged with a  crime,  is  tried  according  to  the  laws  of  his  country,  the crime is either proved against him or it is not. If it be, he is then pronounced guilty; but if it be not, he is declared to be not  guilty,  or  in  other  words,  he  is justified from  the charge. But if a man be really guilty of a crime, he may be pardoned, but  he  cannot  be justified.
Pardon  is  merely  an exemption  from  punishment,  but  justification  is  freedom from its desert.
If mercy be extended to the criminal, he is pardoned,  but  no  created  power  can  justify  him.  But  what is  impossible  with  men  is  accomplished  by  our  God. Wonder,  O  heavens!  be  astonished  O  earth,  Jehovah  not only pardons, but justifies the ungodly! He not only remits their  punishment,  but  removes  their  sins  also;  so  that heaven,  earth,  and  hell  are challenged  to  bring  one  fault against  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord,  if  they  be  able.  “Who shall  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of  God’s  elect?  it  is  God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died.”  (Rom. 8:38)

The  ideal  meaning  of  the  word  to  justify,  is  expressed  by justice  in  weights  and  measures:  it  is  derived  from  a correct  beam,  just  weights,  a  righteous  balance.  “Ye  shall do  no  unrighteousness  in  judgment,  in  mete  yard,  in weight or in measure. Scales of justice, weights of justice, an  ephah  of  justice,  and  a  hin  of  justice,  shall  ye  have.” [Lev.  xix.  35,  36.]  A  just  or  righteous  man,  therefore,  is one  who,  when  weighed  in  the  balance,  is  not  found wanting;  one  whose  obedience  corresponds  with  the  holy law.  “Judgment    also    will    I    lay    to    the    law,    and righteousness  to the  plummet.”  But  that  obedience  which is in any way lighter or shorter than the holy law of God is not  righteousness;  for  “justice  and  judgment  are  the  basis of  his  throne.”  [Ps.  lxxxix.  14.]  When  Jehovah,  therefore, is said to justify a man, he does more than pardon him; and as  his  judgment  is  always  according  to  truth,  he  never condemns the innocent, nor deals with any as thought they were righteous, who are not really so. Nothing is more common amongst men than the pardon of offences,  but  the  justification  of  an  offender,  consistently with truth, is with them impossible. All that created power can righteously do, is to justify the innocent, and condemn the  guilty.  But  it  is  the  glory  of   Jehovah’s  character,  that he  is  a  just  God,  and  the  justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in Jesus.  In  the  stupendous  work  he  brings  to  nothing  all  the wisdom and disputing of this world. [Is.28:21) In this his masterpiece of wisdom and of power, he accomplishes that  which  with  men  is  impossible;  viz.  a  transfer  of  sin and righteousness, and thus obliterates not only the effectsof sin, but sin itself. And in answer to all the objections of carnal  men,  as  to  the  possibility  of  this  great  event,  it  is thus  written,  “Therefore,  behold,  I  will  proceed  to  do  a marvellous  work among  this  people,  even  a  marvellous work  and  wonder;  for  the  wisdom  of  their  wise  shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.”  This  marvellous   work,  if  we  are  to  believe  an inspired  apostle,  consists  not  in  destroying  the  wisdom  of the  wise,  but  in  that  great  event  by  which  this  effect  is produced.  It  is  no  great  achievement  with  our  God  to destroy  the  wisdom  of  this  world,  but  to  save  and  justify the  ungodly  by  his  precious  blood  of  the  cross  is  an amazing work indeed. This is God’s marvellous work, this is God’s wonder; by which he “destroys the wisdom of the wise,  and  brings  to  nothing  the  understanding  to  the prudent.”
William Rushton

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