{"id":3420,"date":"2015-09-07T07:36:37","date_gmt":"2015-09-07T07:36:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=3420"},"modified":"2015-09-07T07:36:37","modified_gmt":"2015-09-07T07:36:37","slug":"justification","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=3420","title":{"rendered":"Justification"},"content":{"rendered":"

Justification is a judicial term, and means an acquittal\u00a0 from\u00a0 guilt;\u00a0 it\u00a0 stands\u00a0 opposed,\u00a0 not\u00a0 to\u00a0 punishment, but to the desert of punishment. When a man, charged with a\u00a0 crime,\u00a0 is\u00a0 tried\u00a0 according\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 laws\u00a0 of\u00a0 his\u00a0 country,\u00a0 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\u00a0 guilty,\u00a0 or\u00a0 in\u00a0 other\u00a0 words,\u00a0 he\u00a0 is justified from\u00a0 the charge. But if a man be really guilty of a crime, he may be pardoned, but\u00a0 he\u00a0 cannot\u00a0 be justified.
\nPardon\u00a0 is\u00a0 merely\u00a0 an exemption\u00a0 from\u00a0 punishment,\u00a0 but\u00a0 justification\u00a0 is\u00a0 freedom from its desert.
\nIf mercy be extended to the criminal, he is pardoned,\u00a0 but\u00a0 no\u00a0 created\u00a0 power\u00a0 can\u00a0 justify\u00a0 him.\u00a0 But\u00a0 what is\u00a0 impossible\u00a0 with\u00a0 men\u00a0 is\u00a0 accomplished\u00a0 by\u00a0 our\u00a0 God. Wonder,\u00a0 O\u00a0 heavens!\u00a0 be\u00a0 astonished\u00a0 O\u00a0 earth,\u00a0 Jehovah\u00a0 not only pardons, but justifies the ungodly! He not only remits their\u00a0 punishment,\u00a0 but\u00a0 removes\u00a0 their\u00a0 sins\u00a0 also;\u00a0 so\u00a0 that heaven,\u00a0 earth,\u00a0 and\u00a0 hell\u00a0 are challenged\u00a0 to\u00a0 bring\u00a0 one\u00a0 fault against\u00a0 the\u00a0 ransomed\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 Lord,\u00a0 if\u00a0 they\u00a0 be\u00a0 able.\u00a0 \u201cWho shall\u00a0 lay\u00a0 any\u00a0 thing\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 charge\u00a0 of\u00a0 God\u2019s\u00a0 elect?\u00a0 it\u00a0 is\u00a0 God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? it is Christ that died.\u201d\u00a0 (Rom. 8:38<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The\u00a0 ideal\u00a0 meaning\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 word\u00a0 to\u00a0 justify,\u00a0 is\u00a0 expressed\u00a0 by justice\u00a0 in\u00a0 weights\u00a0 and\u00a0 measures:\u00a0 it\u00a0 is\u00a0 derived\u00a0 from\u00a0 a correct\u00a0 beam,\u00a0 just\u00a0 weights,\u00a0 a\u00a0 righteous\u00a0 balance.\u00a0 \u201cYe\u00a0 shall do\u00a0 no\u00a0 unrighteousness\u00a0 in\u00a0 judgment,\u00a0 in\u00a0 mete\u00a0 yard,\u00a0 in weight or in measure. Scales of justice, weights of justice, an\u00a0 ephah\u00a0 of\u00a0 justice,\u00a0 and\u00a0 a\u00a0 hin\u00a0 of\u00a0 justice,\u00a0 shall\u00a0 ye\u00a0 have.\u201d [Lev.\u00a0 xix.\u00a0 35,\u00a0 36.]\u00a0 A\u00a0 just\u00a0 or\u00a0 righteous\u00a0 man,\u00a0 therefore,\u00a0 is one\u00a0 who,\u00a0 when\u00a0 weighed\u00a0 in\u00a0 the\u00a0 balance,\u00a0 is\u00a0 not\u00a0 found wanting;\u00a0 one\u00a0 whose\u00a0 obedience\u00a0 corresponds\u00a0 with\u00a0 the\u00a0 holy law.\u00a0 \u201cJudgment\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 also\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 will\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 lay\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 to\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 law,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 and righteousness\u00a0 to the\u00a0 plummet.\u201d\u00a0 But\u00a0 that\u00a0 obedience\u00a0 which is in any way lighter or shorter than the holy law of God is not\u00a0 righteousness;\u00a0 for\u00a0 \u201cjustice\u00a0 and\u00a0 judgment\u00a0 are\u00a0 the\u00a0 basis of\u00a0 his\u00a0 throne.\u201d\u00a0 [Ps.\u00a0 lxxxix.\u00a0 14.]\u00a0 When\u00a0 Jehovah,\u00a0 therefore, is said to justify a man, he does more than pardon him; and as\u00a0 his\u00a0 judgment\u00a0 is\u00a0 always\u00a0 according\u00a0 to\u00a0 truth,\u00a0 he\u00a0 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,\u00a0 but\u00a0 the\u00a0 justification\u00a0 of\u00a0 an\u00a0 offender,\u00a0 consistently with truth, is with them impossible. All that created power can righteously do, is to justify the innocent, and condemn the\u00a0 guilty.\u00a0 But\u00a0 it\u00a0 is\u00a0 the\u00a0 glory\u00a0 of\u00a0\u00a0 Jehovah\u2019s\u00a0 character,\u00a0 that he\u00a0 is\u00a0 a\u00a0 just\u00a0 God,\u00a0 and\u00a0 the\u00a0 justifier\u00a0 of\u00a0 him\u00a0 that\u00a0 believeth\u00a0 in Jesus.\u00a0 In\u00a0 the\u00a0 stupendous\u00a0 work\u00a0 he\u00a0 brings\u00a0 to\u00a0 nothing\u00a0 all\u00a0 the wisdom and disputing of this world. [Is.28:21<\/a>) In this his masterpiece of wisdom and of power, he accomplishes that\u00a0 which\u00a0 with\u00a0 men\u00a0 is\u00a0 impossible;\u00a0 viz.\u00a0 a\u00a0 transfer\u00a0 of\u00a0 sin and righteousness, and thus obliterates not only the effectsof sin, but sin itself. And in answer to all the objections of carnal\u00a0 men,\u00a0 as\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 possibility\u00a0 of\u00a0 this\u00a0 great\u00a0 event,\u00a0 it\u00a0 is thus\u00a0 written,\u00a0 \u201cTherefore,\u00a0 behold,\u00a0 I\u00a0 will\u00a0 proceed\u00a0 to\u00a0 do\u00a0 a marvellous\u00a0 work among\u00a0 this\u00a0 people,\u00a0 even\u00a0 a\u00a0 marvellous work\u00a0 and\u00a0 wonder;\u00a0 for\u00a0 the\u00a0 wisdom\u00a0 of\u00a0 their\u00a0 wise\u00a0 shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.\u201d\u00a0 This\u00a0 marvellous\u00a0\u00a0 work,\u00a0 if\u00a0 we\u00a0 are\u00a0 to\u00a0 believe\u00a0 an inspired\u00a0 apostle,\u00a0 consists\u00a0 not\u00a0 in\u00a0 destroying\u00a0 the\u00a0 wisdom\u00a0 of the\u00a0 wise,\u00a0 but\u00a0 in\u00a0 that\u00a0 great\u00a0 event\u00a0 by\u00a0 which\u00a0 this\u00a0 effect\u00a0 is produced.\u00a0 It\u00a0 is\u00a0 no\u00a0 great\u00a0 achievement\u00a0 with\u00a0 our\u00a0 God\u00a0 to destroy\u00a0 the\u00a0 wisdom\u00a0 of\u00a0 this\u00a0 world,\u00a0 but\u00a0 to\u00a0 save\u00a0 and\u00a0 justify the\u00a0 ungodly\u00a0 by\u00a0 his\u00a0 precious\u00a0 blood\u00a0 of\u00a0 the\u00a0 cross\u00a0 is\u00a0 an amazing work indeed. This is God\u2019s marvellous work, this is God\u2019s wonder; by which he \u201cdestroys the wisdom of the wise,\u00a0 and\u00a0 brings\u00a0 to\u00a0 nothing\u00a0 the\u00a0 understanding\u00a0 to\u00a0 the prudent.\u201d
\nWilliam Rushton<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Justification is a judicial term, and means an acquittal\u00a0 from\u00a0 guilt;\u00a0 it\u00a0 stands\u00a0 opposed,\u00a0 not\u00a0 to\u00a0 punishment, but to the desert of punishment. When a man, charged with a\u00a0 crime,\u00a0 is\u00a0 tried\u00a0 according\u00a0 to\u00a0 the\u00a0 laws\u00a0 of\u00a0 his\u00a0 country,\u00a0 the crime is either proved against him or it is not. If it be, he is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[113,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-william-rushton","category-justification"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3420"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3421,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3420\/revisions\/3421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}