Faith in Justification considered from the scriptures. Continue from #254, 259
First, not any shall be saved by Christ, but those who were predestinated in him, according to God’s eternal purpose, Ephesians 1:4-5, 3:11, and that there was not any foreseen faith or works in any kind why he chose these rather than others; the will of God was the cause one was chosen and not another; all was according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise and glory of his grace. Ephesians 1:5-6. “What then? Are we better than they? No, in nowise,” etc., Romans 3:9, it was from His great love “wherewith He loved us.” Ephesians 2:4. This love of God was the cause of God’s sending Christ, John 3:16, and the chief cause of man’s election and salvation. Ist John 4:10; Ephesians 1:4; John 17:23. And that it is impossible for this great love to decrease or increase, because it is infinite, Isaiah 45:17; Psalms103:17, God being perfect and infinite, Isaiah 40:28, knowing and understanding all things that ever were, are, or shall be at once; his purpose being infinite and everlasting, in and of himself. So one pure act of Grace, therefore when we were chosen in Christ, we were justified and complete in Christ, God looking upon the Elect to be in Christ before the world was, Ephesians 1:4, and so the LORD ever looks upon the Elect; in as much that they ever appear to Him perfect and righteous as Christ; for they are one, and are in Him. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (Ist Corinthians 1:30} You are in Christ Jesus, and ever shall be in him, being justified freely by his grace in his sight. Romans 3:24. God properly was never wroth with Christ, nor the elect, (as subsisting in Christ,) and therefore Christ could not suffer God’s wrath, Hebrews 2:9; so that in respect of their justification, God sees no sin in any of the Elect, even before their calling and after. And as it is God’s will, so it should be ours, to set His glory above our salvation, “that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)
Secondly, in time the Elect did break a holy and just Law, and so lay under the curse and wrath thereof, which was death. Romans 3:23. Christ in our nature, and for our persons suffered death, Hebrews 2:9, (the penalty,) to free all the Elect, so that they are now actually justified by the Justice of God, “that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:26. If God should have justified us, without this propitiation, after he had made this Law, and we breaking it, he could not have been just, but having received this propitiation at the hands of a Surety, Hebrews 7:22, he could not be just, if he did not justify all the Elect. “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” (Isaiah 45:21) “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation.” (Zechariah 9:9)
Thirdly, the soul by faith doth apprehend and apply Christ, and what he hath done, to be for him, by which it knows itself to be justified in the sight of God, and in the Word, and in his own conscience. Whence flows joy and peace in believing, Rom.5:1, because all that believe are justified, Acts 13:39, “and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, " Acts 13:48, so that by believing, I know that I am ordained to eternal life, because God’s word saith so, and that we are justified in his sight without the deeds of the Law, Romans 3:20,28, via, by faith we apprehend ourselves to be freely and fully justified by Christ, without any works of our own, Galatians 2:16, without any addition of inherent goodness in us, etc. but by the faith and obedience of Jesus Christ alone.
Fourthly, by our works in our outward subjection to Christ, to his word, we declare to men (as far as they can judge) that we by grace, are in possession of “the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.” (Titus 1:1) Thou, O Lord, knows the hearts of all men; but faith without works is dead to men, and buried also, James 2:18,20, for if there be no works, they can see nothing of it; “show me thy faith by thy works;" we see then how by works a man is justified in the sight of men. (James 2:24). In the first place we are justified in respect of the knowledge and purpose of God in his sight. Secondly, we are actually and virtually justified in Justice by the blood of Christ, which paid the debt; now the full price, the full debt being paid, is it justice in law by God or man, to require it again? Surely no! Thirdly, by faith we are justified in our Consciences, by the Holy Spirit’s manifestation and application of Christ’s righteousness unto us. And lastly, we are justified before men, or unto men, by such good works which bear testimony to our union to Christ.
First, not any shall be saved by Christ, but those who were predestinated in him, according to God’s eternal purpose, Ephesians 1:4-5, 3:11, and that there was not any foreseen faith or works in any kind why he chose these rather than others; the will of God was the cause one was chosen and not another; all was according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise and glory of his grace. Ephesians 1:5-6. “What then? Are we better than they? No, in nowise,” etc., Romans 3:9, it was from His great love “wherewith He loved us.” Ephesians 2:4. This love of God was the cause of God’s sending Christ, John 3:16, and the chief cause of man’s election and salvation. Ist John 4:10; Ephesians 1:4; John 17:23. And that it is impossible for this great love to decrease or increase, because it is infinite, Isaiah 45:17; Psalms103:17, God being perfect and infinite, Isaiah 40:28, knowing and understanding all things that ever were, are, or shall be at once; his purpose being infinite and everlasting, in and of himself. So one pure act of Grace, therefore when we were chosen in Christ, we were justified and complete in Christ, God looking upon the Elect to be in Christ before the world was, Ephesians 1:4, and so the LORD ever looks upon the Elect; in as much that they ever appear to Him perfect and righteous as Christ; for they are one, and are in Him. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (Ist Corinthians 1:30} You are in Christ Jesus, and ever shall be in him, being justified freely by his grace in his sight. Romans 3:24. God properly was never wroth with Christ, nor the elect, (as subsisting in Christ,) and therefore Christ could not suffer God’s wrath, Hebrews 2:9; so that in respect of their justification, God sees no sin in any of the Elect, even before their calling and after. And as it is God’s will, so it should be ours, to set His glory above our salvation, “that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7)
Secondly, in time the Elect did break a holy and just Law, and so lay under the curse and wrath thereof, which was death. Romans 3:23. Christ in our nature, and for our persons suffered death, Hebrews 2:9, (the penalty,) to free all the Elect, so that they are now actually justified by the Justice of God, “that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Romans 3:26. If God should have justified us, without this propitiation, after he had made this Law, and we breaking it, he could not have been just, but having received this propitiation at the hands of a Surety, Hebrews 7:22, he could not be just, if he did not justify all the Elect. “Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the LORD? And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.” (Isaiah 45:21) “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation.” (Zechariah 9:9)
Thirdly, the soul by faith doth apprehend and apply Christ, and what he hath done, to be for him, by which it knows itself to be justified in the sight of God, and in the Word, and in his own conscience. Whence flows joy and peace in believing, Rom.5:1, because all that believe are justified, Acts 13:39, “and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, " Acts 13:48, so that by believing, I know that I am ordained to eternal life, because God’s word saith so, and that we are justified in his sight without the deeds of the Law, Romans 3:20,28, via, by faith we apprehend ourselves to be freely and fully justified by Christ, without any works of our own, Galatians 2:16, without any addition of inherent goodness in us, etc. but by the faith and obedience of Jesus Christ alone.
Fourthly, by our works in our outward subjection to Christ, to his word, we declare to men (as far as they can judge) that we by grace, are in possession of “the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.” (Titus 1:1) Thou, O Lord, knows the hearts of all men; but faith without works is dead to men, and buried also, James 2:18,20, for if there be no works, they can see nothing of it; “show me thy faith by thy works;" we see then how by works a man is justified in the sight of men. (James 2:24). In the first place we are justified in respect of the knowledge and purpose of God in his sight. Secondly, we are actually and virtually justified in Justice by the blood of Christ, which paid the debt; now the full price, the full debt being paid, is it justice in law by God or man, to require it again? Surely no! Thirdly, by faith we are justified in our Consciences, by the Holy Spirit’s manifestation and application of Christ’s righteousness unto us. And lastly, we are justified before men, or unto men, by such good works which bear testimony to our union to Christ.
