^| It is unquestionably true that the real salvation of a breaker of the Divine law involves not merely an escape from the penalty of the law, but a title to its reward. He needs something that will carry not only deliverance from danger, but a security for happiness.2
(2) It is not Sanctification. The different relations to it on our part are (a) that righteousness apprehended and appropriated to ourselves by faith, in all its completeness ; upon which God accepts and treats us as actually possessing it; this is what is meant by our justification, or our status of present peace and fellowship with God ; and (6) that righteousness, which is Jesus Christ Himself, through the constant association and participation of faith with Him, gradually but actually imparting Himself to us so as to become to us not only a righteousness in which we believe, but one which at least we begin to possess ; this is what in process or progress we call our sanctification, and when it is completed it will be our glory or glorification.
ii. Gratis and Gracious.
" Being justified freely (as a gift, gratis) by his grace." The sinner is justified as an act of God's free grace. The act itself is the act of God in His judicial capacity, and includes in it the
1 C. S. Home. 2 C. R. Vaughan.
276 JUSTIFICATION
blotting out, the forgiving of all original and actual transgression. All is blotted out. There is not one sin left unremitted. There is a complete obliterating of all evidence of guilt against the sinner. And this act is done freely, graciously.
1. It is free on the part of God in the eternal purpose of it. For He might justly have left men to perish under the guilt of sin.
2. It is free in the means He used to effect it, in the sending of His Son. He was the free gift of His eternally free love. Nothing could have induced Him to this but His own free grace. " He so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have ever- lasting life." "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
3. It is free in the laying of the punishment of our sins upon Rim. It pleased the Father to bruise Him, to put Him to grief. This could only be an act of grace. Hence, " herein is the love of God manifested, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." This was the greatest, the highest proof God could give of His love and grace. Here He went to the utmost in loving — when for our sakes He laid the punishment of sin upon His own dear Son.
4. It is free in the covenant engagement with Christ for us. Christ stood for us, in our place and room. That was arranged in covenant. Nothing but free electing grace could account for this. "According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour." This is all of free grace, and only of free grace. It was according to free grace that He "chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."
5. It is free also in the offer of all this to us in the Gospel. It is offered without money and without price. " Ho ! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, come buy wine and milk without money and without price." " Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." Nothing can be freer or more cordial than this invitation. The poorest is welcome. All are
ROMANS in. 23, 24 277
such ; the feast is prepared for the poor. But the most bankrupt sinner finds himself within the folds of this invitation.
6. It is free, finally, in the actual pardon of them that believe. They have nothing, absolutely nothing, on the ground of which they can ask for this pardon. They must come absolutely bank- rupt, poor and needy, that they may obtain this unspeakable privilege from God. They have made no satisfaction for former transgression. They have no penal or expiatory suffering to merit it. They can have no expectation of future recompense. Whether, then, we consider the pardoner or the pardoned, justifi- cation is equally free — on the part of God who justifies, and on the part of the sinner who is justified. They are justified freely by His grace.1
Eest over me in love, 0 pierced One! Smile on me sadly through my mist of sin, Smile on me sweetly from Thy crown of thorns. As the dawn looketh on the great dark hills, As the hills dawn-touch'd on the great dark sea, Dawn on my heart's great darkness, Prince of Peace!
III.
The Means of our Justification.
" Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."