JUSTIFICATION

          Justification is an essential truth (or doctrine) in the Christian faith. It is essential because a correct understanding of the principles of this truth is absolutely necessary to assurance of salvation. Without a proper understanding of this truth, those who would seek to approach God would always be held in suspense; for “how should man be just with God”? (Job 9:2) Therefore those who know themselves to be sinners (in themselves in their character and conduct) can never rest and be at perfect peace in the presence of a thrice holy God. To err in this particular is to miss Christ, and that is to miss salvation by Christ. God has only one method whereby he receives his people as just and that is by the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ to their account, as though they had conducted themselves in perfect righteousness all their days. First then, let us start with a definition of justification.

Justification defined; Justification is a gracious act of God, wherein, God declares the object of that work, perfectly; (1) righteous and (2) blameless, without guilt in his sight as judge. It is an act of God in free grace, therefore not the result of merit in those whom God will justify. It is an act of God as judge, whom he will, he declares righteous and not guilty, for the sake of Jesus Christ. It is an act of God according to the edict of divine law, for the law of God recognizes the work of a surety and redeemer, (a substitute) to stand in the judicial place of others.

            Justification, its cause, the first cause of justification is the eternal and immutable purpose and love of God. God is immutable, he never changes, those who he loves are those he has always loved and will love to all eternity. Therefore he says “yea I have loved you with an everlasting love” Jeremiah 31:3 and “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” Revelation 1:4. Fallen mortals are in themselves unlovely and unlovable, Romans 3:10-19. God has loved a people in Jesus Christ from everlasting, for the loved of God is in Christ Jesus our lord, Romans 8:39. God’s love always brings blessedness to the objects of his love and his love never fails to bless its object. The love of God cannot fail for it is boundless, and has all the divine attributes to bring about its purpose. Consider I John 3:17, But who so hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? Now does God have all that is necessary to bless those whom he loves? Yes of course; this is answerable to “who that hath this world’s good” in the verse just referenced. Does God know our need? Yes certainly; answerable to “and seeth his brother have need”. Then will God shut up his bowels of compassion against them? Certainly not, for if God did shut up his bowels of compassion against those who he loved, how could it be, that the love of God dwelt in him?  God’s children have always been his children in the covenant of grace, they have always been blessed in the covenant, and have always been chosen in Jesus Christ, and have always been beloved in Christ. Now even though they fell into sin in Adam, they did not lose their covenant interest in Christ, nor did the love of God cease toward them. It was not the love of God that was affronted, by our fall in Adam, but his justice. And because they are fallen in Adam, the curse of divine law and justice is an obstacle to the blessing of divine grace.

            Justification is a legal implement or means, its purpose is to honor God’s law and to satisfy his justice. The children of God having fallen in Adam, with the rest of the race of men, had become liable to the curse of the law of God. In order to deliver the children of God from this curse, God in covenant arrangements made before the foundation of the world, provided a surety for his children. The children’s surety was to stand in the judicial place of the children. Standing in the judicial place of the children, the surety would both fulfill the obedience required of the children and endure the curse to which the children were liable Hebrews 7:22. All the surety accomplished, all he did, all he suffered, all he was in himself in his office as the surety, was to be and is imputed to those for whom he is surety, for our righteousness is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” Jeremiah 23:6. Likewise the name of the church, his children and bride of Christ, is “The Lord our righteousness” Jeremiah 33:16. This surety of the everlasting covenant of grace is the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, I Corinthians 2:8. By his suretyship the Lord Jesus Christ has procured eternal blessed ness for the children of promise (Galatians 4:28). All the righteousness that is in Jesus Christ, is ascribed to, and laid to the account of the children of promise, it is the righteousness of God, Romans 1:17; 3:21, 22; It was established by Jesus Christ, in his entire mediation of the covenant, and that righteousness is imputed (by the Father) to the children when they are given faith, by which they receive that righteousness. Standing in public office for the children of the covenant, Jesus Christ fulfilled the law of God, (Matthew 5:17and18) by his obedience and death.

            Accordingly; all the children of God have been executed under sentence of God’s law in the body of Jesus Christ, for “I am crucified with Christ” Galatians 2:20; and “so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death” Romans 6:3;(that is we are baptized into union with Christ in death) and “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ”, Romans 7:4 and “And if Christ be in you, the body” (your body) “is dead” (reckoned dead by God) “because of sin;” (sin is a member in our body, Romans 7:23) “but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” Romans 8:10; (that is, the Spirit of Christ is the believers new life; and it is the believers new life because of the righteousness of God which is imputed to the believers  account; now righteousness entitles to life according to God’s law Leviticus 18:5) and; “For ye are dead”(so reckoned of God) “and your life is hide with Christ in God” Colossians 3:3.

Now God does indeed reckon his people dead to the curse of the law and its sentence of death; because we were executed in Christ as his members when he was executed on the cross. Thus the sentence of the law against us is fulfilled in the body of Christ, and the law of God is satisfied toward us in Jesus Christ. In his sufferings and death, the Lord Jesus Christ endured our curse, and in so doing put away our sin, he expiated out sin, legally it is no more, in the sight of God according to his justice we have no sin, past, present, or future. When Christ died he died for all our sins at once, there are none remaining. All my sins were future when Christ died. Now because I am crucified in Jesus Christ under the sentence of God’s law and justice; God will not impute sin to my account ever again, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” Romans 4:8. And again; “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation” II Corinthians 5:19 God will not impute to me that sin which he has already imputed to my surety and that sin which my surety  has already put away. Now the law of God is satisfied toward me as concerns its penal arrangements by the body of Jesus Christ, but the law of God must be obeyed and when this obedience is performed the performance thereof entitles to eternal life. But how shall a man perform that which is beyond his nature, he cannot. Therefore we must look outside of ourselves for this obedience.

Christ Jesus is our all, in all, as he by his sufferings and death satisfied the sentence of death which was upon all his members, so he has obeyed the law in its jot and tittle for all his members in his sojourn on earth, Matthew 5:17, 18 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Now as it was in his sufferings and death, all his members suffered in him in death, so in his obedience, all his members were in union with him in all his perfect obedience in his entire life. Jesus Christ obeyed the law, in thought, word, and deed perfectly all the days of his life, as the surety and mediator of the children’s covenant, and with all his members in him according to the eternal arrangements of that covenant. The Lord Christ earned eternal life for all his members, he merited for himself, and his for own, the reward of life. Therefore the children have rendered perfect obedience to the law and justice of God in him who is their life, Jesus Christ, Colossians 3:4. The children were in Christ in his obedience as they were in Adam in his sin. So that, “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” Romans 5:19. When God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is the righteousness of God, to the account of any sinner, that righteousness imputed to his account entitles that sinner to eternal life, it is his “right to the tree of life” (Revelation 22:14). If you do not have right and title to eternal life through Jesus Christ, then certainly you shall not have it. The saints of God are sinners saved by grace, and they will remain sinners all the days of their lives, but never the less, they are saints when they believe on Jesus Christ and receive all righteousness from his bounty. Reader; if your life is not as pure as the life of Jesus Christ, if your thoughts, words, deeds, attitudes, and desires are not absolutely perfectly holy, having always been so from the inception of life to its terminus, then you are a sinner, though you may be a saved sinner, yet in person, character and conduct you are a sinner, as is the writer. Therefore the testimony of the apostle is particularly precious to the people of God, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners; of whom I am chief, I Timothy 1:15.

A.J. Ison

   

Of His Own Will Begot He Us Part Two

James 1:18

            Of his own will begot he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

             Begot he us by the word of truth; he, in this clause has reference to God; and it may be said that the three persons of the Godhead are in view. The first cause of the creation of the race of men is that the infinite glory of God’s immutable love, purpose and grace as well as his justice, truth, and holiness should be made manifest by God’s dealings with them, the highest privilege of the race is that they may enjoy fellowship with God forever. In Ephesians 1:3-5 the Apostle Paul declares the election and predestination of certain persons by God the Father; to adoption of children by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of the Father’s will. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (in the everlasting covenant of grace, or in the heavenlies, or in heavenly things, all to the same purport) “in Christ, According as he hath chosen 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 to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,”. Then in verse 6 the Apostle gives the reason for these actions; “To the praise of the glory of his grace, through which he made us accepted in the beloved;” thus election and predestination are ascribed to God the Father, to the praise of the glory of his grace.

 Next: in Ephesians 1:7-12; Redemption by the blood of Christ, is declared, and the reason of it given as “the praise of his glory”. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgivness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, In which he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself; That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in earth, even in him; In whom we have an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ;”

Then in Ephesians 1:13&14 the effectual call of the Spirit is in view, and the reason of it “unto the praise of his glory”. “In whom ye also trusted, (that is Christ) after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

From this it may be ascertained that the existence of the church is in the first place: unto the manifestation of the glory of God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The instrumental medium in the effectual call (or spiritual birth) of those ordained to eternal life (Acts 13:48) is the word of truth.

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth; in the scriptures to beget is to cause to conceive. Thus: Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. The cause of natural conception is the seed of the father, so that it may be said that the seed of the father is the instrumental cause of conception, or the producing cause. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (this is natural birth) and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (this is spiritual birth). As natural seed is the producing cause in natural birth; so, spiritual seed is the producing cause is spiritual birth. The immediate producing cause of spiritual birth is the power of the Holy Ghost, the instrumental means used by the Holy Ghost, in producing that birth is the word of truth. The bare word; apart from the power of the Holy Spirit will not produce a spiritual birth, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not prophet them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (Hebrews 4:2). Now faith is the fruit of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22); so that where faith is, there is the presence and powerful operation of the Holy Spirit. For He it is that generates and gives faith by the word, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”(Ephesians 2:8), and  “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17). So that the word; planted in the heart of any sinner, by the Holy Ghost, is the whole immediate producing cause of the spiritual birth of that particular sinner. The first cause of the spiritual birth of any is the will of God the Father according to election, (I Peter 1:2). The procuring cause, is redemption of that sinner by the blood of Jesus Christ, (Ephesians 1:6); (Romans 3:25). As stated earlier; the immediate producing cause is the word of truth planted in the heart by the Holy Spirit, for “of his own will begat he us by the word of truth.”

A.J.Ison

Of His Own Will Begot He Us

                                                               James 1:18

            Of his own will begot he us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

            Of his own will; God’s will: always was and always is and always shall be the motivating factor in the regeneration of the elect. There was nothing in the elect either negative or positive that moved God in the choice of this or that particular person; for it is “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9). Again; “For we ourselves (that is the regenerated elect) were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hatful, and hating one another. But after the kindness and love of God, our Savior, toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost,” (Titus 3:3-5). Also, in another verse of the inerrant word it is written,  “Who (that is God) hath saved us and called us, with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (II Timothy 1:9); verses could be multiplied as blades of grass, but one more will exemplify the truth, “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth), It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” (Romans 9:11-13).

            Of his own will; God’s will: alone, and apart from the works of his creatures, was the first cause of his election of any to salvation. (Election itself is not salvation but is unto salvation by Jesus Christ.) All earthly distinctions disappear in the presence of the Living God, for; “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?” (Romans 9:21). Does God accept any person because of his or her achievements or status, either socially, financially, politically, morally, or in any earthly way that may favorably affect God’s choice? No; for it is “not of works, but of him that calleth” (Romans 9:11). Nay: “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come also a poor man in vile raiment, And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my foot stool, Are ye not partial in yourselves, and became judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called? If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well; But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced (convicted) of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all.” (James 2:1-10)

            Of his own will; God’s will; “By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”(Hebrews 10:10) God’s will brings about the effectual call of the elect; “ for ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things that are not, to bring to naught the things which are, That no flesh should glory in  his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus (that is, the regenerated elect or the saints of God) who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:26-31).

            Of his own will; God’s will; is the first cause in any, and all of them; “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13) “So then it is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”(Romans 9:16)

            But some will wickedly say; Oh no; man must make his own decision by an act of his own free will. This is the doctrine of antichrist: for first of all it is not true; for how can that be called free which is taken captive by the devil at his will? (II Timothy 2:26) Secondly the Holy Ghost teaches in multiplied scriptures that man in his natural state will never come to God by something that is in him at natural birth; but will always resist unto death if not overcome by a power greater than himself. For “every imagination (the Hebrew word signifies not only imagination but also purposes and desires) of the thoughts of his (man’) heart only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5). The following is a list of scriptures that proves that natural men and women will not, of their own will seek after the Lord. Jeremiah 6:16,17;  Jer.13:11,27;  Jer.18:12; Isaiah 1:4-6; Isa. 48:4-8; Psalm 51:5; Ps. 58:3,5 John 5:40; Romans 3:11, the list could be extended but this list has set forth the truth. “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13:9

A.J. Ison

Sanctification Part Three

Text: II Thessalonians 2:13.

             

Sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

Called by, sanctification of the Spirit.

           

This call, is the effectual call, which is the grant and positive gift of spiritual and eternal life to dead sinners, who died in Adam, I Corinthians 15:22. This work is everywhere in scripture ascribed to the Holy Ghost, who is the third sovereign person of the triune God. He is a sovereign agent, and acts as he will, upon whom he will, at what time he will, if he will, and all his workings are according to the terms of the everlasting covenant of grace, which was formed by the three persons of the one true and living God before anything existed but God himself.

Sanctification of the Spirit is that work of the Holy Spirit whereby he gives new life to dead sinners. The terms of the covenant are these “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying know the Lord; for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:33-34, and in chapter 32: 39-40 “And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they will not depart from me. The sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost is also promised in Ezekiel 36; 26-27 “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. The Apostle Peter wrote to the “Elect according to the foreknowledge (foreordained to eternal life because beloved of God from everlasting) of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit” I Peter 1:2 this is that sanctification of the Spirit promised by the prophets, which gives a new heart to love the Lord God (Deuteronomy 30:6). It is the giving of the Spirit of adoption, whereby the children of God cry Abba Father (Galatians 4:5-6). It is the reception of the divine nature (II Peter 1:4, the nature of the children of God) with new desires of pleasing the Father, and a loathing of sin for what it is. 

The sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost are those works; whereby he gathers together the members of the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and joins them together in one Body (John 11:52; Ephesians 1:10; I Corinthians 12:12-14, 27; 6:17 ) This is that new creation which is created in Christ Jesus, ( Ephesians 2:10) of which the old creation was a but a type, for “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep, And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,” Genesis 1:2.The waters, that is, the matter prepared for the creative operations of the Holy Ghost, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Just so the elect of God are those that comprise that matter assembled for the creative operations of the Holy Ghost in the second and new and ultimate creation (that glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing). These are called darkness (Ephesians 5:8 ) and are said to have the understanding darkened (Ephesians 4:18).  The Holy Spirit is He who formed the human body of Jesus Christ in womb of the virgin, and just so, it is He who now gathers together the spiritual or mystical body of Christ, not one of his members shall not be sought out and joined to the body by the Spirit. “For ye are bought with a price (I Corinthians 6:20) the sufferings, blood shedding, and death of the Son of God; and are sanctified by God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

A.J.Ison

Sanctification Part Two

Text: I Corinthians 1:2

           

 Sanctified in Jesus Christ

            Notice that those who are sanctified by God the Father are preserved or sanctified in Jesus Christ, Jude verse one. During the flood of Noah’s day, the elect of God were secured in God’s ark which Noah built. The ark which Noah built is an Old Testament type of Jesus Christ, (who is the Old Testament ark’s, antitype) in whom God has secured his elect from all eternity; (Psalms 90:1) having chosen his elect in Jesus Christ before the world was.

The Father declares in Isaiah 42:1 “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect in whom my soul delighteth;” Jesus Christ is God’s elect; all the people of God are chosen in him (Christ). The Lord Jesus Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:20) He was set up (ordained and installed) in all his offices toward the election of grace (that is the Church of God or the Israel of God) from all eternity, (Proverbs 8:23). Those who are chosen in Christ, are chosen by God the Father and set apart in Christ, in whom they are preserved, they are set apart to partake of the benefit of having Christ  Jesus as their mediator to bring them to God. The elect of God have Jesus Christ as their covenant and federal head. God’s elect, his sanctified ones, that body, of which Jesus Christ is the head, have Christ Jesus as their advocate, who takes up and pleads their cause before his Father. The children of God are chosen in Jesus Christ, Ephesians 1:1-23, II Thessalonians 2:13-17, Romans 8: 28-39. The immutable God has loved his elect in Christ from all eternity Jeremiah 31:3, Revelation 1:5, Malachi 3:6, and therefore has placed them in covenant in Christ as their surety from everlasting, In whom they were kept secure even through the fall of Adam, Jesus Christ is God’s elect and all his members are chosen of God in him, an called.

The effect of this sanctification in Jesus Christ

Is there an immediate fruit and effect of this sanctification in Christ by God the Father? Yes, there is a necessary consequent of this sanctification.