Justified Freely Part II

 

Justified Freely   Part II

 

Romans 3:24

 

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

 

Being justified freely by his grace: Often the definition of grace is given as follows: Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. Certainly it is unmerited for there is nothing in sinners that could qualify as worthy of God’s favor. Perhaps the best way to understand the principle of the grace of God is to give a scriptural account of the grace of God in action. In that regard consider the writing of the Prophet Isaiah: “But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices: but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” (Isaiah 43:22-25).

 

In these verses God brings before Israel many grievous charges. (1.) They had not called on the name of the Lord. They had neglected prayer, and since they had neglected prayer, they most likely had neglected other worship. Both these are indications of unbelief, and the first steps of final apostacy. (2.) The Israelites had been weary of God. This condition of the soul is evident by their lack of prayer, they had been weary of the word, worship, and ordinances of God “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD” (Malachi 1:13). (3.) They had not brought the “small cattle of their burnt offerings” they had neglected the use of the alter of burnt offerings, this was a total neglect of the worship of the God of Israel. In that they had neglected the offerings of the small cattle, lambs and goats, no doubt they had not brought the larger animals like bullocks or oxen. By this it appears that the daily sacrifice, the morning and the evening sacrifice of lambs had been neglected. (4.) They had not honored God with their sacrifices, since they had neglected the offerings of the lambs, goats, rams, and bullocks, on the alter, there most likely were no meat offerings, no peace offerings, there were no offerings to celebrate the communion of the worshipers with their God. It seems Israel had totally departed from the living God. (5.) They had bought no Calamus which was used in the anointing oil and was here called sweet cane. It was expensive and had to be bought with money, the Israelites had ceased its use. (6.) The fat of the sacrifices was supposed to be burned on the alter of burnt offerings. God claimed the fat and the blood of the sacrifices for His own. (7.) Their sins and iniquities were so many they had wearied the infinite One.

 

Now what will God do with this iniquitous people? God says to them by the prophet: “ I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isaiah 43:25). And God says to the saved of all ages: “Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:32). The perverse nature of the natural man has not changed since the fall of our father Adam. When Adam fell in sin and spiritual death all his descendants fell in him and unless God will be gracious to natural man and deliver him from the grip of that spiritual death he will eventually go down to the pit.

 

 

 But God waits for the fullness of His appointed times to be gracious, as it is written: “Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit. For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him” (Isaiah 30:8-18).

 

It is the quickening power of the Holy Ghost that first gives life to the dead sinner as it is written “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:1-9) And the Holy Ghost continues that work until the child of God is at home in glory: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6) “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). By the grace of God are we saved by Jesus Christ and “He shall bring forth the headstone thereof (the spiritual temple of the Lord which is the church of God: writer) with shoutings, crying,Grace, grace unto it” (Zechariah 4:7).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writers blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the truth of the gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.