WHEN a man becomes troubled about his sins and anxious to get right with God about them, he almost invariably commences, as we say, to turn over a new leaf, and to amend his life. The inmost thought of his deceitful heart is to make up for the past by an endeavor to act rightly in the present and for the future. In all this he but manifests the darkness of his heart and mind, and that he has no true sense of God’s holiness and claims, or how he can be pardoned and justified in His sight. Satan, our arch-enemy, will do his utmost to keep him in the dark, and to hide from him the only true way in which he can be justified in God’s sight. But it is worse than folly to follow our own thoughts, when God has so plainly and graciously spoken in His Word. Therein He has set forth in the clearest manner possible the only ground on which He can pardon the sinner and justify him. The great question is not what we think, but what He says. What then saith the Scripture?
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)).
“So much work, so much pay,” is a common axiom in the things of this world. If a man works for another, his pay is a debt, and not an act of grace on the part of the employer. The money is earnt. But God is dealing with us in quite a different way altogether. He gave His only begotten Son, Who, made sin on the Cross, bore its judgment and died (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)). In Him God has been glorified, and the mighty work of redemption accomplished. God has set Him forth as a mercy-seat, and now grace reigns. And grace does not demand but gives. A work was needed ere God could justify a sinner. But no one could do that work but Jesus, God’s Son. He undertook it, and did it. It was done nearly nineteen centuries ago, and hence every effort of man today to propitiate God by his works is utterly in vain. It is a denial of the finished work of Christ.
On that ground, and on that ground only, God justifies. Hence the blessed statement that we have cited from Romans 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5). “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Weigh it well, dear reader, “To him that worketh not.” To him that ceases from his fleshly working to make amends for the past, and to justify himself, which is the very essence of Pharisaism. “To him that worketh not, but believeth.” Mark that. Not to him who merely assents with his understanding, but to him who believes with the heart. To him who believes on God, who takes Him at His word, and rests in childlike faith and simplicity on what He says. And what does He say? That He justifies the ungodly and counts the believer’s faith for righteousness. What could be more simple?
But, maybe after all, you are puzzled at His justifying the ungodly. We are not surprised.
Self-righteousness does not die easily. If it said, justifieth the godly, it would more nearly coincide with your thoughts, would it not? Ah, yes, that’s it, we think we hear you saying. If only I were godly, I could understand how a holy and just God could justify me. Exactly. If only you were godly. But that is just what you feel and know you are not; and learn, once and forever, you never will be after the flesh. That “if” upsets it all. And if it could be what would be the result? Why, your righteousness would avail before God: you would be fit for His presence without a Saviour at all!
O, cast your deadly doing down; God will have none of it! “To him that worketh not.” So runs the precious message of the Gospel. It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done.” It is “not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:99Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9)). Nay, nay, God does not justify the godly. Were it so, not.one would be justified. Let His living Word speak in power to your soul. He justifies the ungodly. He justifies the one who is the very opposite of Himself. He does not justify ungodliness. Far be the thought. But He justifies the ungodly sinner from his ungodliness who believes on Him. He seeks no righteousness from you, and when you give up your wretched and futile efforts to produce it, and cry “ungodly,” and believe on Him, He will count your faith for righteousness. You get righteousness before Him, where He found it, not in yourself, but in Christ.
In the context of the passage of Scripture we have been dwelling upon, we get two remarkable examples of faith―Abraham before the law was given, and David after. Both, having believed the promises of God, were justified on the same blessed principle of faith. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Rom. 4:33For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (Romans 4:3)). And David describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works (Rom. 4:66Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, (Romans 4:6)).
And who could describe that blessedness, and the joy of it in his own soul, better than one who had so deeply sinned; and who, if he had been dealt with on the ground of his works, must have perished without hope? But hear his own language, true for himself, true for Abraham, and true for every one that believeth. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Rom. 4:7, 87Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. (Romans 4:7‑8)). Every one that believeth comes into that blessed company. He is accounted righteous by faith without works; his iniquities are forgiven, his sins are covered, and no sin whatsoever is laid to his charge. Well may the Psalmist pronounce him blessed!
But some man may say, That is all very well, but do you mean to say that good works are shut out of the Gospel plan altogether? God forbid! But they are most surely wholly and fully shut out as the ground of our pardon or justification. The moment to that end you attempt to introduce them in any form whatever, you are beginning to do despite to Christ. But the moment you have believed God, and are resting on the finished work of Christ, His Son, good works begin. The knowledge of pardon and justification through and in Christ, apart from yourself and self’s miserable doings, will fill your soul with gratitude to and affection for Him Who has done all for you. And the deep desire will spring up in your heart to please Him in all things, to do good works, and to bring forth fruit to His praise. “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 11:17). But where faith is living, it produces living effects. God puts His Spirit within the believer, and “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”