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The Faith that Justifies, February 15
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:1
.
Justification by faith is to many a mystery. A sinner is justified by God
when he repents of his sins. He sees Jesus upon the cross of Calvary.... He
looks to the atoning Sacrifice as his only hope, through repentance toward
God—because the laws of His government have been broken—and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ as the One who can save and cleanse the
sinner from every transgression.
The mediatorial work of Christ commenced with the commencement
of human guilt and suffering and misery, as soon as man became a trans-
gressor. The law was not abolished to save man and bring him into union
with God. But Christ assumed the office of his surety and deliverer in
becoming
sin for man
, that man might become the righteousness of God
in and through Him who was one with the Father. Sinners can be jus-
tified by God only when He pardons their sins, remits the punishment
they deserve, and treats them as though they were really just and had not
sinned, receiving them into divine favor and treating them as if they were
righteous. They are justified alone through the imputed righteousness of
Christ. The Father accepts the Son, and through the atoning sacrifice of
His Son accepts the sinner....
There are thousands who believe in the gospel and in Jesus Christ as
the world’s Redeemer, but they are not saved by that faith.... They do not
repent and have that faith that lays hold upon Christ as their sin-pardoning
Saviour; their belief is not unto repentance....
The faith that justifies always produces first true repentance, and then
good works, which are the fruit of that faith. There is no saving faith that
does not produce good fruit. God gave Christ to our world to become
the sinner’s substitute. The moment true faith in the merits of the costly
atoning sacrifice is exercised, claiming Christ as a personal Saviour, that
moment the sinner is justified before God, because he is pardoned.
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