ABRAHAM is set before us as the great example of
justification by faith. In the epistle to the Romans, after showing that
no one comes up to the standard of God's glory, Paul makes known the
foundation truth of the evangel of the Uncircumcision, that justification
is by gratuitous grace, through faith (Rom.3:22-26). He then enlarges on
this and shows that Abraham was justified by faith before he was
circumcised. In our search for the underlying basis for the evangel for
today, we will consider carefully what is revealed concerning Abraham at
the time of his justification, and, later, when he was circumcised, and,
in this way, throw further light upon the truth, so that we may grasp the
full import of justification, the importation of God's righteousness, as
contrasted with pardon or forgiveness, which is for the Circumcision, for
this is a basic distinction between the two.
First, however, let us consider briefly what Paul
reveals concerning this great grace. To begin with, he tells us that his
evangel is God's power for salvation to everyone who is believing
because in it God's righteousness is revealed for faith
(Rom.1:16,17). Here we have a tremendous contrast to almost all previous
revelation. There we are occupied with man's righteousness or rather unrighteousness,
from Adam on, and especially after Israel was given the law of Moses.
Hitherto God's righteousness condemned man. Now it is made a part of
the evangel to save him. Heretofore the revelation of His justice was
against all because of their unrighteous acts, now it is on all who
are believing because it is a gratuitous gift of grace bestowed on men
for their faith (Rom.3:21-24). Hitherto man has sought to display his
righteousness through his deeds, and failed. Now God displays His
righteousness by justifying those who believe, and it is an unqualified
success (Rom.3:24-26).
No man, of course, could acquire God's righteousness by
means of his deeds. At best he could only establish one of his own. Nor
can a man acquire his own righteousness by believing. It is God's
righteousness that is reckoned ours by faith. This shows one of the vital
distinctions between the evangel for the Circumcision and the
Uncircumcision. In uncircumcision Abraham received this favor quite apart
from what he had done (Rom.4:1-6). Just how it was "reckoned" to him we
hope to see when we consider the passage itself.
Paul goes on to say that the Uncircumcision who
believe, like Abraham, overtake this divine righteousness, while the
Circumcision who seek it by works of law do not find it (Rom.9:30).
Because they are ignorant of God's righteousness they seek to establish
their own (Rom.10:3). The only One Who knew no sin was made a sin
offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God's righteousness in
Him (2 Cor.5:21). Paul considered his privileged place as one of the
Circumcision a hindrance, and deemed it refuse, because it demanded a
righteousness of his own, which he could not supply, and kept him from
appropriating God's righteousness in Christ (Phil.3:8,9).
FAITH RIGHTEOUSNESS
The righteousness of faith is usually deemed something
so deep and mysterious that there is no possibility of understanding it.
Theological explanations have only confused the matter, especially when
unscriptural terms are brought in. It is generally supposed to be an
imputed fiction, or the substitution of Christ's personal
righteousness for the sinner's shortcomings, or a vicarious transfer to
the saint of something which he does not really possess. These
explanations do not satisfy our sense of justice, so they certainly cannot
satisfy God's. There must be some substantial basis for faith
righteousness that raises it out of the realm of fiction to that of fact.
The only place where this is revealed is in God's Word, and in connection
with this theme.
Why should faith be reckoned for righteousness?
Whatever is not of faith is sin. What God says is supremely right, and it
is a mistake not to assent to it. Confidence in God is the aim and object
of all human experiences, along with distrust in man. At the consummation,
God will become All in all, and man nothing in anyone. Whatever leads in
that direction is in accord with God's purpose and will. When God speaks,
no matter what He says, the only right lies in confidence in and
conformity to His revelation. This alone will guide us to the universal
goal. Nothing, therefore, can be more righteous than faith. It not only is
right, but guides the believer aright, along the path that leads to the
bread and wine of God, the life and joy which await all creation at the
consummation. Those who have no faith cannot but stray from the way. They
follow false trails that lead away from the goal. Even those who are
respectable, and who know nothing of sordid sins, are bound to miss the
path apart from faith. It is impossible to be right unless we believe what
God has revealed.
HUMAN RIGHTEOUSNESS
In view of this, let us consider man's conception of
justice. What is right and what is wrong? Where is the boundary between
that which is good and that which is bad? Many vices are misplaced or
exaggerated virtues, and virtues may easily become vices. Even grace
without truth may harm more than help. Where shall we put the dividing
line between firmness and obstinacy? When we consider ourselves justly
indignant, others may think that we are unduly angry. When they are mild,
we may mistake it for lack of zeal. Who is competent to judge another
whose motives are hidden, and whose heart he cannot read? How much
allowance shall be made for immaturity, ill-health or nervousness, which
makes us act unnaturally? As we grow in grace we become more lenient, more
sympathetic. That is why novices are not given control in an ecclesia, for
the experience of evil is needed to temper the hand of justice and guide
the heart in its decisions.
At the bema of Christ the decisions will be based on
the motives behind our acts which no one else can see. That is why we
are told to judge nothing before the appointed time, till the Lord should
be coming, Who will illuminate the hidden things of darkness and manifest
the counsels of the hearts. The apostle adds the comforting conclusion
that applause will be coming to each one from God (1 Cor.4:5). In
another place he asks, Why are you judging your brother? Or why are you
scorning your brother? For all of us shall be presented at the dais of God
(Rom.14:10-13). We all do things which some saints would condemn because
of their background and upbringing, but which others would commend because
of a different environment and experience.
In our service we cannot please everyone. This is
luridly evident in our own earnest efforts to provide the saints with a
safe and satisfactory translation of God's Word. Some are extravagant in
their praise. Others are unsparing in their condemnation. Some revel in
the consistency and accuracy of our renderings. Others condemn every
departure from the Greek, even if it gives a false impression in idiomatic
English, and they themselves cannot express it in our tongue. Others again
denounce every departure from tradition and would burn me at the stake to
please their god. Hardly a single opponent acts in accord with the present
administration or even with the mercy found in the evangel of the
Uncircumcision. Their hearts have not been softened by the contemplation
of the complete failure of mankind, nor become grateful for any effort
which humiliates man and exalts God to His place of supremacy.
What a contrast there is between the course of Israel
and the apostle Paul! They sought to establish their own righteousness,
but were not subject to God's (Rom.10:3). Paul was condemned by the
saints, unjustly most likely, yet he considered it unwise to defend
himself. If he does so he is careful to characterize his act as imprudence
(2 Cor.12:11,19). But was it not necessary that the apostle keep his name
unsullied? Would the cause of Christ not suffer if men spoke slightingly
of him! The second epistle of the Corinthians shows that even the great
apostle was severely criticism by the saints, yet he deals with his
detractors only under protest. It is plain that, ordinarily, he did not
even try to justify his course in the eyes of his fellow-believers.
Let us not gather from this that he was careless in his
conduct, or indifferent as to his reputation. He warned against behavior
which would harm the service. But who is free from defamation? Not even
our Lord Himself, Whose conduct was far above reproach, was spared the
sting of slanderous tongues. We must not expect our acts to meet the
approval of the saints. Happy are we when we are doubly denounced. It is a
satisfaction to me when I receive two letters at once, one condemning the
version because it is slavishly literal and the other because it is too
idiomatic. It is interesting to consider the background of each critic and
see why he objects to the CONCORDANT VERSION. Some would have me deal with
each one and show him where he is wrong. This would lead to interminable
controversy unless I could correct the background in each case. When I do,
I am roundly denounced by both. One makes me an ignorant, lazy amateur.
The other condemns my departure from the Word of God. My guilt will never
be settled until Christ Himself pronounces the verdict in that day.
SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS vs. GRACE
I do not wish to be merely righteous in myself. I wish
to be gracious. I do not demand my rights. I sigh for grace alone. I am
already righteous in Christ, and I need no righteousness of my own. Much
as I strive to be just, I am not at all satisfied that I attain to
anything like that which God demands. Even if I fulfill my duty to my
fellow men, I certainly do not do it to God. Even if my conscience is
clear, that does not justify me. The most exemplary of all saints, when
they enter the presence of God's glory, realize how imperfect their
highest attainments must appear to Him.
One of the best signs of maturity in grace is to
rejoice when you are wrong and another is right. This is entirely foreign
to the Circumcision administrations, where personal rightness is the great
object of all. To be wrong is to be condemned. We should be sorry to see
others wrong. That puts an entirely different spirit into fellowship and
cooperation. Only yesterday two of us were going to a certain address, and
we disagreed as to the street down which to turn. But one of us graciously
gave way, and, finding that he had been mistaken said, "I am so glad that
you were right! I don't like to see you in the wrong." Not a word about
his own mistake. Occupation with self, even with our failures, is not good
for one who is in Christ. In the Circumcision scheme of things it is
necessary, for it is the object there to demonstrate the failure of
self, rather than the rightness of another. In all our shortcomings, let
us rather rejoice in the opposite in others, especially in our Lord Jesus
Christ.
An illuminating scripture is found in Deuteronomy
25:1. "They shall justify the just and condemn (or wicked-ify) the
wicked." We have the very opposite of this in the evangel of the
Uncircumcision, for the just are not justified (seeing that there are
none) but the unjust are justified, and there is no condemnation for the
wicked (Rom.8:1). This arises from the fact that the experiment in Israel
has demonstrated that Adam's offence brought condemnation on all mankind,
and now Christ's one just award is for all mankind for life's justifying
(Rom.5:18).
Once we are thoroughly satisfied that
self-righteousness is not within our reach, that we cannot live up to the
standard set before us by God, or even attain the much lower grade of
righteousness which would justify every act in the eyes of our associates,
we will throw ourselves entirely on the grace of God and on the favor of
our fellows. We will steer a course quite the opposite of those who feel
that they must justify themselves at all costs or lose their pride and
self-respect, their most precious possessions. We will acknowledge our
shortcomings, even if we are not conscious of them, and throw ourselves on
the forbearance and love of others.
The grand doctrine of justification or divine
righteousness is not readily apprehended in the abstract, so we will take
concrete and conspicuous examples which will help us to see how and why
God can and does justify and vindicate that which is contrary to His will.
Perhaps the best illustrations and the most glaring sins can be found
clustered about the cross of Christ. And there we can easily distinguish
between the Circumcision and the Uncircumcision, for both were involved,
yet they differ greatly from each other in their words and deeds. And here
we can see also how necessary it is that judgment should be according to
words as well as works, for the Jews really did not do very much
outside of their false and furious accusations, while the aliens actually
crucified the Christ. It was the words, rather than the works, that
revealed the heart, on which all true adjudication must be based.
THE SOLDIER WHO STABBED HIM
Let us take the case of the soldier who stabbed our
Lord, with a lance head (Matt.27:49, omitted in AV, John 19:34). In his
case the great white throne judgment has already been anticipated in the
Scriptures in a very remarkable way. There is no question that this
soldier committed this crime, for we have a double witness in the
Scriptures, and, in one case John, who was there, adds his solemn
attestation, as follows: "And he who has seen has testified, and his
testimony is true. And he is aware that he is telling the truth."
Nevertheless other scriptures seem to contradict this, for they insist
that the Jews stabbed or pierced Him. The prophet who foretold this
circumstance lays the blame on his own people. In John's account, right
after testifying that one of the soldiers pierced His side, this is given
as the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10: "They shall see Him Whom they
stab." According to this it was not one soldier, but the house of David
and the dwellers in Jerusalem who were chargeable with this climacteric
and vindictive act which was to put His death beyond a doubt.
John, in the introduction to his Unveiling of Jesus
Christ, seems to widen its scope still further, for he adds that all the
tribes of the land will be grieving over Him (Rev.1:7). Indeed, the
impression is created that Israel will acknowledge this crime as their
own, although, as we have seen, a Roman soldier really perpetrated the
deed. All of this should help us to see how God can justify the nations,
yet must demand repentance from Israel, although, in the last analysis, He
will justify all (Rom.5:18). In every case we must go beneath the surface
and discover the heart. We will find that this is more important than
mere fact. Israel did not stab Him in fact, yet in heart they were
the guilty parties. The soldier was guilty in fact, but not in heart.
Let us seek to pronounce judgment on this Roman
soldier. It is quite likely that he acted as a representative of the
nations, and illustrated the relation of the nations to the death of the
Saviour. Let us sit as judge and see if we can justify his deed. He was
acting under orders. The centurion in charge stood by. He, also, was
simply doing his duty. There is no record that they exceeded this or
showed any personal, cruelty or vindictiveness. On the contrary, the
centurion was powerfully impressed with the manner of our Saviour's death,
so unnatural in that He cried out with a loud, strong voice, just before
He breathed His last. Then it was that he exclaimed, "Truly, this Man was
God's Son!" (Matt.27:54). From the human standpoint it would be difficult
to convict these men of any crime. Indeed, if they had refused they could
have been court-martialled and disgraced. But what is right in the sight
of men may be very wrong when related to God.
Can this act be justified in the sight of God? It is
most remarkable that this deed was foretold in the Scriptures. God's Word
must be fulfilled! I doubt very much that the soldier knew of this
prediction or that he deliberately set about to carry it out. He could not
justify himself on this score. But can God condemn an act like this when
there is no disobedience or enmity? It is possible that the stabbing was
done twice, once before and once after His death. In that latter case it
was done to make sure that life no longer was present. This alone was
important, as, later on, rumors were spread that He had not really died.
In this light it could be called a necessary or even a good act. But, much
more than this, it not only fulfilled one part of God's Word, but made it
unnecessary to break His bones, which would have made Him unfit to be the
great Antitype of the Mosaic sacrifices (Num.9:12). If the lance head had
not shown that He was already dead, they would have fractured His legs as
they did those of the two robbers and the two malefactors.
So here we have an act, done ignorantly and in unbelief
by one of the Uncircumcision, which might superficially be construed as an
atrocious crime against God's Beloved, yet, judged from God's side as well
as man's, we would not have it otherwise, and cannot justly condemn the
one whose hands handled the lance head. Rather we find it in our hearts to
justify his acts, even though we ourselves are immeasurably thankful that
we were not called upon to have any personal part in it. We cannot say
that we would forgive this soldier, for there are no feelings involved.
We would not even be right to pardon him, for that would imply that he
had done wrong. We simply are compelled to vindicate this evil deed. He
did right. Does not this open up a vista of possibilities in regard to all
the evil committed by sinners of the Uncircumcision? Nothing that they do
is quite so bad in itself as giving the death-stroke to God's Beloved Son,
so it may also be found within the scope of His gracious justification.
THE JEWS CALL DOWN JUDGMENT
But can we, in any way, justify the Jews? That they
can be pardoned, or forgiven, is evident from our Lord's prayer,
"Father, forgive them, for they are not aware what they are doing" (Luke
23:34). O that His saints would show this spirit to their persecutors! The
Jews will eventually be justified by God when this is the portion of all
mankind (Rom.5:18). But judged by their law, and in the light of their
evangel, we must condemn them. Had they been as true to Moses' law as the
soldiers to the law of Rome we might have justified them also. But they
went contrary to the law and the oracles that God had committed to them.
The very revelation that should have prepared them for the Messiah,
condemns them for rejecting Him.
The great Antitype of all the sacrifices was about to
be offered. He was the true Passover Lamb. No bone of this is to be broken
(Num.9:12). Yet they ask Pilate to have his legs fractured so that He
could be taken down from the cross, lest He defile their festival! They
are so holy that they commit the greatest of all sins! They break the law
in order to break His bones!
Yet, all had been foretold and must be fulfilled. They
were the appointed priests, and must offer the Sacrifice, for all blessing
depends upon it. Therefore they also will be justified, but not until the
close of the eons. So long as they are under law, so long as they stand on
the flesh, they receive pardon or forgiveness, or judgment. In this their
evangel differs from ours. We are pictured by the soldier who ignorantly
thrust his spear into the side of His Saviour and was justified. They
brought down upon their heads the sore afflictions and distress which
still pursue the stubborn nation, which will not be pardoned until He
appears.
