“Just, and the justifier of him which believeth.” — Romans 3:26
Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Conscience accuses no longer. Judgment now decides for the sinner instead of against him. Memory looks back upon past sins, with deep sorrow for the sin, but yet with no dread of any penalty to come; for Christ has paid the debt of His people to the last jot and tittle, and received the divine receipt; and unless God can be so unjust as to demand double payment for one debt, no soul for whom Jesus died as a substitute can ever be cast into hell. It seems to be one of the very principles of our enlightened nature to believe that God is just; we feel that it must be so, and this gives us our terror at first; but is it not marvellous that this very same belief that God is…
just, becomesafterwards the pillar of our confidence and peace! If God be just, I, asinner, alone and without a substitute, must be punished; but Jesus standsin my stead and is punished for me; and now, if God be just, I, a sinner,standing in Christ, can never be punished. God must change His naturebefore one soul, for whom Jesus was a substitute, can ever by anypossibility suffer the lash of the law. Therefore, Jesus having taken theplace of the believer — having rendered a full equivalent to divine wrathfor all that His people ought to have suffered as the result of sin, thebeliever can shout with glorious triumph, “Who shall lay anything to thecharge of God’s elect?” Not God, for He hath justified; not Christ, for Hehath died, “yea rather hath risen again.” My hope lives not because I amnot a sinner, but because I am a sinner for whom Christ died; my trust isnot that I am holy, but that being unholy, He is my righteousness. Myfaith rests not upon what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in whatChrist is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me. Onthe lion of justice the fair maid of hope rides like a queen.
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Producer: Todd Adkins
Voice Artist: Ian Cullen