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God cannot deny or contradict Himself. He cannot recall His own words or disannul His own law (Malachi 3:6). Yet it might seem, at first sight, as if grace were opposed to law, so that whichever be established, the other must fall. St. Paul anticipates and meets this difficulty. Consider —

I. THE GROUND OR OBJECT OF FAITH.

1. In the preceding verses we find two important points.

(1) We "are justified freely by His grace" (ver. 24). God forgives us our sins in a most frank and absolute manner, without regard to any good works on our part, in the way of compensation. But(2) He does this" through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Here we see the qualifying condition of the Divine clemency. He upholds His law. If He forgives us our sins, it is because He has first redeemed us by the sacrifice of His Son. God has made Him our substitute, and treated Him as we deserve to be treated.

2. Here two questions occur.

(1) Is such a propitiation allowable in justice? We answer that it would be unjust for God to compel a third party to suffer for sinners; but when One comes forward willingly, it is no outrage to our sense of righteousness for His offer to be accepted. But still it might seem unjust for an innocent substitute to suffer the penalty forever. We instinctively feel that the penalty must be temporary. But, further, if any sense of wrong should still linger it would surely be removed if we could see the substitute compensated for his self-sacrifice. Behold how these things all meet in Christ. As to voluntariness (see John 10:17, 18). As to the duration of Christ's sufferings, we know that, though terrible and severe, they were of short continuance. And then look at his ensuing reward. If there were "the sufferings of Christ," there was also the "glory that should follow."(2) Is this particular propitiation adequate to the occasion? If all that Christ suffered had been endured by a mere man, or even an angel, we should not feel convinced of its efficacy. But Christ is an incarnation of Deity. The immortal Creator cannot Himself die; but He can ally Himself to a human nature which may suffer and die, and in His suffering and death Jehovah Himself may be so implicated as to justify the expression that "God hath purchased the Church with His own blood," and that the Jews "crucified the Lord of glory." Here it is that we see the ground of the infinite meritoriousness and expiating efficacy of the death of Christ. Rather than the law should be broken, or that sin should go unpunished, God gives up His own Son. What than this can more effectually persuade us that the "wages of sin" is death? What than this can more vividly inspire us with hatred of sin, or more powerfully deter the tempted from rebellion, arrest the criminal, or incite the obedient to watchful diligence and reverential fear?

3. Thus are the high ends of justice secured by the death of Christ: and thus is the law established in its broadest moral commands, and satisfied in its deepest moral requirements. From this it will be easy to see how also in a lower sense the law is established by faith.

(1) Do you speak of the ceremonial law? It was the shadow of good things to come: its substance is Christ, and now He has come it has passed away, so far as its form is concerned; but it still lives in its substance and antitype, by whom it has been ratified.

(2) Similarly with the prophetic Scriptures. The prophets all testified of Christ, and in Him their word is at once accomplished and confirmed. And thus, in every sense, we may boldly say with Paul, "We establish the law."

II. THE CONDITIONS AND OPERATIONS OF FAITH. Here the same principle holds good.

1. In the act of faith the penitent trusts in the atoning death of Jesus Christ as the ground of his acceptance. Now this act of faith —

(1) Is in accordance with God's command (John 6:29). Thus is faith essentially obedience to God's law, and by it the authority of God in His law is acknowledged and established.

(2) It acquiesces in Christ's atoning work: as an arrangement which vindicates the Divine righteousness. It thus acknowledges the validity of God's law, and the need of sustaining its authority.

2. The preliminary condition of faith is repentance. It is not the hardened unhumbled sinner who is told to believe in Christ, but those who acknowledge that the law is holy, and tremble and weep to think how they have broken it.

3. So with the fruit of faith. When we are forgiven it is that we may serve sin no more (Titus 2:11-15).Conclusion:

1. The greatest sinner may be forgiven (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

2. The least sinner must be saved by grace through faith.

3. See the guilt of refusing to be justified by faith.

4. The duty of the forgiven man to run in the way of God's commandments (1 Peter 1:13-16).

(T. G. Horton.)

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KJV: Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

WEB: Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn't he the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,