Romans 4:5 But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. I. THE GENERAL GROUND OF THE DOCTRINE. 1. Man was made in the image of God, holy as He is holy, and perfect as He is perfect. To man, thus upright, God gave a perfect law, to which He required a perfect obedience, which man was capable of rendering. To this was superadded the commandment not to eat of "the fruit of the tree," with death as the penalty annexed. 2. Man disobeyed, and the sentence began to take effect. His soul died, being separated from God, his body became mortal, and he hastened on to death everlasting. Thus, "by one man sin entered into the world," and we have inherited the sin and penalty of our representative, 3. In this state we were when God gave His Son to be a second general Parent and Representative, and as such "He bore our sins," and by that one oblation of Himself He has redeemed all mankind. In consideration of Christ's death God has reconciled the world unto Himself, not imputing their former trespasses. II. ITS NATURE. 1. Not the being made righteous; that is sanctification, which follows justification, but is a distinct and inward gift. 2. Nor the clearing us from the accusation — (1) Of Satan. (2) Of the law — theories found nowhere in the Bible. 3. Nor that which implies that God is deceived in those He justifies, viz., accounting them to be otherwise than what they are. 4. But that act of God the Father, whereby, for the sake of Christ's propitiation, He forgives sin (vers. 6, 7). III. ITS SUBJECTS. 1. The ungodly and only such. As the righteous need no repentance, so they need no forgiveness; which contradicts the absurd supposition that holiness is necessary to justification. Only sinners can be forgiven. 2. Him that worketh not. But do not men feed the hungry, etc., before justification? Yes, and these may in a sense be called good works — "good and profitable to men" — but no work is good which is not done as God wills and commands, and God hath willed that all our works should be done in charity, i.e., that love to Him from which love to man proceeds. But none of our works can be done in this love while the love of the Father is not in us. IV. ITS CONDITION. Faith, i.e., a sure trust and confidence that Christ died for my sins, and loved me, and gave Himself for me. This is the only but the necessary condition, for "he that believeth not is condemned already." (J. Wesley, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. |
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