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(5)
The gospel provides the guilty man with an allsufficient plea
(Rom. 3:23-25).
(6)
The Lord Himself is the Advocate (1 John 2:1,2), and occupies the
place of the accuser at 'the right hand' (Rom. 8:34; Zech. 3:1).
(7)
The sentence passed upon all believers is one of complete
remission, justification and acceptance, together with a title to
life and inheritance (Rom. 8:1,33,34; 2 Cor. 5:21).
Justification includes the following:
(1)
The remission of sins, viewed as a debt.
(2)
The pardon by a Sovereign of a condemned criminal, whose offence
is blotted out from his book.
(3)
The 'covering by cancellation' (see article on Atonement6).
(4)
The imputation of the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus
Christ.
Justification is a change in regard to our standing before God:
'Our justification is not by a righteousness performed, but by a
righteousness received'.
'Justification changes our state; sanctification changes our nature'
(Dewar's Elements).
If we enquire as to the grounds of our justification in the gospel we
discover the following:
(1)
We are justified by His (Christ's) blood, through redemption
(Rom. 3:24; 5:9).
(2)
We are justified freely, by grace (Rom. 3:24; Titus 3:7).
(3)
We are justified by faith (Acts 13:39; Rom. 3:28).
(4)
Negatively; No flesh can be justified by the deeds of the law or
by works of any kind (Rom. 3:20; 3:28; 4:2; Gal. 2:16; 3:11;
5:4).
Free grace is the source, the Atonement the meritorious cause,, and
faith the only recipient, of the blessing of justification:
'Justification may therefore be ascribed, either to the source to the
meritorious cause, or to the recipient of it; even as (to use a
familiar illustration) a drowning person may be said to be saved,
either by a man on the bank of the river, or by the rope thrown out to
him, or by the hand laying hold on the rope' (Scott Essays).
Just as the gospel of God of Romans 1:1 had been promised afore by the
prophets in the holy Scriptures, so in Romans 3:21 the righteousness of God,
which constituted the very power of the gospel unto salvation, was witnessed
by the law and the prophets.
The section immediately in view is 3:21-28.
Romans 3:21-28
A
21-.
Choris
Apart from law ... manifested.
B
-21,22-.
Righteousness of God ... manifested.
Faith of Jesus Christ.
C
-22,25-.
Gratuitous justification.