Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-10-11

CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
lQriginal.
JUSTIFICATION.

There is perhaps no Bible doctrine which
is so frequently brought to view, ana SO
clearly stated as that of Justification Moth
ing is hazarded, when it is said that it is all
important that we have clear Scriptural no.
tions on this subject If all men are, as the
Bible plainly teaches, sinners, how, it may,
with propriety, be asked, can any one De
Justified? Without righteousness no one
can be justified, and without being JUSTIFIED
there can be no reasonable hope OF sa!Vatlon:
1t may be we'll to attempt definition OF
justification. Classification" says an old
but good authority, 'is an act of Gods tree
grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth
all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their
persons as righteous in his ssight, not for any
thing wrought in them, or done by them,
but only for the perfect obedience and full
satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to
them, and received by faith alone"
This definition of justification, draws clear
and distinct, the line which separates popery
and professionalism. There are several Things
in this definition which deserve our atten-
ton. Justification is said to be- IAN act OF
Gods free grace unto sinners" The IAN
guage of the Scriptures is that all who be-
lieve are justified freely by grace. Rom. iii.
Justification is an act, not a work. Some
times it is said that the difference between
an act and work is that the former is COM
pletedat once while the latter is progressive.
This is not strictly correct. 1t is true that
justification is completed in an instant. 1t
has no gradations. 1t is complete at once
and is equal in all. We are either con-
demned or justified. So is regeneration.
There is no progress in regeneration. One
moment we are dead in treSpasseSs and sins,
the next moment we are quickened into
life. Still regeneration isa work, notan act.
The theological distinction between an
act and work is, that an act is something
done for US, while work is something done
in U.s. Justification is rightly called an act,
because in it God does something for us,
while regeneration sproperly called aWork,
because in it God does somethingin in us. The
thing done for sinners by the act of .justlti-
cation, is God "pardoneth all their sins, ac-
cepteth and accounteth their persons right
eous in his sight" By ''all their sins' is
meant all their past sins of every kind ana
character, all their present sins and all their
future sins. Itistrue that sin cannot be par
doned before it is committed, but ample
provisions can be made for such contin-
gency. This God does. All sins, past, pres
ent and future, are pardOned, and he accept
eth and accounteth their persons righteous
in his sight.
The ground upon which this act is based,
is the next thing presented to view. The
only possible ground upon which the par,
don of sin and acceptance of the person of
the sinner can be based, is obedience and
satisfaction to the law of God. This obedi-
ence and satisfaction is not rendered to the
law of God by the sinner. This is impossi-
BILE. The simple fact that he is sinner,
makes it impossible that anything that may
be wrought in him, or done by him." can
satisfy the law of God. The perfect obe-
dience and full satisfaction which constitutes
the base of the sinners justification, is that
which is provided by the life and death of
Jesus Christ. This obedience and satistac-
ton which Jesus Christ rendered to the law
of God was in the stead of sinners. Not, as
some suppose, simply for the benefit of sim
ners, but in the room and stead of sinners.
The perfect obedience and full satisfaction
rendered by Jesus Christ to the law OF God,
is by God imputed to osinners and sinners re-
ceive it by faith alone.