Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-01-14
@eadiug fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
(Original... [
JUSTIFICATION.

The great Re1OrmeT, MarIlH LulHeI, s<1i|
that justification is the article of standing
or falling church. The same idea is, by
some one else, in substance, expressed thus
Erroneous views concerning the doctrine O
justification lead to erroneous views con
cerning every other cardinal doctrine ofthe
Christian religion. 1t is on the doctrine O.
Justification that Papists and Pr0testants
mainly divide. Justification by faith is
Professionalism justification by works is
Papacy. Etymologically considered, the
word justification means the act of justify
ing. The word, so far as is remembered
occurs only three times in the commonly
received English translation of the Bible
and these are all in the New Testament
and all in Paul's epistle to the Romans
There are, however, two Greek words which
are rendered by the English word justitica'
ton. In Romans SIG the following words
are found: "And not as it acas by one that
sinned, so Is the gift; for the Judgment 1cas
by one to condemnation, but the free gift 4
of MANY offences unto Justification" Here
dikaion1a is the word which the inspired
apostle uses. It is manifestly used in oppo
sition to the word kotakrinaa, which is cor
rectly rendered condemnation. In Romans
4: 25 and5: Is the word justification is found
but the apostle uses the word dikaiosis. Ro
mans 4: 25 reads thus, "Who was delivered
for our offences, and was raised again fol
our Justification" Romans 5:lS reads as
follows, "Therefore, as by the offence of one
j,Clqnent came upon all to condemnation
even so by the righteousness of one the free
aft came upon all men unto justification Of
life" It is manifest that the word justiti-
cation in Romans5: 16 and in Romans 5: IT,
although different words are used in the
original, is opposed tocondemnation. This
gives US the exact meaning of the word. II
is the opposite of condemnation. We know
that condemnation is the act of declaring an
individual guilty or liable to be punished
It does not mean to make an Individual
guilty or liable to be punished, but simply
declares that the individual is guilty. JUS
tiication is the opposite of this. 1t is the
act of declaring that an individual is not
guilty, that is, not liable to be punished. II
IS not making an individual innocent or
lust, but simply declaring that he is not lia'
BILE to be punished.
This is illustrated in the case Of a jury
The indictment is given to them, and after
due consideration of the evidence in the
case they conclude either that the charge
against the accused has been proven or that
it has not been proven. If, in their opinion
it has been proven, they bring in verdict
of guilty; if they conclude that the charge
has not been sustained by the evidence they
bring in a verdict of notguiHy. In this case
guilty means nothing more than liable to be
punished, and not guilty means not liable
to be punished. When the jury brings ir
a verdict of guilty, they condemn; and
when they bring in verdict of not guilty
they Justify. In either case their verdict is
declarative. They do not make the accused
innocent when they bring in verdict of moi
guilty, neither do they make him guilty
when they bring in a verdict of guilty.
In legal point of view, it is manifest
condemn. In this way the words are used
if not always in the Bible, certainly nearly
always. In the same way are they gener
ally used when applied to secular things
Justification is an act OF God the father. II
is sometimes said that justification is an act
because it is complete at once, while sancti
fication is a work because it progresses
through a period commensurate with the
life of theindividual. It is true that justifi
cation is complete at once and perfect in al
believers, and it is also true that sanctitica
tion is progressive work, rarely, ii ever
complete until death, but still these facts dt
not warrant the distinction between an ac
and work. Regeneration is completed al
once. There are no progressive stages be-
tween dead in trespaSses and sins and alive
in Christ. We are, spiritually, either deaG
or alive. Still no one would think of call
ing regeneration an act because it is instan
taneous. It is work of Gods spirit. The
reason that justification is called an act O
God is because it is something done for the
sinner, while sanctifcation is called work
because it is something done to or in the
sinner. In other words, those things which
God does for the sinner as an object are called
the sinner as a subject of his power are eaci
said to be work of God.
Justification consists of two things, or the
justified receive two blessings in justitica
ton. The first is their sins are pardOned
and the second is God accepts them as right
eous in his sight. The word pardon doe:
not, so far as is remembered, occur in the
received translation of the New Testament
It is found nineteen times in the Old Testa
ment. In the New Testament the wore
forgive is used. That pardon and forgive
mean the same thing, is manifest from the
fact that the same words in the Old Testa
ment are sometimes translated pardon and
sometimes forgive. The prevailing idea o
all the words both in the Old Testament ant
in the New Testament, which are transla
ted either pardon or forgive is to send away
to lose, to send off. Hence, the import o
both pardon and forgive is not to punish
In other words, when we say that God par
dons the sins of an individual, we mean, i
we use the word in its Bible sense, that Coo
does not punish the individual on account
of his sins.
The ground of pardon or forgiveness j:
satisfaction to the penal demands of the law
The ground of acceptance is obedience to thu
demands of the precepts OF the law. Wher
the law has not been violated, no penalty
has been incurred, and consequently there
is no room for pardon or forgiveness. Only
those who have violated the law can be for.
given. Hence sin is necessary in order tt
forgiveness.
Pardon as dispensed by man is not the
same thing as that dispensed by God. lr
the sense that men pardon transgressiOn
God never pardons. Human laws are de
fective, human judges are liable to err, anC
human juries and human witnesses are bu
men. Such being the case, the innocent are
often declared to be guilty, and the guilty
are declared to be not guilty. Such acourse
of procedure does not, can not exist with
God. Pardon, as dispensed by God, is
founded on the satisfaction which Jesu:
Christ rendered to the law of God. The
law Of God demands perfect O0eulence ano
threatens death as the penalty in case of dis
ohedience. All men have sinned, anC
hence all men have incurred the penalty o.
the law. Jesus Christ voluntarily and witt
his full consent, and by the appointment o
God the father, satisfied the penal demands
of the law. This is the ground of the par
don which God dispenses.
In addition to suffering the penalties
the law, Jesus Christ also obeyed the pre-
cepts of the law. TO sin indicates that the
individual who sins has no righteousness
Without this he cannot be accepted by God
Hence, justification is based not upon what
the individual who is justified is, or ha: