News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1922-02-08

M minute. Just so
.Ass va ,s. is the NEED of
'A''''s''1'1a" ~ Nv ~s@ justification stat
ed in Romans 1928: There is no diff
| ference, for all have snned and come
short of the glory of Sod" There
may be a wide difference in the de-
| gree of sinfulness, but there is none
as far as the fact of sin is. concerned;
"a miss Is as good as a mile"
The SOURCE of justification is
| found in the grace of Godi Being
| justified freely by His grace. "-Ro-
mans 1924 The word translated
freely" here is the same word used
by Jesus in John Is %: "They hated
me WITHOUT A CAUSE" In Him
was no cause for their hatred but
they hated Him freely" There is no
cause in the sinner for justification,
for "all have sinned," God justifies
the sinner freely (Or, without a cause)
by His grace.
The METHOD of receiving justifi-
cation is by faith Therefore being
justified by faith."-Rom. ST.. 1t
is not by works of any kind, past, "a
present or future, but by simple faith.
This is where the religion of the world
and the religion of the Bible are at
variance. The world would have justi-
fication depend on what the sinner
does, or attempts to do. or promises to
do. God justiffes freely; without q
cause in the one justified. The mo-
ment the sinner lets go of every other
/ hope and trusts wholly in what God
has done, he stands justified before
God. Some continually wonder if they
have enough faith or If the faith they
have is the right kind. If there is
faith at all it is enough and if it is faith
in what Cod has done it is the right
kind. If God justified a sinner for
anything that sinner does, or attempts
TO do, or promised to do, Justified
by faith" would have no place in
Scripture.
The man who most earnestly and
most sincerely tries to he saved is the
very one who most earnestly and
most sincerely denies the need for the
sacrifice of Christ upon the cross.
The GROUND upon which God is
enabled to justify the believing sinner
is the blood of Christ Being justi-
fed by His bood."-Rom. 3 %. 1t is
the blood of Christ alone that pro-
cures justification for the believer. It
is because the death of Christ so fully
removes all that stands against the
sinner, every spot and stain of sin,
every act of dsobedience every trans
erosion against God that God Him
self sees il no more. The believer,
therefore, is as far removed from the
judgment on sin as the blOod-sheltered
Israelite was removed from judgment
during the night of the passover in
Egypt. At that time the word was.
"When 1 see the blood will pass over
you."-Exod. 2:13. Nothing was
said concerning any other protection
save the blood; if that was upon tho
door those behind it were as safe as
God could make them. They were
safe. not because of anything in them
selves, but because of the blood. They
were saved freely" without cause
in themselves. SO the believer today
is justified freely through the redemp-
our passover is sacrificed for u.s.
l Cor. 5:7. We must be justified by
blood" or not at all.
The CONTINUITY Of justification
lies in the fact that at is God that
iustifeth Rom. S:33. 1t is God
who is sinned against and.if He is sat
isfied with what Christ has done upon
the cross and justifes upon that
ground, who can bring any charge
against the believer? What end
would be served by charging anyone
with q crime if the judge of that crime
justified and set at liberty the person
accused?
The reason why many are not justi-
fed is found in Romans 10:1-4. "They,
going about TO establish their own
have not submitted
TO the righteousness of
God" Attempting to establish ones
own righteousness is refusing the
of God which He freely
offers to all who will receive it by
faith.
Justification is needed by every sim
ner, is provided by the grace of God.
Is procured. by the blood of Christ and
Is offered to oil who will accept il by
simpIe faith. It Is possessed through
faith by the one who ceases from his
ovn efforts TO be saved. II is rejected
through unbelief by the one who con-
times IN his own efforts to be saved