The Perfect Judge Has Spoken

 

JOB 25:4; ROMANS 3:19-28; 5:1

SUBJECT: SALVATION/ JUSTIFICATION

THEME: God on the basis of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection declares believing sinners justified in His sight. Therefore, we are no longer obligated to sin’s penalty, and we are set free from its guilt to live for God’s glory.

Every man, woman, boy and girl stands as a guilty sinner sentenced to everlasting death urgently in need of justification before God. This is the imagery the term justification evokes in our minds. In his epistle to the Romans, the Apostle Paul presents sinful man in a courtroom on trial for his very life. The deadly charge is sin—high treason against the holy King of the Universe. For every one of us without a singular exception has sinned in desires, thoughts, and deeds (Rom. 3:23). Who among us does not fully subscribe to the statement, “Nobody is perfect”? 

The presiding Judge is the honorable Jesus Christ Himself, the Perfect Judge—He fully understands the Law of God and the human plight. This Judge cannot be manipulated, coned or bought! The Jury is comprised of the uncompromising Law of God—all 10 members are present and ready to fulfil their duty. The millions of honest witnesses for the prosecution are our condemning deeds as fallen humanity. They will accurately make the case against us! After proper deliberation by the jury a just and fair verdict of guilty is returned (Rom. 3:9-20). Then a terrifying sentence is announced—spiritual death, meaning to be forever separated from God to suffer throughout all eternity in the Lake of Fire (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:11-15). 

The Perfect Judge has spoken, and we are sentenced to the eternal death penalty! In this revealing light, we feel pressed to acknowledge our desperate need for justification before this Perfect God-Judge. How may we fallen guilty sinners be right in the eyes of a Perfect Judge? Can we be made right before God? I AM SO GLAD GOD HIMSELF TOOK OUR CASE!

Bildad the Shuhite asked the question we will seek to answer in this article in Job 25:4, saying, “How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” Bildad longed for some reasonable way for us to be found innocent before God, but he fully recognized the incredible sinfulness of us all. With every heartbeat, our conscience pronounces us guilty…Guilty…GUILTY!...Guilty! The Apostle Paul explains in detail how it is wonderfully possible to be justified before God, and faith in Jesus Christ is the key. Note carefully what Romans 3:22-26, says,

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: ²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; ²⁶ To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Paul also helps us understand the wonderful outcomes of justification before God through faith in Jesus Christ—peace with God! Again Romans 5:1, states, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is correct..."we have peace with God"--freedom from worry about condemnation for our sinfulness and guilt...assurance our sins were paid for in full...rest in the completed and God-satisfying work of Jesus Christ. Instead of being assaulted by the threat of Hell forever, we can alternatively experience peace with the Almighty because of faith in Jesus Christ. Full deep and rich abiding peace because all is well between our soul and the Savior! With these general observations in mind, it is needful to take a closer look at the clear biblical statements concerning justification.

 LESSON:

I.  What Is The Point of Justifying Sinners? (Rom. 3:24-25)

 Justification is a legal action, a verdict of the Divine Court to save sinners. What is the meaning of justification? Often it is necessary to say what we do not mean before we can say we we do mean. 

         A.  WHAT JUSTIFICATION IS NOT

1.  It does not mean to be Acquitted, that is to successfully defend oneself against all charges. There is absolutely no means of acquittal once a person dies in their sins. It is impossible to develop a defense so compelling that God the Perfect Judge will concede your argument and release you from all obligations to sin’s wages and penalties. Acquittal before the Perfect Judge is an utter impossibility! 

2.  It does not mean to be Pardoned, that is to be found guilty, but given a second chance. I am afraid a pardon is an impossible development once a sinner dies and appears before the judgment bar of the Lord Jesus. Since we are guilty of violating God’s perfect standard of righteousness, His holy Law, He must deal with us according to what we deserve. He is just and His justice demands that sin be punished appropriately and completely. Merely letting guilty sinners off the hook is as great an impossibility as acquittal. There is entirely no hope of pardon and there is zero opportunity for a second chance once we cross over from time into eternity by means of physical death. 

3.  It does not mean to be Paroled, that is to be guilty and set free with certain restrictions. God’s justice system does not employ parole officers. There is no get out of jail card because your crime was not that serious, the prison system is over populated, or because you deserve a chance to prove yourself worthy of freedom. Our high crimes against the Most High are so serious that it will take forever in Hell to pay for them. Why forever? Well, frankly because we still are committing the most egregious sins in the midst of our suffering in Hell. God’s holiness is so high above our most astronomical ideals that any sin is a violent assault against His perfection, glory, and Laws. Merely imposing a few restrictions for our high crimes of sin would be a gross miscarriage of justice on God’s part. Dear friend, God will not violate His holy, just, righteous, and perfect nature…not even for you and me. None of these ideas are similar or equal to justification before the Perfect Judge. All of these strategies are a part of the fabric in our American court and justice system, but please do not expect the Perfect Judge to behave like mere human judges. 

         B.  WHAT JUSTIFICATION IS

1. To justify means to declare AS righteous.  It is a judicial concept and it acknowledges God as the perfect judge.

2. Dr. A. Strong defined it as, “By justification we mean that judicial act of God which, on account of Christ, to whom the sinner is united by faith, He declares that sinner to be no longer exposed to the penalty of the law, but restored to His favor.”

3. Justification is that legal act whereby man’s status before God is changed for the good. The verdict does NOT make the person righteous but it does declare him as righteous.

4. Dr. W. MacDonald says, “The word justify means to reckon or declare to be righteous.  For example, God pronounces a sinner to be righteous when that sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. However a man can justify God (Lk 7:29) by believing and obeying God’s word.  In other words, he declares God to be righteous in all that God says and does. And of course a man can justify himself; that is he can protest his own righteousness (see Lk. 10:29). But this is nothing but a form of self deception. To justify does not actually make a person righteous. We can not make God righteous; He already is righteous. But we can declare Him to be righteous. God does not make the believer sinless or righteous in himself. Rather God puts righteousness to his account.” 

5. Justification does not declare the sinner ‘not guilty’ but “as not guilty.” JUSTIFIED = “Just-if -I’d never sinned.” Justification is a once only act, we are justified for ever. Justification is the act of a Judge. Once the verdict is given we can never again be arraigned as a criminal before the Judge.  Justification is the act of a Judge. Forgiveness is the act of a Parent.

So then, the point of justification is for the Perfect Judge to declare the repentant believing sinner as judicially righteous before the grand court of God. Such an act by the Perfect Judge frees the new convert from any obligations to the penalty and punishment of sin, death, and Hell. This is perhaps shocking for some to realize that God is not primarily motivated to condemn anyone, though He will absolutely condemn everyone who refuses justification through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. No, Christ came not to condemn, but to save. It was the Father’s will for Jesus to be here on earth to execute such a mission. God will not merely pretend we are totally innocent when He knows we are violently guilty. Yes, while He will condemn the unrepentant; He will utterly justify those who trust the Savior. The point of justification is to save fallen sinners on a just basis. Again Romans 3:24-25 says, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: ²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God”.

II. What is The Problem with Justifying Sinners? (Rom. 3:26)

Justification is a legal action by a completely just and Perfect Judge. How can God justify guilty sinner and remain free of injustice or a miscarriage of justice? Does not God’s perfect character prevent Him from doing something morally wrong? Romans 3:26 states, “To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

        A.  GOD IS THE CONSUMATLY RIGHTEOUS JUDGE

By justifying guilty sinners and declaring them as righteous, God seems to be less than honest, just, righteous, holy, and uncompromisingly honorable. There have been other occasions when people misunderstood the holy versus loving character of God.

1. Abraham was challenged to acknowledge how God was the judge of all the earth who would certainly do what was right. In Genesis 18:25, Moses records the question of Abraham saying, “That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The patriarch Abraham was correctly interested in the plight of his nephew Lot and desired that he not be destroyed with the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He respectfully engaged God in negotiations for the preservation of the cities and especially for Lot and his family living down in Sodom. God accommodated, acquiesced, behaved mercifully, and agreed to save the cities if there were merely 10 righteous people living there. The cities were finally destroyed because not even 10 righteous individuals could be found among them! No, God did not plan to destroy the righteous with the wicked; He had a plan to rescue Lot even before Abraham’s intense and soulful intercessions. However, no amount of mercy would be appropriate without genuine repentance among the sinful people of these ancient cities. Yes, the Judge of all the earth will ALWAYS do right, but His justice does not negate His love and mercy. To do right, God must confront and judge sinfulness within the framework of His perfect timing.

2. Moses sang a song to extol the just and righteousness character of God in Deuteronomy Thirty-Two. He in Himself is the definition of stability of character, his activities can correctly be described as perfect and His ways are judgments. This refers to the fact the God provides the most secure foundation on which to build one’s life. Moses sings of God as truth and free from any iniquity…finally he emphatically declares the Lord to be Just and Right! Consider Moses words in Deuteronomy 32:4, “He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” Yes, Jehovah is the God of justice and righteousness. No, these statements are not mischaracterizations of the Most Holy One. His work is perfect; just and right is He!

The Bible Knowledge Commentary gives us further insight into the words of Moses stating,

The description of God given in this verse contrasts strongly with the following description of His people (vv.5–9). He is the Rock (cf. vv. 15, 18, 30–31; 2 Sam. 22:2–3; Ps. 18:2; Hab. 1:12). This means that God is stable and permanent. So the only stability in life is in clinging to Him, the great Rock. His works (actions) are perfect (cf. 2 Sam. 22:31) and He is fair (just) in all His dealings with mankind. Unlike the gods of the ancient Near East whose followers believed they were often immoral and capricious, the Lord can always be counted on. He is faithful (cf. Deut. 7:9) and always does what is morally right (He does no wrong).^[1]

 God’s greatness, justice, faithfulness, and holiness contrasts most graphically with our constantly forsaking hearts, disloyalty to His kingdom, and generally sin-riddled existences. How shockingly evident is our gross displays of the most perverse vacillations of wickedness in the brilliant light of the perfect Rock! How exposing in view of His perfections...how accusing are even our mere inclinations and notions of unfaithfulness, unrighteousness, capriciousness, immorality, and unfairness of us all before the Perfect Judge. 

3. Paul, the thoughtful Apostle, called or referred to Christ as the righteous Judge in no uncertain terms. Consider his words in 2 Timothy 4:8 saying, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Clearly, this is a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ and He, like the Father, is described as righteous. He only does that which is right, truthful, and according to perfect justice. Rewarding appropriately committed Christian service is an entirely just act. He can always be counted on to behave like a righteous Judge. There is zero variableness or shadows of change regard His statically perfect and impeccable personality. Such character always produces commensurate actions!

If God the Judge, is without injustice and completely righteous in all His decisions, then how can He announce a sinner righteous? Certainly we understand that we all are sinners! This does not seem to erase my perplexities, but rather confirms them…right?

        B.   WE ALL ARE INDEED GUILTY SINNERS

Romans 3:19, Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Israel was placed under the Law of God for hundreds of years. Though they enjoyed special privileges and favor from God as they obeyed Him, they failed miserably to live up to God fair requirements. God gave them the Law to teach them through experience that they were not righteous…that they were essentially fallen sinners in need of a Savior. Since Israel failed under the Law, the rest of humanity must be speechlessly guilty before God also. If Israel failed with special information and privileges from God, then how in the world can we live up to God's holy expectations without these benefits? The simple, but hard to accept answer is...we cannot. We must place our hands over our mouths and accept the charges of guilty. If we speak in this context we will only give more evidence of our incredible guilt before the Perfect Judge. For now acknowledge your guilt before God...please do not meddle in futile attempt to justify yourself...you will utterly fail. Remember, it is God who justifies sinners and the ungodly and not we ourselves. There is hope here, but it is NOT in your defense strategy!  

Yes, without a singular exception…every human being—all the world—is blood guilty before God. We had to be told not to practice idolatry, not to use God’s name in vain, not to worship handmade gods, not to dishonor parents, not to murder our fellowman, not to commit adultery, not to lie, steal, covet, and on the list goes. Why? Because we are naturally inclined to sin against God in these ways. We stand guilty before God as charged, but yet the righteous Judge declares us justified!?  But how is this possible? Is God cheating justice to exercise mercy? It appears obvious that we all deserve condemnation and not justification. After all…the murderous heart of a Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung beats in our chests also!

        C.   GOD IS JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER!

How can God be just and then justify the ungodly sinner? If every person stands before God guilty, then God has basically three options as to what He could do with us.  

1.  He must condemn us.

2.  He could compromise His own righteous nature and character to receive us as we are—fallen guilty sinners.

3.  He could change our legal status to that of righteous people. If He chooses to exercise this third option then He can declare us as righteous or justify us. This can only be done if some perfectly righteous—therefore, fully acceptable person voluntarily take our condemnation upon himself. This of course is where the Lord Jesus Christ, the God-Man came into the picture as the only individual who has the capability of satisfying God’s fair demands that all sinners be condemned. He took our condemnation and punishment for us! Through faith in Christ, righteousness can be credited or imputed to those who believe in Christ (2Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:4-5). As for the second option, God is absolutely just; therefore, He cannot compromise in his activities toward sinners. Justice is not merely what God does it is also who He is!

4. God remains just while justifying believing sinners!

Romans 3:26, To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Rom 4:5, But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Job 25:4, How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

The honest answer to Bildad's inquiry is, God is the Justifier! Yes, a man can be justified with God when He declare us righteous because of our faith in Jesus Christ! Yes, this idea is problematic in our reasoning, but in the economy of God, He already had a solution…even before the foundation of the world. In the most comprehensive and profound manner…Jesus is the Answer! For the lost fallen sinner…Jesus is God’s Answer for you. Justification before God is through faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior. God declares believing sinners righteous when we repent believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Trust Him; therefore, before it is forever too late. God still will justify us when we acknowledge our great need for His forgiveness for our sins and repent believing the Gospel of Jesus Christ--it was Christ who voluntarily died in our place taking our punishment for our sins. Jesus has already paid the awful price for our sins, and God will grant us credit for Jesus’ perfect righteousness when we believe on Him. 

Since you have not yet believed on the Lord Jesus for forgiveness, do it now. Why put this weighty decision off? You are not promised another opportunity to be saved at a later date…so, do not neglect this one singular chance to be saved. Repent of your sinful unbelief, acknowledge your sin to God, ask the Lord Jesus to save you and receive Him as your personal Savior and Lord. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and in your place to pay for your sin, believe that he really did die because He was buried, and believe that Jesus rose again the third day exactly as the Scriptures predicted He would. Trust this living Savior who conquered death, the grave, and Hell on your behalf. Understand there is absolutely no other means to be justified. When you believe, God the Perfect Judge will declare you as righteous. His word is final!               

So it is with every problem or challenge we face today’ God still has the answers or solutions. But we Christians must be willing to view life God’s way—the precious guiding Scriptures. We must trust Him to provide the solutions in His good timing. Don’t even attempt to resolve problems in life with the world’s answers. Look to God for His answer! As Christians take these familiar warnings to heart. Abraham should never have gone in to Hagar, he should have waited on God’s answer. Jacob should never have deceived his father Isaac, he should have waited on God’s timing to give him the birthright. Eve should never have eaten the fruit, she should have waited acknowledging the instructions from God. Cornelius of Acts Chapter 10 did wait on God to provide him the answer—the missing link in his quest to understand salvation. The Almighty and merciful God of grace sent Peter to preach unto him salvation in Jesus Christ. As a result, Cornelius was gloriously saved along with his family members and household! Look to God for His answers and leave the timing to Him!

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^[1] Deere, J. S. (1985). Deuteronomy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 318). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.