Article in British and Foreign Evangelical Review, July, 1880.
(Continued from page 142.)
- But, secondly, it is just as clear that some other principle still must be introduced, though it were only to justify the introduction of this first principle of Grace. It cannot be supposed that the sovereignty wherewith this grace of God in the very nature of things must act is a mere arbitrary resolution on the part of God to do anything whatsoever, whether that might be worthy of himself or not. Grace, though sovereign, cannot possibly be an arbitrary principle of procedure, carrying out its purpose at all hazards, whatever damage might accrue to the interests of holiness, or whatever dishonour to the character of God. In justifying the ungodly, it must proceed on some basis of action, some understanding, some ground or reason, sufficient to justify itself. For, if some sufficient ground to which sovereign grace may have regard be not brought forward, it is impossible to vindicate or justify the grace of God in justifying the ungodly. Grace, in proposing to reverse the sentence of condemnation, must be able to justify herself to justice—that justice which pronounced the sentence now about to be reversed. Nor can the wisdom, the faithfulness, the immutability of God be redeemed from sore aspersion, unless a new ground be brought forward sufficient to account for this change of procedure towards the guilty.
For to condemn at one moment and justify the next, however the first may have proceeded from justice and the second from grace, must be an anomaly in government, utterly inexplicable, unless the Judge hath, in so changing and reversing his sentence, admitted into consideration or calculation a new and another principle, confessedly regarded as absent when the sentence of condemnation was pronounced. Save for this, the change must be absolutely arbitrary, reasonless, groundless; either the former sentence of condemnation, or the new sentence of absolution, must be unjust; they cannot both, proceeding on the same ground or basis, be righteous; and on the supposition that the offender had been righteously condemned, his acquittal now must be unjust and unholy. It matters not to reply that it is an act of grace; the question is, how Grace, in achieving this act, can justify herself to Justice, whose acknowledgedly righteous sentence Grace thus presumes to set aside and to reverse.
Now in reply to this the answer is, that there is another ground introduced for Grace to recognise in justifying the ungodly—a ground or basis or foundation of procedure additional to any that Justice had under consideration in condemning; and that, therefore, although the sentence of the one is diametrically opposed to that of the other, still they come not at all into collision or contradiction. Grace can vindicate her own decision or deliverance, maintaining its righteousness as resting on this new element, this new foundation.
This second principle thus brought forward is the Suretyship of Christ, the introduction of a mediator, a substitute, a surety. An atoning surety, satisfying Divine justice and redeeming from the curse, himself being made a curse for us, places the work of Grace on a sure, a righteous, a holy foundation. The representation of the sinner at the bar of God by One altogether able to appear in his room, doing so of his own will, and appointed by supreme and sovereign authority to do so—one who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners; a Divine person moreover, having his life in his own power as none but a Divine person could have, able therefore to lay it down himself, in the room and stead of others, able also to expend it in obeying in the room and stead of others, thus bringing in a righteousness available for them; the blood of his ransom, likewise, being the pricelessly satisfying and all-purchasing blood of God, and his righteousness the righteousness of God; a representative and substitute such as this, releasing his clients from the death which he bears in their room and name, and releasing them from needing to achieve the title which by his obedience he secures on their behalf, may well justify the grace of God in justifying the ungodly, and demonstrate that the reversal of the condemning sentence of justice will secure the approbation of justice itself, yea, will be the very dictate and demand and doing of justice now.
We are justified freely by his grace; but it is through the redemption that is in Christ; and Grace reigns through righteousness. We have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins, through his blood. Yea, we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his justice in the remission of sins, to declare at this time his justice, in that he is both just and the justifier of him that believeth on Jesus (Rom. iii, 24-26).
Introduce this as the meritorious ground—the obedience, namely, and blood-shedding of the Lamb of God, standing in the room of his people, the responsible Head and Husband of the Church, appointed to be so by the offended Lawgiver himself, the Sovereign God—himself God’s dear Son, acquiescing of his own accord and with much delight in the position, and sustained in it by the infinite sufficiency of the Eternal Spirit; and divine grace, having respect or regard to such a ground of procedure, appears no more an arbitrary, reasonless thing, choosing to say the opposite of what justice had solemnly said; but reasonable, righteous, and holy, itself even providing this very surety, and seeing to it that in him all the deliverances of justice shall be justified and executed, all the demands of justice owned and satisfied; providing, also, that through this holy and righteous channel, through the channel of the law made honourable and magnified in the cross and righteousness of God manifest in the flesh, a salvation free and rich, sovereign triumphant, and unchallengeable, shall accrue to the poor and needy, without money and without price.
Such is the meritorious cause or justifying reason of justification by grace. Grace is the originating cause of justification, but the death and obedience unto death of a qualified and willing substitute is the meritorious or procuring cause. Sovereign grace is the free source, imputed righteousness the valid ground. The Father’s grace is the fountain; the Son’s righteousness is the foundation. The justified transgressor tastes the sweetness of the fountain, tries the security of the foundation. He tastes that the Lord is gracious, unto whom coming as unto a living stone, a foundation elect and precious, he is built up a lively stone, a member of a spiritual house, an acceptable royal priesthood.
Thus we are justified freely by his grace, but we are justified through the redemption, the propitiation, the righteousness of Christ. And thus the sovereign Lord secures his honour, declares his righteousness, vindicates and justifies the holiness of his grace, and establishes for ever the security of his gracious procedure in justifying the ungodly that believe on Jesus.
Here, then, are two principles in the justification of a sinner, altogether new, and unknown in the justification of the unfallen—(first), Grace, sovereign free grace and love, justifying where mere justice must condemn; and (secondly), the surety-righteousness of Christ, making it as thoroughly just and righteous for grace to acquit and accept as for justice to condemn and disown.
And these two principles, the grace of God and the suretyship of Christ, singularly support each other. For it is grace that in seeking to justify the ungodly has provided the suretyship as a ground of justification. And it is this suretyship as the ground of the sinner’s justification which justifies grace in justifying the sinner that believeth.
(To be continued.)
- The author of this article, although written under a pen name, is considered to be Dr. Hugh Martin, D.D.—Editor.