June 21

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. - Galatians 2:16.

THERE are truths which are essential to religion, and which, so to speak, regard not the form of the windows and of the doorway, but the foundation itself, which regard not the railings and the ornaments of the bridge, but the keystone; which regard not those members of the body which may be injured or removed, while vitality remains, but the head, the breast, and the lungs. Such a doctrine is the fall of man, by which the human race are now all found in a state of guilt and depravity and helplessness. Such is the doctrine of justification by faith, the article, as Luther observes, by which a church stands or falls. And such is the doctrine in these words, which is most fully and clearly set forth in the New Testament, and particularly in this Epistle and in the Epistle to the Romans.

“Therein,” says the Apostle, speaking of the gospel, “is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith.” “Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” But now the righteousness of God without the law, that is, without the works of the law, is manifest, being witnessed by the law (that is, Moses) and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ, which is unto ail and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. “By him, therefore,” said Peter to the Jews, “all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses;” and, says Paul, “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth:”-“righteousness,” by rendering the obedience the law demands, and by suffering the penalty it denounces; for the penalty is as righteous and as divine as the precept. It is founded in eternal rectitude.

God could no more dispense with it than he could dispense with eternal rectitude; that is, do wrong. But, “is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.” This and this only is the way in which sinners can return to God, and become one with him again. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.” And how? “In Christ Jesus. Ye who were sometimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, 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; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”

All who believe in Jesus are interested in this inestimable blessing, and should rejoice in it. Following the example of the church in the days of Isaiah, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath clothed, me with the garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Why should we be so affected with our external circumstances, however trying they may be? As subjects of this grace and the heirs of that glory which shall be revealed in us, we should

“Sing of his lore who sought us,

When far away from God,

The precious price that bought us

Was his atoning blood.”