Justification by Faith (pt. 2) by John H. Gerstner

The epistle to the Romans has already shown us that man is guilty before God. Their sins have incurred the wrath of God: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18). And this wrath is further intensified by every sin that is committed: "thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God" (Romans 2:5).
Later, the same epistle tells us that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Death refers to eternal death in hell because it is set in contrast with eternal life. Did not Christ Himself say the same thing? "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). He said, "This is My body which is given for you" (Luke 22:19). Did He not say that like "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (John 3:14)? Why would the Son of man be lifted up as a vile serpent, the symbol of sin, to become sin and cry out in His desolation, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46) except that, as Paul says, God "made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Corinthians 5:21). Christ Himself did not say so much about His death. He was making the sacrifice, so He left to others the privilege of explaining it. For 2000 years now the church has been glorying in His cross and exploring its wondrous meaning.
The positive element, making sinners just or righteous, is really the central aspect of justification, though it is commonly less noticed. But, as we have said, if Christ did not procure our righteousness as well as secure our remission, the latter would have been of no avail to us, for we would still be outside paradise and exposed to the recurrence of sin and ultimate damnation. God could not bestow righteousness on us, to be sure, without removing our filthy guilt. But on the other hand, it would have been no use to remove our guilt if He did not bestow a new righteousness on us. This is what the first Adam failed to do. He was never asked to die for the remission of sin, but he was placed on probation to fulfill the law and secure the perpetual favor of God upon all whom he represented--and he failed in this. The second Adam, the man Christ Jesus, both washed us from our sins by His blood and clothed us in the white raiment of His righteousness, justified.
In order to do this great thing, Christ had first to be justified Himself so that those whom He represented might share in His justification; and this He did. He fulfilled the law perfectly, not for Himself alone, but for His people. He was holy and undefiled, a Lamb without blemish. He was the only one who could say, "The prince of this world cometh, and he hath nothing in Me." He was the Son in whom the Father was well-pleased, made in all points like as we are, but without sin. Therefore God vindicated the second Adam, as we read in 1 Peter 3:18: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit." And 1 Timothy 3:16: "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." Here we see that the man Christ Jesus was justified by His own keeping of the law; but in Romans 4:25 we see that this justification was not for Himself alone, but representatively for His people; "Who was delivered up for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." So 1 Timothy tells us that He was raised again for His own justification, and Romans 4:25 shows that He was raised again for our justification.
In justification, as in all other works as a Mediator, Christ does not act as a private person, but as a public one; not for Himself alone, but for all of His own; not for the Head only, but for the members of the body as well. So that we are quickened, raised up, and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. You are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Again, Romans 8:34: "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." So, being justified, being endowed with a title to life as well as a reprieve from death, "we have peace with God . . .access into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice [triumphantly] in hope of the glory of God."
That these two elements together constitute justification is shown in Acts 26:18: "that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me." And John 5:24: "He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation."
You may ask, "Why is faith the means of justification? Is it a kind of good work?"
I answer, no; the Bible is very plain in teaching that salvation is not by works of any kind. If it were, we would have something to glory about; we could not boast that we did this or that, but we could glory in our belief. We could alter Toplady's hymn like this: "Nothing in my hands I bring, except my faith!" No other work could avail, only the work of believing. If faith were a kind of good work, we would be back again at the old heresy of salvation by works--and the work that saves would be the work of faith. Romans 4:5 makes it clear that we are not saved by faith as a good work; for that text says that we are justified while still ungodly in ourselves. God "justifieth the ungodly." So, at the moment of justification, we are still ungodly. If we are still ungodly then, our faith cannot be a good work.
But if you ask why faith is the means of justification, it is simply because it is the act of union with Jesus Christ. Faith is our coming to Him, our trusting Him, our resting in Him. The moment we are united to Him, we are immediately endowed with all that He has secured for us. We are immediately justified before we have done a single good deed, because we are His and He is God's. A very poor woman is a very poor woman until the very moment that she marries a wealthy man; but at the moment that she becomes his wife, she becomes a wealthy woman. It is by means of her acceptance that she becomes a wealthy woman; but her acceptance does not make her wealthy--it is her husband's wealth that makes her so. And faith does not justify, Christ does--but faith unites us to Christ.