Part 2

John G. Reisinger

In our first article we emphasized that the gospel is first concerned with justifying God in his justification of sinners. The vital question for the writers of Scripture is not how to get a sinner to love God, but, how can a holy God love a guilty sinner like me? Answering that question is the theme of the Book of Romans. On the surface, the gospel seems to overturn the very righteous foundation of God's character, but when the meaning of the cross is understood, the gospel then reveals the "righteousness of God." Modern man clearly understands the basic idea of righteousness, but he cannot understand the gospel because he cannot understand grace.

Let me illustrate the problem by giving modern dress to a parable used by our Lord in Luke 18:9-14. This parable does not grab us because we do not have people called Publicans and Pharisees, nor do most of us go to temples to worship. Let's assume I am preaching in First Baptist Church of Your Town. Two ladies are visiting for the first time. The first lady is the epitome of religious and moral respectability. She could not even think of immorality, let alone actually commit an immoral act. She is honest, chaste, kind, and extremely religious. She collects for the heart fund, works as a volunteer serving food at the local shelter, lets the Cub Scouts use her home and cleans up after them without complaining. She baked one hundred sixty-five angel food cakes for the church sale and sews for the mission projects.

I repeat, this lady is the epitome of religious and moral respectability. However, I must tell her that in spite of all the good things about her and all of the good things she has done, she is still a lost sinner on her way to hell unless she admits she is a sinner and trusts the blood of Christ to cleanse her from her sin. I must tell her that all her works put together do not earn her one single credit with God! She is a lost and guilty sinner in spite of her moral uprightness!

The second lady is the exact opposite. She is a blasphemer and is immoral in every area of her life. She can swear for ten minutes and never use the same curse word twice. She is a liar and a drunkard. Her arm is filled with needle marks from taking dope. She has not only stolen but has also sold her body in prostitution to pay for her drug habit. She is the epitome of rebellion against both God and man

As the hymn "Sinners Jesus Will Receive" is sung, the second lady begins to cry. She feels a deep pain in her heart and thinks, "I am living life as it was never meant to be lived. Oh, what a wicked sinner I am. I wonder if it is possible that God could ever love someone as wicked as I am." The sermon is taken from Matthew 11:28-30. When the lady hears the words, " 'Come unto me all ye that labor and I will give you rest,'" she finds herself praying to God. "Oh, God in heaven. God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, will you, can you, receive me and free me from my awful load of sin? Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of sinners, come into my heart and save me." This poor sinful woman believes the gospel of grace and is instantly forgiven and justified in God's sight!

If I understand the Scriptures, I have the privilege of telling that second woman that if she indeed believed in her heart what she said, then she is indeed justified! Am I correct? If you believe the gospel I am sure you will agree. Does that really make sense to you? It doesn't to me. If you think that makes sense, then you try to explain it and convince the first woman! Explain to her why she will go home lost and on her way to hell and the second lady has just been forgiven of all of her sin and will walk out the door on her way to heaven!

Can you hear the first lady say, "You mean that awful wicked woman just says a prayer and believes a verse in the Bible and she is totally forgiven of every sin she committed, and I am not forgiven in spite of all the good things I did, not to mention the fact that I never once did any of the wicked things she did? Your gospel is ridiculous, immoral and destroys righteousness."

It is at this point that the gospel really gets difficult. Not only must we tell that first woman that none of her good things count as brownie points for her, but her good deeds actually count against her. WOW! Notice exactly what Isa. 64:6 says: "…all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…" It does not say God hates our sin, which is true, but it says our "righteous acts" are like filthy rags. Tell a man that God hates his stealing, his adultery, his blasphemy, and he will agree with you. He knows that is true. Tell him that God hates his righteous acts and he will think you are crazy.

I think when most people first hear the true gospel they think maybe they must go out and get drunk, commit adultery, or smoke pot before they can be saved. Of course that is not at all true, but it almost seems that way. It sounds like a good moral person does not have a chance. We must insist that Isaiah is not saying that God wants you to be as bad as you can be so you will be saved. No, the text is saying this: All men have some goodness when they are compared to other men. The two women mentioned above are clear examples. The first woman is a better person as far as morality is concerned. However, we owe whatever makes us different from other people not to ourselves, but to God's sovereign providence. If the religious moral woman described above had been born and raised in the same environment as the second lady, she might well have been even worse.

God does not see and evaluate as man does. When we take the 'good things' about us, put them in a bundle, then hold that bundle up before God and say, "Lord, you can see that I am not at all like that other person. I am no wicked sinner. I do not need the blood and righteousness of Christ," we are comparing our righteousness with the righteousness of Christ. When we make such a comparison, God says, "Your righteousness stinks! It has worms in it." I can say, with joy and gratitude to God, every single thing that the Pharisee in Luke 18 said. I'm glad my wife is like that first woman in her life style. However, both my wife and I must add, "Oh, God, you are the one who made the difference. True, I am not like that other wicked person but it is only because of your sovereign grace and providence." If the Pharisee in Luke 18 had just added that to the end of his prayer!

Our good acts, when measured by men, are still due to God's providence and not to any good in us. When used as a ground of acceptance with God, our very goodness becomes filthy rags in God's sight and actually counts against us! This is really why the cross is a "scandal." This is why the gospel is "foolishness to them which are perishing."

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones suggests that we can ask non-Christians two questions. First we ask, "What must a person do to be sure of going to heaven and have you done it?" Within a matter of minutes a lost man will say, "I do not believe I am a good enough person to say for sure I am going to heaven, but I can honestly say that I am earnestly working at it. I am sincerely trying to be a Christian." We then tell such a person he cannot possibly be a Christian. According to Romans 4:4, 5, the first mark of a true Christian is that he has quit working to get to heaven! That is exactly what Paul says:

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom 4:4-5). That does not mean that God does not care whether we try to do right or not. It means that a Christian has turned away from works, to faith in Christ as the only means of salvation. He has stopped trying to earn his salvation by his works and has trusted the blood and righteousness of Christ.

The second question we might ask is this: "What kind of people does God save and take to heaven, and do you think that you are such a person?" When the individual says something like, "I do not profess to have angel's wings yet but I am basically a good person. I have never been unfaithful to my wife, stolen from anyone or kicked my dog." Most people believe they are not good enough for heaven and not bad enough for hell. When people give us the 'angel's wings' routine, we tell them that they flunked again! They cannot possibly be Christians, because Romans 4:4,5 states that God justifies the 'ungodly'!

I think we must sometimes shock people into thinking. When anyone talks about being good enough to go to heaven, I look at them in astonishment and say, "Did no one ever tell you that good people go to hell and bad people go to heaven! I am going to heaven because I am bad, not because I am good. I am so bad my only hope is grace!" I remind them that Jesus said, "I am not come to call the righteous, but [to call] sinners to repentance" (Mt.9: 13). Our Lord shed his blood for poor, lost, guilty sinners. He did not die for 'good, religious, self-righteous people'.

One of the most wonderful, and also one of the most misunderstood, texts in the New Testament Scriptures is I John 1:9. I'm sure nearly every reader will know it by heart. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1Jn 1:9). The text emphasizes that God's 'faithfulness' and his 'justice' are demonstrated when he forgives us of our sin.

The first question we must consider as we look at this text is this: To whom is God 'faithful' when he forgives us of sin? He is not being faithful to us since he does not owe us anything. The answer is: God forgives us out of faithfulness to his own oath given to his Son in eternity. God honors and rewards the sufferings of Christ by forgiving us 'for Christ's sake'.

The second question from the text concerns God's justice. I was always taught that justice was the one thing we did not want. I remember the classic story of the man who often got drunk and wound up in court and always received thirty days in jail. On one occasion he was shaking in fear and the judge said, "Elmer, you need not fear, you know you always get justice in my court." The man replied, "I know that Your Honor, but justice says, thirty days. I need mercy." If we ask God to be just and give us what we deserve, we will indeed perish for sure. However, justice is still the attribute of God that gives us the assurance of our salvation.

Forgiveness of sin is not given on the ground of the amazing love of God. All the love in the world, including all the love in the heart of God, cannot forgive one single sin. Sin must be paid for, and it must be paid in full. We are not forgiven by a mighty act of God's power, nor does God forgive by merely passing over and forgetting about our sin. God gave his Son up to the cross to pay in full the debt poor sinners owed. God rewards the cross work of Christ by forgiving sinners on the ground of the work Christ did in their place.

If I am asked, "What is the one sure reason you have for believing your sin is fully paid for and will never be held against you in the future?" The only safe answer is, "The justice of God! He will not punish sin twice! He will not pour out his wrath on my Savior and then later pour out that same wrath on me." That is the answer! God cannot punish sin twice! That would indeed constitute unrighteousness.

Here is the great dilemma of those who hold to the doctrine of universal atonement. If God punished Christ as the substitute for all men without exception, then why are not all men saved? If God punished Christ for a specific sinner and that sinner nonetheless goes to hell and bears the punishment for his own sin in hell, is not God punishing the same sin twice? We believe that justice demands the salvation and full acquittal of all for whom Christ died.

Did you know that if you are a child of God, you have a lawyer in heaven that represents you before God? 1John 1:9 talks about righteousness and justice, and 1John 2:1 explains how and why that justice and righteousness is established and maintained.

"…And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1John 2:1).

An advocate is a lawyer. Our Lord Jesus Christ acts as a lawyer in heaven in behalf of the people for whom he died. Let me list a few things that are unique about his work as a lawyer.

One: Christ is the only lawyer that can practice in heaven. Now I did not say he is the only lawyer in heaven, I said he is the only lawyer who can practice law in heaven. In order to practice law you must go to college and get a BA degree. Then you go to Law School and get a Law degree. However, that does not make you a lawyer. You must still pass the bar examination. This is called 'being admitted to the bar'. I have a friend that went to college and law school and passed both with good grades. He took the bar exam three times and flunked three times, and today he sells real estate.

The Bible says, "There is one mediator [lawyer] between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"(1Tim.2: 5). Notice this lawyer is a 'man.' There is a man, a real man, who shared our humanity, sitting on the right hand of God the Father and acting as our lawyer. This man is actually our older brother. The text also says that this man is the "mediator between God and men." He is not the mediator between God and man (mankind), but between God and men, individual, specific, chosen men. Mankind, as such, does not have a mediator, but the elect of God do have a mediator. He who died for the elect now prays for the elect (John 17:9).

Our Lord is the only lawyer that ever passed the heavenly bar examination. That is why he alone can practice law in heaven. A lawyer must be accepted at the bar and must also be acceptable to his client. In a sense he must be equal to and accepted by all parties. Our Lord is equal to God. The Father has turned everything over to him. He is also perfectly acceptable to this poor sinner.

The first requirement to be admitted to the bar of heaven is that you not only must be a true man, but you must be a man without sin. You can only plead for another if you have no sin yourself. There is only one man who ever met that criterion. Only one true man lived his whole life without sin.

Two: Our Lord is the only lawyer I know that never lost a case. He has never represented a single sinner in the court of heaven that was not completely acquitted. Every single one of our Lord's clients walk out of the court of God's justice with the Judge's "case dismissed" ringing in his ears.

Three: Our Lord is the only lawyer I know that only takes guilty clients who are willing to publicly admit their guilt. That is amazing but true! Before he will take your case you must publicly plead guilty to every change.

I hope you are beginning to appreciate the wonder of all this. Our Lord always makes his clients publicly plead guilty; but he assures them he will get them off with no punishment, and he fulfills that promise every single time, and, most amazing of all, he earns a nickname in the process! If a lawyer in a local court only took admitted guilty clients and always got them off scot-free, he would earn a reputation, and it would not be 'honest John'. Yet our Lord does that very thing and he is called 'Jesus Christ the righteous'. How can he possibly accomplish that? How can he establish righteousness by getting guilty sinners off, absolutely free? That is what the gospel is all about! That is why Paul is so proud of this mighty gospel of sovereign grace and power. The gospel justifies God in his justifying us.

I think if I were in heaven when I was accused before God, I would die of fright. When my lawyer stood up I might have a glimmer of hope. However, his opening statement would be, "Your Honor, my client is guilty of everything of which he is charged." The Judge raises his gavel and is about to end the drama when my lawyer adds, "But, Your Honor, in spite of my client's guilt, I will prove that you may not punish him." If this were a human court, the judge would probably laugh. "You admit your client is guilty, and you know the law says 'the man who sins against the law must perish,' and you know that I am honest and go by the book, and yet you say I may not punish this self confessed guilty sinner? Where is your evidence? What argument do you have to prove your case?"

Our lawyer holds out his hands and points to the holes in them and says, "Your Honor, this is exhibit A. I paid the full penalty of that sin on Calvary's cross."

He then points to the holes in his feet and says, "This is exhibit B," and again reminds the Judge of his death on the cross.

Our Lord points to the wound in his side and the scars on his forehead and says, "These are Exhibits C and D."

Next, our lawyer gets a scroll out of his bosom. The Book of Hebrews calls it 'the Everlasting Covenant'. It is called everlasting because there will never be another one to replace it. This one provides everything necessary for all eternity for all of the elect of God. Our Lord says, "Holy Father, do you remember when you sent me into the world as the Shepherd of the sheep? You gave me a people and made me responsible for their salvation. You promised me that if I would provide everything those sheep needed to be justified in your sight that you would receive and forgive them for my sake. Here is one of those sheep for whom I died. Remember your covenant oath and fulfill it by forgiving and justifying this sheep."

The Father remembers his own covenant oath and is faithful to his promise to his Son. God is also just! He will not punish sin twice. The evidence is demonstrated in the exhibits. The Father himself punished the Savior with his wrath. The Father gladly honors the sacrifice that fully paid the debt that was owed. The gavel comes down and the Judge says, "Case dismissed."

God the Father is glorified! Jesus Christ is satisfied! A poor sinner is perfectly justified and set free! And righteousness is established forever! No wonder Paul is so ready to defend and proclaim this gospel of grace. Do you grasp what he meant when he cried out, "…I am not ashamed of the gospel…for therein is the RIGHTEOUSNESS of God revealed…"? (Rom.1: 16,17).

I hope we have caught the truth of what has been said. We are insisting that the ground of a sinner's acceptance before God is rooted in the justice of God. We are not forgiven by an act of love. We are not forgiven by a lapse of memory. We are not forgiven by an act of power. We are forgiven in strict justice because our sin debt has been fully paid! That is what grace means! The hymn writer has it right:

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow.

I want to ask you a serious question. Are you really sure of salvation? Do you have peace of conscience that every one of your sins is forgiven? No sinner can ever have true assurance of salvation until he is positive that God is perfectly satisfied. We must be sure that God is perfectly satisfied with our standing before him. We can only be sure that God is satisfied with us as we see ourselves robed in that perfect robe of righteousness given to us by Christ.

One of the great dangers our forefathers faced as they traveled west was getting caught in a prairie fire. There was no place to run or hide. If the wind brought the fire from the south, they would turn their backs to the fire and face the north. They would light another fire and follow it for several hundred yards and then tramp the second fire out. They would stand and watch the big fire approach. They could feel the heat on their faces and see the flames leap into the sky. The wind brought the fire closer and closer, but they were not afraid. They knew they were safe. They knew that the fire would stop the moment it came to the charred ground that had already been burned. They knew the fire could not burn twice.

When we stand under the cross and realize that our Lord is enduring the wrath of God, we know we are standing on charred ground. The wrath against sin that fell that day will never fall on us. God will not punish sin twice. The vital question is this: Do I really believe that Jesus Christ died and paid for sin once and for all? Can I rejoice and say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel" and raise my voice in worship to my blessed redeemer?

Copyright 2004 John G. Reisinger