The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 01 (of 32)

by John Wesley

7. In this state we were, even all mankind, when God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end we might not perish but have everlasting life. In the fulness of time, he was made man, another common head of mankind, a second general parent and representative of the whole human race. And as such it was that he bore our griefs, the Lord laying upon him the iniquities of us all. Then was he wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. He made his soul an offering for sin: he poured out his blood for the transgressors: he bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that by his stripes we might be healed: and by that one oblation of himself once offered, he hath redeemed me and all mankind; having thereby made a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world.

8. In consideration of this, that the Son of God hath tasted death for every man, God hath now reconciled the world to himself, not imputing to them their former trespasses. And thus, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification. So that for the sake of his well-beloved Son, of what he hath done and suffered for us, God now vouchsafes on one only condition (which himself also enables us to perform) both to remitthe punishment due to our sins, to reinstate us in his favour, and to restore our dead souls to spiritual life, as the earnest of life eternal.

9. This therefore is the general ground, of the whole doctrine of justification. By the sin of the first Adam, who was not only the father, but likewise the representative of us all, we all fell short of the favour of God: we all became children of wrath: or, as the apostle expresses it, judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Even so, by the sacrifice for sin made by the second Adam, as the representative of us all, God is so far reconciled to all the world, that he hath given them a new covenant. The plain condition whereof being once fulfilled, there is no more condemnation for us, but we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

II. 1. But what is it to be justified? What is justification? This was the second thing which I proposed to shew. And it is evident from what has been already observed, that it is not, the being made actually just and righteous. This is sanctification: which is indeed, in some degree, the immediate fruit of justification: but nevertheless is a distinct gift of God, and of a totally different nature. The one implies, what God does for us through his Son; the other what he works in us by his Spirit. So that altho’ some rare instances maybe found, wherein theterm justified, or justification, is used in so wide a sense as to include sanctification also; yet in general use, they are sufficiently distinguished from each other, both by St. Paul and the other inspired writers.

2. Neither is that far-fetch’d conceit, that justification is, the clearing us from accusation, particularly that of Satan, easily proveable from any clear text of holy writ. In the whole scriptural account of this matter, as above laid down, neither that accuser nor his accusation appears to be at all taken in. It cannot indeed be denied, that he is the accuser of men, emphatically so called. But it does in no wise appear, that the great apostle hath any reference to this, more or less, in all that he hath written touching justification, either to the Romans or the Galatians.

3. It is also far easier to take for granted, than to prove from any clear scripture-testimony, that justification is, the clearing us from the accusation brought against us by the law. At least, if this forced, unnatural way of speaking, mean either more or less than this, that whereas we have transgressed the law of God, and thereby deserved the damnation of hell, God does not inflict on those who are justified, the punishment which they had deserved.

4. * Least of all does justification imply, that God is deceived in those whom he justifies; that he thinks them to be what in fact they are not,that he accounts them to be otherwise than they are. It does by no means imply, that God judges concerning us, contrary to the real nature of things: that he esteems us better than we really are, or believes us righteous, when we are unrighteous. Surely no. The judgment of the all-wise God, is always according to truth. Neither can it ever consist with his unerring wisdom, to think that I am innocent, to judge that I am righteous or holy, because another is so. He can no more in this manner confound me with Christ, than with David or Abraham. Let any man to whom God hath given understanding, weigh this without prejudice; and he cannot but perceive, that such a notion of justification, is neither reconcileable to reason, nor scripture.

5. The plain scriptural notion of justification is pardon, the forgiveness of sins. It is that act of God the Father, whereby for the sake of the propitiation made by the blood of his Son, he sheweth forth his righteousness (or mercy) by the remission of the sins that are past. This is the easy, natural account of it given by St. Paul, throughout this whole epistle. So he explains it himself, more particularly in this, and in the following chapter. Thus in the next verses but one to the text, Blessed are they, saith he, whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered: blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. To him that is justified orforgiven, God will not impute sin to his condemnation. He will not condemn him on that account, either in this world or in that which is to come. His sins, all his past sins, in thought, word and deed, are covered, are blotted out: shall not be remembered or mentioned against him, any more than if they had not been. God will not inflict on that sinner what he deserved to suffer, because the Son of his love hath suffered for him. And from the time we are accepted through the Beloved, reconciled to God through his blood, he loves and blesses and watches over us for good, even as if we had never sinned.

Indeed the apostle in one place seems to extend the meaning of the word much farther; where he says, Not the hearers of the law, but the doers of the law shall be justified. Here he appears to refer our justification, to the sentence of the great day. And so our Lord himself unquestionably doth, when he says, By thy words thou shalt be justified: proving thereby, that for every idle word men shall speak, they shall give an account in the day of judgment. But perhaps we can hardly produce another instance, of St. Paul’s using the word in that distant sense. In the general tenor of his writings, it is evident he doth not. And least of all in the text before us, which undeniably speaks, not of those who have already finished their course, but of those who arenow just setting out, just beginning to run the race which is set before him.

III. 1. But this is the third thing which was to be considered, namely, who are they that are justified? And the apostle tells us expresly, the ungodly: He, that is, God, justifieth the ungodly: the ungodly of every kind and degree, and none but the ungodly. As they that are righteous need no repentance, so they need no forgiveness. It is only sinners that have any occasion for pardon: it is sin alone which admits of being forgiven. Forgiveness therefore has an immediate reference to sin, and (in this respect) to nothing else. It is our unrighteousness to which the pardoning God is merciful: it is our iniquity which he remembereth no more.