Justified Freely

Is it really true what Paul writes, that amongst the entire human race there is no difference? Are there not the rich and the poor, the whites and blacks, Jews and heathens? Does not the Lord Himself point to this when He says that the rich and the poor meet each other and God is the Maker of both? Are there not employers and employees?

This is all very true, and yet from God’s side there is no difference. Before Him we are all guilty. The Lord says in His Word: All have sinned and transgressed against His holy commandments. All are servants of the devil and have merited his eternal abode.

Reader, when I say all, then that has a serious ring. For the word “all” includes you and me. We all have sinned. But now there is the danger that it does not scare us in the least. We have become accustomed to hearing this. We have heard this our entire lifetime. We are so convinced of this that no one will deny that before God he or she is a sinner, and that one is not alone in this, gives a person a certain rest.

Yet that we have sinned is something so terrible that I have no words for this. With every sin, we insult God and gather wrath as a treasure. We must not think lightly of that, for who can fathom the strength of God’s wrath? And to hide in the masses will not help. God sees your hiding place and with his finger points to you. Woe unto you who have sinned for I will never let sin go unpunished. My anger is fierce against sin and with a righteous justice I will punish it both in time and eternity. Oh, that it would touch our hearts! We would then smite upon our breast crying: “Woe that I have sinned against God. It is because of this that I miss that glory that once was my possession. It is because of this that I miss that communion which was once my entire life.” We miss His image and therein His favor, His light, and His friendly countenance. We miss that which causes us to be precious in the sight of God.

Has the Lord already opened your eyes for this? Many years ago, the Lord opened the eyes of Martin Luther. He then came upon his knees and the cry was born: Oh, Lord, what must I do to be saved? And Luther did much — he worked, fasted, and chastised himself, but all this did not bring him what he sought. The law kept on cursing and demanding; his own conscience kept on accusing. As a lost sinner, he came at the feet of the Lord as one who could say no more than, “Oh, Lord, I have sinned and done this evil. I have deserved the righteous justice of the Lord.” He accepts what Paul says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Reader, what does the Lord do with such a sinner? He justifies him. That means, He forgives those sins. Freely, He sets them free. Is that because He lacks evidence against him? No, for there is so much evidence against him, enough to cast him away forever. But how can a righteous judge then set him free? How can this Judge say unto people who have so much upon their conscience, who have polluted themselves— freely, I will justify them? Is that not incomprehensible? A guilty, condemnable sinner before a holy and a just God is justified freely? No, if he himself had to contribute anything to be set free, it would be forever lost. But what is then that offer which could satisfy such a holy Judge? There stands the sinner—it can never come from him — he has nothing but a mountain of guilt. No, if he is to be set free, then it will have to be for naught.

But then what a wonderfully rich and precious gospel that is which tells us that the Lord can and will do it freely (Rom. 3:24). It cannot be any different but that it is a gospel that is received with great joy, that is met with open arms. But the reality is that man wants nothing to do with such a gospel. He is a bitter enemy of it and at every opportunity he will try to slander this gospel. Or, he hears it with stoical indifference. And really, we should not be so surprised at this. It is not easy for such a proud creature as man to be so deeply humbled to see that there is nothing on the side of man which merits his salvation. No, it is not easy when the Lord says the best of your works are as filthy rags.

Roman Catholicism says that is impossible that man is justified freely. He must do penance, show sorrow, fast, and pray so many times per day. Because upon our doing, the Lord will do something. Is Rome alone in this? Why no, this lives in the heart of all of us.

For who of you does not have a hope that he finally will be saved? We all hope that one day God will be merciful. But why? Because we are faithful churchgoers? We stand for the truth of God’s Word? Outwardly we live a respectful life and we would not take anything away from our doctrine? Oh, how many deceive themselves on the way to eternity! For regardless of how wonderful all these things are, they do not reckon with God because when the Lord justifies, He does it for naught. Paul says “freely.” And what a painful lesson that is for us, even for those who are no strangers to the grace of God. For it is not a small matter to learn that our conversion, our experiences, our tears, and prayers are no ground for eternity, and that we have to lose them. No, that is not easy because then I have nothing left. Then I come to stand as a poor, empty, condemnable sinner before God.

Do you know with what such a person is made happy?—That God justifies freely, out of free and sovereign grace. These words point unto a God who was moved from within Himself for such miserable, wretched creatures. Here everything of man falls away. The Lord was not moved because of anything in and of the creature, but moved from the stillness of eternity from within Himself.

Our conversion, experiences, tears, and prayers are no ground for eternity.

Oh, precious gospel message which speaks of a forgiven sinner because the Lord did take reasons out of Himself! Reader, it cannot be any different, but that God must receive all the honor and glory.

But one question remains. This one: How can this God, who is holy and just, justify such a sinner? Does there come a time that the Lord steps over sin? No, that can never be. The Lord does not just forgive sin. Paul speaks of the way in which it is possible— through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The Lord who wanted to speak guilty sinners free also gave a way by which He could do this. He gave a Mediator who would pay for the guilt of the guilty. When Paul speaks here of redemption, then he tells us that there is a God-given Mediator who redeems the guilty. That is, One who paid the price for them. Peter says, that was not a price of silver and gold. That mediatorial price was the life and the blood of the only-begotten Son of God. Before God would let sin go unpunished, He would punish it with the bitter death of the cross in His beloved Son.

It is true, they are justified freely, by His grace. But that does not mean that for that grace the price was never paid. It was paid in Gethsemane and upon Golgotha. It is a payment which reaches back into God’s eternity. That is why centuries before Gethsemane and Golgotha, there was a Jacob who could say, when lying upon his deathbed, “For Thy salvation I have waited.” It is a payment which will last until the end of time and have infinite value into God’s everlasting eternity. That is why the Lord promises not a hoof shall be left behind.

Oh, how blessed are they who are sprinkled with that blood! In them the Lord sees no sin. Then they stand before Him as if they had never sinned. Then they may experience a peace that is above understanding. Then into God’s everlasting eternity they may sing, ‘Through Thee, through Thee alone, because of Thy eternal good pleasure.”

Rev. J. Den Hoed is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Rock Valley, Iowa.

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