Confession of Faith: Article XXIII

But there is also a justification at the last day, at the Judgment Day. That is the public justification. Then the Lord will publicly confirm His own work and publicly declare His people just and blameless, a bride without spot or wrinkle. Their enemies will also see this. These are the steps of justification. The foundation was laid in eternity, but it must become a personal matter in our life. The last step also will follow, for the Lord will crown His own work.

What does Scripture call this justification? First of all, in Exodus it is called a “passing by or a passing over”; “when I see the blood, I will pass over you”; or a “covering,” as we read in Psalm 32, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

“Not imputing” is another word: “Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity”; or “casting behind His back.” I think of Hezekiah. The man, with all that had taken place in his life, could not meet the Lord. When he received the message, “Set thine house in order, for thou shalt surely die,” he turned his face to the wall. He said, “I am oppressed; undertake for me.” “Be Thou my Surety.” The Lord answered his prayer, and what do we read then? Hezekiah said, “Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.” That is another expression.

I think also of Micah. In the last chapter of Micah, you hear the adoration that God has given pardon to such a one, an enemy, Micah. “Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retaineth not His anger for ever, because He delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18). And if you cast something into the depths of the sea, it will never come back anymore. Oh, so it will never come back in the sight of God. Many times it may come back in the memory of the sinner, for God may have forgiven him, but he cannot forgive himself for what he has done to God. It remains his grief as long as he is in this life. But God has pardoned his iniquity. There are many scriptural expressions which point to this great benefit. And this doctrine is very important. Why is it so important? It is such an honorable doctrine. It is honorable to God, for He is greatly honored as Judge in that He receives satisfaction so that He is completely satisfied, and then, on the basis of this satisfaction, He acquits the sinner. Oh, it is to the glory and honor of God. But it is also honorable to God’s law. The curse is taken away from it. That law has no condemning power anymore, for the curse is carried away. Christ Himself is honored by it as the One who merited this salvation. He Himself is the righteous Servant.

It is also greatly honorable to the sinner. He may be clothed with a change of raiment and may receive a fair mitre upon his head. Think of Joshua. This is the heart of the gospel, a being just before God by faith in Christ. It is not because of the merit of faith, but because faith receives Christ as the gift of righteousness. Faith is truly Christ-exalting and God-honoring. Faith is not necessary in order to move God, to incline His heart, but it is necessary in order to receive these benefits.

So you can understand that Satan tries to obscure and to destroy this doctrine. Already in the days of Paul there were the Judaists who said, “That gospel is a little bit too easy. You need to be circumcised, and you still need to keep a few ceremonial laws.” And so Judaism began to mix law and gospel. Paul writes to the Galatians that there were people who wanted to be justified by the works of the law.

However, this was not only true in the days of Paul; this is an error which lives in my heart and in your heart unless the Lord makes us bankrupt sinners. Unless we have learned to know it ourselves, we will never fully agree in our heart that our works are not a ground for justification. Rome says that they are the ground of justification. Belarminus, a Roman Catholic theologian, said, “Justification is a real bringing forth, obtaining, or increasing of righteousness which man already possesses.” They say you cannot do those good works yourself, for this is grace, but the Lord has therefore given sacraments. Rome teaches that sacraments give so much grace that man by his own voluntary cooperation can keep God’s commandments and acquire his own righteousness and eternal life. So what do they really do? They mix sanctification with justification. They mix their legalistic works through it, and thus they really place sanctification in the first place. If man is good enough, then the Lord will justify him. Then justification is on the basis of good works.

But this is a God- and Christ-dishonoring doctrine. The Remonstrants, the Arminians, did not go that far. They said, “No, it is all the work of Christ. He did the work all alone. But you must accept it; and if you do, if you receive it, then righteousness will be imputed.” This is justification on the basis of faith. But then that which is thrown out the front door — man’s work — comes in the back door. No, true faith is no more than a hand, a receiving hand; and even the hand is given. We have no hands; we have no feet; and there is a people who learn to understand that. They can take and receive nothing unless it is given from heaven.

Ursinus said, “It is true I am a sinner. I have deserved death, but this is my comfort. This is certain, that the gracious God is satisfied with me and reconciled me by Christ. I have nothing to pay or to offer, but Christ has paid for me and fully satisfied His Father.”

This article is a confession of faith about the justification of the sinner. In the struggle about justification by faith, the sound doctrine, it was always the question, “Who gets the credit, God or man?” Indeed, it lives in our heart to rob God of His honor and to get credit for what we have done. But all those who are justified by God know of a time in their life when they fell completely outside; if one sigh had to be added from their side, all would have been lost. The gospel is so free because it says it is all from Him and through Him, and therefore it is possible. Oh, may the Lord give that objective justification. May He give you no rest before you know something of that certainty that all your sins are cast behind His back.

And what will it then be at the last day when that poor, despised people will be placed before the eyes of their mockers, before their persecutors, perhaps their husband, wife, or children, and the Lord will say, “This is My peculiar people; this is My Hephzibah; this is My bride.” Then they may fall outside forever and will give all the glory to God. Then it will truly be: Soli deo gloria. But to come there, the whole man must be crucified and die. May it be: Nothing in us; all in Him.

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