James Nisbet Commentary - Romans 3:26 - 3:26

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James Nisbet Commentary - Romans 3:26 - 3:26


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

JUSTIFICATION

‘That he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’

Rom_3:26

This text brought peace to the mind of Cowper the poet. It suggests—

I. The source of our justification.—Salvation has its origin in the grace of God. Only when we understand the heinousness of sin are we in a position to magnify His grace.

II. The manner of our justification.—‘Freely by His grace’—without condition, unmerited, unbought. Yet this is the pardon against which natural heart rebels. Like Naaman we would do some great thing. The parable of the Prodigal Son shows how freely God pardons.

III. The instrument of our justification.—‘Through faith in His blood.’ Faith identifies us with Christ. This faith is a Divine gift.

IV. The design of this whole dispensation—as set forth ‘to declare His righteousness.’ Christ as propitiation justifies the righteousness of God, that He might be ‘just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’

Rev. Canon C. D. Bell.

(SECOND OUTLINE)

FAITH AND JUSTIFICATION

The instrumental cause or receptive organ of justification is ‘Faith.’

I. Justifying faith.

(a) Faith is the acceptance of the testimony of God concerning His purposes and acts of mercy to man (Heb_11:1; 1Jn_4:16).

(b) It is also a resting upon Jesus Christ for salvation (2Ti_1:12). This implies an acceptance of Christ as our righteousness and our ransom. The righteousness by which we are saved is therefore called the ‘righteousness of faith’ (Php_3:9).

(c) Faith is not the mere root-principle of spiritual life: it is the continuously sustaining principle of it during the whole life of a believer (Gal_2:20). We live by faith.

(d) It is the principle which supports all other Christian graces. It produces love, for it works by love (Gal_5:6); it produces peace, joy, hope (Rom_5:1-5); it is of immense power (Mat_17:20).

II. Notice the harmony of justice and grace.—‘To declare, I say, His righteousness.’

(a) The Atonement exhibits love and righteousness together. This is the express teaching of the text—God is seen to be ‘just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.’

(b) It is a one-sided theology which represents the Atonement as an exhibition merely of love. If there was no righteousness demanding the death of Christ, or making that death necessary, there could be no love in it any more than in the death of any other good man. There is no force and no beauty in causeless self-sacrifice.

(c) The light of this blessed truth flashed over the Old Testament dispensation as well as the New: ‘Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other’ (Psa_85:10).

Let us humble ourselves under a sense of our unworthiness and sin. Let us glorify the grace of God that devised such a plan of mercy. Let us exalt the love of Christ so conspicuous in His suffering and death. Let us seek to enjoy ever more and more the fullness of His grace, mercy, and peace.

Illustration

‘A man had once injured his master. He was entrusted with large responsibilities; and when his employer heard that the servant had abused his trust, he sent for him and said, “John, you’ve wronged me. I forgive you, but I shall not want you any more.” Some years after, John and his former master met again. John said, “Oh, master, when you said you forgave me, that quite broke me down; but you need not have turned me away. I would have served you faithfully all my life after that!” Now, God forgives—but He does not turn us away. He receives us. He reinstates us in our lost position. He does more. He calls us sons of God, and recreates us to a new life. Even although the bare word “Justification” may not include this last item of renewal, yet, practically, in the Divine dealing, justification and renewal are never sundered.’