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God Justifieth the Ungodly

This message is for you. You will find the text in the Epistle to the Romans, in the fourth chapter and the fifth verse, “To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” I call your attention to those words, “Him that justifieth the ungodly.” They seem to me to be very wonderful words. Are you not surprised that there should be such an expression as that in the Bible, “That justifieth the ungodly?” I have heard that men that hate the doctrines of the cross bring it as a charge against God, that He saves wicked men and receives to Himself the vilest of the vile. See how this Scripture accepts the charge, and plainly states it! By the mouth of His servant Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, He takes to Himself the title of “Him that justifieth the ungodly.” He makes those just who are unjust, forgives those who deserve to be punished, and favors those who deserve no favor. You thought, did you not, that salvation was for the good? that God’s grace was for the pure and holy, who are free from sin? It has fallen into your mind that, if you were excellent, then God would reward you; and you have thought that because you are not worthy, therefore there could be no way of your enjoying His favor. You must be somewhat surprised to read a text like this: “Him that justifieth the ungodly.” I do not wonder that you are surprised; for with all my familiarity with the great grace of God, I never cease to wonder at it. It does sound surprising, does it not, that it should be possible for a holy God to justify an unholy man? We, according to the natural legality of our hearts, are always talking about our own goodness and our own worthiness, and we stubbornly hold to it that there must be somewhat in us in order to win the notice of God. Now, God, who sees through all deceptions, knows that there is no goodness whatever in us. He says that “there is none righteous, no not one.” He knows that “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags,” and, therefore the Lord Jesus did not come into the world to look after goodness and righteousness with him, and to bestow them upon persons who have none of them. He comes, not because we are just, but to make us so: he justifieth the ungodly. When a counsellor comes into court, if he is an honest man, he desires to plead the case of an innocent person and justify him before the court from the things which are falsely laid to his charge. It should be the lawyer’s object to justify the innocent person, and he should not attempt to screen the guilty party. It lies not in man’s right nor in man’s power truly to justify the guilty. This is a miracle reserved for the Lord alone. God, the infinitely just Sovereign, knows that there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not, and therefore, in the infinite sovereignty of His divine nature and in the splendor of His ineffable love, He undertakes the task, not so much of justifying the just as of justifying the ungodly. God has devised ways and means of making the ungodly man to stand justly accepted before Him: He has set up a system by which with perfect justice He can treat the guilty as if he had been all his life free from offense, yea, can treat him as if he were wholly free from sin. He justifieth the ungodly. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. It is a very surprising thing—a thing to be marveled at most of all by those who enjoy it. I know that it is to me even to this day the greatest wonder that I ever heard of, that God should ever justify me. I feel myself to be a lump of unworthiness, a mass of corruption, and a heap of sin, apart from His almighty love. I know by a full assurance that I am justified by faith which is in Christ Jesus, and treated as if I had been perfectly just, and made an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ; and yet by nature I must take my place among the most sinful. I, who am altogether undeserving, am treated as if I had been deserving. I am loved with as much love as if I had always been godly, whereas aforetime I was ungodly. Who can help being astonished at this? Gratitude for such favor stands dressed in robes of wonder. Now, while this is very surprising, I want you to notice how available it makes the gospel to you and to me. If God justifieth the ungodly, then, dear friend, He can justify you. Is not that the very kind of person that you are? If you are unconverted at this moment, it is a very proper description of you; you have lived without God, you have been the reverse of godly; in one word, you have been and are ungodly. Perhaps you have not even attended a place of worship on Sunday, but have lived in disregard of God’s day, and house, and Word—this proves you to have been ungodly. Sadder still, it may be you have even tried to doubt God’s existence, and have gone the length of saying that you did so. You have lived on this fair earth, which is full of the tokens of God’s presence, and all the while you have shut your eyes to the clear evidences of His power and Godhead. You have lived as if there were no God. Indeed, you would have been very pleased if you could have demonstrated to yourself to a certainty that there was no God whatever. Possibly you have lived a great many years in this way, so that you are now pretty well settled in your ways, and yet God is not in any of them. If you were labeled ungodly it would as well describe you as if the sea were to be labeled salt water. Would it not?

When a Brother Sins Against You

Key Verse: Matthew 18:15 I. Remember That You Are Not Sinless and You Cannot Expect Others to Be A. The word “if “ in Matthew 18:15 is the Greek ἐάν which is a suppositional conjunction of objective possibility. It is a situation likely to occur, not a subjective supposition which may never be realized (usually indicated by the Greek particle εἰ). Don’t live in a dream world thinking that your brother in Christ is so perfect that he will never do anything to offend you.

B. The verb “trespass” in Matthew 18:15 is in the subjunctive aorist (ἁμαρτήσῃ) which indicates not a life of sin, but a single act. It basically means to miss the mark. You set the mark for your brother but somehow he misses it. He does not measure up to your expectations. This happens so easily. We meet our own aim, but often miss the goals others set for us. II. No Indifference Is Allowed in the Life of the Christian Toward Another

A. This does not mean, however, that we have the right to pry into the lives of others in order to find a reason to correct them. Our Lord gave us clear command not to judge others in Matthew 7:1, 2, “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” No one has the right to be a self-appointed judge of others. The commandment, “Judge not,” is in the present indicative entailing continuity of action.

B. Christ teaches in Matthew 18:15 that if you are offended because your brother fails to meet your standard in something particular, you should go to him. This only involves something personal as indicated by the phrase “against thee.” It does not say that you should take up the cause if it is against someone else. It must be something which affects you and you alone.

C. Your brother may be totally unconscious of the thing he has done to disappoint you. If you refuse to see him about it, you may continue to harbor feelings against him, which would be harmful to you. III. The Injured Person Must Go to the One Who Offended A. Let it be a private matter. Instead of telling others, go and reprove him. The verb ἔλεγξον is the aorist imperative active of ἐλέγχω, “to rebuke, reprove.” This indicates a once and for all action. It implies that the brother is in the wrong for whatever he did against his brother. B. The purpose of going to him is to win him. If you do not make him aware of the problem, he will continue sinning to his own detriment. The approach of the injured is redemptive “ … if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.” C. The meaning of the verb “hear” (ἀκούω) is “to heed or obey” which proves that the injurious person needs to amend his way. IV. Continuing to Harm a Brother Is Inadmissible in a Church Body A. If the offending person does not heed the reproof of the injured person, he must be given a second opportunity to “shape up” in the presence of other witnesses (Matt. 18:16). B. If this reproof is also rejected it should be brought before the church or the governing body of the church (Matt. 18:17). C. The church is then given authority to deal with such a person as if he were a heathen, and no more a brother. Others must know that he is no longer part of the church and that he has been properly disciplined.