(16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (17) But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. (18) For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. (19) For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
I beg the Reader to be very attentive to the statement, which God the Holy Ghost hath here made by his servant the Apostle, concerning the method of justification, and which, indeed, more or less, is the subject of this whole Epistle. And I beg the Reader's attention to it the more, because errors are continually discovered in the minds, even of the Lord's people, on this great point of the Gospel. Nothing this side eternity, can be as interesting, as for every child of God to know the sure ground of his acceptance with God in CHRIST. The smallest departure from truth, in this particular, may induce great confusion. And until that my soul is firmly established in an unshaken confidence of God's full justification in Christ, I shall not be prepared either for an appearance before God, in time, or in eternity.
Now the Apostle's account is short, and plain, and simple: Knowing, (saith he), that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. And the reason is evident. The law of God demands unsinning obedience. The least departure is a breach of the whole, and, consequently, the offender is subject to the full penalty of disobedience. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. And as all mankind have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; so, it must undeniably follow, that by the deeds of the law, can no flesh be justified in God's sight. This is a short, but it is a clear statement of what Paul saith, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law.
From the law, the Apostle turns to the Gospel. We are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. Here Paul considers Christ as the sole justifying cause before God, of his Church and people. And on this truly scriptural ground. Christ as their Head, and Surety, and Representative, obeyed the whole precepts of the law, and suffered the whole penalty of the breaches of it by his death. Hence, as the Apostle sums it up in the next chapter, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. Galatians 3:13. Here, therefore, there is as full a confirmation of redemption by Christ, as under the foregoing observation, there was a confirmation of being condemned by the law. And Christ's obedience and death, being set forth by God himself for a propitiation, nothing can be more plain and satisfactory, than that we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of all our sins, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 1:7
And the way in which this obedience and blood-shedding of Christ becomes the cause of the justification of his people before God is, by virtue of their union with him, and their interest in him. Christ and his people, in the eye of God's righteous law, are one. Hence, what Christ did, is as if they had done it. What Christ, suffered, is as if they had suffered. For, as in all, Christ acted as; their Surety, and being accepted of God, yea, appointed by God in this high character, when he had performed all his Suretyship-offices, and God declared himself well pleased with him, both law and justice must discharge the original debtor, having come upon the Surety, and the debt having been fully paid. Both cannot pay, for, in that case, it would be doubly paid, which would he unjust. And, therefore, the Apostle's conclusion is correct. Now, therefore, there can be no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1
And, lastly, to add no more. The soul's enjoyment of this blessed state of justification before God, solely in the Person, and by the redemption of Christ, becomes the right of every regenerated child of God, in all its bearings, and in all its branches, by faith. So Paul declares: We are justified (saith he) by the faith of Christ. Hence, though the whole work and glory is Christ's, yet the Church enjoys it by faith. We realize the blessed properties of the whole, by our faith in Him, and our dependence upon Him. So, that in the proportion that the Lord gives his people grace to act faith upon Christ, and his complete righteousness, which justifies freely, fully, satisfactorily; such more or less, will be our joy and peace in believing, abounding in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13
It forms a blessed view to faith, to behold this complete remedy of God's own providing, for the recovery of the Church from sin, in this time-state of her being. And it is very blessed also, when by faith, we live in the enjoyment of it. Here we see the truth and sweetness of that blessed scripture, that Christ is set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood. Romans 3:25. And we see no less, under the same divine teaching, that as God hath set Christ, forth a propitiation, so the Church is accepted in him. Christ's righteousness, in the sight of God, is their righteousness, as being one with him. They are, indeed, One. And, hence, scripture declares, that Christ's righteousness is unto all, and upon all that believe. Romans 3:22. So that they are accounted holy in Christ's holiness, as if they had fulfilled all holiness in their own persons. Song of Solomon 4:7; Ezekiel 16:14. Reader! do not dismiss the subject until through the Lord's teaching, you have found the blessedness of it in your own heart. And suffer me to add, that you never will enter into the complete and absolute enjoyment of it, before that the Lord hath made you bare, and stripped you of all, and every supposed quality in yourself, and in your own attainments. A man must see - himself lost, before that he will ask for salvation. And Christ will never be precious, until sin is seen to be exceeding sinful. And no one will rightly esteem Christ's righteousness, while fancying he hath somewhat of his own to recommend him before God.
I cannot refrain from calling the Reader's attention one moment longer, to what the Apostle here saith, of being dead to the law, that he might live unto God. If these words were not found in the Bible, and written by a man, under the immediate influence of the Holy Ghost, we should stand amazed at the Apostle's account of himself. Dead to the law! What was Paul lawless? Yes! indeed, if putting Christ in the place of the law be so. For, in fact, not only Paul, but every regenerated child of God is so, in respect to seeking principles of life, or justification from the law. Christ is the sole life of everyone who is regenerated. That soul cannot be living upon Christ, who makes any one law-work a part of justification. No man can be looking to Christ and the law together for life: if you are alive in Christ, like Paul, you are dead to the law. But so far is this from giving occasion to licentiousness, that the Holy Ghost declares it to be the only source of subduing sin. If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. Romans 8:13
Some there are, however, from being untaught by the Spirit, and, consequently, unable to explain these things according to their creed, have ventured to interpret the Apostle's expression, as if, when Paul said he was dead to the law, he meant the Ceremonial law. But, unhappily for their cause, the Scriptures never make distinction between the moral and ceremonial law, when speaking on the subject. This distinction exists but in men's brains. And, wonderful to tell, after all the volumes which men, untaught of God, have written about the moral law, there is not such a word as moral or ceremonial in all the Bible. So, that while men of this complexion are wearying themselves for very vanity, their labors, are all foreign to Scripture, and serve only to prove, what (Must everlastingly be expected from the writings of unawakened men), that they know not God. 1 Corinthians 1:21
As, therefore, the Scriptures of God, when speaking of the law, make no distinction, but plainly mean the whole law; so, when Paul tells the Church he is dead to the law, he also can be supposed to mean no other, than the whole of it. And, if the Apostle be allowed, (as every honest man should), to explain his own meaning, his words in this place are in exact correspondence to all his other writings on the subject. Let the Reader consult what Paul hath said, 1 Corinthians 9:21. and Philippians 3:6-9. and then say, whether such blessed living upon Christ can be licentiousness. Let men call it so if they dare. Be it my happiness to have the same law-death and Spirit-life in Jesus. Time, or rather eternity will show with whom the truth is. Whether the bolstered pride of a poor, sinful man's fancied righteousness, or t he righteousness which is of God by faith?