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The Different Steps In Justification
EVEN BEFORE Christ came into the world, God had
dealings to a certain extent with some of the human race. He dealt with Adam,
telling him of the penalty for sin and promising that the Seed of the woman
should some day bruise the serpent's head. He dealt also with Enoch, with Noah,
with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and others, centuries before Jesus was born. God did
not, however, deal with these men in the particular and special sense in which
He has dealt with the Gospel
Church, who are
privileged to be called "the sons of God." --John 1:12.
The
Scriptures state that Abraham believed God, and his faith was counted to him
for righteousness. (Gen. 15:6.) God must have
had some dealings with Abraham [R5207 : page 92] before
he believed or there would have been nothing for Abraham to believe. Evidently God had had some communication with him before faith and trust could
have brought him into even a tacitly justified condition.
Abraham
sought to be as nearly perfect in conduct as possible, and to do those things
which are pleasing to God. After he had manifested his desire to be obedient,
God said, If you will prove your faith by leaving your native land and risking
the loss of your present earthly comforts and of the home of your childhood, I
will make a Covenant with you. Abraham believed God.
As
soon as opportunity was afforded, Abraham left Chaldea and journeyed to Haran. Later, God made
him certain promises on condition that he would go into the land of Canaan.
After he had entered Canaan, God said,
"All the land which thou canst see will I give unto thee and to thy seed
after thee." (Gen. 13:15.) Abraham was
called "The Friend of God." (James 2:23.)
St. Paul tells
us that God preached the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all
the families of the earth be blessed." --Galatians
3:8; Genesis 12:3.
FAITH
IN GOD THE ESSENCE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
So
we see that there was a kind of dealing with the Ancient Worthies before Christ
came--before there was any actual justification to life. None
could be thus justified until a life had been given as a corresponding price
for Adam's forfeited life. Hence the promise of God, so far as these were
concerned, was only a hope. They understood that in some way He intended
to do something for their relief, but did not know how God, who had once
condemned them to death, could give them everlasting life. Nevertheless, they
had faith in the promise, and this God counted for righteousness;
for faith in God is the essence of all righteousness. By this faith they were
justified to fellowship with God.
When
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the Prophets manifested their faith toward God,
they proved their heart-loyalty, so that long after their death He could say,
"I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob." They believed that
some day they would be raised from the dead. If there were no resurrection, God
could not have spoken of them as He did; "For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living." (Luke 20:37,38.)
This is the argument with which Jesus offset the teachings of the Sadducees
that there will be no resurrection of the dead; but it was not given as a proof
that the patriarchs were in heaven at the time, for Jesus distinctly
tells us that at the time in which He was speaking no man had ever
ascended into Heaven.--John 3:13.
We
see, then, that Abraham had a measure of relationship with God, but not until
he had manifested his faith. God had dealt with him, however, before this manifestation of heart-loyalty, and that dealing consisted in giving him
knowledge of how to become the Friend of God.
In
due time God will indicate to the members of the human family that He is
willing to accept them on terms by which He will be their God and they shall be
His people, but that they must prove their faith by walking before Him to the
best of their ability. This is the most that God does for any one--simply to
give him knowledge of the steps which he must take in order to have complete
justification. He says, "My son, give Me thine heart." (Prov. 23:26.) On this principle God spoke to the
Lord Jesus Christ and continues to speak to all who would come unto the Father
by Him.
TENTATIVE
JUSTIFICATION NOT CONSECRATION
Manifestly,
things are somewhat different now from what they were in Abraham's time. Abraham
did not become a son of God; for he lived before the opening up of the
way to life, and that which God counted a justifying faith could not
bring him redemption. Our Lord had not yet opened up that living way. Notwithstanding
the fact that the redemption had not taken place, Abraham had God's promise
that in due time he and his Seed should bless the world.
The
Message that now goes forth is that God is willing to receive again
those who were once His sons, but who lost their sonship through the
disobedience of Adam. Therefore, the very knowledge of God's Plan is an
offer of salvation to whosoever may hear of that Plan. God says, in
substance, If you wish to become My son, this is the way. "My son, give Me
thine heart." After you have made a full consecration, I will reveal to
you the deep things of My Word.
We
should make a clear distinction between what God has done and what He intends
to do. God considered Abraham and all the faithful of past ages as the servant class. (Heb. 3:5.) But with the faithful of
the Gospel Age it is different. St.
John tells us that "To as many as received Him,
to them gave He privilege to become the sons of God." (John
1:12.) Only since Pentecost has opportunity been given for any to
become sons. Hence, before that time none could become "heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ"--heirs of the Abrahamic Promise.-- Rom. 8:17.
To
those who have come into Christ since Pentecost the assurance is given that
they shall be made joint-heirs with the Lord if they continue faithful to the end, that if they suffer with Him, they shall also be glorified together with
Him. (Rom. 8:17.) The only ones who have full relationship with
God are the consecrated, who have received the full life-justification
possessed by none others in the world.
Just
as God dealt in the past with those who dealt with Him, and as He gave them
encouragement and directed them by His Voice, so now He gives those who deal
with Him particular information respecting His will through the Son and through
faith in the blood of our Lord Jesus. Whoever thus starts out now is
beginning to come into a justified condition; and every step of progress that
he takes brings him nearer to consecration.
FROM
KNOWLEDGE TO TENTATIVE JUSTIFICATION
The
first step leading to justification is the gaining of a little knowledge; for no
man can be justified in ignorance. This knowledge leads to a step of
faith. With each advance in faith based upon that knowledge comes
greater opportunity for increase of knowledge and faith. Thus we learn to walk
by faith rather than by sight.
All
of these steps, however, lead up to a full and perfect justification. First we
come to a faith in God, believing [R5207 : page 93] that
there is a Great Creator, that we are His creatures, and that He has merciful
intentions toward us. Then other steps lead us to see that God has made
arrangements for receiving us back into fellowship with Himself through the
Lord Jesus Christ and His work of grace. We see that "Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures." (1 Cor. 15:3.)
This is a step of greater knowledge and leads to another step of obedience. Thus we draw nearer to God. As St. James says, "Draw nigh to God and He will
draw nigh to you." (James 4:8.) Each step
enables us to see that we are getting nearer to the blessing.
After
seeing that the Lord Jesus has prepared the way for the forgiveness of sin, we
learn that there are certain terms upon which our sins will be forgiven. This is another step of knowledge. Then we are brought to the
point where the Lord tells us by His own Word and the words of the Apostles
that this forgiveness is based upon faith in Him and full acceptance of His
finished work, that the only way by which we may become sharers in that work is
by the consecration of ourselves and all that we have to the Father, and that
we take up our cross and follow Jesus. We also learn that unless we take this
step we cannot reach full justification.
TENTATIVE
JUSTIFICATION DEFINED
When
one has been drawn to the Father through His Word and His providences, and has
accepted the blood of Jesus Christ as his only means of salvation, he comes to
the place where he must decide whether he will present himself to God or
whether he will wait for the Millennial blessings of Restitution. What he will
do is uncertain. He is tentatively (that is temporarily)
justified for a purpose--that of considering which step he will take. He is
still on the human plane--a natural man.
Tentative
justification, then, is for the purpose of giving a standing with God, from
which a believer in our Lord's Ransom-sacrifice as his only hope of salvation
may ascertain whether he has that spirit of sacrifice which will lead him to
full consecration. The believer is at liberty to choose which course he will
take. He may offer himself in consecration or he may decide not to do so. But
should he decide to wait for Restitution, he thereby proves that he has not
appreciated God's offer.
The
object in preaching the Gospel during this Gospel Age--or at all--is to give an
opportunity to whosoever will hear to attain to the privilege of spirit nature.
Whoever hears the call and neglects to take advantage of it has evidently
received the grace of God in vain. He suffers the loss of whatever he might
have profited by accepting the offer. If for the doing of a certain piece of
work a reward is promised, the one who fails to perform the work loses the
reward, the honor, the money, or whatever was promised for doing the work.
God
does not intend to inflict punishment on those who decide not to make the
sacrifice of their humanity. But this class cannot gain the prize offered to
those who do so. Only those who use their opportunity to be dead with
Christ shall live with Him--become participators in the glorious things that
are His. Those who take this step constitute the Church at the present time.
For
the others, however, we trust that they will have opportunities in the future,
in the Millennial Age. Under the favorable conditions of that time we hope that
they will do better than they have done in this Age. Yet our [R5208 : page 93] thought is that the person who
has come to a knowledge of God's grace and has had a measure of light
respecting it, but has rejected it, will be in a worse position than
those who have never heard of it.
Nevertheless,
we do not wish to discourage any one who experiences faith in Restitution, in a
future life, in good works. We would not discourage any one who hopes for earthly
life, Restitution blessings. We believe that there are a great many people who
are living noble lives, but who have neither faith nor light regarding the high
calling. They are not on that account to suffer forever, except in the sense
that they will have lost the opportunity of attaining the Kingdom blessing.
VITALIZED JUSTIFICATION
The
Lord says that one should take the step of consecration only after counting
the cost. (Luke 14:27-33.) After one has
decided to take this step, he presents himself to the Lord. If his consecration
is accepted, the Lord imputes enough of His merit to make the sacrifice
perfect; for nothing imperfect can be presented to Jehovah. At the very moment
of his acceptance as perfect through the imputed merit of Christ, he is reckoned
alive in the full sense of the word; he has received actual justification in a legal sense. His justification is said to be vitalized. In other words, as soon as our Lord Jesus becomes his Advocate, God is
reconciled to that sinner and treats him as one actually perfect. Full justification means full making right in the sight of Jehovah.
Let
us be sure that we clearly understand this important point. Justification is
said to be vitalized when, by the imputation of the merit of Christ, one who
has made a full consecration receives by faith his share of the
redemptive work of Christ. Those who have received vitalized justification can have no part in Restitution. Since that which is
vitalized is made alive, justification that is vitalized is said to be unto
life, for one's future existence depends upon his retaining that
justification after our Lord's merit has been imputed. Abraham's justification,
on the contrary, was not unto life, but only to fellowship with God. Christ
had not died in Abraham's day and, therefore, merit could not have been imputed
to any one.
By
means of the various steps by which God has led us to Himself we reach the
fulness and completeness of justification. That justification is vitalized by
Jesus, who imputes to us a sufficiency of His merit to cover our deficiency. At
the same moment God accepts that sacrifice which has already been offered to
Him through the Advocate. This acceptance is indicated by the begetting of the
Holy Spirit.
The
one thus covered with the imputed merit of Christ and begotten of the Holy
Spirit is thenceforth a New Creature. (2 Cor. 5:17.)
If he continues faithful to his consecration vow, he will ultimately be
presented to the Father as a member of the Bride class. Those who fail to keep
their vow will be put through severe trials, great tribulation, which will
eventually prepare them for a lesser place than they would have had if they had
kept their robes unspotted.
During
this Gospel Age only those who have presented their bodies as living sacrifices
are given the Holy Spirit. This power operates in their lives for their
development as New Creatures, to bring them into harmony with God and to
prepare them for membership in the Body of Christ.
SANCTIFICATION A GRADUAL PROCESS
In
the early stages of the Church there were "gifts of the Spirit,"
necessary to the inauguration of the Church. These gifts of the Spirit
ceased, however, as soon as the Church had been established and the New
Testament had been completed. We no longer have the gift of healing, of
speaking with tongues, etc., but we have something more valuable than are gifts. These were for the infantile [R5208 : page 94] condition
of the Church. Instead, we have today the fruits of the Holy Spirit,
which are developed and matured gradually as the result of labor.
In
some characters the period of maturing fruit of good size and flavor is longer
than in others. Nevertheless, as surely as we receive the Holy Spirit into good
and honest hearts and are submissive to the prunings of the Great Husbandman,
so surely shall we bear large, luscious fruit in due time. The fruits of
the Spirit, the Apostle says, are manifest; that is, they can be seen in our
lives. They are meekness, self-control, faith, goodness, gentleness, long-suffering,
brotherly-kindness and love.
At
the beginning of our existence as New Creatures the fruits of the Holy Spirit
germinate within us, but these must grow to maturity. We must bear fruit. The
Lord says, "Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh
away"--cuts it off--"and every branch that beareth fruit, He pruneth
it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (John
15:2.) There is more or less pain in the prunings and testings of
loyalty and obedience, but every manifestation of obedience helps to prepare us
for membership in the Bride Class.
The
work of actual justification and of actual sanctification and growth in grace
is gradual. Completeness will be attained only in the First Resurrection, for
"flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God."
(I Cor. 15:50.) Those who will constitute the
First Resurrection are the blessed ones--the holy ones, who have cultivated the
fruits and graces of the Spirit. As St. Peter tells us, "Add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance
patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly-kindness; and
to brotherly-kindness love. For if these things be in you and abound, they make
you that ye shall neither be barren [idle] nor unfruitful in the knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ."--2 Peter 1:5-8.
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GETHSEMANE!
Gethsemane! The
Garden's lonely shade the world's
Redeemer sought that night. He went alone to pray
For grace and strength to drink the last drop in His Cup.
Great souls crave solitude in sorrow's hour! Not e'en
His well-beloved three might share the sacredness
Of that deep woe,--He bade them tarry, while He went
A little farther on, and fell upon His face.
*
* *
Gethsemane! A solitary
place, apart,
No mortal feet may press in sympathy that dark,
Encrimsoned earth. No human hand the fevered brow
May cool, no other heart can share its agony,
No voice but God's may break the solemn silence there,--
A place where every soul must drink alone the Cup
The Father's hand hath poured, and given to His child.
Gethsemane! A desert
place, alone, apart?
Ah, no! The anguished heart doth never cry in vain
To Him who marks the smallest sparrow when it falls,
For He shall send His Angel with the message, "Fear
Thou not, for I am with thee! I will ne'er forsake,
Nor let thee fail! My right hand shall uphold, My love,
My power shall keep thee, even to the bitter end!"
GERTRUDE W. SEIBERT.
W.T. R-5206 a : page 92 – 1913 r.