Just and Justifier
“To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26)
What we find with regard to the LORD Jesus Christ is that it was always God the Father’s purpose, from eternity, that the LORD Jesus should come and pay the entire debt of His chosen ones
All the sins of God’s elect of all time, from creation to the end of the world were paid in one place, one time, and by one Sacrifice, whereby God the Father was satisfied once, for all…forever! No one will be able to accuse God of having saved sinners in a partial and unjust way. The death of the LORD Jesus declares God the Father to be just and Justifier. As it is written, He is the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and the rest of the prophets believe on the LORD Jesus and look to Him as the One Who should come and pay their sin debt and work out that righteousness necessary, on their behalf, to enable God to be just and Justifier? Absolutely!
Consider the following Scriptures:
“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56) “Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” (1 Peter 1:11) “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27)
Moses declared, “A prophet shall the LORD your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; HIM shall ye hear.” (Acts 7:37) Job is considered to be the oldest book of the Bible and he was given Spiritual eyes of Faith, to look outside himself to the LORD Jesus Whom God the Father would send to accomplish his redemption. he declared, “For I know that my redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.” (Job 19:25)
Some may ask, “How then did God deal with those who lived and died before Christ came and paid their debt?” Romans 3:25 gives the answer, it was through the forbearance of God. God withheld judgment of His elect, not punishing them for their sin, having purposed to punish His Son in their place, having now, “at this time,” satisfied God’s law and justice and now just to justify. These died in the Faith, “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:40)
One time, one place, one Sacrifice, one redemption, one justification before God.