Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. Psalm 65:3-4

The Justice of God

The JUSTICE OF GOD is in itself a great barrier to the salvation of a sinner. Because God is just, our sins must be punished. Never has there been a sin pardoned without atonement since the world began. There has never been a sin remitted by the great Judge of heaven until justice has been fully satisfied.

How, then, can a sinner be saved? This is the great riddle of the law and the grand discovery of the gospel. The answer is, God’s justice has been fully satisfied through the substitution of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (Isa. 45:22; Rom. 3:26).

He died “the just for the unjust” (1 Peter 3:18) that He might bring us to God. Through the obedience and death of our Lord on our behalf, God can be just and justify the believer.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1986)

“And it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river” (Genesis 41:1).

God had promised Joseph that he would exalt him. That his own family would come and bow down before him. But this promise was slow in being fulfilled. Joseph was betrayed by his brethren, sold as a slave, falsely accused, and put in prison where his feet were hurt in the stocks.

Joseph had interpreted the dream for Pharaoh's butler, but the butler had forgotten to speak on Joseph's behalf. For two full years Joseph languished in prison. What an opportunity to grow weary and doubtful and unbelieving, and even bitter. How Satan must have tempted Joseph to curse the butler and accuse God - "Two full years!”

But the verse says, "At the end of two full years." The promises of God are sure to those in Christ, but the wheels that bring those promises can turn very slow sometimes, but the promises will arrive. There is an end that God has in mind. Now is the time to be tried and sometimes tried sore too. Trials that are not only deep as Joseph's dungeon but trials that last for years as his did. But the promise will come. Wait patiently for it, (Heb.6:11-15).

Dear brother Fortner used to say, “Don't judge God by his providence, but judge his providence by him.” Joseph lived in the faith that God was good and was working all these trials for a good end (Gen.50:20). This kept him from being swallowed up in weariness and from growing bitter at God or man.
Pastor Bruce Crabtree

The Lord Jesus Christ Shall prevail

“So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed” (Acts 19:20).

What a glorious thought to mediate upon, the Lord Jesus Christ our great God and Saviour shall prevail over all opposition to His sovereign power and glorious gospel (Rom. 1:16). All creatures in heaven and earth will eventually bow to His Lordship and confess that He is Lord to the glory of the Father (Phil. 2:9-11).

The Word of the Lord that mightily spread, increased and prevailed is both the incarnate Word (John 1:1, 14) and the written Word (Heb. 4:12). The Word of His gospel will never return to Him void but rather always will accomplish His pleasure and purpose and shall always prosper (Isa. 55:11; Isa. 53:10).

The Lord Jesus Christ has prevailed over all and shall not fail to accomplish all the counsel, will, and predestinating purpose of God (Isa. 42:4; Isa. 46:9-12). Consider these few thoughts what the Lord Jesus Christ prevails over. He prevails:

1). To conqueror all our enemies; “Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:15).

2). To establish and bring in an everlasting righteousness for us and freely impute that unto us (Dan. 9:24; Rom. 4:6). “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”

3). To put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself at Calvary and to obtain eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:11-12; Heb. 9:26). “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”