How God is Just to Justify Sinners
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
(Isaiah 1:18)
Man’s reasoning is always faulty and depraved. Many think themselves capable of reasoning with God over their sins as if they can negotiate with Him for the forgiveness of their sins. Many argue as if God were their equal. They come with terms to justify themselves as not being so bad as to deserve judgment or make promises to amend their ways in exchange for His forgiveness.
Here then is God’s declaration as the Sovereign Judge to ‘reason together,’ a legal term where the Judge sets out terms and conditions for the case being settled, not the sinner. The call here to come NOW and reason together is not one of God supplicating the sinner to do something. Rather it is God as Judge declaring that no matter how grievous the sin or the sinner that power and authority to cleanse and acquit rests with Him alone.
The word ‘reason’ here means to ‘rebuke,’ ‘reprove’ and ‘correct.’ As the Spirit draws the sinner to God, first He will rebuke and chasten the sinner lest he should put any confidence in the flesh. The LORD will first strip the sinner of any thought of righteousness in himself all the while revealing in the sinner how God can be just to justify. The words, ‘Come now,’ are those of the LORD Jesus in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This is not an invitation but a command to those that He has purposed to save and draws to Himself as the Complete Savior, having finished the work for them, having justified them by His shed blood, Romans 5:9.
Apart from His gracious command to come, none would come. We would all halt and tremble in fear at the thought of approaching a Sovereign and Holy God. And yet, as the LORD graciously draws our sinful hearts to Himself, trouble and fear arise in our spirits, what a gracious Word from the Just and Reasonable God and Savior, “...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
There is no reasoning with flesh and blood, John 1:13. There is no good thing in our flesh, Romans 7:18. We do not reason with legalistic thoughts of somehow finding peace by the actions of “...touch not, taste not, or handle not...” (Colossians 2:21) No. God reasons (judges) those He draws by what He has accomplished for them in the death of His Son. Should we doubt or tremble, His Spirit reassures us that He is just and the Justifier of him who believes (casts his entire lot) on His Son, Romans 3:26. Yes, the law condemns us in every thought, word and deed. And yet the LORD Jesus has honored and magnified the law, so that each one for whom He fulfilled the law, God is just and faithful to pardon and justify completely those sinners for whom He died, “There is therefore, NOW, no condemnation.” (Romans 8:1)
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