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Justification at the Cross

I want to draw your attention to the one time, once-for-all exclusive justification that I believe is taught in Scripture. That is the justification established by Christ, in time, through His obedience unto death, which God the Father accepted and approved, and therefore immediately and simultaneously imputed it to the account of all of God’s elect.

Note the following key passages of Scripture. 1. "If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." (Galatians 3:24). The justification of sinners from beginning to end is by the FREE grace of God, through the life and death, the ONE death, and the ONE righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, apart from any work, act of the will, or warrant in the sinner.

Romans 3:24 demonstrates that God justified sinners freely, THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS. Freely means, wholly conditioned upon Christ alone and His effectual life and death. To make justification dependent in any way upon the sinner’s willing, believing, or acting first is to render the death of Christ vain. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,"(Romans 3:24). The word ‘freely’ in the original means without cause and describes the character of those whom God justified for Christ’s sake, at the cross. Justification is the legal act of God whereby He declares sinners just (perfectly righteous) on account of the Lord Jesus Christ. He honored and satisfied the Law on their behalf, both in its precepts and penalty, Matthew 5:17.

Having fully accomplished the work, all the blessings of forgiveness and pardon were immediately applied to the account of those for whom He finished it. In time, by His Spirit, and through the Gospel, God causes all whom He has redeemed and justified in Christ to look to Christ alone as their only ground of justification. They believe on Him, and rest in His work accomplished and applied for them at the cross!

Their believing is not the time of justification, but the evidence of it.

Justification is in, by, and through the Lord Jesus alone, fully accomplished at the cross! (Hebrews 1:3).

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross," (Colossians 2:14). It is clear from this that the believer’s justification before God took place at the cross. All charges were satisfied in Christ’s death, not just dropped, set aside, or suspended. Therefore, He fully accomplished forgiveness, redemption, and justification at that time.

Faith does not complete Christ’s work. Rather, it is by Faith that all the redeemed embrace and do enjoy in their experience what Christ accomplished for them at the cross!

Imagine if a man could not pay the mortgage on his house and another stepped in on his behalf and paid it all off, then the bank is satisfied and holds no claim on the house. Even before the bank informs the homeowner of the satisfaction or if for a while he finds it unbelievable, that would not affect his standing with the bank. The bank cannot and will not repossess the home. The man’s peace of mind may be affected, but his house would remain paid in full because of the satisfaction by another. Even so, the peace of mind of the sinner is the result of the revelation by the Spirit of Truth of what Christ accomplished, but Christ’s work on the cross is his justification.

Faith does not complete Christ’s work. It is finished.