Vol. 35, §No.i 15
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Sydney, Monday, April 13, 1931 SE Briney tor mite
SW RARAT |
Righteousness Unto Justification
SALVATION is a twofold experience. Paul writes in
his epistles of justification and sanctification ; Peter,
of pardon and holiness.
In the little work, ** Christ Our Righteousness,” page
118, Sister E. G. White is quoted as follows :
“The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed. The
righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is
our title to heaven, the second is our fitness for heaven.”
In this statement we find brought to view a righteous-
ness unto justification, and a righteousness unto sancti-
fication. That unto justification is imputed, and that
unto sanctification is imparted.
To justify means to set right for the past. To impute
means ‘to reckon or set down to the account of one
that which does not belong to him.” Therefore we
conclude that imputed justification is the reckoning to
our account for the past something that does not belong
to us.
To sanctify means to set aside for a holy use. To
impart means ‘to partake of,” “to share.” Thus, im-
parted sanctification means a life set aside for a holy
use, shared with another,
Righteousness unto justification comes to man In a
moment through accepting the imputed life of Jesus in
His sinlessness, which life is reckoned against the ac-
count of the sinner for the remission of sins that are past.
Rom. 3 : 25.
Righteousness unto sanctification comes to us through
the whole period and process of our justified life by
accepting the imparted or shared life of Jesus by the
infilling, sustaining presence of Himself, to keep that
which He has already justified.
Justification is a crisis ; sanctification is a process.
The writer of the beautiful hymn, “Rock of Ages,”
refers to this truth in these lines :
“Be of sin the double cure,
Save me from its guilt and power.”
Justification deals with the guelt of sin, and the need
of forgiveness by imputing a life. Sanctification deals
with the need of power to keep cleansed the forgiven
heart by imparting a life.
Before we can understand sanctification we must
comprehend and experience justification, the former being
the outgrowth of the latter. No one can be sanctified
who has not been justified.
To justify has to do with the past; to sanctify has
to do with the present and future. If we are to experi-
ence eternal life, if one day we are to be glorified, we
must first experience justification; for we read, ** And
whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Rom. 8:30.
Liet us study by easy steps the work of justification.
In Job 9:2 we find the question, * How should a man
be just with God?” This is an old query, and
through the centuries men have sought in many strange
and devious ways to stand just before their Maker.
The question is a vital one, and faces every son of
man; for in Romans 3:10 we read, ‘There is none
righteous, no, not one.” Furthermore, in 1 John 5:17
we find that * all unrighteousness is sin,” and in Romans
6:28, “The wages of sin is death.” These scriptures
reveal the fact that unrighteousness must be changed to
righteousness, else death for all will follow. This right-
sousness which is of God is revealed in the gospel.
Rom. 1:16, 17.
The standard of righteousness is not raised by man,
but is set by God. It is God's righteousness (Matt.
6:33), as compared with man’s righteousness. Matt.
5:20.
(God's righteousness is as linen, clean and white”
(Rev. 19:8), while man’s righteousness is as ~ filthy
rags.” Isa, 64:6. The one is the very opposite of the
other. In other words, man’s righteousness in the sight
of God is simply unrighteousness. By comparing the
three following scriptures,
1 John 5:17, “* All unrighteousness is sin”
1 John 3:4, “Sin is the transgression of the law”
Romans 7:7, “I had not known sin, . . . except the
law had said, Thou shalt not covet,”
we find that the transgression of the ten commandments
is unrighteousness, If transgression of the ten com-
mandments is unrighteousness, it will be reasonable to
believe that the keeping of the commandments will be
righteousness. This we find confirmed by reading