“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation” (Psalm 24:1-5).

The Saints of God

“To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7).

Who are these saints to whom Paul is writing? Every believer who is saved by the grace of God is a saint. We are totally sanctified in the Lord Jesus Christ, by His effectual blood sacrifice for us (Heb. 10:14; 1 Peter 1:18-20). The Lord Jesus Christ is made to the believer sanctification; He is our total sanctification before God the Father (1 Cor. 1:30). There is no such thing as progressive sanctification. We grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18) but our wicked flesh is never sanctified (Rom. 7:18-24). Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit making us new creatures in Christ, giving unto us a new holy nature in the new birth (2 Cor. 5:17, 2 Peter 1:4). That which is of the flesh is just that flesh but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6; Eph. 4:24).

How Can God Be Just And Justify Sinners?

“To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:26).

GOD IS JUST! And a just God must punish sin! He cannot clear the guilty and allow the unrighteous to go free. Yet, we know that GOD IS LOVE! And a loving, merciful God must show mercy! Just as our HOLY God must punish sin, our MERCIFUL God must forgive sinners.

Then the question arises, “How can God be just and be the justifier of a guilty sinner?” Where can MERCY and TRUTH meet together and both be satisfied? Where can HOLINESS UNCOMPROMISED and FULL FORGIVENESS of sin meet without conflict and kiss each other? Where can a fallen man, laden with guilt and sin, meet a holy and just God and be received, accepted, and embraced as faultless, unblameable and just?

The answer is, “At the cross.” GOD SET FORTH HIS SON in the covenant, in the promise, in type and picture, and finally in person (made of woman) TO BE A PROPITIATION, a substitute, a sin-offering, a mercy-seat, a sacrifice for all the sins of all believers. He took our sins and bore them in His body on the tree. All the sins of all believers of all ages were completely paid for in the death of the God-man (2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24)!

Justice is satisfied; God’s law was honored in His life and God’s justice was fully satisfied in His death. Our God gives us assurance that Christ’s sacrifice was effectual when He raised Him from the dead and exalted Him to the right hand in glory. Only the gospel of our suffering substitute can answer the question, “How can God be just and justify sinners?” Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1992)

GOD IS ABLE

“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform”(Romans 4:20-21).

All believers like Abraham have been fully persuaded and taught by the Holy Spirit that God is able to perform all His pleasure (Eph. 1: 11). God-given faith is altogether persuaded and totally satisfied in the ability of the sovereign God to accomplish all our salvation. David prayed this way, "I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me" (Psalm 57.2). Believers rest in the awesome ability of God, not in any mundane ability of the flesh. We say with the apostle Paul, "We rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3). If we would take a close look at the Word of God we can see that God is able to perform all things for us in salvation.

1). HE IS ABLE TO SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST (Heb. 7:25)!

The disciples asked the Lord Jesus Christ, "Who then can be saved?" He replied, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible" (Mark 10: 27). Because of our total ruin in Adam (Rom. 5:12), and because of our sinful condition by nature we are unable to improve our standing before God (Rom. 3:9-19). But Jesus Christ became the Surety and Mediator of His people and fully produced salvation for them through His blood and righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21).

2). HE IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING (Jude 24)!

There are some people who teach that a man can be saved one day and lost the next. But this sort of teaching is foreign to the Word of God. The believer is kept by the power of God (I Peter 1:5). Jesus Christ gives His sheep eternal life and they shall never perish (John 10:27-30).

3). HE IS ABLE TO BUILD YOU UP (Acts 20.32)!

When the apostle Paul was about to leave a group of believers at Ephesus; he strongly commended them to God, and the word of His grace, which is able to build them up. The Word of God is the children's bread upon which we grow and are nourished with spiritual strength (1 Peter 2.2).

4). HE IS ABLE TO SUBDUE ALL UNTO HIMSELF (Phil. 3:2I)!