In The Master's Service

JUSTIFICATION

Elder D. P. Bridgman (deceased) From "GOOD WILL" June 1956

All down through the ages there has been a question in the minds of men like this: "How then can man be justified with God?” Job 25:4. And all down the ages men have been telling other men how they may. be just with God, which means to be free from blame, or free from the curse of the law that man was placed under by the disobedience of Adam. It is true that every human being that has been born since the transgression of Adam has been born under the transgression of their father Adam, and men have been telling them how they can be just with God.

The best I can observe, there are three ways in which men have told others that they can be just with God. One is from the pulpits, one over the radios, and one on the street corners, but we feel that all three ways are wrong, and not the way the apostles and prophets taught in the Bible. Men teach that one is justified with God because of belief, and that this justification will enable them to live with God in heaven. We feel that this is not true. Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, James 2:23, but we know that before anyone knows God, or desires to serve Him, he must be quickened from a death in sin to a life in Christ, even as Abraham was before he could believe God. No one can believe anything until he has evidence. Heb. 11:1. So this belief did NOT give Abraham life. Men do not receive things just because they believe it is so, if they did, I would begin to believe at once that I was the son of a millionaire and as quickly as possible I would receive the benefit of such belief.

Men teach that the way we are justified before God is by our works, by keeping the law and being good boys and girls. Paul teaches us in Romans 5:4, that Christ is become of no effect to you, whosoever of you are justified by the law. In other words, Paul is here telling us that if it is by our good works that we are saved in heaven, we do not need Christ and He becomes of no effect to us. We would be our own Saviour and would not need Christ at all. Now, dear Reader, you can see that it is not by your good works that you are justified to live with God in heaven. It is extremely necessary that every child of God does good works and believes God, for it will be accounted unto them for righteousness, but not eternal righteousness. God does not love one of His children more than another, and the greatest thing any child of God can do while they live here is good works, but by all means they should do them in the name of Jesus, and for the purpose of doing their duty and not in order to justify themselves to live with God in heaven.

James said, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect." James 2:21, 22. He here proved his faith in God by his works. The justification that Abraham received here did not fit him for heaven, and neither was Abraham made perfect in himself, but by works faith was made perfect. So often we (children of God) say and do not. We fail to prove our faith by our works. When we read Romans 3:24, "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," we can see clearly that we are not justified for heaven by our good works, Some 'men teach there is but one phase of salvation, or that there is no justification other than by the blood of Christ which will enable God's children to live with God in heaven. But we cannot believe this, for we know that while we live here in this world, even as it was with Abraham, when we serve God because we know it is our duty and because we love God, our faith is made perfect by our works. We prove our faith by our works. We receive a blessing in serving God, and in believing God. We feel secure in Him, and rely upon His many precious promises, not in order to live in heaven, but because it is a wonderful privilege. They serve BECAUSE of and not IN ORDER to. Read Romans 4:1- 8. You will see that the sins of God's children are covered, not because they are justified by their works, but by the blood of Jesus that was shed upon the cross.

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