Guilty Before God: Justified by God

THERE are but two alternatives in regard to man’s spiritual position before God. Man is either guilty before Gad or justified by God. There was a time when man was under trial by God. He was placed under the law, but man broke the law and came under the condemnation “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them,” Many practically ignore the fact that the period of human trial is over, by placing themselves, so far as it is possible to do so, under the law, but “as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.” (Gal. 3:10.) For no one under the law has ever done otherwise than transgress its plain direction; and, if but one commandment be broken, the curse of the whole law lies upon the transgressor― “For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10.)
When God describes the condition of man in relation to sin and guilt, as He does in the opening of the Epistle to the Romans, He shows that, whether man be heathen or Jew―whether he be outside the area of the knowledge of God or favored with the divine oracles―still his works evidence his sin; and, because of his sins, man is guilty before God. (Ram. 3:19.)