16 Sermon Illustrations on Justification By Faith

"Man is a proud creature, and would fain establish his own righteousness, and have somewhat wherein to glory in himself. Rom. x. 3. Our proud heart takes up the old proverb and thinketh—A russet coat of our own is better than a silken garment that is borrowed of another." Man would sooner wear his own rags than Christ's fine white linen. Pride, however, is too expensive a luxury when a man must give up all hope of heaven in order to indulge it. Such is the case. There can be no feasting with the King unless we wear the wedding-garment which he supplies. Our own silk and satin would not suit his courts, much less our russet and our corduroy. We must accept the righteousness of God, or be unrighteous for ever. Surely we shall be worse than madmen if we insist upon going naked rather than put on the royal apparel of free grace. Lord, I cannot longer err in this fashion, for I perceive my righteousnesses to be filthy rags, and I am heartily glad to be rid of them. Clothe me, I pray thee, with the righteousness divine.

"A malefactor that hath a leprosy on him needs not only a pardon, but a medicine; and in a broken leg, not only ease of the pain is desirable, but that the bone be set right. So we need both justification and sanctification." Justification saves the malefactor, and sanctification cures him of his spiritual disease: are they not equally desirable? Who would wish to miss the one or the other if in need of them? Pardon removes the pain of our broken bones, but spiritual renewal reduces the fracture. Let us not be content with half a gospel, but obtain a whole Christ for our broken hearts. Renewal of life is every way as desirable as forgiveness of sin. As well be full of guilt as full of guile. If a child has eaten unhealthy food it is well to cure the disease which is occasioned by it, but it is equally desirable to break him of the habit which led him to such foul feeding. Lord, thy poor servant is by nature both malefactor and leper; and nothing will serve my turn but a double-handed blessing. I pray thee absolve me, and cure me too. Let me know of a surety that both these blessings are mine beyond all question, mine in immediate and experienced possession.

If so be that a Christian doth good works, whereby he showeth love to his neighbor, he is not therefore made a Christian, or righteous; but he must needs be a Christian and righteous before. He doth good works, indeed; but they do not make a Christian: the tree bringeth forth and giveth fruit, and not the fruit the tree. So none is made a Christian by works, but by Christ. Luther.

Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, "He has given me rest by sorrow, and life by His death." Then he stood a while to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. He looked, therefore, and looked again, even till the springs that were in his head sent the water down his cheeks. Now, as he stood looking and weeping, behold three shining ones came to him, and saluted him with, "Peace be to thee." So the first said to him, "Thy sins be forgiven thee;" the second stripped him of his rags, and clothed him with change of raiment; the third also set a mark on his forehead, and gave him a roll with a seal on it, which he bid him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the celestial gaze. So they went their way. Bunyan.

When a person is justified by human laws, he goes away from the bar deriving no other benefit from his acquittal than mere release from punishment. He does not depart laden by his judge with favored great privileges. But the sinner who has been justified through the righteousness of Christ gains something more than simple deliverance from the present and future wrath of God: he gains every spiritual mercy which he needs for this present life, and everlasting happiness in the life to come. We may illustrate this double benefit of justification thus: It is as if one should not only pay the debts of a person who owed ten thousand talents, and who, having nothing to pay, was about to be sold, with all that he had, to make the payment, but should at the same time give him enough to set him above want forever after. Lewis.

Richard Reynolds, a benevolent member of the Society of Friends, having his portrait painted for a friend, chose to be represented sitting with the Bible open before him, with the following legible inscription: "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

When a person has been brought to trial, and found guilty, if he is able to make a sufficient satisfaction for his offence, either through his own ability or that of his friends, and the law accepts such an indemnification, the criminal would depart from the trial justified. The accepted satisfaction would not, indeed, render him an innocent man; but he would be so regarded by the law: and, though guilty, he would be no more liable to prosecution and punishment for that offence than a person who had never committed it. Now, this is the way in which we are justified in the right of God. We are found guilty by this just Judge; and at any moment his justice may inflict upon us the deserved sentence of eternal death. We have no ability of our own to make satisfaction: but an Almighty Friend and Saviour has died to make an atonement for our sins; and he permits us to offer the merits of his most precious blood-chedding to God for the remission of those sins. God accepts this satisfaction from all who have a right to offer it, and, in consideration of it, releases them from the penalty of eternal death, to which they stood exposed. A person pleading this satisfaction is not, indeed, rendered innocent through what his Saviour has done for him; but he is treated as such; he is no longer liable to punishment: and we may say that an angel in heaven is in as much danger of eternal torment as is a person who is found in Christ, having the infinite merits of his Saviour to plead for his own justification. Lewis.

Mr. Lyford, a Puritan divine, a few days previous to his dissolution, being desired by his friends to give them some account of his hopes and comforts, he replied, "I will let you know how it is with me, and on what ground I stand. Here is the grave, the wrath of God, and devouring flames, the great punishment of sin, on the one hand; and here am I, a poor sinful creature, on the other; but this is my comfort, the covenant of grace, established upon so many sure promises, hath satisfied all. The act of oblivion passed in heaven is, "I will forgive their iniquities, and their sins will I remember no more, saith the Lord." This is the blessed privilege of all within the covenant, of whom I am one. For I find the Spirit which is promised, bestowed upon me, in the blessed effects of it upon my soul, as the pledge of God's eternal love. By this I know my interest in Christ, who is the foundation of the covenant; and therefore my sins being laid on him, shall never be charged on me." ### 241. KINDNES