CHRIST IS NEAR THAT JUSTIFIES ME!

"He is near that justifieth me." -Isaiah 50:8 [KJV]

My soul, hast thou ever considered one of the sweet properties of justification; not only in the fulness and completeness of it, and in all the several blessings connected with it, as it ariseth out of Jehovah in his own threefold character of persons; all and each taking part in it; but also in that which this portion points out, the nearness in which Jesus, the glorious Justifier, always stands to thee, and surrounds thee? Sit down, this evening, and contemplate the subject of justification in this point of view, for it is indeed most blessed.  

All the persons of the Godhead have, and are engaged in making it effectual to every poor sinner, so as to give the mind always somewhat to rest upon, in the assurance of it. God the Father is the source and fountain of it, not only in having provided it in His dear Son, but also as having by the justification of all the Redeemer's work, to all intents and purposes, justified the poor believer in Jesus. Hence the apostle, with rapture, exclaims: "It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth?" Romans 8:33, 34. And it is Jesus that justifieth all His redeemed, by His blood and righteousness; "for He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification;" Romans 4:25. And that the hand of God the Holy Ghost was in all this, is equally evident; for it is as expressly said, that Christ was "justified in the Spirit;" which would never have been the case, had not both God's law and God's justice been satisfied, and thus justified Jesus, as the sinner's Surety. 1 Timothy 3:16; Romans 1:4.  

But, over and above these glorious truths, as the foundation of every poor believer's hope, I charge thee to mark it down, my soul, in the memorandums of thine inmost thoughts, that as God the Father, who justified Jesus, thy Surety, was always near to Him, so He that justifieth thee is always near to thee. The charter of grace, and thy pardon written down in it in letters of blood, even the blood of Christ, is always near and at hand. Here it stands on eternal record, "that God is just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." And He is near that justifieth, both as thine Advocate to plead, that if any doubts should arise in thy poor timid mind concerning it, Jesus might open the volume of record, and there, by His Holy Spirit, shew it unto thee; and also, by the same almighty power, incline thy heart to the perfect belief of it, to thy joy and peace in believing.  

Now I again charge it upon thee, this night, that thou from henceforth never lose sight of the soul-reviving truth contained in this blessed scripture. But when Satan accuseth, and fears arise, and doubts would creep in, and both law and justice seem to be reviving their claims, look not at thyself, but look to all-precious Jesus. Behold Him in all His fulness, suitableness, and all-sufficiency, as thy law-Fulfiller and sin-atoning Surety, and cry out in those divine words which the Holy Ghost hath given thee, 

"He is near that justifieth me!" 

-Robert Hawker (1753-1827 A.D.) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us, ...
Read more

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...
Read more

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi...
Read more