Gal. 2:16--"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ," or as the Revised Version
margin has it: "But only through faith in Jesus Christ." Rom.
3:26--"To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he
might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
"Him that believeth in Jesus" is contrasted with "as many as are
of the works of the law" (Gal. 3:10). When Paul in Romans 4:5 says:
"Now to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly," he gives the death-blow to Jewish righteousness.
"His faith is counted for righteousness;" that pictures the man
who, despairing of all dependence upon his works, casts himself
unreservedly upon the mercy of God, as set forth in Jesus Christ,
for his justification. Thus it come to pass that "all that believe
are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified
by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:39). The best of men need to be saved
by faith in Jesus Christ, and the worst need only that. As there
is no difference in the need, neither is there in the method of
its application. On this common ground all saved sinners meet, and
will stand forever. The first step, then, in justification is to
despair of works; the second, to believe on him that justifieth
the ungodly.
We are not to slight good works, for they have their place, but
they follow, not precede justification. The workingman is not the
justified man, but the justified man is the workingman. Works are
not meritorious, but they meet with their reward in the life of
the justified. The tree _shows_ its life by its fruits, but
it was alive before the fruit or even the leaves appeared. (See
under Faith, II. 3, p. 148, for further suggestions regarding the
relation between faith and works.)
Summing up we may say that men are justified _judicially_ by
God. (Rom. 8:33); _meritoriously_ by Christ, (Isa. 53:11);
_mediately_ by _faith_, (Rom. 5:1); _evidentially_
by works, (James 2:14, 18-24).