He argues from man's guiltiness, to show the folly of expecting
Faith 89
(Hab. 11. 1), and the discovery was of the certainty of the appearance of the promised Messiah in the fullness of time, notwithstanding some delays. This is there called "the vision", by way of eminence, as elsewhere "the promise''. While that time is coming, as well as when it has come, "the just shall live by faith". Thus is the evangelical righteousness from faith to faith—from Old Testament faith in a Christ to come to New Testament faith in a Christ already come.
2. JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
Let us look a little more closely at this doctrine of justification by faith, and more particularly as St. Paul develops it in Romans and Galatians. Paul infers from an examination of the condition of those under the law that it is vain to look for justification by the works of the law. It is to be had only by faith, which is the point he sought to prove throughout the passage from Romans i. 17 to iii. 28. In that last verse he sums up the conclusion of his argument. "' We conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law''; not by the deeds of the first law of pure innocence, which left no room for repentance, nor the deeds of the law of nature how highly soever improved, nor the deeds of the ceremonial law (the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin), nor the deeds of the moral law,which are certainly included, for he speaks of that law by which is the knowledge of sin, and those works which might be matter of boasting.
Man in his depraved state under the power of such corruption could never, by any works of his own, gain acceptance with God; but it must be resolved purely into the free grace of God, given through Jesus Christ to all the believers that receive it as a free gift. If we had never sinned, our obedience to the law would have been our righteousness. "Do this, and live." But having sinned, and being corrupted, nothing that we can do will atone for our former guilt. It was by their obedience to the moral law that the Pharisees looked for justification (Luke xviii. 11). Now there are two things from which the apostle here argues: the guiltiness of man, to prove that we cannot be justified by works of the law; and the glory of God, to prove that we must be justified by faith.
3. Man's GUILTINESS He argues from man's guiltiness, to show the folly of expecting justification by the works of the law. The argument is very plain. We can never be justified and saved by the law we have broken. A convicted traitor can never come off by pleading the statute of 25 Edw. III, for that law discovers his crime and condemns him. Indeed, if he had never broken it, he might have been justified by it. But now it is past that he has broken it, and there is no way of coming off but by pleading the act of indemnity, upon which he has surrendered and submitted himself, and humbly and penitently claiming the benefit of it and cashing himself upon it. Now concerning the guiltiness of man:
(a) He fastens it particularly upon the Fews. For they were the men that made their boast of the law and set up for justification by it. He quoted several scriptures out of the Old Testament to stress this corruption. Now, says he (Rom. iii. 1g), this that ''the law says to those who are under the law" — —this conviction belongs to the Jews as well as others, for it is written in their law. The Jews boasted of their being under the law, and placed a great deal of confidence in it. ''But," says he, "the law convicts and condemns you—you see it does." That "every mouth may be stopped''—that all boasting may be silenced. See the method that God takes both in justifying and condemning. He stops every mouth. Those who are justified have their mouths stopped by a humble conviction.
Those that are condemned have their mouths stopped, too, for they shall at last be convinced (Jude 15) and sent speechless to hell (Matt. xxii. 12). "'All iniquity shall stop her mouth"' (Ps. cvii. 42).
(b) He intends it in general to all the world. 'That all the world might become guilty before God." If the world lies in wickedness (1 John v. 19) to be sure it is guilty. Those that stand most upon their own justification will certainly be lost. Guilty before God is a dreadful word, before an all-seeing God, that is not, nor can be, deceived in His judgment—before a just and righteous judge, who will by no means clear the guilty. All are guilty, and therefore all have need of a righteousness wherein to appear before God. For all have sinned. All are sinners by nature, by practice, and have come short of the glory of God—have failed of that which is the chief end of man. Come short, as the archer comes short of the mark, as the runner comes short of the prize; so come short, as not only to win, but to be great losers.