"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."  This passage of scripture is commonly referred to as the "covenant of redemption."  In our previous essays we have considered God's foreknowing a people, predestinating those he foreknew, and calling those he foreknew and predestinated.  In this essay we will begin a study on God's justifying the people he foreknew.

    The word justify means to make or declare righteous or just.  It implies legal status.  It is a court room term and is the result of a court room judgment.  It means the opposite of the word condemn.  In order to see how that we are justified it is helpful to go into "heaven's court room" and view the judgment of God.

    There would be no judgment nor even a court room without law.  Law is the basis for judgment.  According to Rom. 5:13, "For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law."  Without law, there can be no transgression of the law.  For instance, if there were no speed limit then we could drive 100 mph on the freeway and could not be arrested for speeding.

    Law derives from authority.  Since God is the creator of all things, ultimate authority rests with God and He is the ultimate lawgiver.  According to Isa. 33:22, "The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king, he will save us."  Also James 4:12 reads, "There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgeth another?"  God, as the only lawgiver, gave commandment to man in the garden of Eden, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."  In giving this law, God also set the penalty for transgressing the law.  The penalty for transgression is death.  Also, according to Rom. 6:23, "The wages of sin is death..."  Sin is defined for us in 1 John 3:4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."  The penalty of death for breaking God's laws is more than just death of the body but is set forth in the following passages of scripture:
1.  Rev. 20:11-14 - "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death."
2.  II Thes. 1:7-9 - "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power..."
3.  Matt. 25:41, 46 - "then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels...And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

    The penalty for breaking the law is meted out for every sin.  We read in Heb. 2:2, "For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward..."  Thus every transgression and disobedience comes before God for judgment.  Every sin is judged by God and his wrath is executed upon every sin.  There is no such thing as anyone ever getting away with anything before God.  Furthermore sin is more than the outward commission of sin, but also includes our inward thoughts:
1.  Gen. 6:5 - "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
2.  Prov. 15:26 - "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord..."
3.  Prov. 24:9 - "The thought of foolishness is sin..."
4.  Matt. 5:27, 28 - "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

In our next essay we will consider the origin and extensiveness of sin and consider God as the one who apprehends us and our sins to bring us to judgment.

Elder Vernon Denton is the pastor of Denton Primitive Baptist Church, Denton, Texas.