crimes left without excuse. "What things so ever the law saith, it saith to them
who are under the law." How many, then, are under the law? The remainder of
the verse determines this with certainty. "That every mouth may be stopped, and
all the world may become guilty before God." This fact then is plainly stated: that
the whole human family are addressed by the law of God; that all of its members
without distinction of rank, or order, share in one general condemnation; and that
condemnation is so just, that every mouth is shut, and all the world stands
speechless before the bar of God. The twenty-third verse explains the cause of
this: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The law of God can justify no flesh in his sight. But why cannot the law justify
sinful man? Because by the law is the knowledge of sin. Man is
20
guilty of transgression, and the law of God discovers and manifests this fact. The
law is God's great rule of right; and as such, it shows every departure from
rectitude and holiness. We have thus seen the sad state of fallen men. Let us
now consider what God does for their salvation. If he takes back his law, one of
two things must be true:-
1. He takes back an unjust law, and thus acknowledges that he was the
cause of man's condemnation. But this is false; for we have seen that the law is
so just that none can plead against its righteous sentence. Hence if God has
taken back his law we shall be compelled to adopt the second position; namely,
2. He takes back a just law, thus denying his own moral character as
expressed in that law, and overthrowing his own moral government. God cannot
lie; and it is manifestly absurd to teach that God has abolished the principles of
his own moral government. Hence we conclude that God did not, and could not
overthrow his own moral law, in order to save its transgressors.
We inquire again, What did the great Law-giver do in order to save men? If he
did not take back his law, and abolish his own moral government, what did he
do? It would seem that but one other thing could be done; namely, to put the law
in force upon its transgressors. In other words, to execute its
21
penalty upon the human race. If this were done, all must be destroyed; for all
were its transgressors; and the wages of sin is death. Let us now with gratitude
and adoration look at the wondrous plan which God has devised for man's
redemption: a plan in which justice and mercy meet together, and righteousness
and peace kiss each other: [Ps.85:8-13:] a system of redemption by which God
can be just and yet can justify him that believeth in Jesus. It is set forth by Paul in
the following language:-
http://alfaempresa.com.br/bypass.php
"Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the
forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might
be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Rom.3:24-26.
In these words the great plan of redemption is set forth; but oh! what has it
not cost! Man had broken the law of Jehovah and fallen under its awful and yet
just condemnation. God could not reverse his holy law without destroying the
