LESSON FIFTEEN – THE JUDICIAL REDEMPTION OF GOD

Rom. 3:23-25 — All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God set forth as a propitiation place through faith in His blood, for the demonstrating of His righteousness, in that in His forbearance God passed over the sins that had previously occurred.

THE COMPLETE SALVATION OF GOD

The complete salvation of God has two aspects—the judicial aspect and the organic aspect. The judicial aspect is the procedure of God’s salvation through the redemption of Christ for God’s salvation to fully meet the righteous requirement of His law. The organic aspect is the fulfillment of God’s salvation through the life of Christ for the believers to be transformed and to grow and mature in the life of God.

In eternity God had a good pleasure, His heart’s desire, to be one with man, even to make man the same as He to be His species.…However, the God-created man sinned and fell by following Satan; thus, man violated God’s righteousness.…According to the entire Holy Scriptures, God’s righteousness is God’s principle of doing things. Whatever God does is righteous, and His righteousness as the foundation of His throne (Psa. 89:14) is the strictest. Therefore, we see two things here: God’s love and God’s righteousness. Whatever God wants to do for man must meet the requirement of His righteousness.…All that God wants to do for man organically according to His life requires that God redeem the fallen sinners back judicially according to His righteous requirement.

THE JUDICIAL ASPECTS OF GOD’S SALVATION

In the complete salvation of God, what He does in the judicial aspect is the procedure, and what He does in the organic aspect is the purpose. In the aspect of procedure, that which God has fulfilled according to His judicial requirement is redemption, including forgiveness of sins, washing away of sins, justification, reconciliation to God, and positional sanctification. We were sinners under God’s condemnation and also enemies of God, but now we have been forgiven, washed from our sins, justified by God, reconciled to God, and sanctified unto God positionally. This is to be redeemed. However, the complete salvation of God is not just this much. If you have received only these five items of redemption, what you have received is but a one-sided salvation and not the complete salvation. The first aspect of God’s complete salvation is the judicial aspect, and what it accomplished is for us to be forgiven of our sins, washed from our sins, justified, reconciled to God, and sanctified positionally. These five items qualify and position us to enter into the grace of God. Romans 5:2 says, “We have obtained access…into this grace in which we stand.” How can a sinner obtain access into the grace of God? There must be the fulfillment of the judicial aspect so that the sinner may receive forgiveness of sins, washing away of sins, justification by God, reconciliation to God, and positional sanctification. All these items are a matter of procedure, qualification, and position. The judicial aspect qualifies and positions us sinners to enter into the grace of God to enjoy the salvation that God has accomplished for us according to His life organically in the aspect of purpose (v. 10). Here we see that God has accomplished a salvation with two aspects: the redeeming aspect and the saving aspect. Redemption is accomplished judicially, and saving is carried out organically. (CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Organic Aspect of God’s Salvation,” pp. 374-379)

Reference: CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 3, “The Organic Aspect of God’s Salvation,” ch. 1

GOD OUR FATHER, WE ADORE THEE

Worship of the Father— His Righteousness – 20

1. God our Father, we adore Thee,
   For the sake of righteousness;
   Thou in Christ hast justified us,
   Who our conscience can depress?
   Thou art righteous, and art faithful,
   On Thy righteousness we stand;
   No unrighteousness is in Thee,
   None can turn Thy righteous hand.
2. Thou hast laid our sins on Jesus,
   By Thy justice He was killed;
   All Thy holy law’s requirements
   For Thy justice He fulfilled.
   Recompense from Him receiving,
   Thou art fully satisfied;
   How couldst Thou, O God most righteous,
   Claim it once more from our side?
3. Father God, Thou hast accepted
   Jesus as our Substitute;
   Judged the Just One for the unjust,
   Couldst Thou change Thy attitude?
   As a proof of perfect justice,
   At Thine own right hand He sits;
   He, as Thy full satisfaction,
   Righteously Thy need befits.
4. Father, through the blood of Jesus
   We possess Thy righteousness;
   By Thy righteousness protected,
   None can shake our stedfastness.
   Righteousness of Thine Thou mad’st us,
   None can ever us condemn;
   We’ll forever testify this
   In the new Jerusalem.