ALONE WITH GOD     

I want you to take particular notice of the question, especially the last three words, "How then can man be JUSTIFIED WITH GOD?" There are many ways in which we can be justified with man and also justified in our own eyes, but these ways will avail us nothing on the day of judgment. The question is, "How can man be justified with God?" The scriptures tells us that man's ways are clean and right in his own eyes; yet the end thereof are the ways of death. "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth spiritsÓ (Prov. 16:2). "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but the Lord pondereth the heartsÓ (Prov. 21:2). ÒThere is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthiness" (Prov. 30:12) The kind of people Solomon talks about in these scriptures is plentiful in the world today and are not very likely to ever be justified with God. As long as an individual is right in his own eyes, or is already just in his own eyes, he is not likely to seek to be justified with God. Justify means to pronounce free from guilt or blame. Therefore, to be justified with God means we must meet his conditions and be pronounced free from guilt by Him.

Many contend they have no need of being justified with God because they are not guilty of anything. They

say, "I have no need of being justified because I have lived a good moral life. I never stole anything; I stay at home and take care of my own business; therefore I am just not guilty of anything." Beloved, if we try to justify ourselves in these arguments, we are doomed to eternal despair. We must look at the situation as God looks at it because he will be our judge on the final day of judgment. The Bible places all of mankind under the category of the guilty until they have been justified with God regardless of how good morally they may have lived. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God" (Rom. 3:19). "Therefore as by the offense of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation;  even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" (Rom. 5: 18). When Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, he plunged the whole human family into the dark abyss of sin and separation from God. As a result of their disobedience in the garden, condemnation came upon ALL MEN. Regardless of how good you may be in your own eyes, you are guilty before God unless you've been justified by him and with him.

  Many folks realize they are guilty before God and need to be justified, but they seek to do it in their own way. There is a diversity of opinions as to how we may be justified with God, and we want to consider some of them. Then too, God has his way that will be considered. Some say, "I believe if a man keeps the law (Mosaical) , he will be justified with God." As a result of his believing that, he tells others, and they accept it too, and many are going to be lost believing this false idea. The law merely stood in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances, being imposed on the people to restrain from sin until the time of reformation, or until the seed should appear to whom the promise was made. No man will be justified by keeping the law. God never intended the law to save anyone. Had the law, which is the first covenant, been able to save, then no place should have been sought for a second or better covenant. "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (Rom: 3:20). Notice, Paul said, "in his (God's) sight..." You may try to keep the law and justify yourself in your own eyes, but not in God's sight. "Knowing that a man is not justified the works of the law... for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal. 2:16). Any individual who resorts to the law to be justified with God is found in a backslidden state before him, having rejected Jesus Christ, the only propitiation for our sins. "Christ is become of no effect unto to you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4).

  Someone else says, "I believe I'll be justified God because of my good deeds." If that be true, salvation is not of grace but of debt. Let me use a simple illustration to show what I mean. You bargain to work for a certain company for so much money per eight hour day. After you have worked a week or two weeks, the company owes you for the work rendered. On payday you receive a check for the time worked. Is the check a free gift, or is it a legitimate debt the company owes you? Naturally, you say it is a legitimate debt, and that is true. "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Rom- 4:4-5). Our justification is not reckoned by works but by the faith of Christ. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). We are saved by faith and not works, yet works and Christian graces are absolutely necessary to Christian living and are the fruit of faith.

  Again I hear someone say, "I believe if an individual believes in Christ and does his best he will be justified with God." This is bordering near the truth, yet is not the truth and is more dangerous than the other two ideas. In a case of this kind the believing is only intellectual, and the best he can do is the result of exerting a little willpower. If a man could be saved by this method, then Jesus would not have died on the cross. If this be true, then salvation is not of the Lord, but depends upon the intellectuality of the individual and his power to live a good moral life. There is no hope for a sinner until he realizes that within himself he is nothing; within himself he is hopelessly lost; he is guilty before God, with no power of his own to save himself. To be sure he must believe in Christ, but this believing must be from the heart. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:10). When man believes from the heart, a wonderful miracle will take place in his heart and life, and he will be justified with God. But he cannot believe from the heart until he comes as a penitent sinner, forsaking his sins and repenting of them; then God will grant pardon, and he is born from above.

I have mentioned three of the outstanding ways in which people in the religious world are seeking to justify themselves before God. Man can continue to live in sin and follow any one of the three. These ways are prominent in the religious world and open wide the door for the adherents to embrace them, and yet pursue the sinful things of life and give way to the lusts of the flesh. This is the reason they are prominent. Men are not willing to let go of sin and live holy before God, but until they do, they will never be justified with God; neither will they be at peace with him.