1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 11.3 How Does God Justify Sinners? God Gives His Son

Table of Contents

The Text

Colossians 2:13–14 (CSB) And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.

The Chapter

Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf; yet, inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them, and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for anything in them, their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.

The Confession

Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those who are justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due to them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice in their behalf;

Hebrews 10:14 (CSB) For by one offering he has perfected forever those who are sanctified.

1 Peter 1:18–19 (CSB) For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.

Isaiah 53:5–6 (CSB) But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished him for the iniquity of us all.

This is the crux of the gospel. The point. The main focus. The tip of the spear. And here it is: the payment and the cost of our born sinful state and the sins that we have committed and will have committed against the Holy Triune God is our death. That punishment lies in the eternal wrath that is hell which was made for Satan and fallen angels.

The only way to pay that debt is to die. But because of our sin against, our death cannot begin to hope to pay for what we have done against God. Our sin makes our death and sacrifice worthless.

Psalm 51:4–5 (CSB) Against you—you alone—I have sinned and done this evil in your sight. So you are right when you pass sentence; you are blameless when you judge. Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

Isaiah 64:6 (CSB) All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Galatians 3:10 (CSB) For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed.

yet, in as much as he was given by the Father for them, and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for anything in them

When God knew our heart, he did not know a heart that was soft and tender towards him but that was cold and harden against him. We are rebellious against our Creator.

Titus 3:3 (CSB) For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another.

We are dead in our sins and trespasses.

Ephesians 2:1-2 (CSB) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously lived according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient.

We are enemies of God.

Colossians 1:21 (CSB) Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds expressed in your evil actions.

God did not see anything good in us.

Romans 3:10-12 (CSB) as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.

How can we be saved? How can we be spared from the wrath that is to come? How can a sinner be set from debt of death that is owed to God? How can we be justified?

God knew our hearts. God saw our actions. God knew this. God knews this and he sent his Son to live for us so we would not die and to die for us so we can live unto him forever.

God bore the just wrath that was properly and rightfully due to us and instead poured it all completely and perfectly upon his Son:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (CSB) He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

In other words, for the people of God, God gave up his Son to us so that we would have God forever:

Romans 8:32 (CSB) He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?

their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.

Romans 3:26 (CSB) God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Ephesians 1:6 (CSB) to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

Ephesians 1:7 (CSB) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

Ephesians 2:7 (CSB) so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

In God saving us, we are not owed anything. We have done nothing to earn God's grace, favor, love, and salvation.

Romans 4:4-5 (CSB) Now to the one who works, pay is not credited as a gift, but as something owed. But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.

How can a sinner put God in their debt when we are the carriers of the debt. We are the one who owes God. And nothing we have is worth anything to the God who has everything and needs nothing.

All we have done is evil against him, we have blasphemed his holy name, we have sinned against him and him alone. And because we have sinned against others people, that is, the ones who bear the image of the Triune God, that is even more we have sinned against God.

All the sin in all of creation has been ulimately and totally against the Holy Creator--the one who is without sin.

Romans 7:24 (CSB) What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Jesus Christ is his name. He alone is the name above all names. Blessed Redeemer. The Living Word. He alone is Emmanuel--God who is with us.

Blessed be his glorious name forever.

Amen.