Tentative and Vitalized Justification, Part 2

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But what if we chose not to take this second step at this time?

"Will he do nothing for me?"

"O, yes, he is prepared to deal with you as with all the remainder of the world; he is prepared to be your Mediator under the new covenant arrangement; he is prepared to bring you restitution to full perfection and harmony with God as Adam had, and that Adam lost."

"But, Lord, I would like to come in now."

"Well, you cannot come now, except under the call that I have issued now; the call which I now have issued is the call we term the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, to become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven. This heavenly call is the only one that is open now, and the heavenly call demands a full consecration (“a consecration by sacrifice) of your life to the Lord, and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. If you do not now wish to take this (“Second Step”), stand aside."

You see, this one has been tentatively justified up to this time. Now he has come to the place where he has knowledge, he knows what the Lord requires of him, and if he takes the second step of a consecration to sacrifice he will be begotten of the Spirit a new creature; and this will continue until the last number of the elect shall be completed. But if he does not, then his tentative justification lapses; it does not hold up; it is not confirmed; it is not made actual or vital.

The only way in which this faith-- justification--is made actual, or vital, is by consecration (the Second Step).

Now, suppose he consecrates. "Now, Lord, I have sat down and counted the cost. I have concluded to accept your terms; I give you my whole heart and everything I am and have; I make a full surrender. 'Use it, Lord, in the ways of thine." Now, having made that consecration, the great Advocate becomes his personal Advocate, and imputes of his merit to cover his blemishes, so that his consecration may he accepted by the Father; and in that way his justification is vitalized, it is made complete; it is made a living justification, he is justified to life; and then being justified to life in that same moment he presents that justified life (i.e. his restitution rights secured to all through the work of the Man Christ Jesus, but reckon his now) a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, a living consecration that God accepts through Christ as a sacrifice; that is the vitalizing of that justification.

Up to that point it was not made vital; it was merely a tentative one. He was going in the right direction, and God treated him patiently and encouraged him to go on until he got to the point where he must decide. If he decided to give up all, then the great Advocate vitalized his justification, and by faith he was recognized as being perfect, and by faith he was recognized as presenting himself, and God accepted the sacrifice.

Now, in the world's case in the next age, justification will not be by faith, but by works. You remember, in the book of Revelation where it speaks of the world coming forth to their day of judgment, we read, "They were all judged, every man according to his works."

The test, then, will be works; the test now is faith. Why not works now? Because you cannot work perfectly. Why not? Because you have imperfect bodies, and because God is dealing at the present time along this line--he is treating with those who, with imperfect bodies have perfect minds, perfect wills, fully submitted to his will. And thus he draws that new will, that new mind, and justifies the new creature and accepts the consecration, and the matter is thus vitalized.

But for the world in the next age, all through that thousand years they will be coming up, up, to perfection, and every day they will be getting more justified, more justified, and more justified, and they will be getting more nearly right every day. So they will be approaching gradual justification, and every one of that time who will be in the right way, and seeking to be in harmony with the Lord, will be said to be tentatively justified; but his justification will not be reached in the same way as ours, as he would be coming up gradually out of his imperfection and he would be justified actually when he would reach full perfection. Then he would be put right, perfect, and being in that condition at the end of the thousand years, the Mediator would step from between and allow that just, perfect person, to be presented to the Father. And he would be acceptable to the Father, and then would stand the trial to see whether or not he would be willing and able to stand the tests.

Just as Adam was perfect and in harmony with God, and was subjected to a test, so all the world of mankind in their perfection will be subjected to a test. So, in Revelation we read, that at that time, after Christ shall have delivered over the kingdom to the Father, and the thousand years are finished, and the Mediator shall step from between, then Satan will be loosed that he may test all who dwell on the face of the whole earth, the number of whom will be as the sand of the seashore. Those who shall succumb to the temptation will be those who have not the proper condition of heart, and God will give them no further opportunity. They have had all the blessings ever intended for them. And those who will stand the temptation of that time will have the grand entrance into the everlasting condition, fully approved of God, as worthy of life everlasting. (Q402)
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