That being justified by his grace
This is another way and means, as well as regeneration, by which
God saves his people; for he saves no unjustified ones; no
unrighteous persons shall inherit the kingdom of heaven; such as
are without the wedding garment, and robe of Christ's
righteousness, shall be cast into outer darkness: whom God saves,
he justifies by the righteousness of his Son; and whomsoever he
justifies, them he saves. The justification here spoken of is a
declarative one, which takes place in regeneration; and which
that is in order to, as here expressed, "that being justified":
regeneration does not justify any, but makes the justified to
appear to be such; justification is an act of God's gracious will
conceived in his mind from eternity, by which he wills not to
impute sin to his people, but to Christ their surety; and that
they should be accounted righteous through the righteousness of
his Son; in which act of his will the whole essence of
justification in his sight lies: this was pronounced on Christ,
as their head and representative at his resurrection, when he, as
such, was justified, acquitted, and discharged, and they in him;
and this is declared in the conscience of a sinner, by the Spirit
of God, at his regeneration, when he passes from death to life;
and this declaration is here intended, and which is the same with
justification by faith; and is here said to be by the grace of
God, as justification in every view is, and stands opposed to
works of righteousness done by men, by which no man can be
justified in the sight of God; in what sense justification is by
the free grace of God, (See Gill on Romans
3:24).
We should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal
life;
or "according to hope we should be made heirs of eternal life".
Eternal life is an inheritance, and so is not acquired by labour
and industry, nor purchased, but is a free gift; it is a bequest
of God the Father to his children, of his own free good will and
pleasure; and it belongs only to children; they only are heirs,
and they become such by adopting grace; neither regeneration, nor
justification, make them the children of God, and heirs of the
grace of life, but make them appear to be so: God, by his
gracious act of adoption puts them among the children, and gives
them the goodly heritage; and this adoption lies in eternal
predestination in Christ, in whom the inheritance is obtained on
that account, ( Ephesians
1:5 Ephesians
1:11 ) . Regeneration shows them to be the adopted ones, and
gives them the nature of children, and a meetness for the
inheritance; and justification gives them a right unto it, upon
the foot of justice, and opens a way for their enjoyment of it,
consistent with the justice and holiness of God; see ( Galatians
4:4 Galatians
4:5 ) , wherefore such as are washed with the washing of
regeneration, and are renewed in the spirit of their minds, and
justified by the grace of God; these are manifestly heirs of
eternal life, of salvation, of a kingdom and glory, of all
things, even of God himself, who is their portion, and exceeding
great reward; and such in regeneration are begotten to a lively
hope of it, and by this they are saved, ( Romans 8:24 ) . And
thus the apostle makes regeneration by the free mercy of God, and
justification by his grace, and special adoption, and heirship,
with a good hope through grace, the way and means in which God
saves his people, who were like others by nature, and brings them
to the enjoyment of eternal happiness.