[332]The steps essential now to justification, as shown by the Scriptures, briefly stated, are these: (1) Faith in God and his promises, which is exercised and proven by making a surrender of ourselves to the Lord; (2) receiving the merit of Christ, and his presentation to the Father; and (3) the determination by Jehovah God that the one thus presented is right. The following Scriptures show these points in the order named: By faith are we justified (Romans 5:1); by the blood of Jesus are we justified (Romans 5:9); "It is God that justifieth". (Romans 8:33) Christ Jesus is the great High Priest. When we make a consecration of ourselves, then he presents us to the Father. (John 6:37) But in order to make us acceptable or presentable to the Father, the merit of Jesus' sacrifice must be imputed to us. When he ascended on high, he deposited with Jehovah the ransom-price, the merit of his sacrifice, as we have seen, pictured by the blood. The second step, then, is taken when Jesus imputes to the one thus coming to the Lord the merit of his sacrifice, which makes him presentable to the Father, Jehovah; then Jehovah, upon the merit, determines, as the great judge, that the one thus presented is right, is justified, and is acceptable as a part of the sacrifice of his beloved Son. Thus Jehovah has been receiving sacrifices throughout the gospel age; but that acceptable year or time will soon pass, as indeed it is now passing. --Hebrews 3:13. SPIRIT-BEGETTING [333]The one that is justified before Jehovah is then counted right or justified that he might be a part of the great sacrifice of God's beloved Son Jesus, to the end that he might be a part of the mystery class and ultimately reign with Christ. The next thing indicated by the Scriptures is the begetting of such a one as a new creature. Begetting means the beginning. The begetting of the new creature, then, means the beginning of a newness of life. When justified by Jehovah, there results to him the right to live as a human being on earth, and this is what he immediately sacrifices. At the same time Jehovah begets him to a hope of life upon the high or heavenly plane, because he is called to a "high calling", a "heavenly calling". (Philippians 3:14; Hebrews 3:1) This begetting is in the nature of a contract or an agreement. Covenant is also a word used for contract. In order to make a contract there must be two or more parties, and there must be a consideration passing from one to the other. Where there are mutual promises, made on both sides, this is sufficient consideration. We will name the one whom we have been discussing as coming to justification Honest Heart.