THE DOCTRINES OF SALVATION, THE CHURCH, AND LAST THINGS Week Three: Justification Introduction and Review This is the third lesson in a study of the doctrine of salvation. Last week, we looked at the closely related doctrines of regeneration and conversion. Regeneration and conversion represent that moment in time when one s election to salvation gives rise to his or her actual, personal salvation. God regenerates his elect through his effectual calling. In turn, the elect are converted when they respond to this divine calling with repentance and faith. Regeneration and conversion occur simultaneously, but regeneration is theologically prior to conversion. All regenerated individuals are also converted, and those who have never been regenerated have not had an authentic conversion. This week, we focus our attention upon one of the core doctrines of Christianity: justification by grace alone through faith alone. What s the Big Idea? It has been said that justification is the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls. Virtually all Christian traditions agree that justification is central to salvation, though there is widespread debate about the best way to understand justification. Wayne Grudem and J.I. Packer provide a helpful definition of justification from an evangelical Protestant perspective: Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ s righteousness as belonging to us, and (2) declares us to be righteous in his sight. 1 Justification is a judicial act of God pardoning sinners (wicked and ungodly persons, Rom. 4:5; 3:9-24), accepting them as just, and so putting permanently right their previously estranged relationship with himself. This justifying sentence is God s gift of righteousness (Rom. 5:15-17), his bestowal of a status of acceptance for Jesus sake (2 Cor. 5:21). 2 Historically, evangelicals have argued that justification is by grace and through faith, a gift bestowed by God which is totally independent of any good works. It is at the heart of our union with Christ, results in our adoption into God s family, and is the ground of our sanctification (spiritual maturity). Most evangelicals argue it is impossible to fully preach the gospel without clearly explaining the doctrine of justification. What Do the Scriptures Say? Justification is not a major theme in the Old Testament, but it is clearly alluded to in several passages. Justification is based upon faith and flows from atonement. Justification is more clearly expounded in the New Testament. In fact, several key NT passages draw upon the handful of important OT texts about justification. 6 And [Abraham] believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6; cf. Rom. 4:3, 20 24; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23). The Doctrine of Salvation Page 1
1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit (Psa. 32:1 2; cf. Rom. 4:7 8). 4 Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith (Hab. 2:4; cf. Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities (Isa. 53:11). Paul s overarching view of salvation is our union with Christ through faith in his perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection. Within this paradigm, justification by faith alone is the central plank in Paul s teachings on salvation. Our justification is based upon Christ s perfect obedience, which is imputed (assigned/transferred) to us and results in our being covenantally related to God as if we were not sinners. Justification by faith is necessary for salvation because the law does not possess the power to make us righteous or reconcile us to God. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, The righteous shall live by faith (Rom. 1:16 17; cf. Hab. 2:4). 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:21 26). 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). 15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified (Gal. 2:15 16; Gal. 3:23 26). 1 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. 9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, 12 and to make him the The Doctrine of Salvation Page 2
father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised (Rom. 4:1 12; cf. Gen. 15:6; Psa. 32:1 2). It s sometimes argued (especially by Catholics) that James disagrees with Paul on justification, but a careful reading demonstrates their purposes are different. Paul focuses on the ground of justification, which is faith. James focuses on the fruit of justification, which is good works. Their accounts of justification are complementary, not contradictory. 18 But someone will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead (James 2:18 26). What Has the Church Said? Various Christian traditions understand justification in different ways; differing views of justification lay at the heart of some of the most important divisions among professing believers. There are at least five different ways that various groups treat the doctrine of justification. The Eastern Orthodox tradition doesn t emphasize justification, but rather focuses upon progressive spiritual maturity over the whole course of a Christian s life until he is finally and fully conformed to Christ s image when he meets his Savior face to face. Justification is assumed in this scheme, but it is rarely explicitly articulated. Roman Catholics argue that justification is through a combination of faith and the works that flow from true faith. It isn t a legal pronouncement wherein we are declared righteous based upon Christ s perfect obedience to God s commands, but rather is an actual transformation that takes place within us. Catholics tend to collapse justification into sanctification. Many contemporary Catholics affirm justification by faith alone, but this view is still formally condemned by the Roman Catholic Church s Council of Trent (1565). Traditional Protestants uniformly affirm justification by faith alone. Though we are sinners, Christ s obedience is credited to us when we believe in him, in the same way that, even though Christ was sinless, our sins were credited to him on the cross. Christ s perfect righteousness is imputed to us in such a way that we are treated as perfectly righteous by God, resulting in our being reconciled to him. Martin Luther called this the wonderful exchange. In some Arminian and/or revivalistic traditions, justification is downplayed in favor of an overemphasis on the conversion experience itself. Justification is assumed, but it isn t always clearly articulated. This isn t so much a rejection of justification as it is theological sloppiness. It s regrettably common among contemporary evangelicals. The Doctrine of Salvation Page 3
The so-called New Perspective on Paul argues that justification is the future final acquittal of believers, which will be based upon the Christian s whole life of grace as lived under the Spirit s guidance. This view has unfortunately been championed by some evangelicals, particularly in the Reformed tradition. What Should We Believe? The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) and the Confessional Statement of The Gospel Coalition each provide short summaries of the evangelical doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. The BF&M is more of a baseline summary, while the TGC statement provides a more comprehensive summary of the doctrine. Baptist Faith and Message Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God. 3 Confessional Statement of The Gospel Coalition We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God s justice on our behalf. By his perfect obedience he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf, since by faith alone that perfect obedience is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God. Inasmuch as Christ was given by the Father for us, and his obedience and punishment were accepted in place of our own, freely and not for anything in us, this justification is solely of free grace, in order that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. We believe that a zeal for personal and public obedience flows from this free justification. 4 How Should We Then Live? Faith and Trust: Trust in the good works of Christ rather than your own good works for your ongoing relationship with God. Even sincere believers are tempted sometimes to believe that our standing with God is based upon our performance rather than God s promises. We must be careful to distinguish the indicatives ( done that ) from the imperatives ( do this ). Defending the Faith: Hold fast to the evangelical doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone, even when it is challenged by other professing evangelicals. To waffle on the traditional Protestant view, whether explicitly or implicitly, is to move away from a pure affirmation of the gospel. Passing on the Faith: In evangelism and especially discipleship, clearly articulate justification by faith alone. A healthy view of justification is at the heart of the gospel and is the ground of gospel-driven spiritual maturity. To fail to emphasize justification by faith alone will almost inevitably lead to some form of legalism. The Doctrine of Salvation Page 4
Recommended Resources Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Zondervan, 1994), pp. 722 35. Philip Graham Ryken, Justification, The Gospel Coalition Booklets (Crossway, 2011). J.V. Fesko, What is Justification by Faith Alone? Basics of the Reformed Faith (P&R, 2008). R.C. Sproul, Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification (Baker, 1999). James Buchanan, The Doctrine of Justification: An Outline of its History in the Church and of its Exposition from Scripture (1867; reprint, Banner of Truth, 1991). In 2000, Andy Davis preached three different sermons on justification while preaching through the book of Romans. You can find these sermons through doing a keyword search for justification in the Sermon Audio Library on the FBC Durham website. Notes: 1 Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Zondervan, 1994), p. 723. 2 J.I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (Tyndale, 2001), p. 164. 3 Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article IV: Salvation, available online at http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp. 4 Confessional Statement, The Gospel Coalition, available online at http://thegospelcoalition.org/about/ foundation-documents/confessional/. The Doctrine of Salvation Page 5