A Reformed Understanding of Justification

This was delivered by Marius Wahrlich at the conference entitled 'A Defence of Calvinism'.

A Reformed Understanding of Justification

150 years ago, Spurgeon Intro to his sermon on Justification by Faith in April 1867:

Romans 5:1
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“WE DESIRE this evening not to preach upon this text as a mere matter of doctrine. You all believe and understand the gospel of justification by faith, but we want to preach upon it tonight as a matter of experience, as a thing realized, felt, enjoyed, and understood in the soul.“

Romans 5:1

“therefore”
Paul talking in chapter 4 about Abraham… 4:20-25

Christ’s death and resurrection closely linked with our justification, with us being counted as righteous before God and therefore having peace with God.
Vers 23: how faith is the means of declaring us righteous




Wayne Grudem in ST:
“A right understanding of justification is absolutely crucial to the whole Christian faith.”
“If we are to safeguard the truth of the gospel for future generations, we must understand the truth of justification. Even today, a true view of justification is the dividing line between the biblical gospel of salvation by faith alone and all false gospels of salvation based on good works.”
(ST 722)

This talk serves to gives us at least three points for latter discussion:

1. use/meaning/content of word: justify
2. manner of justification: by grace through faith
3. implications of having peace with God (application)

1. use of the verb justify in the bible from the sphere of law ® indicates that justification is a legal declaration by God

justify in the NT: dikaioõ
common sense: “to declare righteous”

e.g. Luke 7: 29
did not make God just but declared Him to be just
(many other examples)
Important:
judge when declaring someone not guilty does not
necessarily make that person to be good
internally…
when God declares us to be righteous in his sight
he does that although we are guilty sinners,
having no rigtheousness of our own, actually deserving to be forever separated from His presence

1689 Babtist Confession states it very clearly:
1._____ Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God.

In that view we can discern two parts of
justification:
1. forgiveness of sins
2. imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us


1. forgiveness
® because Christ was punished for our sins at the
Cross, our sins are completely forgiven
(bank account: you need a certain amount to be
allowed to be part of a golf club… from minus back
to 0)
Paul talks about that aspect in Romans 4 when he
quotes David in the OT
4: 6-8

2. become righteous in his sight because God
thinks now of Christ’s life of perfect obedience
as belonging to us
(bank account: you receive exactly the amount of
money on your account to become part of the club)

Pauls talks about that aspect when he calls Christ
our “righteousness” in 1. Cor 1:30


only through Christ can God declare us righteous
in His sight


2. manner of justification

Chapter on faith in Hebrews 11 makes it clear:
6._____ The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.
When it says: “justified by faith” in the NT and in the OT Abraham’s faith was “counted to him as righteousness”
® talks about faith as the means and not the cause of our justification.
We are justified by faith not because of faith.
Faith does not produce justification but it is the way in which we are justified.
Confession puts it best:
2._____ Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification;

Continues:
yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.

no dead faith,
this refers to the kind of faith we must have in order to be justified…
a faith that is followed by good works… true faith can later on be recognized by the fruit it produces…
connection to James 2:24, when he says:
“You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
Seems to contradict…


Grudem: actually the verb “justify” is here simply used in a different sense as in other places in the NT, meaning: “demonstrate or show to be righteous”
Luke 16: 15 (dikaioõ ¹ declaring so. righteous)
Pharisees did not go around making legal declarations that they were “not guilty” before God (ST 731)…
But to show others that they were righteous by their outward deeds…
Used in a positive sense in James:
“You see that a person is shown to be righteous by works and not by faith alone.”

Reformed view always emphasises:
Babtist Confession: Christ’s righteousness is given to us by God’s free grace…
Even our faith in Christ is a gift from God…

Romans 3:23-24

Summary:
“Justification is an act of God in which he declares sinners to be righteous by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone.”

Finally, Justification is part of the whole process of salvation:

Romans 8:30
Predestination…:
4._____ God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rose again for their justification;
nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply Christ unto them.
Effectual calling ® God calls his elect and has called everyone one of us at some stage to trust in Christ for salvation.
At this time we are regenerated that means God imparts new spiritual life to us, we are converted (that is when we respond to the gospel call in repentance for sin and faith in Christ for salvation)
And redemption is then applied to us in that legal act of justification.

Romans 8:30 goes on to say: “those whom he justified, he also glorified.”
That means God makes us his children (called adoption) works in us in such a way that we become more and more like Christ (which is called our sanctification).
We are finally glorified when Christ returns and when we receive a new perfect body and will enjoy God forever in His glorious presence.




3.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Application?

How do people live who have peace with God??

Have the answer already: No dead faith…
Fruit of the Spirit will be seen!

“Great sense of joy and confidence before God”…
Stand before him as “not guilty” and “righteous” forever! (ST 732)


1689 Baptist Confession
Chapter 11: Of Justification
1._____ Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God. ( Romans 3:24; Romans 8:30; Romans 4:5-8; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31; Romans 5:17-19; Philippians 3:8, 9; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Romans 5:17 )
2._____ Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love. ( Romans 3:28; Galatians 5:6; James 2:17, 22, 26 )
3._____ 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. ( Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; Isaiah 53:5, 6; Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:26; Ephesians 1:6,7; Ephesians 2:7 )
4._____ God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification; nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply Christ unto them.( Galatians 3:8; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Timothy 2:6; Romans 4:25; Colossians 1:21,22; Titus 3:4-7 )
5._____ God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified, and although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure; and in that condition they have not usually the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance. ( Matthew 6:12; 1 John 1:7, 9; John 10:28; Psalms 89:31-33; Psalms 32:5; Psalms 51; Matthew 26:75 )
6._____ The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.( Galatians 3:9; Romans 4:22-24 )