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In our last article we introduced the topic by giving a brief definition of N.T. Wright's view on justification. Also a brief analysis was given to familiarize the reader with the topic. In this second article in our series the author would like to establish a foundation for the doctrine of Justification found in Paul's writings. The author is aware that Dr. Sinclair Fergunson (whom he highly respect) has recently given a series of lectures refuting the "New Perspective on Paul." He began by giving a fascinating lecture on justification. Unfortunately, the author does not have possession of such lecture, for it would indeed add much to this article's content. Hence, this article is a synopsis of that great doctrine given to us by the apostles (Jude 3)- Justification By Faith Alone (Sola Fide).
In a fine article critiquing
N.T. Wright's perspective Dr. J. Ligon Duncan summarizes Wright's
view:
"In a nutshell, the new perspective (as set forth by Wright)
suggests that: (1) the Judaism of Paul’s day was not a
religion of self-righteousness that taught salvation by merit;
(2) Paul’s argument with the Judaizers was not about a
“works-righteousness” view of salvation, over against
the Christian view of salvation by grace; (3) Instead,
Paul’s concern was for the status of Gentiles in the church;
(4) So justification is more about ecclesiology than soteriology,
more about who is part of the covenant community and what are its
boundary markers than about how a person stands before God."
What is Justification in the Scriptures? It is the goal of this article to assemble Luther's view on Justification and then the author will conclude with his own exegesis of central Pauline passages.
The great
16th century Reformer Martin Luther had three main ideas in the
development of the Protestant Reformation according to W.H. Auden - His summary of Luther's belief on
justification.
W.H. Auden concludes by stating that, "This does not mean that the sinner is justified because he believes. God gives everything man needs; man is passive, God active." The justification of the sinner is based on God’s freely given grace, and is received through faith (justification through grace by faith). God offers and gives; man receives and rejoices. God does everything needed by salvation; faith is a gift of God not a necessary or voluntary human action. Good works are the result of justification not the cause."
Now that the ground has been laid, why was Luther so passionate about "Justification?" Perhaps an analysis of main texts will help the reader understand that it was Luther's recognition of this doctrine that lead him to faith in Christ alone and it was this recognition that gave the Reformation its rise in the Western World.
Luther in his early days had dedicated himself to the study of law. Indeed he had become one of the finest law students. But his uncertainties about life and his quest for meaning led him to join the Augustinian monastery. There he thought he would find what he is looking for, but instead of peace he found more doubts and unsatisfactory answers to his most perplexing questions. In his studies of Scriptures he began to take literally the apostle's words on beating self to submission. Luther beat himself to unconsciousness at times. But beating was not what his soul needed. One day in his study of Scriptures which had become a daily routine for Luther he came across Romans 1:17:
...for therein is the righteousness of God revealed...as it is written: the Just shall live by Faith.
o de dikaios ek pistews zesetai - literally, but the just out of (by) faith lives.
It was this passage that forever changed Luther. It was contrary to the teaching of the priests of the day that taught that works and sacraments played a great role in attaining grace. The book of Romans infers that God is the giver of grace and He alone; also that this work of grace was sufficient to bring man into a relationship with God without the mass. It was God alone who saved; he alone justifies. Man lives by faith, not by works.
Again in Romans Paul writes in chapter 5:1-2, " Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith (italics mine) into this grace in which we now stand.
Faith is a gift. This we know from Philippians 1:29 where Paul writes that: "...it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe but also to suffer for him..." So this faith is a perfect gift from above. In Romans 5 we find that this faith is given in order that we might have: peace with God (v.1), access to God (v.2), hope of the Glory of God (v.2), deliverance from God's wrath (v.9) and many more benefits that we inherit in salvation.
In Ephesians 2 Paul tells us "that it is by grace through faith we are saved not of ourselves nor by works so we may not boast." Several arguments have been used in an attempt to make this passage say what it does not. But this passage should cut every system of works-salvation. The main problem begins with the phrase " and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God." The basic question is what does "that" refer to in the text? Is it "grace" or "faith?" The Greek word "touto" is the word for "that" which is a neuter demonstrative pronoun. The next step is to look for a singular neuter noun that comes before "that" in order to know to what the pronoun is referring. But the difficulty arises when we discover that both "grace" and "faith" are feminine singular nouns. So to what does "touto" refer? The answer is: all of the phrase "for by grace you have been saved through faith." It is proper Greek grammar to use a neuter pronoun such as "touto" to finish up a whole phrase. Paul's conclusion is that the works of salvation finds no ground in men but in God alone. All of salvation, grace and faith are free gifts from God. It is all a divine act, not human. Salvation begins with God and ends with God!
In that indictment in Romans 3 of the entire human race, Paul pauses and declares the one who can deliver humanity from this inescapable estate. God has justified freely by His grace a people to Himself for the purpose of "demonstrating His justice at the present, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:26). Here to justify (dikaioo) means to declare one just, innocent and righteous. The reason we are justified is not because we have inward goodness but because of God's passion for His own Glory did he justify us (Eph. 1:5). We are not justified, that is we are not declared righteous before God because we are able to come to His presence (for this idea is utterly annihilated in Paul's argument) but because redemption came through Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:24). This is the reason for our justification without which there is no grace.
In summary "Justification" is an act of God by which God looks at sinful and rebellious humanity (Romans 3:10-18) and by His own grace for His own glory he adopts/redeems a people to Himself from every tongue, nation, and people. This is an act of pure grace. And though we, as Luther argued, remain sinners inwardly God has begun to do a good work in us and will perform it until the day of Christ (Phil.1:6).
"And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he also justified, he also glorified." Romans 8:30
For your benefit I have added the Westminster Confession of Faith in its dealing with Justification to impress the reader the importance of this doctrine.
I. Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies; not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.
II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification: yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.
III. Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real and full satisfaction to His Father's justice in their behalf. Yet, in as much as He was given by the Father for them; and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead; and both, freely, not for any thing 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.
IV. 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, until the Holy Spirit does, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.
V. God does continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and although they can never fall from the sate of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.
VI. 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.