Article 11. Justification Series

BAPTIST ARTICLE 11 JUSTIFICATION.

JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE IS SEEN BY PROTESTANTS AS BEING THE THEOLOGICAL FAULT LINE THAT DIVIDED ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH FROM PROTESTANT FAITH DURING THE REFORMATION. ROMAN CATHOLICS BELIEVE THAT JUSTIFICATION IS INFUSED INTO THE BELIEVERS LIFE AND IT OCCURS AT BAPTISM (NOT FULLY JUSTIFIED) INFUSED THROUGH THE ORDINANCES — AND FINAL JUSTIFICATION, ACCOMPLISHED AFTER A LIFETIME OF STRIVING TO DO GOD’S WILL.

JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE ALSO SEPARATES US FROM LIBERAL THEOLOGIANS/BELIEVERS WHO SEE JUSTIFICATION AS A RESULT OF MORAL IMPROVEMENT OF HIS/HER LIFE.

PROTESTANTS BELIEVE THAT JUSTIFICATION IS A SINGULAR ACT IN WHICH GOD DECLARES AN UNRIGHTEOUS INDIVIDUAL TO BE RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF THE WORK OF JESUS. JUSTIFICATION IS GRANTED TO ALL WHO HAVE FAITH, BUT EVEN THAT IS VIEWED AS A GIFT FROM GOD.

IMAGINE YOU’RE AT RUTLAND WATER WITH YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR SON IS OUT SWIMMING IN THE LAKE, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOUR SON GETS INTO TROUBLE IN THE LAKE HE’S BEGIN TO DROWN, THEN YOU SEE ANOTHER YOUNG MAN RUN IN TO SAVE HIM. IN THE PROCESS OF SAVING YOUR SONS LIFE THE YOUNG MAN LOSES HIS OWN LIFE. YOU’VE OBSERVED THIS AND ALSO HAS THE YOUNG MANS FAMILY AND YOUR ABSOLUTELY OVERWHELMED BY THE TURN OF EVENTS. SO YOU DECIDE TO GO OTHER TO THE FAMILY TO OFFER YOUR SYMPATHY AND GRATITUDE. AND YOU SAY, “I REALLY CAN’T EXPRESS HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE WHAT YOUR HUSBAND/FATHER DID FOR MY SON, AND HOW SORRY I AM THAT HE LOST HIS LIFE. BUT I JUST HAPPEN TO HAVE £5:00 ON ME, AND WANT TO OFFER THIS TO YOU AS AN INDICATION OF MY FEELINGS.

YOU SEE BOTH THE CATHOLIC VIEW OF INFUSED JUSTIFICATION AND THE LIBERAL VIEW OF MORAL IMPROVEMENT ARE AN INSULT TO GOD. WHY? BECAUSE YOUR TRYING TO ADD SOMETHING TO WHICH IS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED AND BEEN DONE FOR YOU BY CHRIST’S FINISHED WORK UPON THE CROSS.

1. JUSTIFICATION IS GODS LEGAL DECLARATION. (JUST – AS- IF- I – NEVER- SINNED).

A LEGAL DECLARATION MEANING “ACQUITTAL,” A DECLARATION THAT SOMEONE IS IN THE RIGHT. NOT GUILTY, GOD DECLARES US TO BE JUST IN HIS SIGHT.

THEOLOGIAN LOUIS BERKHOF WROTE, “JUSTIFICATION IS A JUDICIAL ACT OF GOD, IN WHICH HE DECLARES ON THE BASIS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST , THAT ALL CLAIMS OF THE LAW ARE SATISFIED WITH RESPECT TO THE SINNER.” SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY PAGE 513.”

NOT A PROCESS BUT A JUDICIAL DECLARATION.

JUSTIFICATION IS UNIQUE IN ITS APPLICATION BECAUSE UNLIKE REGENERATION – CONVERSION - SANCTIFICATION WHICH IS THE ONGOING PROCESS OF BEING MADE HOLY , JUSTIFICATION IS AN EVENT WHICH TAKES PLACE UPON CONVERSION AS YOU COME TO CHRIST IN REPENTANCE AND FAITH AND BY GRACE ARE SAVED. YOU ARE JUSTIFIED DECLARED LEGALLY NOT GUILTY AND SEEN AS RIGHTEOUS IN HIS SIGHT YET IT DOES NOT CHANGE OUR INNER LIFE.

A TWOFOLD LEGAL DECLARATION WHEREBY GOD (1). PARDONS OUR SINS (2) DECLARES US AS RIGHTEOUS.

• THE ROLLS ROYCE STORY - “WE HAVE NO RECORD OF ANY ROLLS ROYCE EVER BREAKING DOWN. THAT’S JUSTIFICATION.

• GOD DECLARES THE EXACT SAME THING TO US IN CHRIST, I HAVE NO RECORD OF YOUR EVER BEING GUILTY (BREAKING DOWN) YOUR ARE RIGHT IN MY SIGHT.

TWO ASPECTS OF JUSTIFICATION ARE IMPORTANT......

A) NO RECORD OF OUR SINS (PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE) ROM 8:1 THEREFORE THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS. THIS MEANS WE HAVE NO PENALTY TO PAY FOR OUR SINS THERE’S NO CHARGE – GUILT OR CONDEMNATION. ROM 8:33-34. WHO WILL BRING ANY CHARGE AGAINST THOSE WHOM GOD HAS CHOSEN? IT IS GOD WHO JUSTIFIES.

B) THE OTHER ASPECT OF JUSTIFICATION IS THAT OF BEING RIGHTEOUS. FOR IF ONLY OUR RECORD OF SINS WERE REMOVED WE WOULD MERELY BE NEUTRAL IN THE POSITION THAT ADAM WAS BEFORE THE FALL WE NEED TO POSSES RIGHTEOUSNESS.

SO THE 2ND ASPECT OF JUSTIFICATION IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST BEING BROUGHT TO OUR ACCOUNT. AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE WITHOUT IT WE WOULD BE MERELY NEUTRAL AND GOD NEEDS TO DECLARE US AS HAVING PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS?

C) AND THAT IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH CHRIST ROM 3:21-22 THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST TO ALL WHO BELIEVE.

WE MUST ASK THE QUESTION HOW IS GOD ABLE TO DO THAT ? HOW CAN A HOLY GOD FORGIVE US OF ALL OUR SINS AND DECLARE US A RIGHTEOUS WITH NO PENALTY TO PAY, AFTER ALL WE STILL SIN AND ARE STILL FULL OF UNRIGHTEOUS ACTS. HOW DOES GOD DO IT...

2. JUSTIFICATION IS FOUND IN THE PERSON JESUS CHRIST.

CHRIST IS THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION...... GOD IMPUTES TO BELIEVERS CHRISTS ACTIVE OBEDIENCE TO THE WHOLE LAW AND HIS PASSIVE OBEDIENCE IN HIS DEATH.

THE BIBLICAL MEANING OF IMPUTATION (CONVEYS THE IDEA OF CHARGING , RECKONING ,A CREDITING TO A PERSONS ACCOUNT). A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS IS FOUND IN (PHIL:18) WHERE PAUL SAYS THAT ANY WRONG OR DEBT CAUSED BY THE SLAVE ONESIMUS SHOULD BE PUT ON HIS ACCOUNT.