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The Essence of Justification

Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by The Biblicist, Nov 3, 2012.

  1. The Biblicist

    The Biblicist Well-Known Member
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    Rom. 6:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
    8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.


    In regard to the Law of God man has one basic problem that has a positive and negative aspect in regard to justification before God. The law functions positively to reveal what is righteousness and thus negatively what is coming short of that standard or sin. To fail to measure up to that standard is to be condemned as sin. Hence, the only resolution for avoiding condemnation as sin is to EQUAL the standard of righteousness demanded by the Law (Mt. 5:48).

    Hence, any view of justification must resolve both this inseparable positive and negative function of God's law.

    Paul states that justification consists of resolving both the postive and negative issue that all men have with God's law:

    1. Imputed righteousness resolves the standard of righteousness demanded by God's law.

    2. Remission of sins resolves the conclusion by God's law concerning all men in regard to its standard of righteousness.

    Hence, for any man to be "justified before God" God's law must be satisfied in regard to both aspects or there is no satisfaction of at all. For the righteousness of the law to be satisifed so must the failure to measure up to that standard must be satisfied as well as they the former demands the latter or no man can be "justified before God" as they continue to "come short" of the glory of God and thus fail to measure up to the stanard of righteousness defined by God's Law.

    It is the Person of Christ and Christ's personal works alone among mankind that alone can acheive the Law's dual aspect standard. Hence, Christ's provision to satisfy that requirement can only be communicated to sinners through imputation by faith based upon substitutionary atonement because the works of man regardless if they are a product of grace or not cannot possibly acheive that standard.

    Paul argues that the Person and redemptive work of Christ is what is provided as the "propitiation" (satisfaction) of these demands and it is received through faith (Rom. 3:25-26; 4:5-6) by imputation.

    Simply put, it is a substitutionary death for sin and a substitutionary life for righteousness - 2 Cor. 5:21.

    Both of these aspects of justification (righteousness, remission of sins) are what constitutes the man who is personally "ungodly" to be viewed as the "blessed man":

    6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
    7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
    8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin
    .

    The above quotation is taken from Psalm 32 which is a confession of the personal unworthiness and sinfulness of David exhibited in his sins with Bathsheba and Uriah. David is not basing his forgiveness of these sins on his personal righteousness or fitness but upon the fitness of Christ whom he had believed in.

    Hence, for David to be justified before God both righteousness and remission of sins must be received solely by faith in Christ as David personally cannot contribute either as his own life reveals he personally not only came short but continues to come short of the Law's demands for satisfaction. Hence, imputation through faith is the only possible way that such righteousness and remission is achievable by the personal "ungodly" believer - Romans 4:5. Paul introduces David's words in Romans 4:6 "EVEN AS" thus designed to reinforce what was previously stated by Paul in Romans 4:5 in regard to the "ungodly."

    Where there is no righteousness that fully satisfies the Law's standard or a righteousness that does not "come short" of God's personal glory - "the righteousenss OF GOD" there can be no justification before God as that would require God to justify that which continues to "comes short of the glory of God." Where there is no full remission of sin there can be no such thing as justificatio before God as that would require God to justify sinfulness. Hence, the only way personal sinful humans can be justified before God is on the basis of imputation which is rooted in substitution. Christ dying IN THE PLACE OF the sinner as a sinless man thus satisfying both aspects of the Law.

    CONCLUSION: Inherent in Justification before God is righteousness that does not "come short" of God's glory and therefore inclusive of full remission of sins because without full remission of sins there is the continance of coming short of the glory of God.

    Moreover, Inherent in justification before God is both the basis for justification found only in the Person and works of Jesus Christ AND the application of that basis found in the work of the Spirit of God in producing faith in the gospel of justification. One without the other does not obtain justification.
     
    #1 The Biblicist, Nov 3, 2012
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  2. savedbymercy

    savedbymercy New Member

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    Christ's one act of obedience[His Death] does both for the Elect Rom 5:19

    19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

    This is misleading. If we are speaking of mere Justification before God, Faith plays no Part in it, Christ the Great High Priest has applied the Blood of Atonement to the Law and Justice of God , hence God reckons all for whom He died Justified by His Blood Rom 5:9

    9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

    Based upon this Justification alone by His Blood, the Elect are promised deliverance and all future Salvation.

    Now Later, after the Elect are born sinners, then born again by the Spirit, they then have their Justiciation revealed to them by Faith, and they become consiously aware of their Justification which was the the sentenced of God passed upon them by the Blood of Christ alone Rom 5:9

    9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

    Imputation has nothing to do with our Faith, it is a legal term, a reckoning in God's Mind !
     
  3. The Biblicist

    The Biblicist Well-Known Member
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    The essence of justification is the righteousness of Christ IMPUTED to the "ungodly" by faith - Romans 4:3,5

    Romans 5: 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.....
    5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness
    .

    As the previous context makes clear the reason "his faith is counted" is because that faith has for its object the person and work of Jesus Christ or the provision for redemption as both the introduction and the conclusion of this context spell out in no uncertain terms:

    Rom. 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
    26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
    27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
    28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.


    Rom. 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
    25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
    1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:


    Romans 4:24 demonstrates clearly that imputation is not something that occurred in the past in the mind of God but Paul uses the FUTURE TENSE "shall be imputed" conditioned upon "IF WE BELIEVE ON HIM".
     
  4. savedbymercy

    savedbymercy New Member

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    Not before God. Christ's Blood has satisfied all of God's Law and Justice for the Elect before they believe know and believe a thing. God reckoned them Righteous before they believed by Christ's one act of obedience Rom 5:19

    19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
     
  5. The Biblicist

    The Biblicist Well-Known Member
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    All SMB has is a text JERKED out of context. What I have said above stands and it stands IN CONTEXT.
     
  6. savedbymercy

    savedbymercy New Member

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    Christ's Blood has satisfied all of God's Law and Justice for the Elect before they believe know and believe a thing. God reckoned them Righteous before they believed by Christ's one act of obedience Rom 5:19

    19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

    The elect are born legally Righteous by the obedience of Christ. They are born experimentally unrighteous and sinners, but legally before God's Law and Justice, Righteous and perfected forever !
     
  7. The Biblicist

    The Biblicist Well-Known Member
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    All SMB has JERKED Romans 5:10 out of its context. What I have said above stands and it stands IN CONTEXT.

    In context Romans 5:10 does not refer to any action previous to the life of the elect but is a contrast between the period in thier lives when they were enemies in contrast to "now" when they have "received the atonement." It has no refernce to the cross or any period previous to their own life time.

    Rom. 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

    1. The time they were reconciled by the death of Christ was not at the cross but "WHEN" they were enemies.

    2. The contrast is the transition point between being an enemy and being "NOW" reconciled and that occurred at the point of being "justified by faith" as verse 1 clearly states.

    SMB disregards the langauge, disregards the context, disregards the grammar and disregards common sense.
    11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.


    The same thing had been previously stated in Romans 4:5-9. Abraham was "justified" while "IN CIRCUMCISION" not at the cross which was 2000 years later or before the world began! Abraham received remission of sins while "IN CIRCUMCISION" not at the cross 2000 years later or before the foundation of the world. Both Romans 4:5-11 and Romans 5:10 are speaking of the POINT OF RECEPTION of justification which is not at the cross, not before the world began but "WHEN THEY RECEEIVED" the atonement (Rom. 5:11).
     
    #7 The Biblicist, Nov 3, 2012
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  8. savedbymercy

    savedbymercy New Member

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    Lol, I am exegeting what is in the context and Rom 5:19 proves that you are a false witness

    The elect are made Righteous by one act of Obedience, and its not theirs ! Rom 5:19

    19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

    That means they are Righteous before God before they believe, and while they are unbelievers, solely based upon Christ's obedience.

    Also they were sinners before they sinned solely based upon adam's disobedience !
     
    #8 savedbymercy, Nov 4, 2012
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  9. The Biblicist

    The Biblicist Well-Known Member
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  10. The Biblicist

    The Biblicist Well-Known Member
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    The essence of Justification revolves around two inseparable functions and two inseparable demands of God's Law .

    1. The Law reveals the righteousness of God and thereby also reveals the knowledge of sin or what is coming short of, or violation of God's Law.

    2. Failure to meet the demands of God's Law for righteousness brings one under the condemnation of that law.

    Hence, for those condemned as sinners, those who come short of God's standard of righteousness, for those to be justified before God requires both its standard of righteousness to be satisifed as well as its condemnation for failing that standard to be satisfied WHICH IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY SINNER TO DO as they are by nature SINNERS.

    Hence, justification of sinners in God's sight must originate from someone who is not a sinner but who acts in a representative capacity for sinners or justification is IMPOSSIBLE!

    Furthermore, that someone must satisfy both demands of God's law toward sinners. He must satisfy the righteous standard of God's righteousness as well as satisfy the condemnation of the law toward sinners.

    Such a representative person must be both God and man in order to accomplish both demands of the Law as a fit representative must be human in nature but also eternal in nature to satisify an eternal penalty of condemnation.

    Hence, justification before God EQUALS and is INCLUSIVE OF (1) righteousness and (2) remission of sins or else it fails to "propitiate" or "satisfy" the demands of God's righteousness.

    Therefore, Romans 4:6-8 explains the essential content of justification before God to be righteousness and remission of sins that originate from some other person other than the sinner. This is self-evident as Paul quotes Psalm 32 where David is confessing himself NOT TO BE THAT PERSON where justification originates but rather confesses to be one who continues to fall short of God's standard.

    Now, imputation is also necessary to Biblical justification as the righteousness and sin payment are provided in ANOTHER PERSON rather than in the sinner. It is impossible for it to be provided by any sinner as to be a sinner invalidates them completely from satisfying either demand. Hence, the personal righteousness and payment by ANOTHER PERSON must be "made" that of the one being represented (2 Cor. 5:21).

    21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

    The representative (Christ) and the one being represented ("we") are both "MADE" in to be something neither is in regard to their own person.

    Christ is "MADE" to be sin who knew no sin. The sinner is "MADE" to be righteous who is not righteous.

    Justification cannot be "MADE" by "spiritual union" as that would not make "we" any less sinless in our own person (1 Jn. 1:8-10). Neither would progressive sanctification satisfy either demands of God's Law. The Biblical manner in which we are "MADE" righteous results immediately in obtaining of eternal life or approval of the Law and passing immediately from "death to life" and not coming into any future condemnation (Jn. 5:24).

    This is "MADE" by LEGAL IMPUTATION whereby Christ acts as a representative in OUR PLACE and our sins are imputed, written to his account, regarded legally as his own due to his representative capacity and his righteousness is legally imputed to us and regarded as our own. There is no other way possible as it is utterly impossible that we can in our own person satisfy either aspect of God's law because we are still "sinners" and no sinner can satisfy that dual standard - impossible!

    The act of imputation is conveyed "by faith" as that is the only possible means to receive it between the representative act and the recipitent as the satisfaction was completed in the Person of the representative and not in your person.
     
    #10 The Biblicist, Nov 5, 2012
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  11. Yeshua1

    Yeshua1 Well-Known Member
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    God does NOT decare aNY to be rightious, apart from that person receiving jesus by fail!

    The death of Christ provides God the "right" to freely justify a sinner, but that sinner still MUST place faith in Christ in order to have God justify him!
     
  12. The Biblicist

    The Biblicist Well-Known Member
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    SBM has been banned so he cannot respond!
     
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