 |
| John Gill and the Cause of God and Truth, Go Publications By Dr George Ella. Visit his website: http://evangelica.de/ |
I suggested: 'No, he was very displeased with Fuller's heresies!'
Hear a grand old baptist on justification... a snippet from his article on Justification in his massive Body of Divinity.
a. Justification is an act of God's grace, flowing from his sovereign good will and pleasure; the elect of God are said to be "justified by his grace"; and as if that expression was not strong enough to set forth the freeness of it, the word "freely" is added elsewhere; "Being justified freely by his grace" (Titus 3:7; Rom. 3:24). Justification is by many divines distinguished into active and passive. Active justification is the act of God; it is God that justifies. Passive justification is the act of God, terminating on the conscience of a believer, commonly called a transient act, passing upon an external object... I shall now treat... of the former; which is an act internal and eternal, taken up in the divine mind from eternity, and is an immanent, abiding one in it; it is... "a sentence conceived in the divine mind, by the decree of justifying."
Now, as before observed, as God's will to elect, is... the election of his people, so his will to justify them, is the justification of them; as it is an immanent act in God, it is an act of his grace towards them, is wholly without them, entirely resides in the divine mind, and lies in his estimating, accounting, and constituting them righteous, through the righteousness of his Son; and, as such, did not first commence in time, but from eternity. [That is what is meant by the term "eternal justification" - the justification that has been purposed and decreed by God in eternity for His elect. From this we have justification accomplished at the cross, justification applied at effectual calling, justification experienced at conversion, and justification consummated at resurrection. But so many do not understand what "eternal justification" mean, and rave and rant impudently because their sum total understanding of justification is justification experienced at conversion, i.e justification by their faith! - sing]
b. Justification does not begin to take place in time, or at believing, but is antecedent to any act of faith.
- Faith is not the cause, but an effect of justification; it is not the cause of it in any sense; it is not the moving cause, that is the free grace of God; "Being justified freely by his grace", (Rom. 3:24) nor the efficient cause of it; "It is God that justifies", (Rom. 8:33) nor the meritorious cause, as some express it; or the matter of it, that is the obedience and blood of Christ, (Rom. 5:9, 19) or the righteousness of Christ, consisting of his active and passive obedience; nor even the instrumental cause... it is not in any class of causes whatever; but it is the effect of justification...
- The reason why any are justified, is not because they have faith; but the reason why they have faith, is because they are justified...
- Faith is the evidence and manifestation of justification, and therefore justification must be before it...
Read the full article here... but gird up the loins of your mind first.
http://www.pbministries.org/books/gill/Doctrinal_Divinity/Book_2/book2_05.htm
===========================
Line upon line, line upon line;
Each is truth defined, except to the blind!
A man's faith is not the cause of his justification in any sense...
- it is not the moving cause;
- nor the efficient cause of it;
- nor the meritorious cause, as some express it;
- nor even the instrumental cause.
Does it register? Faith is not in any class of causes whatsoever!
Can the matter be stated any plainer?
What is the explanation that so many of God's children don't understand or receive such plainly stated truth?
Luke 10:21
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
A brother commented:
"Justification was legally declared & thus applied to all the elect at redemption Rom. 8:33, vitally effected at regeneration, conscienciously realized & enjoyed as regenerated elect exercize their faith, Rom. 10, publicly recognized as believers obey James 2."
I responded:
Legally IMPUTED at the cross; and APPLIED personally (your prefer "vitally effected") at one's effectual calling.
Effectually calling a man out of his native state of sin and death requires the application of justification, and regeneration, and adoption - in that NUMBER, and LOGICAL order.
