Teacher declares:
"Saving faith precedes imputed righteousness"
Student reasons:
1. A man without the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ is still a man in his native state, under the just condemnation of sin and death.
2. A man without the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ is still dead in trespasses and sins.
Sins bring condemnation and death.
Righteousness secures justification and life.
There can be no justification and life without the righteousness of Christ APPLIED to an elect personally.
And that righteousness which secures justification and life before God is none other than the righteousness of God's own provision, EVEN the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
That righteousness of Jesus Christ was IMPUTED to all of God's elect at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Simultaneously, all the sins of all God's elect were IMPUTED to Christ when he died on the cross as a substitute for His people.
3. Righteousness of Jesus Christ must first be APPLIED to an elect by the Father in order for the Holy Spirit to have the divine warrant to regenerate an elect still in his native state of sin and death.
What was imputed LEGALLY to every elect at the cross need to be APPLIED to each elect personally at God's appointed and approved time when God effectually calls them out of their native state of sin and death to that state of righteousness and eternal life.
This effectual call to righteousness and eternal life requires: justification APPLIED personally, regeneration to life, and adoption into the family of God, with the Holy Spirit given as the Spirit of adoption. Without these three distinct divine activities - in that logical order and number - there is no effectual call to grace and salvation.
Without imputed righteousness APPLIED personally, an elect is STILL dead in trespasses and sins... saving faith cannot be found in such!
4. Saving faith, in distinction from historical faith, is a grace worked in the heart by the indwelling Spirit of adoption.
Saving faith is one of the many graces worked in the heart of a child of God by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Saving faith is a fruit of salvation already bestowed freely by the sovereign God. Saving faith is an effect, a fruit of imputed righteousness APPLIED personally.
Conclusion:
'Saving faith precedes imputed righteousness' is pure Arminian speaks... putting the carriage before the engine... and this is all the more odious when insisted by the so-called elitist Calvinists!
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7 Comments
Mark Mcculley
http://markmcculley.wordpress.com/.../if-owenites-are.../
MARKMCCULLEY.WORDPRESS.COM
If “Owenites” Are Right, There is No Need for Faith?
Sing F Lau
What did Owen say?
Mark Mcculley
Owen says that the righteousness is the logical cause of the regeneration, but he does put regeneration before justification. I disagree with him about that. But I agree with Owen that God imputes the righteousness (the reconciliation obtained at the cross) in time. Let me ask you one. In Romans 16, why does Paul say that some were in Christ before he was? Notice, he doesn't only say that the Spirit was in them before the Spirit was in Paul. Paul says "in Christ". My answer is--by legal imputation.
Sing F Lau
Legal imputation of Christ's righteousness happened at the cross - in time.
Personal application of Christ's righteousness happened at the effectual calling of an elect out of his state of sin and death.
Personal application of Christ's righteousness to an elect MUST PRECEDE (logically) the regeneration of an elect. Personal application of Christ's righteousness by the Father gives the divine warrant for the regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
My answer: by PERSONAL application.
Sing F Lau
Let me illustrate this truth:
By Christ's work of redemption, righteousness is legally secured for all the elect. Double imputation took place... Christ's righteousness is imputed to all His elect, and all the sins of all His elect were imputed to Him. This is justification by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Any sin not imputed to Him, and He suffered the full penalty of it, at the cross... TOOOOOO BAD... and TOOOOOO LATE.
That righteousness is APPLIED to each elect personally at God's appointed and approved time... at effectual calling out of their state of sin and death to that of righteousness and life. What was legal is now made personal - This is justification by the free grace of God.
The personal application of Christ's righteousness quickens an elect of God. This enables him to experience his justified state - by the righteousness of Christ applied to him personally by the free grace of God - when he hears and believes the gospel.
A man justified by the free grace of God will rejoice to hear the gospel of his justified state by Christ's righteousness - both imputed, and applied to him.
William D Martin
Good word!!!!!
Sing F Lau
Teacher said: 'I deny that there is any imputation of righteousness at the cross.'
Student: How strange that you deny there is legal imputation at the cross so plainly taught in the Scriptures.
Read this passage and see what it says to you: Romans 5
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
By the offence of ONE... judgment came upon ALL represented by that ONE to condemnation. That is ONE LEGAL imputation of SIN to ALL MEN represented by Adam to LEGAL CONDEMNATION of death. This is not multitudes of APPLICATIONS of condemnation of death to each individual personally which takes place at conception.
By the righteousness of ONE... the free gift came upon ALL represented by that ONE unto justification of life. That is ONE LEGAL imputation of RIGHTEOUSNESS to ALL MEN represented by Christ unto LEGAL JUSTIFICATION of LIFE. This is not multitudes of APPLICATIONS of the justification of life to each individual personally which takes place at the effectual call to grace and salvation in Jesus Christ.
A biblical distinction is the essence of sound theology.
Justification by the blood of Christ (Legal)
is distinct from the
Justification by the free grace of God (Vital/Personal)
is distinct from the
Justification by believing in Jesus Christ! (Practical)
Go figure, Teacher! Some men are either incapable of making the distinctions or refusing to do so, thus failing to rightly divide the word of truth.
