 |
Brethren,
I read this question and answer (Westminster Larger Catechism) in an article on
justification. What
do you think of the answer? Is something quite jarring?
Your
thought would be most appreciated.
What
would be your answer to the same question?
Thank
you.
========
Q.
71 How is justification an act of His free grace?
A.
Although Christ, by His obedience and death, did make a proper, real, and full
satisfaction to God’s justice in the behalf of them that are justified; yet
inasmuch as God accepts the satisfaction from a surety, which He might have
demanded of them, and did provide this surety, His own only Son, imputing His
righteousness to them, and requiring nothing of them for their justification
but faith, which also is His gift, their justification is to them of free
grace.
=========
Jamie
From
Keach’s Baptist Catechism (1693) -
Q.
37. What is justification?
A.
Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins,
and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ
imputed to us, and received by faith alone. (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; 2 Cor. 5:21;
Rom. 5:19; Phil. 3:9; Gal. 2:16)
Sing
"Justification
is an act of God's free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins, and accepts us
as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us,
and received by faith alone. (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:19;
Phil. 3:9; Gal. 2:16)" - 1689.11
------
The
imputation of Christ's righteousness, being an act of God's free grace,
necessarily precedes both logically and chronologically, and is independent of
man's act of receiving it by faith alone.
This
is vastly different from the words "... and requiring nothing of them for
their justification but faith..."
In
addition, the answer to Question 70 already EXCLUDED faith from the equation of
justification by the free grace of God.
Q.
70 What is justification?
A.
Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners, in which He pardons
all their sins, accepts and accounts their persons righteous in His sight; not
for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect
obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received
by faith alone.
Faith
is a saving grace WROUGHT in them...
"...
not for anything wrought in them..." has excluded faith from God's free and
gracious act of justifying the condemned.
Mark
Amen!
Dan
Faith
is not a CONDITION of the covenant; faith is a PROVISION of the covenant.
The
statement, "requiring nothing of them for their justification but
faith" is a contradiction. It takes the form of "requiring nothing
but something." That faith is God-given does not resolve the matter. This
is a common error of many in the "Reformed" camp, IMO. Those who
regularly trumpet "Justification by faith" and explain it as above,
find themselves hogtied in logical contradictions. Setting some of their
beliefs alongside one another makes the problem apparent:
1.
Eternal salvation is monergistic.
2.
Faith is the gift of God.
3.
The exercise of faith is required for justification.
4.
There is no eternal salvation without justification.
5.
The exercise of faith is synergistic. "God does not believe for you."
(RC Sproul)
Those
affirmations cannot be reconciled. If salvation is monergistic, and the
exercise of faith is required for justification, and justification is required
for eternal salvation, and the exercise of faith is synergistic, then eternal
salvation is likewise synergistic by logical consequence, which destroys the
first affirmation. THIS is among the most glaring errors "Reformed"
theology.
When
confronted with this observation, it has been my experience that many of our
"Reformed" brethren resort to "Hyper-Monergism" by
insisting that our exercise of faith is a "monergistic act of God"
citing the precepts of Absolutism in favor of that ludicrous notion. I won't
belabor the argument against that here, but simply repeat the following:
Faith
is not a CONDITION of the covenant; faith is a PROVISION of the covenant.
The gospel declares the justification of God's people at Calvary, not the conditional justification of people provided they believe it. Apart from pre-existing justification, faith has nothing upon which to lay hold. It follows that when properly defined by the bible, "justification by faith" intends that "faith is the evidence of things not seen - namely the preceding justification of one by Christ at Calvary and the preceding regeneration that gave the the capacity to believe." It does NOT intend that, "Man is not justified by Christ's blood UNTIL he exercises faith" as the "Reformed" so commonly promote.
Sing
Dan. enlightening. Thank you, Sir.
Subrina
Amen,
absolutely
Micah
Because
justification cannot take place upon any individual apart from election and
regeneration which we are passive in and undeserving. I would agree at face
value. Faith is related to us as an equivalent to regeneration. So all the
justified possess faith, therefore the statement from Romans “it is of faith
that it might be by grace” affirms that faith and grace are both necessary to
the security of the elect this being inseparable from justification.
Sing
Micah @ "Because justification cannot take place upon any individual
apart from election and regeneration..."
======
Is
regeneration by the Spirit logically before justification?
Besides
face value, what other value do you see?
Micah
Sing: regeneration and justification both are referred to in Rm 8:29-30. The
order is irrelevant, but both are necessary to each other. In the specific text,
calling (regeneration) takes place first as written, but I do not believe it is
orderly dependent.
As
it is written, I agree.
Micah
The
reason I say as written is because I don’t know further intentions of the
writer. I make a distinction between the gift of faith or possession
(regeneration) and the profession of faith (Christian obedience) . He makes no
distinction so as written I agree, further information may cause me to
disagree.
Sing
Micah @ "regeneration
and justification both are referred to in Rm 8:29-30."
=====
Do you understand the call equivalent to/same as regeneration?
Sing
"Faith
is related to us as an equivalent to regeneration.."
=====
Please
explain further. Thank
you.
Sing
...
“it is of faith that it might be by grace” affirms that faith and grace are
both necessary to the security of the elect..."
=======
Please
explain how it affirms that faith and grace are both necessary for the security
of the elect.
Thank
you.
Micah
Sing: due to the fact that “the promise might be sure to all the seed”
Sing
I
see. Then of whose or what faith so that the promise might be sure to all the
seed?
Thanks.
Micah
Sing: the gift of faith. which Abraham had no more ability to impart to himself
than a dead man can life to himself. Also the same faith that no man can please
or come unto him without. Referenced in Hebrews 11. The recognition of one’s
own depraved state and the righteous authority of God to judge his works is
nothing other than regenerations effect upon an individual. The Hebrew writer
is declaring that faith is necessary for this recognition. It is distinguished
from the profession of faith spoken of in Hebrews 10 which we must “hold fast”
.
Sing
Micah: Sorry, I don't see faith as a gift; a gift comes from without.
Salvation is a gift but faith is a spiritual grace worked within a child of God
by the indwelling Spirit. Gal 5:22.
Micah
Sing: which is just the complicated way of saying it’s a gift.
Terry
Micah: from your comment I sorta got the idea , hope I haven't
misunderstood, that as much as a measure of faith is given to man, then he must
act on it. I have read that we were saved by the faith of Christ, again we were
saved by grace through faith that not of ourselves, not of works least any man
should boast.
Brother, if I have misunderstood, forgive my ignorance
Micah
Terry: Not what I’m trying to say.
Terry
Micah: Pardon me, I am glad I misunderstood
Mark
The
jarring words are “but faith”. There is no ‘but’ in free grace. The only faith
involved in justification before God is the faithfulness of the Surety - Christ
Jesus.
The
implication of the answer supplied above involves the faith of the sinner, which
amounts to a destruction of grace -jarring indeed - and dead wrong.
Sing
Mark, I'm relieved I hear a SOUND PB speaking. THANK YOU, Sir. THANK YOU.
Mark
Sing, you are most welcome, Sir.
Sing
Thou
art a sharpshooter; just one bullet and got the job done... others waste
endless bullets.
Mark
Sing, the scriptural distinctions between justification before God and
justification within the framework of one’s own conscience or justification
before others are a hallmark of sound theology. All lovers of free grace should
be careful to make those distinctions.
Sing
Amen.
Gunsmithing makes a sharp man.
Jimmy
Mark amen!,
Joe
Not
a bad answer if you leave out the “but faith which also is His gift.” In the
eyes of God we are justified by the blood, in the eyes of others we are
justified by our works, and it’s is by our faith that we are able see our own
justification.
Sing
What
is the issue with those 7 words? Thank
you.
Elbert
Amen, you got it
Sing
Elbert, Amen to what, and who got what?
Honest
questions. Thanks.
