Legal, Vital, Practical Aspects of Justification

The doctrine of Justification
is like this multifaceted diamond. 

October 13, 2011

"Beware of preaching that acknowledges that we are justified by the righteousness of Christ but then seems to think that we are then sanctified by a holiness we ourselves have acquired.” - Herman Bavinck

There is a far more common and subtle and devious heresy: "Beware of preaching that acknowledges that you are justified before God by YOUR FAITH IN Christ."

The righteousness of Christ and your faith in Christ are two completely different things. The truth Herman affirmed has been perverted by so many.

The former declares the ground and basis of one's LEGAL justification which took place at the cross. The latter speaks of the means to experience your justified state through believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ, PRACTICAL justification.

Between the two stands the PERSONAL/VITAL justification, when God applies what was LEGAL to an elect personally at effectual calling, calling an elect out of his native state of sin and death to that of righteousness and eternal life.

What was DECREED in eternity was ACCOMPLISHED by Christ on the cross.

What was accomplished on the cross is APPLIED to each elect personally by God's free and sovereign grace when an elect was still dead in trespasses and sins.

What was APPLIED by God's free and sovereign grace to an elect personally is then EXPERIENCED through faith in Jesus Christ. 'Faith cometh by hearing...' - hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

And there will be a FINAL justification when it is declared, "Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:"

There are 5 distinct aspects of the doctrine of justification:

Justification DECREED for all the elect in eternity,
Justification ACCOMPLISHED for all the elect at the cross,
Justification APPLIED to each elect personally at effectual calling,
Justification EXPERIENCED through believing in Jesus Christ, and Justification VINDICATED on the great judgment day.

Many perceive the doctrine of Justification 
as this plain marble - by faith, 
their sola fide! 

Teacher, do you understand these yet - Legal, Vital, and Practical?

October 13, 2011

Teacher: 
'We know nothing about a "legal justification" that was in the mind of God before we were born until we are actually called by God's sovereign grace in time and are eternally saved. As Spurgeon observed, show me the elect and I shall preach only to them.'

Student suggested:
You know nothing, Teacher?
Doesn't the Scriptures declare so clearly that it was all purposed in the mind of God? How come the Framers of the Confession knew it so well?

They distinguish the justification DECREED in eternity, the justification LEGALLY transacted on the cross, and the justification applied to each elect PERSONALLY at effectual calling out of their native state of sin, condemnation, and death!

When was Adam's sin imputed to you?
- At the fall

When was your sin imputed to Christ?
- At the cross; if your sins were not imputed to Christ at the cross, then your sins have not been suffered and atoned for. Period.

When was Christ's righteousness imputed to you?
- At the cross; the double imputation took place at the cross.

When was Adam's sin applied to you?
- At your conception in your mother's womb.

When was Christ's righteousness applied to you?
- At your effectual calling out of your native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ, by God's free and sovereign grace.

When is Adam's sin experienced in you?
- In your acts of sins, you experience condemnation of guilt

When is Christ's righteousness experienced in you?
- in your acts of faith in and obedience to Christ.

HAVE YOU NOT READ THIS... teacher?
"God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, (11) and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification;(12) nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply Christ unto them.(13)" 1689.11.4

Notice THREE DISTINCT aspects of justification spoken of in the above:

1st. God DID from all eternity decree to justify all the elect...

2nd. Christ DID in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification...

3rd. Nevertheless, they are not justified PERSONALLY, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply Christ unto them.

No 1 speaks of the justification DECREED by God Himself from all eternity!

No 2 speaks of the justification LEGALLY accomplished by Christ for all the elect!

No 3 speaks of the justification PERSONALLY applied when what is legal is APPLIED to each elect personally.

'Not justified personally' presupposes 'already legally justified but not personally'! What was made legal on the cross is made personal at effectual calling to grace and eternal life... which then makes believing possible! Life MUST PRECEDE the activity of life. 

What was IMPUTED LEGALLY at the cross, is APPLIED PERSONALLY to an elect of God at his effectual calling out of his native state of sin, condemnation, and death to that of righteousness, justification, and life (regeneration).

Teacher, do you understand yet?

A Calvinist insist, "Saving faith precedes imputed righteousness"

October 13, 2011 

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!
=======

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.

Famine of the word

  

#famine_of_the_word

Drought and famine are dreaded by all except the few who would exploit such crisis as a golden opportunity to further their evil agenda.

Few rejoice when there is abundant provision; they take things for granted, perhaps because of the entitlement mentality.

How many among God's children tremble at the thought of the famine of the word of truth? Few of us thirst and hunger, and devour the word of truth in good times.  How will we fare when famine strikes? Maybe, the lean soul is already hardened by long neglect and negligence and knows not the difference.

Few ever uproot to find good pasture to nourish their famished soul.

Many are willing and ready to move and relocate - sometimes even halfway around the world because of "greener" pastures - for popular reasons - employment, children's education, etc. How often do Christians relocate for the word of God? That consideration is often not even on their list or thought. God is not in the equation.

"Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." These will go to great lengths to overcome obstacles and hindrances to settle near the pasture.

Supposing a benefactor FREELY credited a $1b into your account...

Wouldn't it be SCANDALOUS and TREACHEROUS
and CRIMINAL of you to claim and insist
that it is your believing the good news and going to the bank
THAT CAUSED the gift to be freely
credited to your account by the Benefactor?

https://www.facebook.com/sing.f.lau/posts/3780634829889
October 3, 2012

Justification by faith (man's act of believing) alone is a great and injurious lie of the devil! And both the Calvinists and their Arminian cousins believe the same lie!

Supposing a benefactor FREELY credited a $1b into your personal account and paid off ALL your debt too while you were condemned and declared bankrupt.

He then sends his servant to bring the good news to you and calls you to believe it. (Good news is news of what has happened; the good news is not what will happen if a condition is met, i.e. good news is not a conditional offer!).

And suppose you believe the good news of the benefactor's FREE and gracious act, and by faith, you go to the bank to draw on the money.

(Or perhaps you were told of an offer instead, and not the good news; that is, that IF you, a condemned bankrupt, would only believe and accept the good offer and go to the bank, THEN the Benefactor would credit that  $1b to your personal account and also pay off ALL your debt.)

Wouldn't it be SCANDALOUS and TREACHEROUS and CRIMINAL of you to claim and insist that it is your believing the good news and going to the bank THAT CAUSED the gift to be freely credited to your account by the Benefactor?

The truth is, your believing and going to the bank EVIDENCES the great deed that HAS BEEN DONE for your sake! If he hasn't done it for you, there would be no such good news for you to believe! And believing something that is not true doesn't make it come true... it is only believing a lie!

Your believing or not believing does not in the slightest manner affect the reality of the things that are already done for you! But your believing enables you to experience the blessings of those things already done for you by free grace.

Yet so many insist that... they are justified before God by or through their faith in Jesus Christ! Upon their believing in Jesus Christ, God justifies them, i.e. God gives them the righteousness of Christ upon their believing in Christ! What a lie!

Sola fidei is a great lie of the devil - it is treacherous and scandalous, injurious and criminal.

Do you begin to understand the great issue involve? It is not just semantics! It is Christ's honour and truth at stake!

[Samuel made some comments and deleted them.]

sing
Go ahead and explain what those passages are saying, Samuel. I would like to hear you out. Have you understood the illustration?

Addiction to sound byte is a crippling disease. And I don't tolerate such sickness here. It is contagious! <LOL>

Marty-Sandy Smith
Amen, Brother Sing! It would be unjust for a debtor to claim his belief had made a previously made debt settlement effective. It would also be unjust for a creditor to condemn a debtor whose debts had been paid in full.

sing
No, free grace is not repetitive.
Free grace is ONE UNBROKEN CONTINUOUS WHOLE... no need for repetition. If you are tired of free grace... take a break with some work grace!

Stick to the subject if you wish to comment. No littering, please. Thanks.

Dellis Layne Worsham Sr.
Jesus didn't die because I believe in Him, I believe in Him because He died for "me"....?

Daniel Goh
Now I seem to get what you are saying here, I always tie you together as a Calvinist.

sing
Brother Daniel Goh, it gives me some joy to read that you SEEM to get what I'm saying!!! May our Lord give you the right understanding of the truth of your salvation.
We must recover the lost truth... the lost gospel.

sing
A conversation on the above subject between A and B:

A: Upon their believing in Jesus Christ, God justifies them, i.e. God gives them the righteousness of Christ upon their believing in Christ!

B: Brother, did God give you Christ's righteousness upon your believing?

A: Yes I received Christ's righteousness when I placed my faith in Him and His Work for me at Calvary.

B: When you were WITHOUT Christ's righteousness, what state were you in, Brother?

A: Depraved, UTTERLY depraved, utterly.

B: Really? Do you really believe that? You are sure?

A: I know it, my Brother and I know it.

B: And do you ALSO know that in such a depraved, utter depraved state, it is impossible for you to believe IN ORDER to have Christ's righteousness imputed to you? Or such a depraved state is just a meaningless shibboleth... because you claim that in such a utterly depraved state you are still capable of believing, and upon your believing, Christ's righteousness is imputed to you.

A: Holy Spirit! HELLO Holy Spirit convicts! NOT YOU. Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit convicts!

B: Silly Brother, I'm not trying to convict you, or anyone. It is true, only the Spirit of truth can convict a child of God of the truth of his salvation by God's free grace. I'm just saying that you are completely inconsistent. And that's not good. And you are just TOOOOOOOOOOO proud to admit your plain inconsistency. Why divert the issue now. Have some integrity. It takes a big heart to admit one's error.

A: Ok I accept my errors, sorry for the lacking discernment.

========

Is A converted to the truth? Is it that easy? I don't know.
May our Lord save me from cynicism... having dealt with so many hardened 'sola fideists'!

sing
An elect to whom God has not APPLIED personally the righteousness of Christ by His free grace is STILL a man in his native state of the condemnation of death. (The righteousness of Christ has been IMPUTED legally to all the elect at the cross, just as the sin of Adam was IMPUTED legally to all represented by Adam at the fall.)

In his native state of the condemnation of death, there is no possibility of him believing.

ONLY after the justification of life is applied to him personally, wholly and solely by God's free grace, is an elect enabled to believe.

IT IS the just, i.e. the justified one by God's free grace, that shall live by faith.

It is NOT the condemned ones, i.e. those not justified, who by faith shall be justified by God, and live!!!!!!!

Daniel Goh
A is not saved, period.

Robert Cook Sr.
A child of God or His elect are eternally saved but are helpless to know it until the Spirit of God is put in them so they can see the things freely given to them.

sing
Brother Daniel, A is saved, but his mind is messed up, and confused. His is badly taught.

sing
Robert Cook, the Spirit of God is a gift given to every child of God at effectual call, working saving graces in them. For them to know the gospel of their salvation (which teaches all the things freely given to them), they need access to a faithful gospel ministry! Without a faithful gospel ministry, they will remain ignorant of the truth of their eternal salvation by God's free grace, and they will experience little of the temporal salvation ministered through the gospel ministry.

Robert Cook Sr.
Sing for the most part that is true but there is the direct revelation also gospel directly from God as in Job and Abraham etc., but as you say without the Spirit being put in you we are blind and disinterested in the things concerning eternity.
[sing: far worse than blind; without the Spirit in us, we are still dead in trespasses and sin.]

sing
IF there is such a direct revelation of the gospel from God Himself, THEN it is the SAME to every child of God...

John 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Robert Cook Sr.
Sing I thought the previous two comments were about instruction from the written word and a faithful gospel ministry? every child of God is made alive in Christ the same way but the teaching after is done in many different ways of which some never receive or are taught the truth of their salvation. unless I am a complete moron and misunderstand altogether.

sing
Brother Obert, you are a complete NON-moron!
I was responding to your statement about "there is the direct revelation also gospel directly from God."

Robert Cook Sr.
Thanks, Sing your humour is quite interesting to a moron but only to people like me!

Mike PH
That was a clear exposition of salvation by grace and not by faith in Jesus Christ and faith is just evidence of one saved by God's grace, however many still could not understand this doctrine correctly.