The study of justification is really the study of the Gospel. We have tried to set out in some measure how the doctrine of justification should be focused on the glory of God which should strip man of his pride. If justification is taught as a doctrine that is only to be understood and believed intellectually, then it will fall far short of the truth of Scripture which sets out justification in contexts that should not allow it to simply be a creedal statement that is simply to be assented to, though indeed there must be the objective truth of it.Let us start with the word “justify.” While this term is used a fair amount in the modern world since people are always trying to justify their behavior, it might be thought that it is an easy term to deal with. However, that is simply not the case. God is the One who justifies and so we must try to understand how God uses the term in the revelation of Himself in His Word. Romans 3 is the place to start:
“Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (v. 20).
“For the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (v. 26)
“Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (v. 24).
“For the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (v. 26).
“For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (v. 28).
“Since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one” (v. 30).
There has been a lot of argument over this word in history and the argument still goes on. The argument goes on because it is still vitally important. It is clear from the above texts of Holy Writ that God is the One who justifies and not man who does it himself. So the crux of the issue is over how God justifies the sinner. If a person asserts that man justifies himself in part or in whole, this is clearly outside the bounds of truth. The issue here, however, is how God justifies. If man is seen to justify himself in any way even though the words of the doctrine do not assert that, it should be clear that Scripture does not allow for that at all.
So the divide at this point is huge. This is at least part of the central issue in Luther’s day over how justification was viewed. The issue at hand is whether God declares a person just or actually makes the person just by working in him in order to declare the person just. Historically, though many in the modern day will deny it, Protestants have said that indeed God declares sinners just and those He justifies He sanctifies which is His making them at the very least more just or righteous. Rome countered and said that God could not declare just what was not just in and of itself and so the Protestant position was a legal fiction. Many have felt the weight of that argument and have tried to modify the Protestant position to some degree. However, as I hope to show at some point, it is actually the Roman Catholic position that leads to a legal fiction and it is the Protestant position that allows God to declare a sinner just with all truth and righteousness. But for the moment, if God has to make a person just in order to declare the person just, then God would have to make the person perfect. In that case no one could be declared just by God. However, the historical Protestant position says that God declares a person just based on the perfect works of Christ. This allows for God’s declaration concerning man to be made in perfect justice and righteousness. In reality it is Rome that settles for the legal fiction.
So can we show from the text that the justification in mind is a declarative justification based solely on what Christ has done versus rather than that God justifies the sinner by making the sinner righteous through good works? Romans 3:20 clearly says that “by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight.” The text then goes on to give at least one reason for this: “for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” In other words, the Law was never given in order that man may keep the Law and be justified. The Law was given in order to show man the depths of his sin. Even more clearly we can see from v. 28 “that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” It could not be clearer than this. A person is justified apart from works of the Law. Some argue that there is a difference between good works and works of the Law. However, the Law commands us to love God with all of the heart, mind, soul, and strength. There are no good works apart from love to God. There are no good works that can possible happen apart from love for God since I Corinthians 13 tells us that nothing we do is of any profit unless it is done from love.
We should also notice that nothing in those texts tell us anything about God working the works of the Law in man in order that man may do the good works and be justified. In fact, justification is clearly said to be apart from the works of the Law and the text does not distinguish whether the works are from God working them in man or man doing them himself. The text simply says that justification is apart from the works of the Law. Justification is also a free gift (uncaused by man) of grace. It is all of grace and nothing but grace that justifies man. There is no causal fact of man’s works for salvation or of God working good works in man mentioned here at all. The text speaks of justification as an uncaused gift by grace. I don’t think that Romans 3 could be any clearer on the issue. Justification is all of God and man does nothing but receive it and even that is by grace.
Justification, then, is not that which man can work to obtain and is not good works that God works in man in order for man to obtain. Justification must be forensic in nature which is the declaration of a judge regarding a criminal on trial. The judge in this case is God and as Judge He declares the sinner righteous in His sight. How that happens is for future articles, but we know that it is all of Christ. The forensic nature of justification and the fact that it is all of grace allows for salvation to be all of Christ. However, for the moment, we can stand back and look at how all the glory is God’s in this case. The forensic nature of justification allows for all the glory to be God’s. He declares a person just or righteous in His sight because of what He has done. The glory of the grace of God is on display for all to see. The mercy and love of God is set out and displayed in such a way where His glory shines. So if we simply decide whether God justifies by making the person just or by declaring a person just on the basis of Christ by the standard of which position displays His glory the most, the issue is clear. God’s glory shines far more brightly in declaring a person just on the basis of Christ.
We saw last week that the Bible declares that man is justified in a way that allows man no room for boasting in himself at all. If God only declares those just who have worked enough to be just whether God worked it in them or not, this seems to allow at least some room for boasting. But the legal declaration that a person is just based on what Christ has done alone allows for no boasting at all. The forensic nature of justification based on Christ alone removes any room for boasting and destroys any basis for boasting that man has. Any person who has been justified by God on the basis of Christ alone simply has no consistent room for pride at all. This is a pride shattering doctrine and as such has the ring of truth to it. God’s glory and man’s pride do not fit with each other.
What we have observed in a rather simple way is that the verses in Romans 3 do not allow for any works of man to be involved in justification. We have also observed that in this way the glory of God is displayed and the pride of man is dashed. The reason that it is done this way is because Scripture shows that the Gospel is all about the glory of God and that in a way that allows for no pride or reason for pride in man. The true position concerning justification, then, would be the one that exalts the glory of God and destroys pride and any room for pride in man. I have set this out in contrast to the Roman Catholic position. However, all forms of justification within Protestantism must be judged in this regard as well. The New Perspective and the Auburn Avenue Theology movements should be considered carefully with these things in mind. If at any point a position allows for man’s works to be part of justification rather than relying completely on the finished work of Christ, then it should be seen that that position is not to the glory of God and does not abolish pride in man. A position like that simply is not and cannot be biblical. The doctrine of justification is a sword that divides between Christians and non-Christians. There is no other Gospel and we must always be on the side of the Gospel even if it is not politically or denominationally correct. There is no love apart from those who have the Gospel because only those who are born of God and know God have love. The Gospel is that important. Sola Fide.
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