Function of the Law in Salvation

[Pilgrim7]

Letter Versus Spirit - #3

Here we have the 3rd Commandment, the 'Letter of the Law', prohibiting using the Lord's name in vain. Here again we have the 'bare minimum' requirement of God, a prohibition of the improper use of His Holy name. This is again the 'beginning of Righteousness', the ceasing to do evil, which shows one their lack of respect and reverence toward God and His name which is Holy, for He is Holy. It also condemns the transgressor, and remember the wages of sin is/are death.

The Letter of the Law:

Commandment #3:

Exo 20:7

You shall not take the

name

of the LORD your God in

vain

(#7723 - in emptiness, vanity, falsely) ;

for the LORD will

not hold him

guiltless

that takes his

name in vain.

Now most people thinks that this just has to do using god's name when swearing, but as the Hebrew word shows, it includes a whole lot more, any use of God's name in empty conversation, or in vanity or falsely, such as saying one is a 'child of God' when one has not been 'born again', and become a 'New Creation'. Still this is just a prohibition of the evil not a description of righteousness, the using of God's name in bringing glory to Him, praising Him and worshiping Him. It is just the 'beginning of Righteousness', the ceasing of doing evil, so that one can learn to do well.

Can the keeping of this Commandment, which would be a 'deed of the law', save anyone, justify them before God, and bring the the Gift of the 'indwelling Holy Spirit, of course not. Does the one in whom Jesus dwells, by grace through faith, keep this Commandment as part of fulfilling all righteousness, of course he/she does.

The Spirit of the Law

The 'Spirit of the Law' teaches and enables one to use the Lord's name in a 'positive way'. This is the 2nd phase of righteousness, 'learning to to well' or 'righteousness:

Miracles in His name:

Mr 16:17

And these signs shall follow them that believe;

In my name

shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Glorifying the Father by asking in Jesus name:

John 14:13

And

whatever you shall

ask in my name,

that will I do,

that the

Father

may be

glorified

in the Son.

14:14

If you shall ask any thing

in my name

,

I will do it.

Notice though that this promise, and the glorification of the Father are closely connected with the keeping of His Commandments which have to do with receiving the Comforter, the Holy Spirit:

Joh 14:15

If

you

love

me,

keep

my

commandments

.

(Now many say that the 'Ten Commandments' are not Jesus' Commandments, but as sure as He is one with the Father, then all that is of the Father is of Him also, for he is the 'word of God', and Scriptures calls the 'Ten Commandments' the 'Words of God')

14:16

And I will

pray the Father,

and he shall

give you another Comforter,

that he may

abide with you for ever;

We are to rejoice and trust in His name, for it is holy:

Ps 33:21

For

our heart shall

rejoice

in him,

because we have

trusted

in his

holy name

.

We are to praise His name for it is Holy:

Ps 99:3

Let them

praise your

great

and

terrible

(awesome)

name;

for

it is holy

.

Here again we see that all the works of God, His Commandments, are everlasting, and part of His Covenant, part of keeping His name holy:

Ps 111:7

The works of his hands are verity and judgment;

all

his

commandments

are

sure

.

111:8

They

stand fast

for ever and ever,

and are

done in

truth

and

uprightness

.

111:9

He sent redemption to his people: he has

commanded his covenant for ever:

holy

and

reverend is his name.

111:10

The

fear

of the LORD

is the

beginning

of wisdom:

a

good understanding

have

all they

that

do his commandments

:

his

praise

endures for ever.

(thus even praise is tied to doing His Commandments)

Now we see that fearing God, obeying God, trusting in God and leaning on Him for power, all has to do with His Holy Name:

Isa 50:10

Who is among you that

fears

the LORD,

that

obeys

the voice of his servant,

or that Walks in darkness, and hath no light?

let him

trust

in the

name

of the LORD,

and

stay

(lean totally)

upon his God.

Again the Scriptures make very clear that the 'Spirit of the Law', love for God and His will, does not do away with any of the Ten Commandments, but rather establishes them, including them in the 'law of Christ', who kept them. In fact the Spirit of the law magnifies them, expands them and includes them. One cannot glorify God and at the same time curse His Holy name. A good tree produces good fruit.

God Bless

Dennis

[Pilgrim7]

Letter versus Spirit - #4 (Part 1)

Because of the complexity of this Command, I will divide it into two parts, Part one dealing with the 'letter of the Law', and Part 2, dealing with the Spirit of the law.

As we have seen so far Jesus was true to His word in that He did not do away with The Law of the Ten Commandments, but magnified them, expanded them, established them and kept them Himself, for He was totally righteous, without sin which is disobedience to God's Commandments.

Isa 42:21

The LORD is well pleased for his

righteousness' sake

; he will

magnify

the law,

and

make it

honorable

(glorious).

Thus we, His sheep, hear His voice and follow Him, His Word and His example for He now dwells in our heart as our

[Pilgrim7]

Letter versus Spirit - #4 (Part 2)

Part # 1 showed the 'Letter of the Law', regarding Gods' Holy Sabbath day 'made for all mankind' right after He created Adam. This is the 'bare minimum' of God's will regarding holiness and worship. The 'Spirit of the law', as we have shown, does not do away with the 'Letter', the 'Ten Commandments', but includes them, magnifies them, expands them, establishes them glorifies them and causes obedience to them to abound, the true meaning of the word to fulfill.

The Spirit of the Law:

Commandment #4 magnified, expanded, glorified:

Mat 22:37

Jesus said unto him, you shall

love

the Lord

(this includes Father and Son)

your God with

all

your heart,

and with

all

your soul,

and with

all

your mind.

This Love includes keeping God's Commandments with all the heart, mind, soul and strength:

1John 5:2

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we

love God

,

and

keep

his

commandments

.

5:3

For

this is the

love of God

,

that we

keep

His

Commandments

(both the Ten Commandments and those that Jesus gave for they are all His Commandments):

and

His

Commandments

are

not

grievous

(hard, a burden or a yoke of bondage, for they are now written in the 'believers heart').

This is the Law of Love by which the 'believer' lives, that of 'loving God' and loving his neighbor. It is all inclusive, it is the essence of being in Christ, loving righteousness and holiness. Now added to keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, is the requirement and the provision to be Holy all the time, even in our secular work the other (6) days, although we still do our work.

1Pet 1:15 ..

as

he

who has called

you

is holy

,

so

be holy

in

all manner of conversation

(#391-behavior, conduct);

1:16

Because it is written,

Be holy; for I am holy.

Here are some of the things that the Law of the Spirit in Christ includes in being Holy the other (6) days of labor:

1Thes 5:16

Rejoice

evermore.

1th 5:17

Pray

without

ceasing

.

1th 5:18 In

every thing give thanks

:

for

this is the

will of God

in Christ Jesus

concerning you

.

1th 5:19

Quench not

the Spirit.

(this is how the believer keeps from quenching the Spirit)

Php 1:10

That you may

approve

(prove, recognize)

things

that are

excellent

;

that you may be

sincere

(#1506 pure)

and

without offense

(sin, transgression of the will or law of God)

till the day of Christ

(His 2nd coming);

1:11

Being

filled

with the

fruits of

righteousness

(obedience, right doing),

which are by Jesus Christ, unto the

glory

and

praise of God.

Now lets see, do any of these preclude the keeping Holy God's Holy Sabbath Day which he made for all mankind, which would include the 'believer', as it did the Israelite 'believers'? Does being Holy somehow make God's Holy Sabbath day now a common day, one to be ignored and forgotten? Is there anyone, church, pastor, theologian, teacher, church council, or individual 'believer' who can make common that which God makes Holy? I think not. What God creates is good, perfect and it stands forever.

Or does being holy 24/7 include keeping that which God has made Holy, expand it, magnify it, and make it glorious?

Heb 8:10

For

this

is the

covenant

that

I will make

with the

house of Israel

(not the Gentiles)

after those days, saith the Lord;

I will put

my laws

into their

mind

,

and

write them

in their

hearts

:

and

I will be to them a God,

and

they shall be to me

a people

:

(here we have a description of the people of God, New Covenant Israel, and all that are grafted into her by faith, not the nation Israel, but the 'remnant of Israel' who received their Messiah),

A true uderstanding of the 'New Covenant' and who it is with, who received and who did not, and what it accomplishes in the 'believer, clarifies many issues concerning the 'Ten Commandments and especially God's Holy, Eternal Sabbath Day.

God Bless all,

Dennis

[nanasimmons]

Many use their faith as if it were a meritorious, boastful work..this is a worthless unsaving, unrighteous faith!! It is not faith at all, it's unfaith!!

Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Only when faith is properly applied, does it have any value to justify we sinners before a holy God who requires PERFECTION!!... It is not our faith per se, that justifies us, but it is what we place our faith in....It is faith that Christ did for us what we could not do ourselves..fulfill the righteous demands of the law, perfectly... This is saving, justifing faith..

Quote from " The Doctrine of Justification" by Arthur Pink... chapter #7........

What is the precise place and influence which faith has in the important affair of justification? Romanist answer, It justifies us formally, not relatively: that is, upon the account of its own intrinsic value. They point out that faith is never alone, but

[Pilgrim7]

Nana,

It would be beneficial if you read the topic through for we dealt with this previously. The faith that saves is the faith that writes God's law in the heart of the believer. Thus he is not only accounted righteous, but is made righteous. Thus his righteousness flows from a heart made new, a heart in which Jesus dwells as Lord and Master, living His righteous holy life through the believer. This is Righteousness by faith. It is not earned, worked for but freely given. The 'New Born' believer has been recreated, is a 'New Creation' indwelt by the Spirit of holiness, who leads him in righteousness and holiness.

What you are speaking of is initial justification in which this all takes place. From that time on, it is a practical righteousness, ongoing justification, living faith which works, which is part of Sanctification, in which the believer now does the works of God because He loves God with all His heart, mind, soul and strength and is indwelt by Jesus. Righteousness by faith does not cover wanton neglect of the commands of God and presumptuous, unrepented sin, no matter what any one would like to think.

I refer you back to post #4, #6, #13, #16, #17, #23 etc.

Here are a few Scriptures that tell about what the believer who has righteousness by faith does. This is the word of God which should at least have as much influence with you as Pink. These speak of the ongoing justification as one progresses in Sanctification.

2co 7:1

Having

therefore these

promises,

(the promises of the indwelling Jesus)

dearly beloved,

let us

cleanse ourselves

from

all filthiness

of the

flesh

and

spirit

,

perfecting holiness

in the

fear of God.

Don't you think that the above is pretty clear, that there is a work for us to do?

Here we see it again compared to a race, laying aside all sin which is transgression of God's law:

Heb 12:1

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside

every weight,

and the

sin

which does so easily beset us,

and

let us run

with patience

(endurance, perseverance)

the

race

that is

set before us

,

12:2

Looking unto Jesus

the

author

and

finisher

of our

faith

(the faith you refer to in initial justification is not a mature faith, but beginning faith, which won't keep us through Sanctification unless it grows into a finished faith and it does this as we resist and overcome sin);

who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

12:3

For consider him that

endured

such contradiction of sinners against himself,

lest you be wearied

and

faint in your minds.

12:4

You have

not yet resisted

unto blood,

striving against sin

.

12:5

And you have

forgotten the exhortation

which speaks to you as to children, My son,

despise not

the

chastening

of the Lord,

nor

faint

when you are

rebuked

of him:

Now we see that it is the foundation of God to depart from Iniquity:

2ti 2:19

Nevertheless the

foundation

of God

stands sure

,

having

this seal

,

The Lord knows those that are his. And,

Let every one

that

names

the name of Christ

depart from iniquity

(sin, the transgression of Gods will, including His Ten Commandments).

Those who don't depart from Iniquity, will hear these words from Christ:

Mat 7:23

And then

will I profess

unto them,

I

never knew

you:

depart

from me,

you that

work iniquity

.

This is the Word of God, unless Pink agrees with this, then he is contrary to the word of God. I understand that all one hears about today is 'initial justification', and that Sanctification and progressive justification are not taught or even understood for the most part. 'Initial justification' will not get one through the Gates of the kingdom, only a mature faith that works by love and keeps the commandments of God will endure to the end and not grieve away the Spirit of Holiness.

The many that boast of their faith or works, have not the first understanding of faith or works. The one who has 'righteousness by faith', who does the will of God through faith, is the last one to boast of anyone but Christ who dwells in and works through Him/her.

God Bless you

Dennis

[Pilgrim7]

The First 4

We have covered the first (4) Commandments both in 'Letter' and in 'Spirit'. These are the will of God as to how we are to relate and commune with Him. A close examination of the 'Letter', has to do with the most basic aspects of this relationship. It is more of how not to relate to Him, rather that explicit instruction as to 'positive, ongoing communion. It is really warnings and instruction on how to avoid worshiping a 'false God'. The only really positive commandment, the 4th which shows us the 'bare minimum' of worshiping the 'living God', the 'God of Creation', on the day He created Holy, for worship of His holiness (not to be confused with any man with the same title) which is closely tied to the message of Revelation 14, which is a warning about worshiping the Beast and has a direct command to 'worship Him who created all'.

True worship, includes so much more than the above, thus Jesus came, not to do away with, change, lessen the importance of the 'Letter', but to add to it, expand it and cause it to abound, not so much in the form of 'do nots', but in the form of 'You can now do all things (that the Letter and the Spirit require) through Me (Christ) who dwells in you and strengthens you'.

As always, in the doing of the positive works of the Spirit, one is not free to continue the disobedience forbidden by the negative, not free now to ignore, and transgress the 'thou shalt nots' of the 'Letter' without repentance and confession that He has separated from God, having crucified afresh the Son of God.

It is amazing to me that christianity is degenerating into a 'not much to do' religion, when the teachings of Christ expands the responsibilities and duties of the Christian to such a degree, that it is impossible to accomplish them without a completely 'new birth' and 're-creation' of the 'believer' upon his repentance from sin and conversion into the 'image of Christ'. It would seem that, today, all God wants is for us to 'raise our hands and praise Him with our mouths, and of course 'witness', which means talk them into coming to our church and saying the "sinners" prayer'.

The demands of the Jesus require so much more than the 'Letter', He demands all, for He has purchased our very being, and we are no longer our own, but belong totally to Him, body, mind and spirit. He is to control our every impulse, thought and action for He dwells in the heart, from which flows all the substance or every issue of life. He, through His word and Spirit, is to control our every decision. Holiness is to influence our every thought and action.

So much for the 'cruise control' religion so popular today, which claims freedom from God's Commandments, when the 'Religion of Jesus' provides 'freedom from sin', from our 'slavery' to it, and all the power needed to overcome our natural tendency for transgression of His Holy Commandments and bring us into 'captivity to His will', which includes His Law of Ten Commandments, all Ten of them.

Next we will look at the 2nd Great Commandment, and its relation to and inclusion of the Last (6) Commandments of the 'Letter' of the Law in this Great Commandment.

May God abundantly bless as we seek to do all His will,

Dennis

[Pilgrim7]

The 2nd Great Commandment

Mat 22:39

And the second is like the 1st, you shall

love

your

neighbor

as

yourself

.

This is not talking of a feeling of love for oneself, but the actions one takes to please oneself. One can have a 'self hatred' and still he/she will seek to do those things that please themselves, they will be consumed with 'what do I want, how do I feel, how can I get people to think good about me, how can I raise myself above my neighbor, how can I get fame and fortune.

Eph 5:29

For

no man

ever yet

hated

his own flesh;

but

nourishes

and

cherishes

(pleases, satisfies it desires)

it,

Thus in the Spirit, the focus of man would be changed from honoring himself, serving himself, promoting himself, uplifting himself, esteeming himself, to that of honoring others, serving others, promoting others, uplifting others and esteeming others.

The Letter of the Law - Commandment #1

Exo 20:12 Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God gives you.

Here we have a foundational principle, again the 'bare minimum' of righteousness. Is this the whole duty of man concerning whom he/she is to honor? Of course not. It is just the beginning, for if one will not honor his/her parents, who will they honor besides themselves?

The Spirit of the Law - Commandment #1

As stated above, self is the focus of the 'carnal man/woman'. It comes first, and then if there is time or money left over, maybe one might consider blessing others. His/her life is a continuous chorus of what shall I eat, what shall I drink, what shall I do, where shall I go, how shall I be entertained, how will get more attention, fame, money, leisure and pleasure. This is true of those filled with pride as well as those who have no 'self esteem'. This is the root of the problem, the focus of the heart. This is why God had to give the 'Ten Commandments', to show that this is wrong, that there is something wrong with the 'heart' of the 'unsaved' person. Most of this is encompassed in the 10th Commandment.

Change of Focus:

Rom 12:10

Be

kindly affectioned

one to another with brotherly love;

in honor

preferring

one another

(above one's self)

;

Change of heart which leads to a change of action:

Php 2:3

Let

nothing be done

through

strife

or

vainglory

(pride, self honor);

but in

lowliness

of mind

(self humility)

let

each

esteem

the other

better

than

themselves

.

2:4

Look not every man on his own things, but

every man

also on the

things of others.

2:5

Let this mind

be in you, which was

also in

Christ Jesus:

Part of Sanctification or growth in holiness:

1Thes 4:4

That

every one

of you should

know how

to

possess

his

vessel

(body and mind)

in

sanctification

and

honor

;

2tim 2:19

Nevertheless the

foundation

of God

stand sure,

having

this

seal

,

The Lord knows those that are his. And, Let

every one

that

names

the name of Christ

depart

from

iniquity

.

2:20

But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and

some to

honor

(the wheat and righteousness),

and

some to

dishonor

(the tares and sin).

2:21

If a man therefore

purge himself

from

these

(sins that lead to dishonor),

he shall be a

vessel of

honor

,

sanctified

,

and

meet

(fit)

for the

master's use

,

and

prepared

for

every

good work

God expands our 'family':

Mat 12:46

While he yet talked to the people, behold,

his mother

and

his brothers

stood without, desiring to speak with him.

12:47

Then one said unto him, Behold, your mother and brothers stand with-out, desiring to speak with you.

12:48

But he answered and said to him that told him,

Who

is my mother and

who

are my brothers?

12:49

And he stretched forth his hand

toward his

disciples

,

and said,

Behold my mother

and

my brothers!

12:50

For

whoever

shall

do

the

will

of my

Father

(notice it is the will of the Father, not just Jesus)

which is in heaven, the same

is my brother

,

and

sister

,

and

mother

.

Now does the expansion of the 5th Commandment by the Holy Spirit of God, negate, lessen, or do away with the 5th Commandment requiring one to honor their earthly Parents. Of course not. That would be a preposterous misrepresentation of the Spirit of the Law. As always, the Holy Spirit, establishes the 'Letter of the Law', expands the 'Letter of the Law', adds to the 'Letter of the Law' and makes it honorable and glorious, in writing it in the 'believer's heart' so he can say with the Psalmist, 'I delight to do your will O God, yes your law is within my heart' Psa 40:8.

All blessing in Christ,

Dennis

[Pilgrim7]

Letter versus Spirit #6

Here in the 6th Commandment, the difference between the 'Letter' and the 'Spirit' is easily seen, and the 'bare minimum' of the 'Letter of the law' exposed for its inability to save or make one righteous.

The Letter of the Law- - The 6th Commandment

Exo 20:13

You shall not kill.

(murder)

This Commandment is quite simple to understand. We are not to take the life of another. Here even human wisdom tends to line up with God on this point. The penalty for breaking this command is just the same as that for breaking any other. The wages for sin is death. Thus the wages for murder or for bearing false witness is the same in God's justice, and here is where human reasoning departs radically from that of God as does the 'Spirit of the Law'.

The Spirit of the Law

In the Spirit of the Law, we not only don't murder people, but we love them as we love ourselves, and seek to lead them to 'abundant life', yes eternal life. Thus again we see that the 'Spirit of the law' necessarily includes the 'Letter', expanding it immensely.

Love your enemies instead of murdering them:

Mat 5:38

You have heard it said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

5:39

But I say to you, that

you

resist not

evil

(those who do evil to you):

but whoever shall strike you on the right cheek,

turn to him

the other also

[Guest shiloh357]

What you are speaking of is initial justification in which this all takes place. From that time on, it is a practical righteousness, ongoing justification, living faith which works, which is part of Sanctification, in which the believer now does the works of God because He loves God with all His heart, mind, soul and strength and is indwelt by Jesus. Righteousness by faith does not cover wanton neglect of the commands of God and presumptuous, unrepented sin, no matter what any one would like to think.

There is no such thing as "ongoing" justification. That is not a biblical concept. What you are teaching is that we have to keep ourselves saved by keeping the 10 commandments, and that is simply not biblcal no matter how you spin it.

Justification is a one time event. It is not a ongoing process. Justification is a legal declaration. None of us is actually "righteous" on this side of the cross. We are simply "delcared" righteous. It is imputed to us for a future date. We will not be "righteous" in the fullest, practical sense until we receive our new resurrected bodies free of the sin nature. Until then we are simply delcared rightesous as a legal or forensic act of God based not upon anything we have done or not done, but solely based upon Christ's work on the cross. No amount of commandment keeping will augment or amplify or secure that one time declaration.

Keeping the law does not earn you points, it does not in anyway secure your salvation. It does not make you more saved.

The fact is you could keep the law perfectly your entire life and you would still be no closer to God than the average sinner. The reason being is that even if you kept every commandment to the letter, your observance is still tainted by your sin nature which has yet to be eradicated. There is no way any human could keep God's law to the level of perfection that Jesus kept it. Jesus' observance of the law is the only observance that God has ever declared as perfectly pleasing to Him. Jesus was not born with a sin nature to taint His observance.

[nanasimmons]

Nana,

It would be beneficial if you read the topic through for we dealt with this previously. The faith that saves is the faith that writes God's law in the heart of the believer. Thus he is not only accounted righteous, but is made righteous. Thus his righteousness flows from a heart made new, a heart in which Jesus dwells as Lord and Master, living His righteous holy life through the believer. This is Righteousness by faith. It is not earned, worked for but freely given. The 'New Born' believer has been recreated, is a 'New Creation' indwelt by the Spirit of holiness, who leads him in righteousness and holiness.

What you are speaking of is initial justification in which this all takes place. From that time on, it is a practical righteousness, ongoing justification, living faith which works, which is part of Sanctification, in which the believer now does the works of God because He loves God with all His heart, mind, soul and strength and is indwelt by Jesus. Righteousness by faith does not cover wanton neglect of the commands of God and presumptuous, unrepented sin, no matter what any one would like to think.

I refer you back to post #4, #6, #13, #16, #17, #23 etc.

Here are a few Scriptures that tell about what the believer who has righteousness by faith does. This is the word of God which should at least have as much influence with you as Pink. These speak of the ongoing justification as one progresses in Sanctification.

Below are a few quotes explaining saving faith and Justification as I understand it....

Quote..........

Justification begins the Christian life when one comes to repentant faith in Christ as Lord and Savior...It is an event...

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1 NAS95)

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. (Romans 5:9 NAS95)

Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11 NAS95)

This is when one passes from death to life...now no condemnation since they are justified. "Justified" and "Condemned" are opposites.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24 KJV)

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 KJV)

No place in scripture is justification a process.

It is a time where one is married to Christ and become dead to the law and the penalties that the law imposes...

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:1-4 KJV)

Therefore...no longer in our sins and sin is not imputed to us...

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. (Romans 4:8 KJV)

Justification is a past event when the believer died in Christ and was raised to newness of life. Sanctification is a progressive process that takes place throughout the life of the Christian...glorification ultimately takes place when one dies and is with Christ...

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8 KJV)

Those who are justified WILL be glorified.

There is no place in scripture where a progressive justification is taught. It is a point where one repents...turns to Christ as Lord and Savior...and renounces any works of self-righteousness as if one can earn the favor of God by keeping the law and, is by faith alone.

end quote............

Below are quotes from:

Justification and Sanctification: The Theological and

Practical relationship Between the Two Doctrines

by

Jason Dulle

Quote........................

The Need For Justification

Our understanding of the justification is highly dependent on our understanding of God and the nature of sin. Before we can truly examine the doctrine of justification, we must first understand the human need for God's justification as it pertains to God's holiness and man's sinfulness.

God is a holy and just God, who cannot tolerate sin (Leviticus 11:45; Deuteronomy 32:4; II Kings 23:26; Isaiah 30:27-31; Lamentations 3:42). His holiness sets the standard of the law, while his justness demands that His law be obeyed. If His law is not obeyed, punishment must be meted out. God cannot excuse evil because such an action would be tantamount to the approval of evil, which is contrary to His holy character. In order to preserve justice from being mocked, our sin must be objectively punished. God cannot simply change our verdict from "Guilty" to "Not guilty."5

God's law is not some arbitrary list of do's and don'ts that are inflicted upon people for law's sake. Gods zeal for His law is due to the nature of the Lawgiver. He does not simply decide to approve this and condemn that. Rather Gods law flows from His nature. It is a portrait of His person. When we obey Gods law, we are not merely keeping a code of conduct, but relating to God Himself. The law has no inherent value or dignity apart from God. When we keep or break Gods law we are relating to God Himself.6 Sin is not merely the breaking of a law, but transgressing against the very nature of God, thus creating a personal attack on God Himself.7 Breaking Gods law, then, hinders the relationship between us and Him.

Because of Adams sin in the Garden of Eden, mankind is in a place of spiritual separation from God. As a result of Adam, all of mankind is in a state of spiritual death, condemnation, and judgment (Romans 5:12-21). Isaiah testified that our iniquities have separated us from God, and our sins cause Him to hide His face from us (Isaiah 59:2). Paul demonstrated the utter sinfulness of all men, declaring that there are none who are righteous who will seek after God, but all men have turned aside from Him (Romans 3:1-12). The natural result of our spiritual state is death (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3). The only deliverance from this condition is the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Apart from Gods manifestation of love in Christs death, the only manifestation of God we would expect from God is the manifestation of His wrath. In order to avoid this wrath of God, our relationship with God must be changed. We have a need to be reconciled to God, i.e. brought back into a right relationship with God that we lost in Adam.

Nature of Justification

Justification involves a change in our status and relationship with God. There is both a forensic pronouncement of God's righteousness on the believer which changes his status before God and His Law, and a relational change between God and the believer.

From the forensic perspective justification is a divine acquittal from the guilt of sin. The Pauline concept of justification is characteristically forensic in nature. Paul depicts sinners as those who have not lived up to the standards of God's law, and are therefore subject to the Judge's holy and just wrath. In justification God changes the believer's status before God and His Law from guilty to innocent. The believer is justified in the sight of the Law. They are no longer the objects of God's wrath, but the recipient of a right-standing before the law.

God's righteousness is an alien righteousness imputed to the believer, not imparted. It is an external righteousness, not an internal righteousness. God imputes to us Christ's righteousness, thus our righteousness is something which happens outside of us.8 It cannot be gained by any external human work, however. It does not come from an external obedience to a set of laws, but by faith in Christ. Paul declared his desire to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, which came by the law, but the righteousness which comes from God and is received by faith (Philippians 3:9). Such a righteousness is not an inherent righteousness earned by the saint, but an alien righteousness that is credited to our account.

Justification is something which we obtain, not something which we must attain. It is a past, completed reality. We do not strive to continue to be justified. God has made a legal pronouncement of innocence on our behalf. Justification is a declaration of the Christian's righteousness, not the process of becoming righteous. It speaks of our status before God, not our nature.9

According to Paul, God justifies the ungodly:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Romans 5:6, 8-10).

This Pauline concept is in stark contrast to the Jewish concept of justification. To the Jew one would be justified if at the end of his life his good works were more numerous than his evil works. Paul's insistence that God justifies the ungodly would have been quite shocking to his Jewish audience. It would seem that the guilty should get what they deserve, i.e. wrath. Instead, God declares the ungodly to be innocent of their ungodly deeds through their faith in Christ's work on their behalf. Paul, to defend God's justness in acquitting the guilty, argued that one can never be justified on the basis of their good works because all humanity's works are imperfect (Romans 3:9-18). Neither can humanity be acquitted based on the obedience to certain laws, because law serves to define sin and guilt (Romans 3:19-20). God's righteousness comes apart from law, through faith in Christ's atoning death (Romans 3:21-22, 24). It is Christ's atonement which allows God to be just in forgiving the sins of the ungodly. God made Christ a propitiation for sin (Romans 3:25). The Greek word for "propitiation," hilasterios, means "the place of atonement." The propitiation was the God-man. Christ turned away God's wrath from humanity, appeasing his holy and just anger against sin. Having dealt with the legal and just punishment for sin, in Christ, God was shown to be just in declaring the ungodly to be righteous through their faith (Romans 3:26).

Earlier it was noted that the Biblical concept of righteousness is not merely forensic in nature, but pertains to meeting the demands of a relationship between two parties. Part of the work of justification, then, involves the rectification of a personal relationship with God.10 Our sins have separated us from this fellowship, but His righteousness is given to us so that we can once again have communion together. Justification is that which establishes our relationship with God. It gives us an assurance of our acceptance before Him. Being justified we do not need to wonder if God has rejected us because of our evil works. We know that God accepts Christ and His works, and by virtue of our union with Christ He accepts us also.

In Romans 4:1-8 Paul emulated two OT characters to explain the nature of justifying faith: Abraham, David. Abraham believed God and He credited (logizomai) it to Abraham for righteousness (Romans 4:3; c.f. Genesis 15:6). This righteousness was not gained by human works, but by God's grace: "Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:4-5). Only when we cease working for our justification can we truly receive justification. Paul made a similar point when speaking of the reason the Jews did not attain to righteousness, but the Gentiles did. He said the reason was "because they [Jews] did not seek it by faith, but by the works of the law" (Romans 9:32).

David also described the kind of righteousness which God imputes to people apart from law observance (Romans 4:6). He said, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin" (Romans 4:7-8; Psalm 32:1-2). Justification, then, involves both a positive and negative aspect. Negatively God does not hold our sin against us, but forgives us from our wrong-doing. Positively God imputes Christ's righteousness to our account.

Romans 10:1-4 also elucidates to us the nature of justification. Paul speaks of a lack of faith on the part of Israel. They had a zeal for God and wanted to be holy before Him, but their understanding of the relationship between faith and works was misconstrued. They were ignorant of the righteousness that God gives by faith in Him, and thus they went about trying to establish their own righteousness. This righteousness was based on strict law-keeping. In doing so, they failed to submit to the righteousness of God. They were very righteous in terms of moral conduct, but they did not attain to God's righteousness because their faith was in their conduct rather than in God Himself.

There have been two primary and competing views of justification: Catholic, Protestant. These two views will be explained, compared, and contrasted below.

Catholic View

The Catholic view of justification is derived primarily from Augustine. Augustine, not knowing Hebrew or Greek, only had the Latin translation at his disposal. The Latin term for the Greek root dikaio is iustifacare. This is a compound word from iustus=righteous, and facare=to do or to make. Augustine took the word at face value and falsely concluded that it meant "to make righteous."

Catholics see justification as beginning at baptism and being fully given by means of the sacraments throughout one's life, and one's good works. To the Catholic, righteousness is intrinsic (imparted) to the believer. Good works are not motivated by the self, but by Holy Spirit.

The Catholic conception of justification contains both the Protestant understanding of justification and sanctification combined together. Although justification is seen to be contingent upon, and merited by good works, Catholic theology does not believe that God is obligated to reward good works (condign merit), but rather that it is appropriate for Him to do so (congruous merit).

Protestant View

The Catholic view of justification reigned supreme until the fall of Constantinople in A.D. 1453. It was at this time that the Greek monks fled from the East for the West, bringing hundreds of Greek texts with them. This was the time of the Renaissance in which the cry of the scholars was ad fontus, i.e. back to the sources. As Greek and Hebrew revived their importance in the West, students of the Bible were able to read the Bible in its original languages for the first time. It then became evident that Augustine misunderstood the Biblical concept of righteousness and justification. The Hebrew saddiq and Greek root dikaio did not mean "to make righteous," but "to consider one to be right." This discovery was part of the catalyst for the Reformation movement which would change the course of history some sixty years later.

The Protestant view of justification, derived from Hebraic and Greek terminology, is that the sinner is considered to be righteous based on the substitutionary death of Christ. Christ's righteousness is counted as though it was the believer's righteousness. In this view justification is external to the believer, being a mere legal pronouncement of a right relationship with God. The believer's righteousness is an alien righteousness, i.e. it does arise from within the believer, but is external to him. The believer is not made righteous in justification, but has Christ's righteousness imputed to his/her account as though it was truly his/hers. The internal aspect of salvation is left to the work of regeneration and sanctification, being conceptually distinct from justification.

One of the hallmarks of Protestant orthodoxy was Luther's teaching that the believer was simul iustus et peccator, or righteous and a sinner at one and the same time. Because the believer's righteousness is not an inherent righteousness, or an ethical righteousness, but an external pronouncement of God's approval of the sinner which brings Him into a right relationship to God, the sinner remains a sinner. At the same time, however, because the sinner is also justified in the sight of God, he is also a saint. The believer is not made righteous, so will still struggle with his sinful nature. Believers are both sinners and saints simultaneously.

Compared/Contrasted

The Catholic and Protestant conceptions of justification have many differences, but also have some similarities. Both believe that justification is provided by God, and based solely on the substitutionary death of Christ. Where they disagree is on how righteousness is appropriated to the believer (means of conferral).

Catholics see righteousness as an inherent possession of the believer, while Protestants understand justification to be an external legal pronouncement of God on the believer which has no bearing on the nature of his spirit. In Protestant thought righteousness is imputed, not imparted; alien, not internal (Philippians 3:9). Catholics see God accepting them because He sees righteousness in them. Protestants see God accepting them because He sees Christ's righteousness in them. Christ's righteousness is considered theirs, and God sees them as He sees Christ.

While many of the differences between Catholics and Protestants were genuine conceptual differences, some were the result of misunderstanding the language both parties were using. Alister McGrath explains this saying:

It will therefore be obvious that the Roman Catholic understands by "justification" what the Protestant understands by "justification" and "sanctification" linked together. The same word is used by bothbut it has a different meaning in each case. This has led to enormous confusion. Consider the following two statements.

A.We are justified by faith alone.

B.We are justified by faith and works.

For the Protestant, statement A means that the Christian life is begun through faith, and faith alone. For the Roman Catholic, howeverstatement A means that the Christian life as a whole is begun and continued by faith alone, which seems to exclude any reference to regeneration or obedience. For the Roman Catholic, statement B means that the Christian life is begun in faith, but is continued and developed through obedience and good works. But the Protestantwho understands "justification" to refer only to the beginning of the Christian lifewould regard this as a totally unacceptable doctrine of justification by works. In fact, there is general agreement between Protestant and Roman Catholic that the Christian life is begun through faith and continued and developed through obedience and good works.11

Both Catholics and Protestants are in agreement that justification is something that God does for us. It is not something that can be earned or merited apart from God's grace and motivating power within us. It is the nature of this justification and the means by which one receives Christ's righteousness which continues to be disagreed on.

Basis and Means of Justification

How is it that a believer is justified? When a person is acquitted by the law, he is acquitted on certain grounds and in a certain manner. What is the basis of the Christian's acquittal from sin?

Romans 3:19-25 is the most definitive passage on this subject. Here it will be seen that the source of our justification is God's grace; the grounds of our justification is Christ's sacrificial death; and we receive justification by means of faith.

Our justification has its origin in nothing other than the grace of God. It does not flow from any good work of our own, but from His favor towards us. We are "justified freely by his grace" (Romans 3:24).

The grounds of our justification is none other than the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. We are justified by God's grace "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). Without Christ's sacrificial death on our behalf there would be no justification for humanity. We are justified by His blood (Romans 5:9). Jesus' sinless life, freely given up in death on our behalf, provided the basis for our righteousness with God. Now, whether one stands before or after the cross, the basis for their justification is secure and God is shown to be righteous because He visited on sin the judgment it deserved.

While the grounds of our justification is Christ's death, and the source is God's grace, God's justification judicially becomes ours through our faith.

It must not be conceived that God justifies us because of our faith in Him. He justifies us by means of our faith. The difference between these two phrases may seem to be a mere striving over words, but the conceptual difference between the two is as stark as night and day. The former teaches that faith is a work of man that God rewards. God looks at the faith that we have mustered up and justifies us accordingly. This is a distortion of the Biblical idea of saving faith. God does not reward our decision to believe, or accept us on the basis of our faith. Faith is a gift of God's grace. Biblically speaking, justifying faith is passive, not active in nature. Justifying faith does not do anything, but passively accepts what Christ has done for us. We are not justified on account of our faith, but by means of our faith. To believe in the former is to make faith the grounds of our justification, rather than Christ and His atoning work at Calvary. For justification we simply believe what God has done for us, and receive Christ's righteousness. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. This justification did not come because Abraham believed, but was received through his faith (Romans 4:1-5). It can be said, then, that our justification is "by faith on account of Christ," not "on account of faith through Christ."12

The idea of accepting what Christ did for us by faith is at the heart of our justification. True faith in Christ is an acceptance of His work on our behalf. If we are to receive Jesus' righteousness we must renounce any confidence in our righteousness and rely entirely upon the perfect righteousness and death of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Renouncing and relying are the two aspects of justifying faith.

Paul was very clear that our righteousness does not come via obedience to the Law of Moses, but by faith in Christ. In Galatians he boldly declared, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, even as we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faithfulness of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16; See also 3:11). The Law could not give eternal life or right-standing with God. If it could, then righteousness would have come through the Law (Galatians 3:21). Instead, the Scripture has concluded that everyone is a sinner and stands in need of Christ. Christ's promises are only given to them who have faith (v. 22).

Paul's argument in Romans is very persuasive. After demonstrating that all men are sinners (Romans 1:13:18) Paul argued that the Law serves to define sinners as who they are, thus bringing them condemnation. The Law serves to demonstrate the guilt and sin of every man (Romans 3:19-20), and is unable to justify humanity before a holy God (v. 20). God's righteousness was demonstrated apart from the Law (v. 22), based on Christ's atoning death, and faith in Him (vs. 24-26). This being so, Paul concluded "that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:28). Law only serves to define us as sinners and separate us from fellowship with a holy God. Faith is superior to Law because only faith can bring us into a right relationship to God.

Justified "In Christ"

Justification is a changing of our relationship with God. We receive a new position or status before Him. All of humanity has one of two positions in the sight of God. They are either unrighteous or righteous; condemned or justified; guilty or innocent. Which position one stands in before the sight of God is determined by their relationship with one of two individuals. Those who are in Adam are the unrighteous, condemned, and guilty, and thus have spiritual death working in them. Those who are in Christ are those who are the righteous, justified, and innocent, which have spiritual life working in them. It is by virtue of being in Christ that we are declared righteous. He has become "to us God's righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30). We are the righteousness of God in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21).

This change of our status before God happens by virtue of our connection with the righteous Christ. When we are united with Christ we receive whatever is Christ's, and are considered to have performed what Christ performed. Whatever can be said of Christ can be said of us. Because Christ's work and merit is accrued to us by virtue of our being in Christ, God sees us as He sees Christ. He no longer sees us in Adam, or even in our own personal sin, but in Christ's righteousness and life. By virtue of our union with Christ we have been made acceptable to God, and can now rest in this fact.

In Romans 5:12-21 Paul argued that through Adam's sin humanity experienced spiritual death (5:12). Although the many died through Adam's transgression, the many also had the grace and gift of God multiplied to them through Christ (5:15). Whereas Adam brought the human race into a position of judgment, condemnation, and death, Christ brought to us justification, righteousness, and spiritual life (5:16-17). Just as Adam's one transgression brought all of humanity into a place of condemnation before God, so through Christ's one righteous act at Calvary He brought spiritual life for all people (5:18). Through Adam all were made sinners, and his sin reigned in death over all, but through Christ grace reigns through righteousness, and many will be made righteous (5:19, 21).

Christ's obedience secured righteousness and eternal life for all of those who would put their faith in Him. When we are born into Christ we become legally one with Christ in God's sight, partaking of Christ's obedience. All our responsibilities rest upon Him and all of His merit is accrued to us. Just as Adam's sin is charged to us without us having actually committed it in the flesh, so Christ's righteousness is as much ours as had we performed it ourselves. It is as though we were the ones who died on the cross. God sees the believer in Christ's merit, not one's own merit. This is so eloquently stated in II Corinthians 5:21 where Paul said, "For he made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Jesus takes our sin upon Himself even though He did not commit the sin, while we take His righteousness upon ourselves even though we did not perform it.

God accepts us, not for who we are or what we have done or abstained from doing, but for who Christ is and our relationship with Him. Our justification is not based off of our goodness, but our relationship to Christ and His meritous righteousness. Now we live from our approval by God, not for approval from the same.

Eschatological Aspects of Justification

Justification is threefold in that the Bible speaks of it as having already occurred, as though it is presently occurring, and a future time at which we will be justified (glorification). It is a past event, a present reality, and a future hope. Our justification happened historically when we initially trusted in Christ's atonement for our sins and applied it to our lives (I Corinthians 6:11). Based on the historical reality of justification Paul declared that we have already been saved from God's wrath, and have a subsequent peace with God (Romans 5:1, 9). In one sense justification is a completed reality.

God continues to count us as righteous in the present, atoning for our current sins (Romans 3:26). Our justification is not forfeited when we sin. We remain in a right standing with God because of our union with Christ and His righteousness. Although God is displeased with our sin, all we must do to maintain a right relationship with God is repent of that sin which displeased Him. It is in this way that we continue to show our faith in God. It is this kind of faith that justifies. Our repentance does not earn us justification, but rather gives evidence of our faith in God's ability and purpose to forgive us (I John 1:9).

There is also a future aspect of justification. There is coming a day when we will be made righteous in our very nature. This will occur at our glorification (Romans 5:19; Galatians 5:5). Paul had this future acquittal of the believer in mind when he said, "Who will lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, and furthermore was raised again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us" (Romans 8:33-34). These three aspects of justification provide for the whole spectrum of our lives. We need not worry about our standing with God. We are the righteousness of God in Christ.

What was so startling to Jews about the NT concept of justification is that it does not limit justification to the future, but speaks of it as a past and present reality. The Jews, understanding the eschatological aspect of justification to it to such an extent that they believed that one is not justified in this life, but only in the life to come. If one's good deeds outweighed their bad deeds at the end of their life, God would pronounce them just. Paul's theology changed the Jewish believers' conception of justification by moving it from a strictly futuristic verdict to a present reality. What God does with us, then, is pronounce us as just during this life, before the judgment. He imputes to us presently the status that we will enjoy eschatologically, as though it were already an objective reality. We are now enjoying the status which God has ordained for us in the future. Ladd explained this Pauline emphasis in the following manner:

An essential element in the salvation of the future age is the divine acquittal and the pronouncement of righteousness; this acquittal, justification, which consists of the divine absolution of sin, has already been effected by the death of Christ and may be received by faith here and now. The future judgment has thus become essentially a present experience. God in Christ has acquitted the believer; therefore he or she is certain of deliverance from the wrath of God (Rom. 5:9) and no longer stands under condemnation (Rom. 8:1).13

The triune eschatological nature of justification is one of the primary differences between the Catholic and Protestant conception of justification. Protestants look back on the verdict as a completed historical reality (while recognizing the past and present aspects as well) while Catholics look forward to the completion of justification in the future, with a certain lack of security of their standing before God in this present life.

Paul and James on Justification

Some see a contradiction between Paul and James on the teaching of justification. Paul emphatically taught that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law while James argued that a man is justified by faith and works (James 2:14-26). Luther is such an individual who saw the two prophets' teachings to be in opposition. Insisting that Paul's view was correct, Luther belittled James's epistle, calling it an 'epistle of straw.' Such an approach to the two authors is not necessary. When the literary context of each other is examined it can be demonstrated that there is no contradiction. The key to understanding these two seemingly contradictory authors is to understand how each uses the terms justified, faith, and works. These words must be defined by their respective contexts.

PAUL

Faith = genuine faith and reliance upon God for salvation.

Works = works apart from faith that one believes are able to, or help save him.

Justified = declared righteous by God because of your trust in Him for salvation.

JAMES

Faith = mental assent that could fail to affect ones actions.

Works = works that can only be done through faith, which attest to genuine faith.

Justified = shown to be righteous as evidenced by your actions.14

Paul emphasized that we are saved by faith in Jesus, and not by our good works. James emphasized that the kind of faith that results in salvation will necessarily produce works that show evidence of that faith. Paul was concerned about people adding anything to faith that they believe is meritous for their salvation. James was concerned about people professing to have faith which is not really faith at all, but rather a lifeless mental-assent to Christ. It seems that James was attacking a distortion of Paul's teaching on justification, wherein faith is some dead orthodoxy with no corresponding behavioral changes. Even Paul found it necessary to fight against this distortion of his teaching on justification (Romans 3:8; 6:1, 15). James pointed out that if a person has genuine salvific faith, works will follow after him showing evidence of that faith. Abraham really did believe God, and his works evidenced that fact. If Abraham would have refused to offer Isaac upon the altar, it would have demonstrated a lack of faith in God's promises to him (James 2:21-24).

Justification is Not Legal Fiction

Some argue against forensic justification on the basis that such a "justification" is nothing more than legal fiction. Such an argument misunderstands the basis of our justification, and the nature of our righteousness. Surely God did not pardon us of our sins, but rather justified us from our sins. The difference is that a pardon bypasses justice, but justification involves meeting the demands of the law for sin.

If justification was based on the works of man then truly we could say that God's pronouncement of us as righteousness is a false and misleading pronouncement, because we are not righteous in and of ourselves. But God's forgiveness in justification is based on the redemption of Christ. Christ paid for the penalty of sins. Justice has not been bypassed, but has met by Christ's willing sacrifice of Himself in our stead for our sins. Jesus bore our judgment at Calvary so we can be righteous in God's sight. In Christ, God's wrath against sin has been appeased, turning away the wrath we should have borne. When God declares us to be righteous, He is not calling us something we really are not. He declares us righteous upon the real, accomplished righteousness of Jesus, which has been credited to our account by faith in Him.

The second reason one may view the Protestant concept of justification as legal fiction is because they confuse justification as an ethical quality rather than a legal pronouncement of God on the sinner. Second Corinthians 5:21 teaches us that God made Christ to be sin for us, even though He did not know sin, so that we could be made the righteousness of God in Christ. God did not just treat Christ as if He was a sinner (ethically), but made Him to be sin for us forensically. Likewise, then, God does not merely treat us as though we were righteous, but makes us righteous in terms of our relationship with God (forensically).15 This is no legal fiction, but a legal righteousness. We are not given an ethical righteousness anymore than Christ was made an ethical sinner. The righteousness we receive in justification is not an ethical quality, but a forensic pronouncement on the sinner because of his faith in Christ and His righteousness. Ethical righteousness comes via sanctification, not justification.

When the Doctrine of Justification is Lost

The average Christian is often ignorant of, misunderstands, or does not live out the doctrine of justification on a daily, practical level. Many who do understand the doctrine do not see a practical need for it to be lived out on a daily basis because they have minimized God's utter holiness and the severity of human sinfulness, or because their commitment to the doctrine is in intellectual profession only. While they confess to believe the doctrine, on the daily level they rely on their level of sanctification to inform their position before God, drawing their assurance of God's acceptance of them from their sincerity, past experiences, or relatively good obedience record.16 Relying on human achievement causes difficulty in regards to the human conscience which will not be pacified by these good works, continuing to cry out, "Guilty, guilty, guilty," realizing that even the best of our good works fall short of God's perfection. Without a thorough understanding and application of the doctrine of justification to our daily lives, the conscience will be forced into self-deception by either manufacturing a "fictitious righteousness in heroic works of ascetic piety," or by redefining "sin in shallow terms so that it can lose the consciousness of its presence."17 The only way to avoid such self-deception is to confess our utter sinfulness, God's utter holiness, and our need for His Spirit to save us, and make us righteous.

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http://www.apostolic.net/biblicalstudies/justsanct.htm

Below was posted by a friend, Ferg

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Justification is the judicial act of God, based on the work of Jesus Christ, which justly declares and treats the one who believes in Jesus Christ as righteous because they stand in the righteousness of Christ by imputation (our sin is imputed to Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to us). Justification is a judicial concept which relates to God as the righteous Judge of all the earth;

Gen 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Deut 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

2 Tim 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

The notable theologian Charles C. Ryrie had this to say;

If God, the Judge, is without injustice and completely righteous in all His decisions, then how can He announce a sinner righteous? And sinners we all are. There are only three options open to God as sinners stand in His courtroom. He must condemn them, compromise His own righteousness to receive them as they are, or He can change them into righteous people. If He can exercise the third option, then He can announce them righteous, which is justification. But any righteousness the sinner has must be actual, not fictitious; real, not imagined; acceptable by Gods standards, and not a whit short. If this can be accomplished, then, and only then, can He justify.

Job saw this apparent dilemma, and asked himself;

Job 9:2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God?

The answer to Jobs question is found in Romans 4 in reference to Abraham;

Rom 4:20-25 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

The word impute in Greek is logizomai meaning to pass to ones account.

To understand Justification, we must understand the nature of imputation and righteousness. The righteousness which is from God is Christ;

1 Cor 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

God has revealed His righteousness even before the full revelation of the gospel. It is revealed in His Law, in His judgments against sin, in the preaching of the prophets, and in His blessings on the obedient. All these bear witness to the righteousness from God in the Old Testament sacrifices, the tabernacle, the priesthood, the prophecies, and the types. But though the Law could witness to Gods righteousness, it could never provide it for sinful man;

Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

God is perfect in justice and holiness and therefore can show no favouritism. Since all have sinned and fallen short of His holiness, as the Judge, He must deal with our actual righteousness, which is as filthy rags;

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Justification is free to the believer, but it was not without cost. The price paid to redeem us from the power of sin and death was the substitutional death of Christ who alone could satisfy (propitiate) the holy character of God;

Rom 3:24,25 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

When a believer receives Christ, he is spiritually placed in Christ, making him righteous. We are made the righteousness of God in Him. This righteousness alone measures up to all the demands of Gods holiness;

2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

God always remains perfectly consistent with Himself. He will not break His own Law nor contravene His own nature. God is love (1 John 4:8), and He is light (1 John 1:5). In his love, God wants to forgive sinners, but His holiness must judge sin and uphold His righteous character as witnessed in the Law.

How can God be both just and the justifier of sinners? The answer is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus took the wrath of God upon Himself on the Cross for the sins of the world, fully meeting the demands of Gods holiness as required by the Law, and at this time, He also fully expressed the love of Gods heart.

The justified sinner remains a sinner, and is not without personal sins, yet he is viewed as righteous by God and justly so because of the gift of Christs righteousness by imputation. The believer stands in the righteousness of Jesus Christ and his sins are not imputed to him, and furthermore Christs perfect righteousness is added to his account.

Justification does not mean to make righteous. If it did, the believing sinner would have been made constitutionally righteous so he could not and would not sin. That condition occurs in our ultimate condition of sanctification at the resurrection, but for the present, we are imputed with the righteousness of Christ. Justification means that God accepts us and views us as perfectly righteous in Christ even though in our experience we will commit acts of sin or unrighteousness.

The failure to understand this distinction has led many people into error, whereby they attempt to become righteous and acceptable before God on their own merit. Our acceptance before God can only come through the gift of Christs righteousness, and Justification can be by faith in Jesus Christ alone;

Rom 3:19-25 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

The believer is righteous in Christ, and justified before God.

Be blessed all.

http://www.prophecytalk.com/index.php?topic=4512.msg75969

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