According to Migliore (2004), “justification is God’s gracious
forgiveness of sins that is received by faith alone…That we are justified means
that our justified means that our broken relationships with God has been
restored by an act of free grace and forgiveness…God’s act of justification is
a free gift and is no way dependent upon us, although it calls for our response”
(p. 236). Justification by faith alone
brings up the question, if we are justified, does it matter how live? The Apostle Paul addresses this question in
Romans 13:1-6:
Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show
us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to
sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were
joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died
and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his
death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves
were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are
no longer slaves to sin (NLT).
It is helpful for us to address the inseparable nature of justification
and sanctification. Migliore (2004)
highlights Calvin’s understanding of a two-fold grace through Christ; justification
and sanctification. Sanctification, like
justification requires a response. What
does that response look like? Does it
mean that sanctification comes by our best efforts to live as God intends? We can once again turn to Paul’s writing to
address these questions. In Galatians
5:3-6 Paul responses to the belief that gentile Christians need to be
circumcises by stating:
I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with
God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of
Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the
law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to
receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. For when we place
our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being
uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love (NLT).
According
to Paul seeking justification and sanctification by our own efforts negates the
justification through faith.
Sanctification, like justification, is received by grace through
faith. The response needed is not change
created by our effort, but rather, an intentional act of being receptive to God’s
transformational grace. Addressing the
spiritual disciplines Foster (1998) states, “The Disciplines are God’s way of
getting us into the ground; they put us where he can work within us and
transform us…We must always remember that the path does not produce the change;
it only places us where the change can occurs.
This is the path of disciplined grace” (p. 7-8). Justification through faith calls for an
initial response, to receive Christ’s atonement, but it also calls for an
ongoing response, a response that allows for God’s transformation in our
lives.
Foster, R.J.
(1998). Celebration of Disciplines: The path to Spiritual growth 3rd
Ed. San Francisco, CA: Harper.
Migliore, D.L.
(2004). Faith seeking understanding: An introduction to Christian
theology. 2nd Ed.
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
DOES GOD ARBITRARILY BESTOW FAITH? BY STEVE FINNELL
ReplyDeleteMany believe that Ephesians 2:8 teaches that God arbitrarily bestows faith on a selected few so they can believe and be saved. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.(NKJV)
Salvation is the gift of God, not faith. The gift God gives is forgiveness from sin.
How do men receive faith?
Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God.(NKJV)
Faith comes from hearing the gospel preached. Faith is not arbitrarily dispatched to a chosen few.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greeks,
Salvation is attained by believing the gospel. Salvation is not predetermined by God and forced on a select few by forcing them to have faith and be saved.
1 Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God , it pleased God through the foolishness of the messaged preached to save those who believe.(NKJV)
God saves men through preaching the gospel. God does not preselect men and the force them to have faith so they will be saved.
John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but that the wrath of God abides on him."(NKJV)
If God imputes faith to all who believe, why would those who do not believe receive the wrath of God. Non-believers would have no responsibility nor capability to believed and be saved.
1 John 3:20-23....And this is His commandment: that we we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.(NKJV)
Why would God command us to believe on His Son Jesus Christ if we are not capable of believing? Does He arbitrarily bestows that faith on non-believers?
Jesus said "He who believes and is baptized will be saved.."(Mark 16:16) Jesus did not say God will give you the gift of faith so you can believe, be baptized and be saved.
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