Justification
When we talk about justification, it’s important to remember that we are not justified by our own doing. Our justification comes from Christ who paid for our sins on a cross before a Holy and Just God. We can never be justified by anything apart from Christ and Him alone. That’s why Christ’s death is at the center of the Gospel, for without it we would be left to our own demise, suffering under God’s wrath for all eternity. This justification is also one we never lose because Christ upholds us. However, we will go more in depth on that at a later time.
“The grounds of your justification are the perfect works of Jesus Christ. We’re saved by works, but they’re not our own.” R.C.Sproul
“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Rom 8:30
“yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
Gal 2:16
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Cor 5:17
Man’s nature is so corrupt that he has neither the
will, nor the power to
come to Christ, unless
drawn by the Spirit.
John Macarthur
Now that we have discussed a little about justification and that we are justified by faith in Christ. We need to address when and how this faith comes about.
Regeneration Precedes Faith
The Scripture teaches that all people are born dead in sin, meaning they are born spiritually dead. We all were once or still are spiritually dead in our trespasses, slaves to our sin. Therefore, we come to realize that Dead things or in this case dead people, can not make spiritually living choices such as having Faith. Faith very much is spiritual living action, it can not be possessed by one who hasn’t been reborn. Whether we are talking about our physical or spiritual birth, we have zero choice in both. It does not mean they can not do (or think) anything in their fallen state, but it means they can not do anything about their spiritual or redemptive state. J.I. Packer once wisely said, “Sinners cannot obey the gospel, any more than the law, without renewal of heart.” A renewal of heart must happen first, if one is to have faith.
But Faith comes from hearing?
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Rom 10:17
So how can some can someone who is dead hear? Even more so how can they hear the living word of God and understand it? I would argue that they can’t, that which is dead can not be attentive to that which is alive without being reborn first. They who are dead are hostile toward God and see His words to be foolish. They will always remain in this hostile and foolish state until the Holy Spirit, who comes from outside, works grace in their hearts.
“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor 2:14
“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” Rom 8:7
⇒Imagine one pool ball striking another. Does one ball temporally strike the other first. No they both hit one another simultaneously however the energy is converted to the other ball. Same is found in regeneration and faith, they both meet together but regeneration has to precede faith. You must be made alive first, in order, to have a living faith(fides viva). A dead soul can not have faith.
Can any person come to faith in Christ apart from the work of the Holy Spirit?
I think both Arminians and Reformed/Calvinist would answer, no. However, Arminians believe the work of the Holy Spirit can be resisted, ultimately placing man’s free will above the power of the Holy Spirit. Giving man the opportunity to receive or reject the free gift of Christ in the gospel. But if we remember back to the conversions above about man being dead and not being able to make any spiritual choices until the Holy Spirit makes him alive. So how would man have ability to choose to have faith apart from being reborn first. Reformers would agree that It’s only then after rebirth/regeneration, after he has been made alive, that he can now exercise faith.
We know that Faith is the fruit and result of regeneration.
To be a just God, most Arminians would also reason, that God must give all people an equal opportunity to choose whether to believe or not. But we see time and time again that God chooses who is being drawn to him and who He will reveal Himself to. This is the action of the Holy Spirit to draw those whom the Father has chosen, also known as election/adoption.
“And he said, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'” John 6:65
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:44
“He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.” Ephesians 1:5
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” John 6:37
Jesus makes a incredible statement here in John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot SEE the kingdom of God.’“ most people would swap the word see with enter if you ask them to fill in the blank. What is truly incredible is that you can’t even see a glimpse the kingdom of God without being reborn first. So how can faith exist while still being spiritually dead and being unable to both hear or even see the Kingdom of God. *side note Jesus also uses the phrase “believe in me” and “come to me” throughout (John 6:35) interchangeably.
“In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’” Luke 10: 21-22
We also see Jesus thanking God for keeping things hidden from the wise and understanding. Why is that and what is hidden? At the end of verse 22, we see Christ thanking the Father for keeping Himself from being revealed to those whom He hasn’t chosen to be revealed to. If God hides Himself from some people and not others, surely that means, God does not give all people an equal opportunity. Does that make God unfair? NO, God is holy, by no means does He have to live up to our broken view of what is fair or not. If God gave us up to what is truly fair, we would have perished a long time ago along with our sin. God does all things to the glory of His name, He shows mercy on whom ever He wills.
“So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Rom 9:16-20
The Righteousness God requires, God provides. The Faith God requires, God provides. – Steven Lawson
⇒Imagine being stranded in the ocean and you see a boat drawing closer to you. You begin to wave and shout toward the boat in hopes to be rescued. The boat sees you and recognizes your call for rescue and draws near. Now that the boat is near, they throw a life preserver over board to you. But ultimately the Choice is yours, to reach out and grab it choosing life or to deny the recuse and drown. That is truly, what the Arminian believes in a metaphor and there would being any wrong with that, if we were already spiritually alive and could make that choice. In the same metaphor Reformers believe that with us being spiritually dead, we are instead at the Bottom of the ocean helpless. We can not wave or call for rescue, we can do nothing about our condition/state of being. But God being all loving and merciful sends Christ to dive into the ocean, leaving the safety of the boat for a sinner like us. After diving into the depth of ocean, picking us up brings us back to the boat, remember the Father didn’t have to send anyone. However, Christ does all this while we are still spiritually dead, and we remain in this state until Christ gives us the Holy Spirit making us alive in Himself. It is only then after we have received the Holy Spirit that we can truly see and hear the word of God. Faith is a gift from God, whom He chooses whom He gives to.
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God” 1 John 5:1
>I know this argument will come up that Christ died for all. That if Christ only die for those whom have been chosen, then why did He die for all/world then?
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” John 12:32
Jesus is establishing that He will draw (not all men without exception) but all men without distinction (Jews and Gentiles). He is drawing all nations to Himself. God isn’t limiting Himself only to the Jews anymore, He has Chosen every nation. We know this because He doesn’t draw all mankind, meaning everyone on Earth to Himself. But He does draw all mankind, meaning every tongue, tribe, and nation to Himself.
>The big difference between Arminian and Reformed believers can all be traced back to Gen 3. The fall of man and his state/condition spiritually is where they truly differ.
“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Gen 2:17
We see God stating that the day that they eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they shall surely die. God mentions “in the day” meaning, not in the future nor in the past but in the present day that you eat of it. “you shall die” God states that the result of eating of the fruit, is death. He doesn’t mention whether or not He was talking about spiritual or physical death. If God said, that day you will surely die and they didn’t die ,physical death, then that can only point to another type of death that happened on that day. We know from scripture that Adam and Eve continued to live, after they had eaten of the tree. So we can only conclude that they died a spiritual death that day.
“Faith in the living God and his Son Jesus Christ is always the result of the new birth, and can never exist except in the regenerate. Whoever has faith is a saved man.”
C.H. Spurgeon
People much wiser than I, have spent more time debating and meditating over Regeneration and Faith and the roles they play in our salvation. Justification can be both simple and complex. Although this is a short and brief summary of justification. My hope is that the result of reading this article would lead to a greater understanding and worship of God. Recognizing the gift of faith and justification, which He has given to those whom are so undeserving of it. May we seek to Glorify God in everything we do, both in deed and in word for the rest of our lives.
Thoughts In The Light Of Eternity 
Leave a comment