The Ordo Salutis (Order of Salvation)

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Justification Pt II

Brief Recap

I. Ordo Salutis (Order of Salvation): "…deals with the logical sequencing of the benefits of redemption as we are united to Christ which are applied to us by the Holy Spirit." (Rom 8:28-30)

II. Sin: Original/actual; total depravity (Eph 2:1; John 8:34):Rom 3:10-12 - as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

J.C. Ryle: "…a right understanding of sin lies at the root of all saving Christianity. Without it such doctrines as justification, conversion, sanctification, are "words and names" which convey no meaning to the mind...Dim or indistinct views of sin are the origin of most of the errors, heresies and false doctrines of the present day."

II. Material Cause of Reformation: Process or act?/Declare or make righteous?

A. Rome: justification by faith plus infused righteousness (Spirit wrought good works) mediated through the sacraments

"Grace is not the activity of God in Christ purchasing and accomplishing full salvation…and applying this to man as a gift…Rather, grace is…infused into the soul of man through the sacraments, enabling him to do works of expiation and righteousness [which] become the basis of justification…So man’s works must be added to the work of Christ, in particular, the work of the sacraments. Consequently, justification is not a once–for–all declaration of righteousness based upon the imputed righteousness of Christ, but a process that is dependent upon the righteousness of man produced through infused grace."

B. Reformers: Justification by grace alone/faith alone/Christ alone/God's glory alone.

Key = Regeneration precedes saving faith.

1. Christ is the ground of salvation/meritorious cause (imputation): An "alien" righteousness given to believer.

2. Faith is the alone instrument of justification

*Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

*Acts 18:27 Apollos "was a great help to those who by grace had believed."

J.I. Packer: "The doctrine of free justification by faith only, which became the storm-centre of so much controversy during the Reformation period, is often regarded as the heart of the Reformers' theology, but this is hardly accurate. The truth is that their thinking was really centered upon the contention…that the sinner's entire salvation is by free and sovereign grace only…

The principle of sola fide is not rightly understood till it is seen as anchored in the broader principle of sola gratia. What is the source and status of faith? Is it the God-given means whereby the God-given justification is received, or is it a condition of justification which is left to man to fulfill? Is it a part of God’s gift of salvation, or is it man’s own contribution to salvation? Is our salvation wholly of God, or does it ultimately depend on something that we do for ourselves?

Those who say the latter (as the Arminians later did) thereby deny man’s utter helplessness in sin…It is no wonder, then, that later Reformed theology condemned Arminianism as being in principle a return to Rome (because…it turned faith into a meritorious work) and a betrayal of the Reformation (because it denied the sovereignty of God in saving sinners, which was the deepest religious and theological principle of the Reformers’ thought).

Arminianism was, indeed, in Reformed eyes a renunciation of New Testament Christianity…for to rely on oneself for faith is no different in principle from relying on oneself for works, and the one is as un-Christian and anti-Christian as the other…With what right may we call ourselves children of the Reformation? Much modern Protestantism would be neither owned nor even recognized by the pioneer Reformers.

Examining the Doctrine of Justification

I. Definition: WLC 70 "Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone." Key aspects:

A. An "act" of God's free grace: "It is a courtroom verdict…[it] is not a change that God makes in us…it is strictly a legal declaration." – Dr. Guy Waters

Rom. 3:24 - Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

B. The problem: SIN - Guilt and unrighteousness: we have broken the law and we have not done the law.

Gal 3:10 - For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

C. The means of justification: faith or works?Rom 3:20-28 - 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Gal 2:15-16 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 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.

Jn 6:29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."

Jn 6:47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.

1. The role of works – James 2:19-24

You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

D. The verdict of justification:

1. Pardon (forgiveness) of sins: Guilt is removed

Eph 1:7 - "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace."

However: "Pardon is insufficient to bring a person into divine favor. Pardon renders an objectionable person non-objectionable, but it does nothing to commend [him] to God."

Rom 10:4-5 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.

2. Righteousness: the imputed righteousness of Christ"The union between Christ and His people means that God justly imputes their sins to Him and His righteousness to them."

Rom 5:19 - For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

1Cor 1:30 - It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

2Cor 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Phil 3:8-9 - 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

II. Result: A. Acceptance/Peace with God (Rom 5:1)B. Righteous in Christ (1 Cor 1:30)C. Adoption as sons: WCS 34 - Adoption is an act of

God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of, the sons of God.

D. Freedom (Gal 5):1. From the Law:

a. It's penalty/curse b. Earning God's favor by our performance

2. Freedom to:a. Obey the law out of love for Godb. Love others