I have made this point in the comments on various posts but do not believe I have done so in a post itself. The point is obviously related to the priority of justification to sanctification specifically with regard to the righteousness we possess by faith in Christ.
The doctrine of justification teaches that God accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us and received by faith alone. That would seem to close the case. I no longer fear condemnation – either in this life or the life to come – because by faith in Christ I am now entirely acceptable in God’s sight. With justification comes peace of conscience.
But along comes my unionist friend (I think we’re still friends) and he says that yes, you’re righteous but you still don’t have an infused righteousness. In other words, if I understand correctly, I need to be both justified and sanctified if I am going to avoid condemnation on judgment day.
What I don’t understand is not that sanctification is one of the benefits of the redemption purchased by Christ, or that sanctification is part of salvation, or that those who are justified will also produce fruit and evidence of their saving faith in the form of good works. What I don’t understand is how this construction – you need to be both justified and sanctified – is supposed to be undermine the priority of justification. Here’s why.
In justification I receive all of Christ’s righteousness. In sanctification, I receive only part of his righteousness because in this life, as the Confession of Faith says, sanctification is imperfect and there still abides in me “some remnants of corruption in every part.†(16.2). In other words, sanctification ultimately needs the lift of justification if we are going to cross the threshold of God’s righteous judgment. The righteousness of sanctification being incomplete and imperfect will stand or fall on judgement day depending on whether the righteousness of justification is present – that is, his perfect righteousness is my perfect righteousness.
How this does not make justification prior to sanctification, I cannot fathom. And this intuition is confirmed by chapters on sanctification like Article 24 from the Belgic Confession (“On the Sanctification of Sinnersâ€):
although we do good works we do not base our salvation on them; for we cannot do any work that is not defiled by our flesh and also worthy of punishment. And even if we could point to one, memory of a single sin is enough for God to reject that work.
So we would always be in doubt, tossed back and forth without any certainty, and our poor consciences would be tormented constantly if they did not rest on the merit of the suffering and death of our Savior.
In other words, the pastoral nature of justification and its priority is at the heart of the Reformation. The complete and perfect righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone, is the only reality that will free “the conscience from the fear, dread, and terror of God’s approach, without doing what our first father, Adam, did, who trembled as he tried to cover himself with fig leaves†(Belgic Confession, Art. 23). We don’t look to sanctification in the same way that we do to justification. If we did we would live a life of fear because we know that our personal righteousness is imperfect and incomplete in this life.
Am I clueless?
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If I have any say, Lily, I’d prefer bluefish.
Not a problem. Would you like a nice white wine with your bluefish? Hmm… perhaps I should go all the way and make your last meal a catered affair?
On the serious side, I am sorry this is not a settled subject in Reformed circles. It seems that it should be clear that justification by faith is primary and that union in Christ fleshes out the solas (grace alone, faith alone, and Christ alone) – or did I miss what union is supposed to teach?
Lily, savignon blanc, please. Chardonnays are usually over-buttered and -oaked.
Apparently, what union does that justification doesn’t is teach a whole lot more than justification. But if the question is whose righteousness is going to count on judgment day, all those other benefits that union effects without the imputed righteousness of Christ and received by faith crash and burn.
So the answer appears to be that union also promises sanctification and supposedly beats the rap of antinomianism.
Savignon blanc it shall be. How about the side dishes? Dessert? Polish it all off with a good cigar and snifter of brandy?
Re: Apparently….
Absolutely. Everything crashes and burns without justification. That’s why we see it as central.
Re: So the answer appears to be that union also promises sanctification and supposedly beats the rap of antinomianism.
Huh? (Please remember that my original question asked if union fleshed out the solas.)
I don’t understand the problem. Christ IS our sanctification (and so much more – 1 Cor 30). Wouldn’t the subject of sanctification be part of fleshing out the sola of Christ alone? We have zero sanctification apart from Christ. It is one of the gifts of salvation in Christ. We cannot earn it. It seems to me that Jesus said my work is to believe in him, the bread of life, and trust that God will do everything he promises to do for us in him. When we do what we are supposed to do, we are merely doing our duty (a lovely pride buster).
I do not understand the concerns about antinomianism. How can you be saved AND want to live a lawless life? We want to obey him because he loves us and we love him.
As I see it, one problem we all seem to have is the temptation to smuggle works into salvation because our default mode is works-righteousness and our culture reinforces that. Our adversary would love to subvert our faith in Christ alone with works. The other challenge seems to be learning/growing in the knowledge of Christ and how we are to live out our lives here on earth serving our neighbors. But, that is the slow process of discipleship, isn’t it?
I can’t help scratching my head. Is the fear of antinomianism part of not understanding the gospel, not trusting God to do what he promises to do in us, or part of being a recovering Pharisee?
P.S. Or… is the fear of antinomianism the fruit of not placing faith alone as the central or controlling doctrine? To understand that I really, truly, absolutely am justified by faith apart from works does cure a multitude of problems doesn’t it?
Lily, yes. And I don’t have a clue why some folks don’t see it that way.
DGH,
I am glad we have harmony. I wanted to ask for clarification, but had an epiphany that I should not. I am rather disappointed at the halt of my plans to give you a pre-funeral feast. It was such fun to tease you! You do have a marvelous sense of humor.
This is off-topic, but sort of related, and something I thought you might appreciate.
I was listening to a lecture today that was addressing the divisions within our denomination (LCMS). He said something I thought particularly wise and that would apply to the Reformed as well. In a nutshell his words of wisdom were:
“Our denomination does not make us Lutheran; it is our confessions that make us Lutheran. It is believing, confessing, and practicing our confessions that make us Lutheran.”
“Ain’t it the truth,” was all I could think. It’s too easy to add superfluous teachings or wander into evangelical La-La land without realizing it.
Well, phooey. At the rate I am going, I should be promoted from space cadet to space general any day now. I forgot to include the tie-in to our confessions making us Lutheran that I thought was especially good:
When we decide matters of faith and practice, we begin with scripture and then the confessions. Then we look at what theologians past and present have to offer.
I took this as scripture ruling our confessions, and then both scripture and our confessions ruling what the theologians had to offer. I really liked that, but then again, I am of the opinion that there are some theologians who should sit in a corner until they come to their senses.
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