Not an Academic Question
Which is more scandalous? The multitudes of Christians who think they need to earn their salvation by being good? Or the throng of Christians who think that holy living doesn't matter so long as they have prayed the sinner's prayer? Pastors' answers will largely indicate how they feel about the justification debate, even if they haven't fully read the newest books from two of the debate's main players: John Piper's The Future of Justification: A Response to N.T. Wright and N. T. Wright's Justification: God's Plan and Paul's Vision.
"Justification is central to what I do," said Ryan Fullerton, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville. "Justification is part of the air we breathe as a ministerial staff." Fullerton says the debate has strengthened his commitment to the traditional Reformed understanding, not only because of his reading of the biblical text but also because of his congregants' struggles.
"I believe that ultimately, the central problem on every human mind is guilt, and this problem is only remedied through justification by faith alone," he said. "I once sat down with our counseling pastor to discuss a number of diverse counseling situations. We found that the root problem in each was a misunderstanding or failure to apply this doctrine. I am trying to help guilty sinners know how they can have a right standing with God."
Unfortunately, "front-loading 100 percent assurance of heaven when you die based on an assent to Reformation doctrine hasn't created a vibrant, revolutionary Christian community," said John Frye, pastor of Fellowship Evangelical Covenant Church in Hudsonville, Michigan. "As a pastor, I believe Wright's perspective puts teeth in the New Testament exhortations to stay true to an authentic following of Jesus Christ and persist to the end."
The doctrine can sound like bad advice, said Kevin DeYoung, "but I look at Galatians and Romans and think, 'If people hear us talking about justification and don't almost think that we are giving them license to sin, we aren't preaching grace strong enough.' "
DeYoung, senior pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, wonders if justification as identity in a community would be seen as good news.
"I may not be doing justice to Wright's position, but I know that if I tried to explain justification as Wright does, very few people in my congregation would understand it, and few would take real comfort in it," he said. "Whenever I nail a strong justification sermon and emphasize that nothing we do provides any ground for our right standing with God, I'll get e-mails thanking me for such a freeing message."
Piper's extended focus on God's sovereignty can be very difficult to present as good news too, said Michael Spencer, campus minister at a large Christian boarding school in Oneida, Kentucky. "Wright, on the other hand, has greatly helped me be able to use the concept of the lordship of Jesus as the central point in ministry, without making the sovereignty of God a constant bar that must be met." The idea of being declared right with God is central to justification, he said. But so are the implications of a new King and a new kingdom. "Wright has helped me integrate discipleship more clearly into my presentation of the gospel offer."
Yes, both messages are central to the gospel, said Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. But that doesn't mean both are what's meant by the term justification. Discipleship is best talked about in terms of regeneration or sanctification, he said. "Together, justification and regeneration explain both our legal standing before God and lifestyle with God."
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The G
JoJo is technically incorrect concerning justification. Justification is "Just if I'd paid the penalty" and not "just if I'd never sinned." God does take away the fact we sinned. Jesus paid the penalty for us on our behalf and so God is able to declare to sinners, "Penalty paid in full! Go free!" The work of grace is transferred to us by faith. Justification makes right or righteous not because it now appears we have never sinned, but that the JUSTICE of a holy God is SATISFIED because the penalty for our sin has been paid in full. Nothing changes the fact that we sinned. The punishment Jesus took in our place is the price that is imputed (IMPUTATION) to our spiritucal account so that we do not have to pay for our sins. We were guilty. That does not change. But the holiness of God is satisfied because our debt to Him for sin is paid. I recommend all read Jack Cottrell's latest book on Grace. Do yourselves a favour. It is excellent. Cottrell is superior to Wright.
RC
Part of me can't help but think that this "debate" is a publisher-funded cock-fight. I don't get the impression that Wright was thrilled about having to defend himself against yet another Reformed evangelical who has inferred heresy on topics that he has not yet published on. Any pastor who actually takes the time to engage with Tom Wright's writings will come away with a better understanding of the categories that Paul used to describe these things. If that doesn't happen to square with classic Reformed theology then, yes, maybe we need to do some recalibration work (gasp!). But don't paint Wright as heterodox. He has done more to defend the historic Christian faith in scholarly and church circles than anyone else has in recent history and he deserves more respect among American evangelicals regardless of whether or not we happen to agree with all of his conclusions.
Jojo Bive - UFCC
Justification is a legal act by which God declares a believer to have never sinned in His life on the basis of Christ's substitutionary death. A pardon is different in a sense that the one forgiven still has a record of what he was first of all forgiven of. Thus, an inmate who was pardoned is called an EX-CON. The forensic application of justification goes far beyond the commission of sin. It pressuposes that the believer has never sinned at all. For this reason, the one who believed in Christ is called a New Creation. There is no record of previous wrongs. Where Justification stops, sanctification begins. Justification is a one-act declaration that extends throughout the sanctification period. Sanctification ends on the day of glorification where our earthly bodies will be replaced with heavenly bodies for good.
Pablo Vermillion
I feel that both are right in certain ways. Justification and Sanctification are both one time acts that occur when we are saved (regenerated by the New Birth). Yet, they, like salvation and Lordship have continued implications. Without truly receiving Jesus Christ as both LORD and SAVIOR we are neither justified, saved, nor sanctified. There are many who pray a prayer but make no exchange of ownership in their lives. Without this exchange of ownership from myself on the throne of my life to Jesus Christ being my master, then I am not saved nor justified. The real question is, "Have I really given my life to Jesus Christ?" This is after all what it means to believe in Him and CONFESS him as our Lord. The sad truth is that we have many people who attend our churches who have never really been saved because they have never really exchanged their own control of their lives for HIS Lordship. This is not just an educationally issue but also a practical and experiential issue.
LAH
Pray that you cannot loose your salvation, but live like you can. Live the way the Lord lived with the same attitude."What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, love mercy & walk humbly with your God. Pure undefiled religeon in His sight is visiting the orphans & widows in thier distress & to keep ones self unspotted from the world." Loose your religeon & love God on His terms.