All Comments for: Virtue That Counts | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Free Newsletters:

RSS Feeds |

Audio |

Twitter

Home > 2007 > July

Christianity Today, July, 2007 |

Virtue That Counts

Why justification by faith alone is still our defining doctrine.

A Christianity Today editorial | posted 7/13/2007 08:54AM

Evangelicals who visit Rome cannot help but enjoy the stately buildings and stirring sense of history. A few like it so much they never leave. Such is the case with Francis Beckwith, former president ...

[Reader Reviews]

Average User Rating:

Rate and Comment on this article

Displaying 1 - 25 of 42 comments.

Page: 1 2

Show All

Anonymous

Posted: July 26, 2007 10:25 AM

I agree with those who are saying that this is all quite frightening. The gift of faith is the vehicle by which we receive the justification ("declared righteous") which is ONLY available through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross - the perfect sacrifice which fulfilled the law. Romans 10:28-29 tells us that we must confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord (not the co-pilot) and believe that God raised him from death to be saved. That's it. After that we live life. Between justification and glorification (Romans 8) we live life and go through the process of sanctification, the process by which the Holy Spirit operates within us to conform us to the image of Christ (back to Romans 8) - the transformation of Romans 12:2. That is a promise, that God will complete the good work that He has started in us (Php 1:6) through the work of the Holy Spirit (2 Thes 2:13, Romans 15:16) and the Word of God (John 17:17). Our role: respond to the work that He has begun and is doing in us.

Anonymous

Posted: July 26, 2007 9:56 AM

Anonymous

Posted: July 26, 2007 9:52 AM

Coach Doreen

Posted: July 25, 2007 9:55 PM

Justification by faith, which gives us assurance of our standing before God, is not just a pastoral doctrine. It goes to the very core of The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Still, don't be surprised to see more debates about justification unfolding. I'm not surprised. People have been trying to add to Christ's work ever since the birth of The Church. We are so egotistical that we just can't help make it about us. I find my reason reason for being virtuous though in the holy Scriptures: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves." Allowing Chrsit to manifest His life through me is not only my reason for living a virtuous life but is my reason for being. Christ gave His life for us so that He can give His life to us in order that we who have His ressurected life; this treasure within, might allow Christ to live His life through us. This is the only way we can bring Glory to God--is it not?

'Mere Catholicism'

Posted: July 23, 2007 7:29 PM

Okay article...simple restatement of 16th cent. Reformed soteriology. However, as the New Perspective on Paul is showing the old Protestant formulations of justification et al are at best incomplete and at worst anti-Semitic. Luther/Calvin misunderstood what Paul was teaching in Romans/Galatians and thus crafted incomplete assessments. OT Judaism was not works based, but graced-based. The Gospel is not the anti-thesis of the law but the completion of it(Rom 13:10). A Christian is not saved by faith alone(Jam 2:24), but by faith, hope and love (1Cor13:13). Justification and sanctification are not 2 separate works of grace, but one. Justification is not an act, but a lifelong process(1Cor. 3:15). Faith begins justification, but works of love complete it(Jam 2:22). The NT Christian is still under a law - the law of the Gospel(Matt 25:31-46). Works are not done out of gratitude to Jesus but to become more like Jesus, which we can all agree is the goal of the Christian life!

Elizabeth

Posted: July 20, 2007 4:11 PM

Your article compelled me to write to FB: In my opinion, the Bible clearly states that your virtue is worth that of ‘Menstrual rags’. One doesn’t practice sanctification, you trust that you are sanctified, set apart. The Bible is a binding document. Once you’ve accepted the terms of the new covenant, you have entered into the relationship described therein. I am a former Catholic and I pray that you would see unquenchable desire of the flesh to be justified. It’s a trap. Once you truly understand ‘grace’, your gratitude and thankfulness becomes the engine That pulls the train. And then you realize that anything that stands in the way of your relationship with the Lord has to go, including being a good person. I pray that you see beyond the façade of the church and turn, as the scripture says, turn to the Lord. Teshuqua. Kind of a spiritual dna, spiraling ever upward.

MattE

Posted: July 20, 2007 9:32 AM

RH, Your theology, which you label as simple, is actually extremely complex. From reading your post, I would imagine that you are a protestant living in the Bible belt of the US (as I am). Simply put, if your belief/trust in Christ in ANY way contributes to your salvation/justification/sanctification, then Christ's work on the cross was incomplete and requires your act of belief/trust to complete it. Moreover, your seemingly innocuous assertion that your trust and belief are combined with Christ's work to produce your salvation is contrary to the very doctrine of justification by faith alone in that your exercising faith/trust is a work. Just as the power of a hand grenade is bound until someone pulls the pin, your theology means that you hold the key to unlocking the power of Christ's work on the cross or salvation. There is nothing, including trusting Christ, that you can do to save yourself. The power of salvation rests with God alone. more>>>

jstrong

Posted: July 19, 2007 3:43 PM

th - I'm not sure you are keeping track of current events. "Led gently into grace" by a hierarchy who hides horrific hurtful behavior by a large number of priests who think the sheep are their playthings? Seminaries who pretend nothing is wrong, a pope who is far more sanctimonious than all but a handful of protestant pastors. I fellowship with a large number of Catholics, only one of which I can say has any real relationship with God. The others have strange superstitious relationships with statues and rituals, none of which have any grace in them yet none of your so called shepherd correct them or even help them. Their behavior, their language, their attitudes betray the Lord who called into being the church. I love them but cannot reach them because they are so confident that being in mother church will protect them from all eternal harm. I fear for their souls and all those who think mere existence in an organization amounts to any devotion to Christ.

Russell Osmianski

Posted: July 18, 2007 6:15 AM

Concerning the article Virtue That Counts I would find it rather disheartening that a person with saving faith could not see that good works are their own reward and that the willful practice of sin is akin to a spiritual cancer with quite tangible results. While good works will never earn us salvation it is my understanding that they do render eternal rewards. Further, the best Christians I know never think about collecting eternal rewards when doing good works but are motivated by love alone.

NMacDonald

Posted: July 16, 2007 2:46 PM

It seems that on the whole the editorial speaks to the main issue. There does however appear to be a conflict in the premise that "we don't even contribute faith". I can understand that rationale - the fact that I don't contribute to it - being applied to GRACE, but how you make that application to faith I'm not certain - unless you equate faith and grace. Then the idea that our faith - something we don't even contribute to - should some how be fleshed out in good works seems totally meritorious in nature. It is by grace I am saved through faith - I have nothing whatsoever to do with the grace, but somehow I must bring "faith" to the party.

Ray	Posted: July 16, 2007 12:59 PM


John Wesley proposed the reason why a protestant do good in his sermon "The almost christian". A christian who accept justification of faith does good because he loves God and seek to please Him, not to gain anything but simply because he loves his Father, his Savior and Reedemer. The incentive for a protestant is simply that he loves his God, not to gain any merit or even salvation.

AP	Posted: July 15, 2007 1:26 PM

Salvation is based according to works, not on the basis of works--there's a difference. "God will render to each one according to his works:to those who by patience in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. (Rom2:6-8). "For I tell you unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Mat.5:20)"Faith alone places our identity in Christ so that we can by his grace exceed the righteousness of scribes and pharisees(2Cor.517, Eph2:10). Nevertheless, his future grace requires us act. "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall." Question-does God require works for salvation? Answer-Yes, by grace through faith in Christ alone, we are able to work our salvation out.

walk	Posted: July 15, 2007 12:50 PM

Claiming justification comes by faith alone is boiling a lot of important ingredients down into a tiny sweet that can be swallowed whole. Jesus said we have a "work" to do: The Amplified Bible sets out more clearly what Evangelicals assume to be as easy as just paying verbal honor to Jesus: "28They then said, What are we to do, that we may [habitually] be working the works of God? [What are we to do to carry out what God requires?]29Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]. John 6:27-29 (Amplified Bible). So, as you can see, work is involved, not just what you call "faith". You have to 'walk the walk' as well as 'talk the talk'. Walking in faith means humbling ourselves;trusting in God even though we are not worthy of His holiness. Too often we have assume that because we offer Jesus our verbal agreement and best intents we are free! Walk carefully!

trust required not lip-service to faith

Posted: July 15, 2007 11:26 AM

Honestly. You evangelicals test my patience. If you read the scriptures you will see that the saving grace is neither the law NOR paying lip-service to an assertion that you have faith. Instead, a quality that shows faith is required, namely humble and trusting obedience to God; trusting in the One who by His own work and grace justifies you, when you are worthless in yourself: "Now to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted righteousness (Rom4:5). Are you any better than the ungodly? Do they deserve hell any more than you? If you say yes then you are truly children of wrath and are the mice and the bats and the locusts that God says. It is God who saves you, and your weekness and meekness, if you have any, shows that you are saved. Not any adherence to doctrines that have been trumped up. Read the scripture again: ""Now to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted righteousness (Rom4:5)"

AP	Posted: July 15, 2007 10:51 AM

"Faith alone" is not literally stated, but it is implied, just as other key doctrines are implied. "For in it [Gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith...(Rom1:17) "For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law (Rom 3:28) "For the promise to Abraham that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law [works] but through the righteousness of faith. (Rom4:13)""Now to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted righteousness (Rom4:5). Based on our firm standing of alien righteousness imputed to us, we have the means of future grace to confirm our calling to be a Holy people. "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you hols and blameless and above reproach before him"IF indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel."Col1:21-23

By His Grace

Posted: July 15, 2007 8:22 AM

Malcolm is right. But to the wormy arrogant evangelical, do not fear, little one for the LORD shall redeem you by his grace. BY your life of ease you think you have raised yourself up and challenged the stars but you have fallen and are lacking grace, but fear not: even though it is written "All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your music; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you." BUT the LORD says to us in Isaiah 41:14 Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. By his grace God will overthrow your strutting and redeem you and hold your hand and restore you. By His grace! Only by His grace.

malcolm

Posted: July 15, 2007 7:34 AM


It still puzzles me why evangelicals use the phrase "justified by faith alone", when it certainly does not appear in the bible. Paul says we are justified by grace alone, through faith. It's quite different. All the action is God's, not ours.

Eugene M. Wiese

Posted: July 14, 2007 9:19 PM

I have read the Bible many times from cover to cover. Faith in God consists of believing that God has only our good in mind. Faith says that we trust God to give us the best gifts. In return, he has asked us to take care of this garden of the earth, this Garden of Eden. Jesus also taught that what we do is very important. "For I was hungry and you gave me food...." The rich man was condemned for not taking care of poor Lazarus. How God's salvation works is not something I can comprehend with my tiny, finite, material mind. I do not presume to understand God. I only trust him. That said, I also believe that there is much that I must do to prepare myself for life after death. The only things I will be able to take with me are spiritual values, - faith, hope, love. God has given me the power to love. His love, working in me, can lead me to love Him and my fellow man. The Ten Commandments serve (as Luther stated) as a guide, a rule, and a mirror. They show me how to love all

t.h.	Posted: July 14, 2007 6:34 PM

Why be good? Because we have no other vehicle for salvation as protestants. Otherwise all we would do is show grace endlessly. However, Protestants sanctimoniously repeat over and over that they are saved, paying ever more insistent lip-service to their own sanctity through nothing other than the weight of their theology. But what does show salvation is how you manage a few things: Firstly your own, private, quiet time with God in your prayer closet away from your theology of grace; secondly how much fruit of the spirit you have, quietly, not being insistent about how saved you are (they shall be known by their fruit); how much good work you have done and how your works stand up to fire (everyone's work will be tested by fire); how gracious you are to your enemy; how you kneel before God and have avoided being sleek, heavy and rebellious towards him you've been. And also, if you are rich in faith, how well you have nurtured the heavy hearted, taking them to the very foot of the cross.

Richard W Wilson

Posted: July 14, 2007 5:14 PM

It is interesting but not encouraging to see what is characterized as essential doctrine hanging on an argument concluded by reference to a scripture that doesn't contain the meaning assumed by the author(s). "So what is the "first and chief article of Protestantism"? Scripturally, it goes like this: All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Alienated from God, hostile in mind, we practice evil behavior (Col. 1:21). Though we offend his perfect holiness, God acquits those who trust in him and in what he has done for us through Christ: "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21)." The premises may be accurately rendered, but 2 Cor 5:21 doesn't speak of acquittal of sins. It speaks of being incorpated into and transformed in Christ, "becoming" and hence being and living, the righteousness of God. At least to me and others, that would be a better understanding of this verse in its own context

rh	Posted: July 14, 2007 4:09 PM

I have a simple theology: I have been saved (assured of eternity in God’s presence) by the work of Christ and my faith (trust and belief) in Him. God has (as I read the Scriptures) gracefully assured me of an eternal life but He has yet asked I serve His kingdom by living the rest of my (reborn) life as best I can following the teachings and example of my Lord. Yet I am told I will still face judgment, not regarding my already received gift of eternal life with Him, but regarding how well I have gone forward in living that holier, servant’s life. How that judgment will be done, exactly, or the consequences of it are going to be is a mystery I will only have answered when I have gone there. I don’t understand what th means by “Protestants have no vehicle to receive such grace”. The grace is delivered by God, and needs no mediator as best I understand the power of God. That, in fact, seems to me to be the core of Luther's message and the protestants' creed.

Gary Love

Posted: July 14, 2007 1:06 PM

Romans 6 is clearly the key to the question. And the understanding of family dynamics may help. My children don't need to do good in order to earn being my children. But because they are my children I expect them to obey their parents' rules while living in our home. Their obedience produces harmony in the home and leads to rewards for them. Their disobedience results in loving discipline - for their good. Their good works lead to a happy life and enhanced enjoyment of their identity as children in our home. So it goes with the child of God...

John Paul

Posted: July 13, 2007 10:53 PM

When will Protestants drop the unbiblical "faith alone" title? The only place in Scripture where "faith" and "alone" appear together is in James where it says that "we are not justified by faith alone." It is the obvious teaching of Catholicism that we are justified by grace alone through faith. The sacraments are not efficacious without the faith and correct disposition of the recipient. Furthermore, the Roman Catholic Church never "sold indulgences." Rather, it punished those who did (Tetzel). And, indulgences have absolutely nothing to do with justification anyway in Catholicism. Our salvation is a free gift of God through His grace. And, even our faith comes from Him, not us, as do our works. Did the author of this article ever even read the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

Anonymous

Posted: July 13, 2007 8:34 PM


Most of what I have read here is scarey. God help us. Art

Xeno77777

Posted: July 13, 2007 8:08 PM

Salvation requires love, formerly charity, i.e., Faith and Charity, now Faith and Love. Faith without Love is dead. To be saved, follow Deuteronomy 6:4-5, in spirit, the entire Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Avoid the 4 unforgivable sins. 1, cursing the People of God: the Baalem's Ass Story. 2, cursing the Holy Spirit. 3, preventing the little children from coming to the Lord, shall not be forgiven in this world or the next. 4, Mathew 6:12-15. Lord, Forgive me my trespasses, as I forgive those who trespass against me. For if you do not forgive those who trespass against you, neither will the Lord forgive you your trespasses. Love is respect and understanding; Love of the Lord is AWE, respect and understanding. Greek forgiveness, sympathy, is "syngome," Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, Martin Ostwald Translation book 6, chap. 11. The Universe's most complex entities are persons. Greeks desired "Good Sense," the most; Jews desired the "Lord's Forgiveness," the most!

Page: 1 2

E-mail this page

Write CT

Print this article

Post a comment