In this second posting in this series on the question - "when are sinners justified?" - I will first begin looking at the arguments put forward in support of the doctrine of justification from eternity. Following this procedure, I will begin (in future postings) to give arguments that will prove that sinners are not justified until they believe in Jesus and in the gospel. In this procedure I will be showing how the view that says that sinners were justified in eternity past, or at the cross of Calvary, is false, a serious error that begets other errors. Before this, however, let me make some preliminary observations.
Definition of Justification
Justification is a legal or forensic act of a judge or court authority in which a declaration is made respecting an accused or arrested person and which declaration or act thereby acquits or otherwise exonerates the person from the accusation or guilt of the crime(s) spelled out in an indictment.
The declaration or verdict, by design, brings certain effects, or has its intended consequences. Simply put, "justification" declares or announces that the accused has been found to be "not guilty," being declared legally just or righteous, as respects the law and the accusations made against the accused. The best antonym for the word "justification" is "condemnation." The former term denoting a "not guilty" verdict or judgment and the latter denoting a "guilty" verdict and judgment.
How "Imputation" relates to "Justification"
According to Law.com the verb "impute" means "to attach to a person responsibility (and therefore financial liability) for acts or injuries to another, because of a particular relationship, such as mother to child, guardian to ward, employer to employee or business associates."
And, according to uslegal.com - "Impute means attribute. Imputation refers to the act or instance of imputing something especially a fault or crime to a person. It can also be an accusation or charge."
Easton's Bible Dictionary, in giving the biblical meaning of "imputation" says:
"Imputation is used to designate any action or word or thing as reckoned to a person. Thus in doctrinal language (1) the sin of Adam is imputed to all his descendants, i.e., it is reckoned as theirs, and they are dealt with therefore as guilty; (2) the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them that believe in him, or so attributed to them as to be considered their own; and (3) our sins are imputed to Christ, i.e., he assumed our "law-place," undertook to answer the demands of justice for our sins. In all these cases the nature of imputation is the same ( Romans 5:12-19 ; Compare Philemon 1:18 Philemon 1:19 )."
Thus, imputation is the means or ground for either condemnation or justification. The imputation of Adam's sin is the cause of condemnation, first and foremost, and the imputation of a sinner's sins to Christ, and of Christ's righteousness to the believer, is the cause of justification. Other words used in scripture to speak of this legal transaction are reckoning and accounting.
If I was justified in eternity past or at the cross, then we can deduce or infer these things:
1) I was justified before I was born or actually existed, and
2) I was justified even before I actually sinned or was personally condemned
3) I have never actually been under condemnation, under sin, or under wrath
4) I was not actually justified by faith
Arguments against eternal justification
1. Scripture never speaks of it
2. The reasoning used to prove a justification from eternity would also prove that creation, incarnation, regeneration, sanctification, etc. are also eternal.
3. It would affirm that the death of Christ is not what justifies
4. It has justification preceding faith
5. It has justification before union with Christ
6. It has justification before imputation
Other Questions to be Addressed
1. If actual justification took place in eternity past when God decreed to justify the ungodly, or took place when Christ died upon the cross, then what is meant by "justified by faith"?
2. If actual justification took place in eternity past when God decreed to justify the ungodly, or took place when Christ died upon the cross, then what is meant by "justified by works"?
3. Is justification a process that has stages, steps, or phases? Or, is it a one time single act? Is the day of judgment the final phase of justification?
The Arguments In Support of Eternal Justification
Dr. John Gill, one of the foremost advocates of the doctrine of justification from eternity, wrote the following in his Body of Divinity, in the section on "Justification" (emphasis mine). I have in previous writings dealt with what Gill said on this topic (see here) but will write more critically of his views in this posting. Said Gill:
"...for though pardon and justification agree in some things, in others they differ. In some things they agree.
5. In their commencement and completion: pardon and justification commence together, and both are finished at once, "simul" and "semel"; and are not carried on in a gradual and progressive way, as sanctification is, #Col 2:13 Ac 13:39.
6. In the manner of actual enjoying them, which is in a way of receiving, and that by faith; it is by faith men receive the forgiveness of sins; and by it they receive abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness to justification of life; and, this is what the Scriptures call justification by faith, #Ac 26:18 #Ro 5:1,17,18. But though they agree in these things, in others they differ."
If one only had these words from Dr. Gill on the subject, he would not think that Dr. Gill believed in justification from eternity, but believed that sinners were not pardoned or justified until they believed or had evangelical faith. But, as we will see from the citations to follow, from another section in his Body of Divinity, he clearly contradicts what he says here. I have the highest respect for Dr. Gill, but no man is perfect, and on this topic he has surely contradicted himself. From the above words he clearly sees faith as the instrument of actual justification and forgiveness. He says that it is "by faith" that men enjoy, or receive, 1) forgiveness of sins, 2) abundance of grace, and 3) the gift of righteousness to justification.
Gill next wrote:
"I have, in a former part of this work, see "Justification" 853, treated of justification, as an immanent and eternal act in God; and so it may be said to be from eternity, and before faith; and in what sense it is so, with a removal of objections, has been shown in the place referred to; and therefore shall only now discourse concerning justification, as it terminates in the conscience of a believer; and which the scriptures style justification by faith."
In the section Dr. Gill referenced in the above citation, in Chapter 5 titled "Of Other Eternal And Immanent Acts In God, Particularly Adoption And Justification," he wrote (emphasis mine):
"I shall not here treat of these as doctrines, in the full extent of them; or as blessings of grace actually bestowed upon, and enjoyed by believers, with all the privileges and advantages arising from thence; or as transient acts passing on them, and terminating in their consciences at believing; but as internal and immanent acts, taken up in the mind of God from eternity, and which abide in his will; in which they have their complete "esse", or being, as eternal election has, being of the same kind and nature, and are ranked with it as of the same date, and as branches of it, #Eph 1:4-6."
Dr. Gill again seems to speak contradictorily on this subject. He divides justification into two aspects, the one from eternity, a result of an internal act of God's mind and will, and another occurring in time as a result of a transient act of God, at the point when one believes. Thus, justification, both precedes and follows faith! If we only had the above words, we would conclude that justification was not completed until a person believed, for he clearly says that both adoption and justification are not "actually" bestowed upon, or enjoyed, until a person becomes a believer in Christ. Justification "terminates" in the consciences upon coming to faith.
Now notice these words of Gill:
1. Adoption; as predestination to it stands next to election, #Eph 1:5 which is no other than his will to adopt the chosen ones, which is his adoption of them; for as the will of God to elect any is his election of them, so his will to adopt the same is his adoption of them; and the complete essence of it lies in his will, and is as such an eternal immanent act of it; in like manner as election is, and may be considered as a branch of it, at least of the same nature with it;
Now, I do not agree with Gill and most bible commentators on the subject of adoption, having written on this extensively. "Adoption" is not the best translation of the Greek word "huiothesia." Gill thinks that God's will and purpose to "adopt" was his will and purpose to have children. And, when did God will to have children? From eternity past. Okay, that is alright. But, notice the inferences and deductions that Dr. Gill makes of this fact. He argues that his will to have children is his actually having them! His will to adopt is adoption itself! By this reasoning we may say, as have the Hardshell believers in "Two Seedism" and "Eternal Vital Unionism," that the elect have always existed as God's children! But, it is very clear that God's eternal purpose to have children is not the actual making or producing of them. The begetting or birthing of children takes place in time! After they have come into existence! To be born again requires that one be first born once. One is first born into the world, or comes into existence, and then, if one of the elect, is born a second time, and this is when he becomes a child of God. That second birth was purposed by God in eternity past, but that purpose did not actually make them children. The immanent act in purposing to have children did not make children, rather, the transient act in time in "begetting" is what makes children.
Gill continued:
1a. First, It did not begin in time, but commenced from eternity; it is an act of God's will, and has its complete essence in it; and the will of God is eternal, no new will, nor any new act of will, arises in God in time; or otherwise he would not be the unchangeable God he is.
1a1. It is an act that does not first take place at believing; indeed the saints are "all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus", openly and manifestatively, #Ga 3:26 but then it is not faith that makes them children, but what makes them appear to be so; adoption is the act of God, and not of faith;
What "did not begin in time"? Adoption and justification? By his use of the words "begin" and "commenced," he makes justification into a process, with a beginning and ending to it. It does not by this language make justification into a simple declaration or single act. Also, notice how Gill argues that God's decree, in eternity past, to have children, is the actual producing of children. Again, this is what the "Two Seed" Baptists, followers of Daniel Parker, taught! Gill says that the words "you are all the children of God by faith" means "you are all manifestly the children of God by faith." Who gave him the authority to alter the text in this manner? To add a word to the text that is not there? If Paul meant to say "manifestly" he would have said "manifestly." Further, by the reasoning of Dr. Gill one is not only not "actually" made a child of God by faith, but neither by a spiritual birth in time! What he says about "faith" in these words may also be said about being "begotten" of God. Neither faith or being begotten make one a child of God. And why? Because he was already a child of God from eternity past!
Now, I have great respect for Dr. Gill and for most of his doctrinal positions, but his doctrine of eternal justification has led him into the most absurd consequences.
Dr. Gill continued:
"Now, as before observed, as God's will to elect, is the election of his people, so his will to justify them, is the justification of them; as it is an immanent act in God, it is an act of his grace towards them, is wholly without them, entirely resides in the divine mind, and lies in his estimating, accounting, and constituting them righteous, through the righteousness of his Son; and, as such, did not first commence in time, but from eternity."
Gill's reasoning here is not sound. Further, he bases his whole case on eternal justification on such reasoning rather than upon a clear statement of scripture! Why does he not simply cite verses of scripture that expressly say that the elect were justified in eternity past? It is because he has no scriptures that say so, and therefore he must use logic to prove his case. In other words, his defense of justification from eternity is totally based upon inference and logical deduction. Further, because he accepts that both adoption (acquiring children) and justification are events from eternity past, he is forced to alter the NT statements that speak of people becoming children and being justified "by faith." What he should have done, was to let those NT statements alter his views on God's immanent acts, regarding adoption and justification, rather than vise versa.
Not only does Gill teach that the elect were actually children of God and justified from eternity, but he says that they were actually made righteous from eternity! But, again, such a view leads to the most absurd consequences as we will see.
Even if we grant as true the statement - "God's will to elect, is the election of his people" - it does not necessitate that the statement - "his will to justify them, is the justification of them" is true. Dr. Gill's assertion of such is no proof. Can we also say "God's will to regenerate and birth is the regeneration and birth of them"? Can we say "God's will to sanctify and glorify is his sanctification and glorification of them"?
Gill continued:
2a. First, It does not begin to take place in time, or at believing, but is antecedent to any act of faith.
But, where is the scripture that teaches this? Would it not have been proper for Gill to simply have cited verses that said that justification preceded faith? So, instead of reading in the NT, "justified by faith," we should rather find verses that said "faith by justification." Also, notice again Gill's use of the word "begin." Justification only begins in eternity past. Justification is then a process? Also, when, according to Gill, does justification end? Does it both begin and end in eternity past? Remember he is already on record as saying that it "terminates" at the point when one is made a believer. But, he seems at times to forget that he has said such, and rather argues that justification both begins and ends in eternity past.
Gill continued:
"2a1. Faith is not the cause, but an effect of justification; it is not the cause of it in any sense; it is not the moving cause, that is the free grace of God; "Being justified freely by his grace", #Ro 3:24 nor the efficient cause of it; "It is God that justifies", #Ro 8:33 nor the meritorious cause, as some express it; or the matter of it, that is the obedience and blood of Christ, #Ro 5:9,19 or the righteousness of Christ, consisting of his active and passive obedience; nor even the instrumental cause; for, as Mr. Baxter {5} himself argues, "If faith is the instrument of our justification, it is the instrument either of God or man; not of man, for justification is God's act; he is the sole Justifier, #Ro 3:26 man doth not justify himself: nor of God, for it is not God that believes..."
Every thing Gill here says about how faith is not a "cause" of justification is correct, except in his denial that faith is an "instrumental cause" of it. This is clear, as we will see more fully in future postings, from the NT teaching and its express statements affirming that justification is "by faith." God has willed to justify every believing sinner and not to justify any unbeliever. Of course, faith is not a legal means or instrument in effecting justification, but it is the means of determining who shall be justified.
In my posting "Hardshells and Justification II" (see here) I wrote this on how faith is a "cause" of justification.
Dr. A. H. Strong, in the "Relation of Justification to Faith," wrote:
A. We are justified by faith, rather than by love or by any other grace:
(a) not because faith is itself a work of obedience by which we merit justification, for this would be a doctrine of justification by works,
(b) nor because faith is accepted as an equivalent of obedience, for there is no equivalent except the perfect obedience of Christ,
(c) nor because faith is the germ from which obedience may spring hereafter, for it is not the faith which accepts, but the Christ who is accepted, that renders such obedience possible, but
(d) because faith, and not repentance or love or hope is the medium or instrument by which we receive Christ and are united to him. Hence we are never said to be justified dia pistin, = on account of faith, but only dia pisteos, = through faith, or ek pisteos, = by faith. Or, to express the same truth in other words, while the grace of God is the efficient cause of justification and the obedience and sufferings of Christ are the meritorious or procuring cause, faith is the mediate or instrumental cause." (pg. 160, 161)
Gill continued:
"nor is it a "causa sine qua non", as the case of elect infants shows; it is not in any class of causes whatever; but it is the effect of justification: all men have not faith, and the reason why some do not believe is, because they are none of Christ's sheep; they were not chosen in him, nor justified through him; but justly left in their sins, and so to condemnation; the reason why others believe is, because they are ordained to eternal life, have a justifying righteousness provided for them, and are justified by it, and shall never enter into condemnation: the reason why any are justified, is not because they have faith; but the reason why they have faith, is because they are justified; was there no such blessing of grace as justification of life in Christ, for the sons of men, there would be no such thing as faith in Christ bestowed on them; precious faith is obtained through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, #2Pe 1:1 nor, indeed, would there be any room for it, nor any use of it, if a justifying righteousness was not previously provided."
But, the "case of elect infants" does not disprove justification by faith nor prove justification without it, or from eternity. There has been so much false teaching produced by false reasoning on the "case of the infants" and the case of the mentally incapacitated. Hardshells use it to teach their version of a "hollow log," or meaningless "regeneration" or divine "birth." They use the "case of the infant" to try to prove that faith, repentance, coming to Christ, etc., are not necessary for being born again, justified, sanctified, or saved in Heaven. But, "with God all things are possible," and he certainly is able to increase the mental powers of infants before they die in infancy so that they can believe by the teaching of the Spirit in an extraordinary manner.
Further, it is not denied that election is the cause of faith, and not vise versa. But, we cannot say similarly that justification is the cause of faith. Yes, the righteousness of Christ is the cause of faith. But saying such is not the same thing as saying that "the imputation of the righteousness of Christ precedes faith," for that would contradict other clear statements of scripture, such as this: "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." (Rom. 4:24)
Gill continued:
"2a5. All the elect of God were justified in Christ, their Head and Representative, when he rose from the dead, and therefore they believe: Christ engaged as a Surety for all his people from eternity, had their sins imputed to him, and for which he made himself responsible; in the fulness of time he made satisfaction for them by his sufferings and death, and at his resurrection was acquitted and discharged: now as he suffered and died, not as a private, but as a public person, so he rose again, and was justified as such, even as the representative of his people; hence when he rose, they rose with him; and when he was justified, they were justified in him; for he was "delivered for their offences, and was raised again for their justification", #Ro 4:25"
Gill clearly contradicts himself in these words. How? He has already argued that justification was an accomplished fact from eternity past, because it is the immediate result of God's will or decree. But, here he says that the elect were justified "when" Christ rose from the dead. If justification took place when Christ rose from the dead, then it did not take place in eternity past! Of course, not only does the bible not teach that actual justification took place in eternity past, but it also does not teach that it actually took place when Christ died and rose again. But, more on that in upcoming postings.
Gill continued:
"2b. Secondly, Justification is not only before faith, but it is from eternity, being an immanent act in the divine mind, and so an internal and eternal one; as may be concluded..."Justified then we were," says Dr. Goodwin "when first elected, though not in our own persons, yet in our Head, as he had our persons then given him, and we came to have a being and an interest in him.""
Notice his words "as may be concluded." See how he attempts to prove his doctrine by logic and by inference rather than by express statements of scripture. Notice also how the justification in eternity past was not a justification "in our own persons"! Further, if justification took place in eternity past, then it did not occur when Christ died and rose again! But, more on that in upcoming postings, the Lord willing.
Gill continued:
"Now if God could, and actually did, justify some, three or four thousand years before the righteousness of Christ was actually wrought out, taking his Son's word and bond as their Surety, and in a view of his future righteousness; why could he not, and why may it not be thought he did, justify all his elect from eternity, upon the word and bond of their Surety, and on the basis of his future righteousness, which he had engaged to work out, and which he full well knew he would most certainly work out? and if there is no difficulty in conceiving of the one, there can be none in conceiving of the other."
But, again, notice how he relies on logical reasoning to prove his doctrine of eternal justification! Ought he not rather to rely upon plain declarations of scripture? It is not necessary to hold to justification from eternity to explain how God could justify men like Abraham even before Christ had come and had the sins of Abraham actually imputed to him. Gill even gives the answer. God could justify Abraham, upon his believing, based upon the contractual promise of the Son of God to come and suffer for the sins of Abraham.
No comments:
Post a Comment