- Aug 14, 2024
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- 467
This is another thorny issue like discussion of the Trinity. I can back away if it becomes too controversial. I posted the following on another forum today. There may be some here interested in the subject? Part I is about Justification, Part II will be about Imputation.
I was having a discussion with my brother over the last several days on the subject of Justification and on the New View on Paul and on Justification being put forward by NT Wright. It's causing a storm among theologians including calls of "heresy."
The traditional Reformed approach sees Justification as being your typtical application of Christ's atonement as a way of replacing our own inept efforts at Salvation. By contrast NT Wright downplays Paul's statements on Justification by Faith Alone by declaring that in his time the Jews had no negativity towards Self-Made Works.
I'm paraphrasing here, and since Wright's position is considered obscure and nebulus it is difficult to characterize and be accurate. Bear that in mind. So, the following is part of the explanation of my view of Justification and "Works" to my brother. I am pro-Reformed positions, but not as anti-Works as many of the Reformers were....
My own view is not negative towards "doing works." We do works as part of the covenant terms. A covenant is an agreement between at least 2 parties, requiring certain reciprocal things.
Under the Law of Moses, Israel, in order to be part of the agreement, had to do about 613 things. God would then make them part of His Covenant, and then bless or curse them depending on how faithful or unfaithful they were in their works.
Under the New Covenant we are required not to do the 613 things of the Law of Moses, but rather, do the things Christ requires of us to be part of his covenant. We must believe in him, that he is the Son of God, and turn our lives over to operate in and like his life. In a practical sense we do things that are obviously moral under the Law without the trappings of Temple, Priest, and Sacrifice.
So Works are not a bad thing. They make us part of a covenant, whether it be of Moses or of Jesus. The only covenant in effect now is Jesus, and so what we must *do* to be part of this covenant is obey his commandments and live in him.
This is one of two parts of Jewish hope, as I understand it. This is the Jewish believer's hope for personal fidelity to Christ as an individual. What is different here, as opposed to the Law, is that under the Law Israel was blessed for compliance by experiencing national blessings and deliverance from enemies. But it was not Eternal Life.
By contrast, compliance with Christ's covenant brought not only the blessing of God's favor, but also the promise of Eternal Life. Eternal Life came only by Christ's Work, and not by our own acts of obedience to his Covenant. We obtain the benefit of Christ's work by obeying his commandments, thus demonstrating our faith in him.
So, one part of the Jewish hope came for the Christian individuals who sought compliance with Christ's covenant. The other part of Jewish Hope has to do with the hope of the nation to be delivered from their oppressors. Since Israel had only been externally in compliance with the Law of Moses, but actually, depraved under that Covenant, they expected salvation but should've expected curses.
The hope of Israel continues to this day to return to God's blessings out of compliance with deeds that God requires. I'm not sure Protestants reject all works completely, as even Luther promoted the 10 Commandments as something we should do.
But Luther placed very little onus on human initiative, thinking that somehow in being passive with respect to works somehow Christ will operate when we trust in him to instill his own life into us. We do good but trust him to make our works truly good. I hope I have this right?
Faith involves an affirmation of Christ's covenant that comes through faith. And that faith involves the necessity of a transition from our own independent lives to the spiritual life of living in Christ.
It requires faith as well as obedience to get there. We have to believe Christ's new life even exists, and that Christ will give that life to us. But we also have to demonstrate our faith by acting in compliance with Christ's moral commands.
I was having a discussion with my brother over the last several days on the subject of Justification and on the New View on Paul and on Justification being put forward by NT Wright. It's causing a storm among theologians including calls of "heresy."
The traditional Reformed approach sees Justification as being your typtical application of Christ's atonement as a way of replacing our own inept efforts at Salvation. By contrast NT Wright downplays Paul's statements on Justification by Faith Alone by declaring that in his time the Jews had no negativity towards Self-Made Works.
I'm paraphrasing here, and since Wright's position is considered obscure and nebulus it is difficult to characterize and be accurate. Bear that in mind. So, the following is part of the explanation of my view of Justification and "Works" to my brother. I am pro-Reformed positions, but not as anti-Works as many of the Reformers were....
My own view is not negative towards "doing works." We do works as part of the covenant terms. A covenant is an agreement between at least 2 parties, requiring certain reciprocal things.
Under the Law of Moses, Israel, in order to be part of the agreement, had to do about 613 things. God would then make them part of His Covenant, and then bless or curse them depending on how faithful or unfaithful they were in their works.
Under the New Covenant we are required not to do the 613 things of the Law of Moses, but rather, do the things Christ requires of us to be part of his covenant. We must believe in him, that he is the Son of God, and turn our lives over to operate in and like his life. In a practical sense we do things that are obviously moral under the Law without the trappings of Temple, Priest, and Sacrifice.
So Works are not a bad thing. They make us part of a covenant, whether it be of Moses or of Jesus. The only covenant in effect now is Jesus, and so what we must *do* to be part of this covenant is obey his commandments and live in him.
This is one of two parts of Jewish hope, as I understand it. This is the Jewish believer's hope for personal fidelity to Christ as an individual. What is different here, as opposed to the Law, is that under the Law Israel was blessed for compliance by experiencing national blessings and deliverance from enemies. But it was not Eternal Life.
By contrast, compliance with Christ's covenant brought not only the blessing of God's favor, but also the promise of Eternal Life. Eternal Life came only by Christ's Work, and not by our own acts of obedience to his Covenant. We obtain the benefit of Christ's work by obeying his commandments, thus demonstrating our faith in him.
So, one part of the Jewish hope came for the Christian individuals who sought compliance with Christ's covenant. The other part of Jewish Hope has to do with the hope of the nation to be delivered from their oppressors. Since Israel had only been externally in compliance with the Law of Moses, but actually, depraved under that Covenant, they expected salvation but should've expected curses.
The hope of Israel continues to this day to return to God's blessings out of compliance with deeds that God requires. I'm not sure Protestants reject all works completely, as even Luther promoted the 10 Commandments as something we should do.
But Luther placed very little onus on human initiative, thinking that somehow in being passive with respect to works somehow Christ will operate when we trust in him to instill his own life into us. We do good but trust him to make our works truly good. I hope I have this right?
Faith involves an affirmation of Christ's covenant that comes through faith. And that faith involves the necessity of a transition from our own independent lives to the spiritual life of living in Christ.
It requires faith as well as obedience to get there. We have to believe Christ's new life even exists, and that Christ will give that life to us. But we also have to demonstrate our faith by acting in compliance with Christ's moral commands.
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