by Benjamin B. Warfield (1851-1921)

Justification by Faith,
Out of Date?

 
by Benjamin B. Warfield (1851-1921)


The following short essay was originally published in the The Christian Irishman, Dublin, May 1911, p. 71. The electronic edition of this article was scanned and edited by Shane Rosenthal for Reformation Ink. It is in the public domain and may be freely copied and distributed.

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Sometimes we are told that Justification by Faith is "out of date." That would be a pity, if it were true. What it would mean would be that the way of salvation was closed and "no thoroughfare" nailed up over the barriers. There is no justification for sinful men except by faith. The works of a sinful man will, of course, be as sinful as he is, and nothing but condemnation can be built on them. Where can he get works upon which he can found his hope of justification,, except from Another? His hope of Justification, remember—that is, of being pronounced righteous by God. Can God pronounce him righteous except on the ground of works that are righteous? Where can a sinful man get works that are righteous? Surely, not from himself; for, is he not a sinner, and all his works as sinful as he is? He must go out of himself, then, to find works which he can offer to God as righteous. And where will he find such works except in Christ? Or how will he make them his own except by faith in Christ?
Justification by Faith, we see, is not to be set in contradiction to justification by Works. It is set in contradiction only to justification by our Own Works. It is justification by Christ's Works. The whole question, accordingly, is whether we can hope to be received into God's favor on the ground of what we do ourselves, or only on the ground of what Christ does for us. If we expect to be received on the ground of what we do ourselves-that is what is called Justification by Works. If on the ground of what Christ has done for us-that is what is meant by Justification by Faith. Justification by Faith means, that is to say, that we look to Christ and to him alone for salvation, and come to God pleading Christ's death and righteousness as the ground of our hope to be received into his favor. If Justification by Faith is out of date, that means, then, that salvation by Christ is out of date. There is nothing, in that case, left to us but that each man must just do the best he can to save himself.
Justification by Faith does not mean, then, salvation by believing things instead of by doing right. It means pleading the merits of Christ before the throne of grace instead of our own merits. It may be doing right to believe things, and doing right is certainly right. The trouble with pleading our own merits before God is not that merits of our own would not be acceptable to God. The trouble is that we haven't any merits of our own to plead before God. Adam, before his fall, had merits of his own, and because he had merits of his own he was, in his own person, acceptable to God. He didn't need Another to stand between him and God, whose merits he could plead. And, therefore, there was no talk of his being Justified by Faith. But we are not like Adam before the fall; we are sinners and have no merits of our own. If we are to be justified at all, it must be on the ground of the merits of Another, whose merits can be made ours by faith. And that is the reason why God sent his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. If we do not believe in him, obviously we must perish. But if we believe in him, we shall not perish but have everlasting life. That is just Justification by Faith. Justification by Faith is nothing other than obtaining everlasting life by believing in Christ. If Justification by Faith is out of date, then is salvation through Christ out of date. And as there is none other name under heaven, given among men, wherein we must be saved, if salvation through Christ is out of date then is salvation itself out of date. Surely, in a world of sinful men, needing salvation, this would be a great pity.

BEZA on endtimes

"Having taken possession for us of His eternal kingdom, He is, for us also,
the sole Mediator and Advocate (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 1:3; 9:24), and governs His
Church by His Holy Spirit, until the number of the elect of God, His
Father, is completed (Matt 28:20, etc)."

Our Father is just waiting on the Collection of All His Elect

Beza quote

Once, the first death (dying) was to us a punishment for sin and an
entrance into the second death (the Hell Eternal), but, now, its mearely
the ending of our (current) corruption and an entrance into the Life
Eternal.

Beza quoting Augustine

BEZA - There would remain nothing more for the whole world, except to go to
its ruin (Rom 3:19). But God, being not only very righteous, but also very
merciful, had according to His infinite wisdom, eternally established a way
to turn all the evils to His great glory: to the greater manifestation of
His infinite goodness (Rom 3:21-25), towards those whom He has chosen
eternally so as to be glorified in their salvation (Rom 8:29; 9:23). And,
on the other side, He has turned the sin of man to the manifestation of His
sovereign power and His wrath, by the just condemnation of the vessels of
wrath prepared for destruction (Rom 9:22; Ex. 9: 6).

As St. Augustine well says; "If all were saved, the wages of sin demanded
by justice would be hidden. If none were saved, no-one would see what grace
bestows."

by Theodore Beza (1519-1605)

Jesus Christ the Son of God

by Theodore Beza (1519-1605)

 

The following article by Theodore Beza was taken from chapter three (sections 16-26) of his book The Christian Faith, translated into english by James Clark (Focus Christian Ministries Trust, East Essex England, 1992). This book was a "best seller" during the Protestant Reformation, and appeared in 1558 under the original title of Confession De Foi Du Chretien. The current modern edition contains no copyright notice, therefore it is assumed that the articles contained within it may be freely distributed. The electronic edition of this book was scanned and edited by Shane Rosenthal for Reformation Ink. Original pagination has been retained for purposes of reference. The title for this on-line edition was taken from the chapter heading from which this section was extracted.

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THE CHRISTIAN FAITH by THEODORE BEZA, page 9

How God has turned the sin of man to His glory
There would remain nothing more for the whole world, except to go to its ruin (Rom 3:19). But God, being not only very righteous, but also very merciful, had according to His infinite wisdom, eternally established a way to turn all the evils to His great glory: to the greater manifestation of His infinite goodness (Rom 3:21-25), towards those whom He has chosen eternally so as to be glorified in their salvation (Rom 8:29; 9:23). And, on the other side, He has turned the sin of man to the manifestation of His sovereign power and His wrath, by the just condemnation of the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction (Rom 9:22; Ex. 9: 6).
As St. Augustine well says; "If all were saved, the wages of sin demanded by justice would be hidden. If none were saved, no-one would see what grace bestows."

Jesus Christ is the sole Mediator chosen and promised by God
This sole and unique way is the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God with all which flows from it. Bit by bit this was promised from Adam to John the Baptist, published and preached by the patriarchs and the prophets, and also typified in various ways under the Law (Gen 3:15; 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; Deut. 18:15-18; 2 Sam 7:12; Rom 1:2-3 etc.) Thus, the Son is fully contained in the books of the Old Testament, so that the men of those times were saved by faith in Jesus Christ who was to come.

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THE CHRISTIAN FAITH by THEODORE BEZA, page 10

The similarity and the difference between the Old and the New Testament
Therefore there has never been and there never shall be but one covenant of salvation between God and men (Heb. 13:8; Rom 3:25; 1 Tim 2:5-6; 1 Cor. 10:1-11; Eph. 1:7-10; see the whole Epistle to the Hebrews). The substance of this covenant is Jesus Christ. But, having regard to the circumstances, there are two Testaments or 'Covenants'. We have the authentic titles and contents of them; which we call 'Holy Scripture' and the 'Word of God'. One is called 'Old' and the other 'New' (Jer. 31:31,32; Heb 8:6). The second is much better than the first, for the first did declare Jesus Christ, but from afar off, and hidden under the shadows and images which vanished at His coming; He Himself is the Son of Righteousness (John 4:23,24).

Why it was necessary that Jesus Christ be true man in nature, in His body and in His soul, but without any sin
It was necessary that the Mediator of this covenant and this reconciliation be true man, but without any stain of original sin or any other, for the following reasons:
Firstly, since God is very righteous and man is the object of His wrath, because of natural corruption (1 Tim 2:5; John 1:14; Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4; Rom 8:2-4; 1 Cor. 1:30), it was necessary in order to reconcile men with God, that there be a true man in whom the ruins caused by this corruption would be totally repaired.
Secondly, man is compelled to fulfill all the righteousness which God demands from him in order to be glorified (Matt 3:15; Rom 5:18; 2 Cor. 5:21). It was therefore necessary that there be a man who would perfectly fulfill all righteousness in order to please God.
Thirdly, all men are covered with an infinite number of sins, as much internal as external; that is why they are liable to the curse of God (Rom 3:23-26; Is 53: 11, etc). It was therefore necessary that there be a man who would fully satisfy the justice of God in order to pacify Him.
Finally, no corrupt man would have been able, in any way, to even begin to fulfill the least of these actions. He would first of all have had need of a Redeemer for himself (Rom 8:2; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22; 3:18; 1 John 2:1-2). So much was necessary for himself before he could buy back the others, or could do anything pleasing or satisfying to God (Rom 14:23; Heb 11:6). It was therefore

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THE CHRISTIAN FAITH by THEODORE BEZA, page 11

necessary that the Mediator and Redeemer of men be true man in his body and in his soul, and that he be, nevertheless, entirely pure and free from all sin.

Why it was necessary that Jesus Christ be true God
It was necessary that this same Mediator be true God and not only man (John 1:14, etc); at the very least for the following reasons:
Firstly, if He was not true God, He would not be Saviour at all, but would himself have need of a Saviour (Is 43:11; Hos. 13:4; Jer. 17:5-8).
Secondly, it is necessary, from the justice of God, that there be a relationship between the crime and its punishment. The crime is infinite, for it is committed against One whose majesty is infinite. Therefore there is here need of an infinite satisfaction; for the same reason, it was necessary that the One who would accomplish it as true man be also infinite, that is to say, true God.
Thirdly, the wrath of God being infinite, there was no human or angelic strength known which could bear such a weight without being crushed (John 14:10,12,31; 16:32; 2 Cor. 5:19). He who was to live again, after having conquered the devil, sin, the world and death united to the wrath of God, had to be therefore not only perfect man, but also true God.
Lastly, in order to better manifest this incomprehensible goodness, God did not wish that His grace should only equal our crime; He willed that where sin abounds, grace superabounds (Rom 5:15-21). For this reason, while he was created in the image of God, the first Adam, author of our sin, was earthly, as his 'frailty showed well (1 Cor. 15:45-47). Jesus Christ, on the contrary, the second Adam, through whom we are saved, while being true and perfect man, is nevertheless the Lord come from Heaven, that is to say, the true God. For, in essence, all the fullness of divinity dwells in Him (Col. 2:9). If the disobedience of Adam made us fall, the righteousness of Jesus Christ gives us more security than we had previously. We hope for life procured by Jesus Christ, better than that which we lost in Adam; even more so as Jesus Christ surpasses Adam.

How the mystery of our salvation has been accomplished in Jesus Christ
Therefore we confess that, in order to fulfil the covenant promised to the ancient fathers and predicted by the mouth of the prophets (Is 7:14; Luke 1:31,35,55,70) the true, unique and eternal Son of God the Father (Rom 1:3; John 17:5; 16:28; Phil 2:6-7) took, at the time appointed by the Father, the form of a servant. Being

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THE CHRISTIAN FAITH by THEODORE BEZA, page 12

conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and without any operation of man (Matt 1:20; Luke 1:28,35), He took human nature with all its infirmities, sin excepted (Heb. 4:15; 5:2).
3.22 The two natures, that of God and that of man, have been united in one Person since the moment of the conception of the flesh of Christ
We confess that, from the moment of this conception, the Person of the Son has been inseparably united to the human nature (Matt 1:20; Luke 1:31,32,35,42,43). There are not two Sons of God, or two Jesus Christs: but One alone is properly Son of God, Jesus Christ. At all times the properties of each of the two natures remain entire and distinct. For the divinity separated from the humanity, or the humanity disjoined from the divinity, or the one being confounded with the other, would profit us nothing.
Jesus Christ is therefore true God and true man (Matt 1:21-23, Luke 1:35). He has a true human soul, and a true human body formed from the substance of the virgin Mary, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. By this means, he was conceived and born of this virgin Mary. And all this was accomplished for our redemption.

Summary of the accomplishment of our salvation in Jesus Christ
He therefore descended to earth to draw us up to Heaven. (Eph. 2:6). From the moment of His conception until His resurrection, He bore the punishment of our sins in order to unburden us of them (Matt 11:28; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18; Is 53:11). He perfectly fulfilled all righteousness so as to cover our unrighteousness (Rom 5:19; Matt 3:15). He has revealed to us the whole will of God His Father, by His words and by the example of His life, so as to show us the true way of salvation (John 15:15; Acts 1:1-2).

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THE CHRISTIAN FAITH by THEODORE BEZA, page 13

Finally, to crown the satisfaction for our sins which He took upon Himself (Is 53:4-5), He was captured in order to release us, condemned so that we might be acquitted. He suffered infinite reproach in order to place us beyond all shame. He was nailed to the cross for our sins to be nailed there (Col. 2:14). He died bearing the curse which we deserved, so as to appease for ever the wrath of God through the accomplishment of His unique sacrifice (Gal 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb 10:10,14). He was entombed to show the truth of His death, and to vanquish death even in its own house, that is to say even in the grave; He experienced no corruption there, to show that, even while dead, he had conquered death (Acts 2:31). He was raised again victorious so that, all our corruption being dead and buried, we might be renewed in new, spiritual and eternal life (Rom 6; and nearly everywhere in St. Paul). By this means, the first death is no longer to us a punishment for sin and an entrance into the second death, but, on the contrary, is the ending of our corruption and an entrance into life eternal. Lastly, being raised again and then having spoken throughout forty days here below to give evidence of His resurrection (Acts 1:3,9-11), He ascended visibly and really far above all heavens, where He sat down at the right hand of God His Father (John 14:2). Having taken possession for us of His eternal kingdom, He is, for us also, the sole Mediator and Advocate (1 Tim 2:5; Heb 1:3; 9:24), and governs His Church by His Holy Spirit, until the number of the elect of God, His Father, is completed (Matt 28:20, etc).

How Jesus Christ, having withdrawn into heaven, is nevertheless here below with His own
We understand that glorification brought immortality to the body of Jesus Christ, besides sovereign glory; but this did by no means change the nature of His true body, a body confined to one certain space and having bounds (Luke 24:39; John 20:25; Acts 1:3). For this reason, He took away into Heaven, from our midst, His human nature, His true body (Acts 1:9-11; 3:21). There He shall remain until He comes to judge the living and the dead.
But, with regard to the efficacy of His Holy Spirit, as to His Divinity, (by which we are made partakers not only of half of Christ, but of all of Him and all His goods, as will be said soon), we acknowledge that He is and shall be with His own until the end of the world (Matt 28:20; John 16:13; Eph. 4:8). This is what Jesus Christ said regarding Himself-, "The poor you will have always with you, but Me you will not have always." (Matt 26:11); again, after His Ascension, the angels say to the Apostles: "Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven shall so come as you saw Him go away into Heaven." (Acts 1:11). And St Peter says

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THE CHRISTIAN FAITH by THEODORE BEZA, page 14

to the Jews that Heaven must hold Him until the time of the restoration of all things. (Acts 3:21). For the same reason, St Augustine, following Scripture, has well said that it is necessary to guard oneself from stressing the Divinity to the point of coming to deny the truth of the body; the body is in God, but it is not necessary to draw the conclusion that it is everywhere, as God is everywhere.

There can be no other true religion
In this mystery of our redemption, incomprehensible to human reason, God has revealed Himself as true God, that is to say, perfectly just and perfectly merciful.
Perfectly just, firstly, for He has punished all our sins with full severity (Rom 3:25; 2 Cor. 5:21), in the Person of Him who made Himself surety and security in our place, that is to say, in Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:6; 1 Pet 2:24). In the next place, He receives us and acknowledges us as His if we are covered and clothed with the innocence, sanctification and perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom 5:19; Col 2:14).
On the other side, He has revealed Himself as perfectly merciful, for, finding in us only ground for damnation, He willed that His Son take our nature in order to find in Him the remedy which would appease His justice (Rom 5:8; 1 Cor. 1:30). Freely communicating Him to us, with all the treasures which He possesses (Rom 8:32), He makes us partakers of eternal life, solely by His goodness and mercy, on condition that we take hold of Jesus Christ by faith; which we will develop a little later.
But, on the contrary, any religion which opposes to the wrath of God anything other than the sole innocence, righteousness and satisfaction of Jesus Christ, received by faith, strips God of His perfect justice and His mercy. For this reason, such a religion (ex. Romanism) must be regarded as false and deceptive.

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This article was made available on the internet via REFORMATION INK (www.markers.com/ink). Refer any correspondence to Shane Rosenthal: ReformationInk at mac.com (connect and write as @mac.com -- when I connect them I get a lot of junk mail).

by Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560)

Theses on Law, Gospel & Faith


by Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560)


The following theses have been extraced from Philip Melanchthons's Loci
Communes Theologici (Common Places in Theology, or perhaps, Fundamental
Docrinal Themes. This book was originally published very early in the
Protestant Reformation (1521), and according to Martin Luther, "Next to
Holy Scripture, there is no better book." In fact Melanchthon's Loci was so
highly revered by Luther that some have used this to explain the fact that
Luther himself never wrote a systematic theology of his own. Again,
according to Luther, "You cannot find anywhere a book which treats the
whole of theology so adequately as the Loci communes do...." Thus, if you
want to understand the mind of Luther, from the perspective of systematic
theology, Melanchthon's Loci is a good place to start. These theses on Law,
Gospel and Faith begin at the conclusion of the chapter heading titled,
"Love and Hope." This e-text was edited and uploaded by Shane Rosenthal for
Reformation Ink .



FROM PHILIP MELANCHTHON'S LOCI COMMUNES THEOLOGICI


      Let us bring this whole discussion of law, gospel, and faith together
      under several theses:


      1. The law is the doctrine that commands what is and what is not to
      be done.

      2. The gospel is the promise of the grace of God.

      3. The law demands impossible things such as the love of God and our
      neighbor.

      4. Those who try to keep the law by their natural powers or free will
      simulate only the external works; they do not give expression to
      those attitudes which the law demands.

      5. Therefore, they do not satisfy the law, but they are hypocrites,
      "whitewashed tombs," as Christ calls them in Matt 23:27. Gal 3:10
      says: "For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse.

      6. Therefore, it is not the function of the law to justify.

      7. But the proper function of the law is to reveal sin and especially
      to confound the conscience. Rom 3:20: "Through the law comes
      knowledge of sin."

      8. To a conscience acknowledging sin and confounded by the law, the
      gospel reveals Christ.

      9. Thus John reveals Christ at the very time he preaches repentance:
      "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John
      1:29).

      10. The faith by which we belive the gospel showing us Christ and by
      which Christ is received as the one who has placated the Father and
      through whom grace is given, this faith is our righteousness. John
      1:12: "But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave
      power to become Children of God."

      11. If it is actually faith alone that justifies, there is clearly no
      regard for our merits or our works , but only for the merits of
      Christ.

      12. This faith calms and gladdens the heart. Rom 5:1: "Therefore,
      since we are justified by faith, we have peace."

      13. The result of faith is that for such a great blessing, the
      forgiveness of sins because of Christ, we love God in return.
      Therefore, love for God is a fruit of faith.

      14. This same faith causes us to be ashamed of having offended such a
      kind and generous father.

      15. Therefore, it cause us to abhor our flesh with its evil desires.

      16. Human reason neither fears God nor believes him, but is utterly
      ignorant of him and despises him. We know this from Ps. 14:1: "The
      fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Luke 16:31 "If they do
      not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if
      someone should rise from the dead." Here Christ points out that the
      human heart does not believe the word of God. This madness of the
      human heart is what Solomon railed at in the whole book of
      Ecclesiastes as can be seen from ch. 8:11: "Because sentence agains
      an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the sons of men
      is fully set to do evil."

      17. Because the human heart is utterly ignorant of God, it turns
      aside to its own counsels and desires, and sets itself up in the
      place of God.

      18. When God confounds the human heart through the law with a sense
      of sin, it does not yet know God, that is, it does not know his
      goodness and therefore hates him as if he were a tormentor.

      19. When God comforts and consoles the human heart through the gospel
      by showing it Christ, then finally it knows God, for it recognizes
      both his power and his goodness. This is what Jer 9:24 means: "But
      let him who glories glory in this, that...he knows me."

      20. The heart of him who has believed the gospel and come to know the
      goodness of God is now fortified so that it trusts in God and fears
      him and consequently abhors the thoughts of the human heart.

      21. Peter said very fittingly in Acts 15:9 that hearts are cleansed
      by faith.

      22. Mercy is revealed through the promises.

      23. Sometimes material things are promised, and at other times
      spiritual.

      24. In the law, material things such as the Land of Canaan, the
      Kingdom, etc. are promised.


      25. The gospel is the promise of grace or the forgiveness of sins
      through Christ.

      26. All material promises are dependent on the promise of Christ.

      27. For the first promise was a promise of grace or Christ. It is
      found in Gen 3:15: "He shall bruise your head." This means that the
      seed of Eve will crush the kingdom of the serpent plotting agains our
      heel, that is Christ will crush sin and death.

      28. This was renewed in the promise made to Abraham: "By your
      decendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Gen.
      22:18).

      29. Therefore, since Christ was to be born of the descendants of
      Abraham, the promises added to the law about the possession of the
      earth, etc. were obscure promises of the Christ who was to come. For
      those material things were promised to the people until the promised
      seed should be born, lest they perish and in order that in the
      meantime God might indicate his mercy by material things and might
      thereby exercise the faith of his people.

      30. By Christ's birth the promises to mankind were consumated, and
      the forgiveness of sins, for which Christ had to be born, was openly
      made known.

      31. The promises of the Old Testament are signs of the Christ to come
      and also of the promise of grace to be broadcast at some future time.
      The gospel, the very promise of grace, has already been made known.

      32. Just as that man does not know God who knows only that he exists
      but does not know either his power or his mercy, so also that man
      does not believe who believes only that God exists but does not
      believe both in his power and his mercy.

      33. He really believes, therefore, who, looking beyond the threats,
      believes the gospel also, who fixes his face on the mercy of God or
      on Christ, the pledge of divine mercy.
      So much on faith; we shall add certain things on love a little later
      after we have dealt with the difference between the law and gospel.

quote St Bernaird

St Bernaird said, conformably to the whole of Scripture, what follows, " If you believe that your sins cannot be blotted out except by Him against whom alone you have sinned, you do well. But add yet one point: that you believe that your sins (personally) have been forgiven you by Him. This is the testimony that the Holy Spirit gives to our heart, saying "Your sins are forgiven you."