There
is an argument in our circles regarding justification:
Some are arguing for a
forensic justification sola fide,
and others for a forensic and additional future salvation, which
will not be sola fide, but merited on the basis of our obedience/works, as supposedly taught by James.
We would argue, that justification is sola fide. We are forensically declared
righteous at the moment we receive faith, and faith is imputed to us for
righteousness. That is, we have no righteousness of our own, but are
righteous in Christ alone. His righteousness is fully imputed to us, as if we
had never sinned and as if we always perfectly obeyed, as Christ did on our
behalf. All of this was credited to us, at the moment of salvation, that is, when we received the gift of faith.
However, we do not argue that righteousness excludes or diminishes the
need of holiness. On the contrary, we believe that righteousness results in holiness. We believe in salvation
by faith alone in Christ alone, but not a faith that *is alone. The Heidelberg explains justification and its results very clearly.
On Justification:
60.
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Q.
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How are you righteous before God?
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A.
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Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. 1
Although my conscience accuses me
that I have grievously sinned
against all God's commandments,
have never kept any of them, 2
and am still inclined to all evil, 3
yet God, without any merit of my own, 4
imputes to me
the perfect satisfaction,
righteousness, and holiness of Christ. 6
He grants these to me
as if I had never had nor committed
any sin,
and as if I myself had accomplished
all the obedience
which Christ has rendered for me, 7
if only I accept this gift
with a believing heart. 8
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61.
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Q.
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Why do you say
that you are righteous
only by faith?
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A.
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Not that I am acceptable to God
on account of the worthiness
of my faith,
for only the satisfaction, righteousness,
and holiness of Christ
is my righteousness before God. 1
I can receive this righteousness
and make it my own
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·
~Heidelberg 60&61
And of Good Works:
62.
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Q.
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But why can our good
works not be
our righteousness
before God,
or at least a part of
it?
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A.
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Because the righteousness
which can stand before God's judgment
must be absolutely perfect
and in complete agreement
whereas even our best works in this life
are all imperfect and defiled with sin. 2
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·
63.
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Q.
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But do our good works
earn nothing,
even though God
promises to reward them
in this life and the
next? 1
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A.
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This reward is not earned;
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·
64.
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Q.
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Does this teaching
not make people
careless and wicked?
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A.
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No.
It is impossible
that those grafted into Christ
by true faith
should not bring forth
fruits of thankfulness. 1
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o 1.Mt 7:18; Lk 6:43-45; Jn 15:5.
It is clear that Righteousness is something that is from outside of us, and
accomplished for us, but that holiness and good works are produced in us as
a result of righteousness which is by imputation.
"Paul in Romans 4 says that “the one who does not work but
trusts in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as
righteousness.” Yet we also read in James 2:24 that “a person is justified
by works and not by faith alone.” Do Paul and James contradict each other
in the matter of justification? How are these two passages to be
reconciled? That’s the focus of this edition of White Horse Inn." ~"Paul & James on Justification" White Horse Inn audio: https://www.whitehorseinn.org/show/paul-james-on-justification/
Paul and James do not contradict on the
doctrine of
justification, rather complement one another. Paul speaks of justification
before God. James speaks of this justification playing out before men. The one does not exclude the other,
but the good works and obedience that play out before men, in no way cause or merit our justification before God. The argument for a "final justification" would pit James
against Paul, saying that salvation is on the basis of works before
men, which is contrary to Reformed theology. It is to be rejected on the
basis that it is a rejection of Sola Fide and a rejection of Solus Christus. Christ alone justifies the ungodly, and union with Christ produces the fruit of salvation.
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"...The Sophists lay hold on the word justified, and then they cry out as being victorious, that justification is partly by works. But we ought to seek out a right interpretation according to the general drift of the whole passage. We have already said that James does not speak here of the cause of justification, or of the manner how men obtain righteousness, and this is plain to every one; but that his object was only to shew that good works are always connected with faith; and, therefore, since he declares that Abraham was justified by works, he is speaking of the proof he gave of his justification.
When, therefore, the Sophists set up James against Paul, they go astray through the ambiguous meaning of a term. When Paul says that we are justified by faith, he means no other thing than that by faith we are counted righteous before God. But James has quite another thing in view, even to shew that he who professes that he has faith, must prove the reality of his faith by his works. Doubtless James did not mean to teach us here the ground on which our hope of salvation ought to rest; and it is this alone that Paul dwells upon. (118)
That we may not then fall into that false reasoning which has deceived the Sophists, we must take notice of the two fold meaning, of the word justified. Paul means by it the gratuitous imputation of righteousness before the tribunal of God; and James, the manifestation of righteousness by the conduct, and that before men.." (Calvin's Commentary on the Bible)
And from Beza (Calvin's Student):
"Q. 154 Therefore, you say that good works are necessary to salvation? A: If faith is necessary to salvation, and works necessarily flow out of true faith, (as that which cannot be idle), certainly also it follows, that good works are necessary to salvation, yet not as the cause of salvation (for we are justified, and thus live, by faith alone in Christ), but as something necessarily attached to true faith. Just as Paul says, they are God’s children, who are led by the Spirit of God; and John, that he is righteous who works righteousness; and James also, explaining not by what method we are justified, but, from whence true faith and justification are known, proves by the example of Abraham that they are not justified who demonstrate no works of faith. For in this way James is reconciled with Paul, so that it is plain that they are contentious who condemn the necessity of good works as a false doctrine." ~A Little Book of Christian Questions and Responses
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