Linking: Is the Reformation Over?

Does justification by faith alone matter anymore? Is the Reformation over?

R.C. Sproul provides excellent answers to these questions as he deals with the critical topic of justification. Sproul is correct in saying that justification by faith alone is a core attribute of the biblical gospel. He points out how the Roman Catholic Church has steadfastly rejected the notion that faith is enough for salvation. Please read the post. It is relatively short and worth your time.


(HT: Arthur)

Why Does Christ's Resurrection Even Matter?

Within Christianity we talk a lot about Jesus Christ's crucifixion. This is a good thing. We ought to continually honor him for it. It is through Christ's substitutionary atoning work that we are saved.

We tend to talk somewhat less about Jesus' resurrection. I'm not sure why this is. After all, it is a stunning miracle. Maybe the reason is that we aren't exactly sure what the significance of the resurrection is. While we embrace the crucifixion because it paid for our sins, we might not know why we should cherish the resurrection equally as much.

Simply put, why does the resurrection even matter?

I've been thinking about this quite a bit over the last couple of days. The reason is somewhat self-centered; I wanted to make sure that I know why Christ's being raised from the dead really matters. After looking up a variety of bible passages and consulting with my favorite systematic theology text, I now feel comfortable that I know why the resurrection is significant.

Being a blogger, I feel compelled to share my findings with you. What I'm writing here is nothing new theologically. You may find it fairly basic. That's fine. My hope is that it will assist you in thinking just a little bit more clearly about why Jesus' coming back to life is something that we as his people ought to adore.

I found six different reasons, although all are ultimately connected:

1. Most importantly, Christ's resurrection brings glory to the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11 tells us, "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Although this passage does not specifically mention the resurrection, it is clear that through the resurrection all will eventually (at one time or another) submit to Christ, bringing glory to the Father.

2. Christ's resurrection shows that he has supreme authority.

"...and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all" Ephesians 1:19-22. Paul makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is in charge of all things.

3. Christ's resurrection is directly connected to our regeneration.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" I Peter 1:3. The apostle Peter informs us that we are born again through the resurrection.

4. Christ's resurrection is directly connected to our justification.

In Romans 4:22-25 Paul writes the following, "That is why his faith was 'counted to him as righteousness.' But the words 'it was counted to him' were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." This passage indicates that the acts of crucifixion and resurrection were both necessary to bring about our salvation. Also implied is that the resurrection is evidence that the Father accepted the Son's sacrifice as both valid and sufficient.

5. Christ's resurrection gives us reason to have faith in Christ and hope in our future resurrection.

According the Paul, "But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain...but in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" I Corinthians 15:13-14, 20. Without the resurrection, it is all pointless.

In a similar way Peter says, "He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God" I Peter 1:20-21. Our faith in Christ as Lord and Savior is directly related to his being raised.

6. Christ's resurrection provides us with post-salvation marching orders.

Jesus did not leave us here to remain as we were prior to knowing him. At the conclusion of I Corinthians 15 Paul writes, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" I Corinthians 15:58. The apostle's use of the word therefore to begin this verse points back to the first fifty-seven verses of the chapter that focus almost exclusively on Christ's and our resurrections. God expects us, in light of the resurrection of the body, to stand for him and work for him.


The bible gives us ample evidence that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is extremely significant. Let's cherish this stunning event just as much as we do the crucifixion. The two go hand-in-hand.

Justification by Faith Alone - A Few More Questions

As I close out this mini-series on justification I'd like to briefly address three questions:

1. What about the sacraments?

The sacraments (or ordinances) are beautiful gifts that God has given to His church. Both baptism and the Lord's Supper remind us of what Christ has accomplished and reassure us of our new lives in Him. They should be joyful acts that unify Christ's church and glorify God.

Although they have spiritual significance, the sacraments are performed by man. We baptize. We partake of the Lord's table. Therefore, these are works (good ones at that). Because works in no way contribute to the basis of our justification, we can conclude with confidence that neither baptism nor the Lord's Supper is required for justification, and therefore, salvation.

2. What about The Apostles' Creed?

I have read and heard Christians who say that The Apostles' Creed spells out salvation sufficiently. The thinking (by some) is that the truths stated in this creed are all we need and that anything more specific divides the church.

As for me, I believe that while The Apostles' Creed is accurate, I do not believe it is sufficient. In other words, it leaves out a great deal of important information about salvation. Specifically, it does not speak to how guilty man can be made righteous before holy God. In other words, how is man justified?

Let's remember that all creeds are man-made documents, and therefore are not perfect. While I embrace the great truths of this document, I believe it is lacking in key areas.

3. Is it necessary to believe it for salvation?

Another way to ask this is, "Does a person have to believe in justification by faith alone in order to be saved?"

Or, with more words, "Does someone have to believe in justification by faith alone in order to be justified by faith alone?"

I'll admit that this is a difficult one.

First, in order to have a full and accurate understanding of the gospel, I believe that a person must believe in justification by faith alone.

Second, different people may believe this doctrine but state it differently (thus causing some difficulty in discussion).

Third, we are all faulty and therefore probably do not perfectly understand all nuances of the gospel.

Fourth, God is gracious.

Keeping all that in mind, I believe that a person can be saved even if he believes that some combination of faith and works leads to justification. However, I could be wrong and therefore would not want to be that person. If that person is relying on faith (but just happens to believe works are beneficial), then I think he will be saved. If, on the other hand, that person is actually relying on good works for salvation, then I fear for His soul.

Ultimately salvation is of the Lord. He will justify whomever He wills. Some will probably be justified by God even though they hold some faulty beliefs about this issue. Again, I'd rather not test God on that one.

The scriptures are clear. God justifies based on faith. This leads to good works. Let's not confuse the two.

Justification by Faith Alone - What About James?

We have seen that in both Galatians and Romans the Apostle Paul makes the case that we are justified (declared both not guilty and righteous) based on faith alone in Christ. He explicitly discounts works as a basis for justification.

As we look at this issue, we must also stare hard at what James has to say. Some people say that James contradicts Paul. Is that what's going on? Let's see.

This passage is critical so I'm going to quote all of James 2:14-26 below:

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe- and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness' - and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."

What is going on here? Do James and Paul disagree? I don't think so.

Paul and James seem to be speaking of justification in different ways. While Paul makes the case that faith alone is the basis for justification, James is saying that good works act as evidence that justification has, in fact, taken place. Another way of famously saying it is, "Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone."

We must remember that one of the main themes of the book of James is that true Christians live godly, sacrificial lives. In other words, followers of Christ live changed lives. They do not live like the world. There is evidence in the life of the Christian that he is, in fact, saved.

In the above passage, James is anticipating the argument from some that faith is all that is needed for salvation and that works don't matter at all. James smashes this idea by saying that faith alone is not saving faith. It is instead dead. Justifying faith is always accompanied by works.

We can also say that faith is the root of justification while works are the fruit. If there's no fruit, the tree is dead.

But what about James 2:24? It says, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." This verse, taken by itself, seems to say that works are required for justification.

So what do we do with this? More important, what did James mean by it? That is the key.

Again, we must remember James' primary theme: true Christianity evidences itself in godliness. While Paul spends much time (especially in Romans) discussing the actual process, means, and basis of salvation, James does not do this. Rather, James assumes that his readers understand all this. He is writing to exhort them to live out the faith they say saves them.

Paul's explanation focuses on the basis of justification. James' explanation focuses on evidence for justification.

Another way to say it is that while Paul looks at the necessary cause of justification, James looks at the necessary effect.

In the end, we see that Paul and James agree. They are simply looking at the issue of justification from two different angles.

Justification by Faith Alone - Romans

In many ways the letter to the Galatians is a mini-version of the letter to the Romans. Because of their similar themes, it's not surprising that Paul deals extensively with justification in writing to the Roman Christians.

Toward the end of Romans chapter three, after Paul has made an exhaustive case that all humanity is guilty before God, the apostle writes this (3:20), "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." From this we can conclude a couple of things. First, no one is justified (declared both not guilty and righteous) by works. Second, if anyone is to be justified, it will be on the basis of something other than works.

We are briefly left wondering what the basis of the justification will be.

Paul answers this question with the clear affirmation that justification comes through faith alone. In what is one of the most important paragraphs in all scripture, Paul writes (3:21-26), "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it - the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Paul tells us that we are justified by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who is our redemption and propitiation.

As if to further make his case, Paul says (3:27-28), "Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law."

In Romans chapter 4, Paul points back to two important figures from the Old Testament to show that even then justification came through faith apart from the law. The two people Paul selects are two of the most prominent in both Jewish history and in the ancestry of Christ: Abraham and David.

In Romans 4:1-8, Paul writes, "What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.' Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.'"

Paul goes on to inform us that both Jew and Gentile are declared just because of faith and not works. This is all a gift of God based on the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Romans reads much like a lawyer making a logical case for the gospel. Step-by-step, Paul lays out God's plan before us. After seeing that all are guilty because they have all transgressed God's law, we read that no one can be justified because of the works of the law.

At first this seems like terrible news. If we can't be counted righteous by works of the law, then how can it possibly happen? This is when we read, beginning in 3:21, of the almost unbelievable truth that God declares us just because of a gift of His grace through our faith.

As in Galatians, Paul makes the clear contrast between faith and works. He leaves no room for a faith-plus-works scenario. His entire emphasis is upon justifying faith.

Both of these epistles cry out that justification comes by faith alone.

Justification by Faith Alone - Galatians

Justification by faith alone is a doctrine that most Protestants (at least those who think about theological things) love. It is the primary doctrine that the Reformation was all about. It is a doctrine that rejects all works-based theories of salvation.

But is this doctrine really all that important? Is it something worth fighting for? Is it something we should divide over? Is it simply fine to "agree to disagree" about this doctrine?

The key is whether or not justification by faith alone is a core aspect of the gospel message itself. If it is, then we should argue strongly for it. If it is not, then we can surely discuss it, but it should not be a point of contention.

As always, we must look to the bible for answers. We will first look to Paul's letter to the Galatians because this is the primary issue discussed. In Galatians, Paul is writing to churches in Galatia that he probably planted. The apostle's concern is that false teachers had crept into these churches and began teaching a false gospel based upon works of the law. Basically, they were teaching that Gentiles had to become law-abiding Jews in order to be saved.

Paul's letter is a stern rebuke of these false teachings. Right from the beginning of the epistle, Paul writes the following:

Galatians 1:6-9, "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed."

Paul makes it clear in the above verses that his concern is that the Galatian Christians were beginning to follow a false gospel.

In light of this, we must know what this false gospel was really all about. Paul tells us in several places in chapters two and three. The issue itself is one of justification. Paul writes:

Galatians 2:16, "...yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."

Galatians 3:6, "...just as Abraham 'believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'."

Galatians 3:11, "Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"

In 2:16 we see what is probably Paul's clearest teaching on the issue. He offers us a stark contrast. Justification is based on faith in Christ. It is not based on works of the law. Although the apostle does not write "by faith alone," it is clear that this is what he means. We know this because he discounts any works.

In 3:6, Paul reminds us that Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith - long before the law even existed.

In 3:11, Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4, showing that even in post-Sinai-OT justification came through faith as opposed to the law.

Why is all this so important? In this epistle, Paul ties together the very truth of the gospel with justification by faith alone. In chapter one he blasts that Galatians for turning from the gospel. In chapters two and three he explains that we are justified (declared righteous before holy God) because of faith and not works. We must not ignore this connection. Justification is at the heart of the gospel itself.

In light of this, we must come to the conclusion that justification by faith alone is a core aspect of the gospel itself. Therefore, it is worth fighting for.