Justification and the Righteousness of God - Research Paper Example

Justification and the Righteousness of God Introduction Justification by faith is an essential doctrine in Christianity. The concept was developed by Paul in Romans 1: 171. According to Paul, “there is a revelation of righteousness of God from faith to faith: as said in the Holy Writings, the man who does righteousness will be living by his faith”. Paul has also discussed the revelation of the wrath of God from heaven to the wrongdoers and the evil thinking of men. According to Paul, there is no reason of committing evil, since all men have knowledge of God2. According to Romans 1: 18-32, God hates the evil thinking and wrongdoing of men and desires for the goods of others, envy, false statements, and evil talk3. The contemporary Evangelical church has adequately maintained the relationship between the justification by faith and wrath of God concepts. Paul teaches that justification is available to all through the righteousness of God4. Historical background of justification in faith According to Genesis, Abraham believed in God and was justified by his faith. Abraham did not deserve the justification through his excellent work. Abraham acts as an example for modern evangelical church that justification should be based on faith and wrongdoers experience the wrath of God5. According to the Biblical teachings in modern evangelical churches, blessed is the man whom God does not reckon sin6. Unlike the early doctrine, where people would confess and receive forgiveness from a priest by the sacrament of penance, contemporary evangelical justification in faith requires that sinners should confess their sins and believe in Jesus Christ alone. According to early Roman Catholic theology, individuals could not merit initial grace of God that leads to salvation. In Roman Catholic Church, saints temporarily freed a person of his sins through indulgence process7. The pope would declare unusual indulgence for the sole purpose of collecting funds to build St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, so poor souls remained in the dark as regards the true grace of God8. Early Reformers Contemporary evangelical justification in faith stems from Luther’s accusations of 1517; he believed that salvation resulted from faith in God through prayers and God’s grace through Jesus Christ. According to reformers, God punishes the unrighteous and justifies the sinners, but does not take away the guilt from the sinners. According to Calvin, Jesus Christ has cleansed all faults of individuals, since he accepted to be shamed in order to cloth people with purity. Reformers asserted that justification is through faith in Jesus Christ and not only through accepting the gospel but also through personal reliance on Jesus Christ9. Early British reformers like Bishop Latimer claimed that truth of justification is in trusting Christ as personal savior. Archbishop Crammer, who died a martyr, stressed that admirable work is not the way to justification, since justification only comes through the mercy of God and freely to all individuals10. During the 16th and 17th centuries, numerous evangelical confessions appeared, such as the Augsburg Confession of 1530 approved by Luther, where individuals confessed that forgiveness of sins is obtained from God by grace through Christ, who suffered so that they may attain eternal life. Article 91 of the Church of England clearly expressed that justification is not obtainable by the excellent work of men but through faith in God through Jesus Christ. Swiss reformed cities also believed in justification through faith in 1566, while Westminster Confession of 1649 contained justification on the basis of faith and not admirable work11. According to evangelical justification in faith, the Ancient Roman Catholic church had kept the people in dark by providing religious institutions that label people as just Christians. Trust in God was based on false human doctrine and thought and wrong traditions of the church. The Roman system glorified individuals, such as the priests and Pope, who had the power of indulgence. Evangelical Reformers clearly demonstrated from teaching of Paul in Romans that justification will be granted by God’s grace12. Contemporary evangelical justification in faith Modern evangelical church teaches certain benefits of justification through faith and avoiding wrongdoing. According to Romans 5: 1-2, people justified by faith have peace with God through Jesus Christ who died for their sins13. Such individuals have faith in grace of God and rejoice in the glory of God. Accordingly, the only way to attain salvation is to be justified by the grace of God through faith. Accordingly, Jesus Christ, who was the only son of God, denied sins for people for those who believe in faith to have eternal life14. Contemporary evangelical church has emphasized the glorious justification through faith by preaching God’s sovereignty grace in Jesus Christ. Although Roman Catholic Church has downplayed justification through faith doctrine, modern evangelical church is of the view that revelation of God justifies through faith in Jesus Christ and not through admirable works15. According to Luther, children should be brought up in the Church and participate in ceremonies that lead to their faith in God. Children would be baptized and finally be confirmed to receive the “divine food of the Eucharist”. Early reformers also believed that faith in God is the only method to be saved from the wrath of God. Modern evangelical church believes that the death of Jesus Christ is an assurance of their acceptance by God. They believe that such assurance does not come from their selfless work or abilities but by believing and relying on the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Modern evangelical Christians should not be terrified by evil spirits, since their faith in God commands them, strengthens them, and provides victory due to their faith in Christ16. According to Clement of Rome’s letter contained in Corinthians, modern evangelical Christians will be called through the will of Jesus Christ, and cannot be justified by their magnificent works, wisdom, or mere understanding, but can be justified only through faith in the Almighty God17. According to the modern evangelical Church, grace is God’s favor to people and it reassures God’s favorable attitude to people18. By living in the grace of God, people do not have to prove the unfailing love of God or the priceless debt settled by Jesus Christ when he died on the cross. According to the modern evangelical Church, the law does not justify human beings, since it failed the test in Adam experiment19. The law can only lead to more sins, since it creates a thin line between the right and wrong. Accordingly, there might be nothing wrong with the law but the desires of human beings will lead him to sin20. According to modern evangelical churches, the reign of God’s grace is marked by righteousness and promise of eternal life that is only achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. According to modern teachings, the reign of God’s grace brings salvation that appears to all men, but denies ungodliness and earthly lusts; Christians, therefore, should live righteously. Grace reigns through Jesus Christ who is the son of God. Grace is an undeserved favor that all Christians receive from God through Jesus Christ in order to get a chance of living the eternal life. According to modern evangelical churches, all human beings shall stand before God’s judgment in the final day, since all are accountable to God. God shall expose all the evil sins of the wrongdoers and judge them according to his righteousness. According to Romans 3:10, all men have fallen short of the Glory of God, and no one is righteous, so every individual shall be held accountable for his or her deeds before God21. There is nothing noble in man’s flesh, since such sinners have not purified their hearts by believing in Jesus Christ. According to modern evangelical teachings, when sinners realize the wrath of God can destroy them, they will surrender their lives to Jesus Christ to receive forgiveness22. Justification through faith does not do away with the innocence of the sins but brings forgiveness by God to the sinner and the purification of the heart. Justification does away with the guilt, so the sinner becomes righteous before God and is saved from the wrath of God. According to evangelical spiritual revival, the Holy Spirit guides individuals from sins once they choose to believe in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit satisfied God’s demand at Calvary when Jesus Christ died on the cross23. Modern evangelical churches have maintained the doctrine, since they believe in the covenant between God and his people. Justification through faith leads to God’s declaration that certain people are within the covenant. Such revelation is done through the Holy Spirit. The Gospel provides the modern covenant with God in modern evangelical teachings. All believers have faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the sake of righteousness. The blood that was shed by Jesus Christ on the cross marks a significant covenant for the purification of the sinners. Jesus Christ obeyed God by facing the wrath of sin so that other human beings may get the opportunity of believing in him and escaping the wrath of God. The Holy Spirit is another crucial aspect of the evangelical church justification, since he is a helper of the people and writes God’s will on the hearts of the people24. Modern evangelical churches have deviated from sanctification, since justification in faith alone guarantees the members’ eternal life after the final verdict during the judgment day. Evangelical churches ignore the old traditions of the Jewish-like circumcision and possession of the law to be declared as righteous by God. According to Paul, God called Abraham to save the world by establishing a covenant with God. According to Genesis 15:6, Abraham obeyed God and attained righteousness through grace and faith in God but not his actions25. The Exodus from Egypt and Passover Night also signified the historic covenant with God, and the covenant redeemed God’s children with the blood of Lamb due to their faith in God’s justification26. Modern evangelical churches also believe in the miracles of Jesus Christ on the Earth. Through teachings, miracles, temptations, and baptism, Jesus Christ accepted the will of God and died for the sins of other human beings. According to Paul, the Gospel of Jesus Christ proved beyond any reasonable doubt that God is righteous, and thus all people should believe in justification by faith27. According to modern evangelical churches, Abraham is the father of the great nation, since he obeyed the covenant with God by believing that God is righteous. God’s covenants with Abraham were based on grace and faith. For instance, though God redeemed his children from Egypt, the worldwide covenant with Jesus Christ was mainly made for worldwide forgiveness of sins. In Romans 9:30, Paul provides that both gentiles and Jews who have faith in the name of the Lord will all be saved, since God is righteous in the treatment of all Israelites and nations28. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only method that can be used to fulfill the covenant and law of God. According to Paul, certain Jewish traditions, like physical circumcision, are not necessary, since Christians should be circumcised spiritually by having faith in their righteous God29. According to contemporary evangelical churches, faith is evidenced by God’s grace that declares the individual as right. There is no particular work which evangelists should accomplish in order to believe in God and become righteous30. According to evangelistic churches, God has declared that those who eat with faith belong to the family and covenant community. Members of the evangelistic churches welcome each other in the church since God has already welcomed them to live as a family31. Salvation from the wrath of God Contemporary evangelistic churches still hold the relationship between justification in faith and the wrath of God. If members of the church do not admit their condition as sinful before God, there is no reason to trust in Jesus Christ, and the wrath of death follows them32. All people are sinners, since every individual is as guilty as anyone else. The wrath of God is a manifestation of the righteousness and holiness of God, since God hates wrongdoing. God does not take pleasure in wickedness, neither does he rejoice in sinners. Evangelical churches believe that sin will die and God is always angry with the wicked individuals. According to evangelical belief contained in Ezekiel 18: 4, those who practice wickedness in their lives are worth dying and those who reject the belief in justification through faith in the Son shall never see life33. According to some views contained in Revelation 20:7-15, sinners are tormented all days of their lives, since such nonbelievers experience God’s condemnation34. According to their teachings, God is righteous, holy, and demands justice and truth35. Evangelical churches view God as a righteous judge who judges all individuals according to his standards of righteousness. God’s law revelation is through the harsh judgments and wrath to the sinners. According to the gospel of the evangelical church, all men are sinners and guilty of the wrath of God, and it is only through justification in faith that individuals escape the wrath of God and attain external life36. Jesus Christ as the earthly son of God provides the channel through which individuals can escape the wrath of God for their sins. According to the evangelical church, God justifies every individual who confesses, and believes in, Christ. Another belief which strengthens evangelical concept of justification through faith is that God hates all unpleasant sinners and takes vengeance on all individuals who have rejected him37. The wrath of God has historically been revealed to the world. The church believes in the floods which destroyed the whole world during the period of Noah when people disobeyed God’s will. Another manifestation of the wrath of God to the sinners was the destruction of Gomorrah and Sodom, as told in Genesis 19:14-2738. The judgment against Egypt and destruction of the Canaanite nations was also a manifestation of God’s hatred for sinners. The recent terrorist attacks and events of 9/11 can also be viewed as wrath of God by the contemporary evangelical believers. Accordingly, the church also believes in the second coming of Jesus Christ and the eventual destruction of sinners by flaming fire whereby sinners will burn for their entire life. According to the evangelical church views, revelation of the wrath of God is a continuous process which does not have to happen dramatically. According to Paul’s teachings, numerous sanctions accompany any rebellion against the will of God. For instance, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Aden, which was against the will of God, they committed a sin and the wrath of God accompanied them. Modern evangelistic philosophers assert that the World War II was God’s wrath against the sinners. Communism, which hindered God’s law regarding the need to work and till the soil, was accompanied by God’s wrath, since the war broke out in several communist countries. The social problems that accompany the current American society – family breakdowns, prostitution, and natural disasters, such as earth quakes –can be viewed as God’s wrath, since modern societies are characterized by sins such as prostitution, robbery, and drug abuse39. According to Paul in Romans, the wrath of God will destroy both the unrighteous and ungodly individuals. Ungodly individuals include the irreligious – those who do not consider God as their Creator, protector, and savior. The ungodly people do not seek God and are characterized by idolatry and immorality. Ungodly people have no love for God their creator and cannot love fellow men and respect their neighbors. According to Paul and the Ten Commandments, love for God should come first before the love for neighbors, and all individuals should never break this Law. According to Paul, claim of the lack of knowledge of God will not make sinners escape the wrath of God, since the real knowledge of God is observable through his creation. God’s revelation is a natural revelation, since it has been addressed equally to all men and is accessible to all individuals without exception. Special revelation of God is also contained in the Holy Book, the Bible, where different scriptures describe the righteousness and laws of God to all the sinners. Special revelation requires individual faith in the word of God and adherence to God’s laws. God also did not leave the world without some witnesses, since rains from heavens and hearts filled with hope and gladness are demonstrations of the existence of God and his righteousness40. According to the Biblical teachings, only the foolish say there is no God, since after examining geography and archeology one can safely conclude that God exists. According to Paul, Christians should believe in God’s justification through faith, since God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and eternal. According to Genesis 1: 6-7, man cannot escape the presence of God, since he has been granted unique reasoning ability and intelligence over other animals, which is critical in differentiating right and wrong41. Conclusion Justification through faith in Jesus Christ is the basis of modern evangelical Christianity. It is the key to the kingdom of heaven, since individuals avoid the wrath of death when they believe in Jesus Christ. Avoidance of evil and wrongdoing makes individuals maintain their faith in God. God’s grace is attained through faith in God. Contemporary evangelical churches believe that salvation is granted by the grace of God through Jesus Christ after a person believes in God. Justification is by the grace of God through faith alone, and individuals do not deserve justification due to their outstanding work. Salvation saves individuals from God’s wrath, since God is righteous and hates sins. Knowledge of God is acquired through natural revelation contained in God’s creation, and both ungodly and unrighteous people experience God’s wrath in equal measure. Bibliography Barclay, William. Ambassador for Christ: The Life and Teaching of Paul. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 1973. Brown, Raymond E. The Anchor Bible Reference Library: An Introduction to the New Testament. New York, NY: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1997. Holy Bible. New International Version. Eveson, Philip H. “Justification and Evangelical Christianity: A Historical Concern.” Reformation and Revival RAR 06:4 (Fall 1997): 50-64. Jensen, Fred. A study of the foundation of justification. London: Taylor & Francis, 2011. Knox, John, and Gerald R. Cragg. The Interpreters Bible Vol IX: The Epistle to the Romans. Nashville TN: Abingdon Press, 1954. Malone, Fred A. “Justification by Faith Alone in Contemporary Theological Perspective: A Critique of "New Covenant Nomism".” Reformed Baptist Theological Review RBTR 01:01 (January 2004). Moo, Douglas J. The NIV Application Commentary: Romans. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000. Moody, Dale. The Broadman Bible Commentary: Romans. Nachville, TN: Broadman Press, 1970. Mounce, Robert H. The New American Commentary: Romans Vol. 27. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995. Sproul, R.C. Justified by faith alone. Wheaton: Crossway, 2010. Wilkin, Robert N. “Justification by Faith Alone is an Essential Part of the Gospel.” Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society JOTGES 18:35 (autumn 2005): 4-14 Read More