Christ, our righteousness by Mark A. Seifrid

Author:Mark A. Seifrid
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: justification;justified;Jesus;Paul;Old Testament law;righteousness;new perspective;Romans;Pauline theology;Reformers;New Studies in Biblical Theology;NSBT;Biblical theology;theology;Bible;Scripture;Christian;Christian theology;silver;silver series;D.
ISBN: 9780830881147
Publisher: InterVarsity Christian
Published: 2018-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Faith and justification

Paul speaks with particular frequency of ‘justification’ as the saving benefit given to faith. He occasionally employs other terms: salvation (Rom. 9:33; 10:9–10; 13:11; 1 Cor. 1:21; 15:2; Eph. 2:8), grace (Rom. 5:2), the promise (Rom. 4:13, 16; Gal. 3:22), the Spirit (Gal. 3:2, 5, 14), access to God (Eph. 3:12), Christ himself (Eph. 3:17). But the connection between faith and justification is prominent, and stands in contrast with the ‘holiness’ word-group in Paul’s letters.51 We have here Paul’s ‘grammar of righteousness’: over against the righteousness of the law which comes by works stands the righteousness of faith which arises from the promise of God fulfilled in Christ. Faith has its place in this ‘grammar’, since it is not a generalized trust in God, but derives from the divine promise to Abraham. That is to say, the justifying work of God takes the same form within us in faith as it does outside of us in the cross and resurrection. This form has two fundamental aspects, which we have noted already. On the one hand, ‘faith’ involves our recognition of the absolute gratuity of our justification. We believe in ‘the one who justifies the ungodly’, as Abraham did (Rom. 4:5). Faith itself comes to us as a gift from God: ‘faith is from the proclamation, and proclamation is from the message of Christ’ (Rom. 10:17). On the other hand, ‘faith’ is a matter of obedience, in which we are brought to nothing in our own estimation, and justify God in his contention with us. The life of the believer likewise conforms to this pattern, since we share in both the sufferings of Christ and the comfort given through him. In this way we are made to trust in God alone, and to give thanks to him alone. In faith God comes to be God in us. This, and nothing less, is obedience.

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