Larry J. Kane
Introduction
According
to the 1888 Message Study Committee ("1888 MSC"), the 1888 message reveals
many "fresh, beautiful truths . . . that are not usually understood
today."[1] One such "truth" is the concept that Christ's death
at the cross accomplished a legal or objective justification which is
universally and unconditionally applied to all men.[2] This
doctrine is said to derive from the observations that Christ has borne
the sins of "all men" and has died the second death for "every man." It
is viewed as the basis for the present life enjoyed by all men. This legal
justification, also referred to as a corporate justification, is distinguished
by its proponents from justification by faith, or "experiential" justification,
and should not be taken to imply universal salvation wherein all men would
be saved, some even against their will. The especial merit of such universal
legal justification, as seen by the spokesmen for the 1888 MSC, is that
it provides foundational proof and an earnest of the loving initiative
taken by God to bring about man's salvation. When the full import of God's
initiative on man's behalf is recognized, it is believed to be pivotal
in galvanizing the sinner's complete devotion to, and saving faith in,
Christ.
I. Examination
of Key Scriptural Texts
A
number of scriptural passages are cited as authority for the doctrine
of universal or corporate legal justification.[3] This essay
first summarizes an analysis of the pivotal scriptures and whether they
support this tenet of the 1888 MSC. Later sections explore ancillary issues
implicated by a universal or corporate legal justification, including
the dimensions of justification by faith and the extent of God's initiative
for the salvation of men.
Romans 3:23,
24
One of the cardinal
rules of hermeneutics is that a scripture must be understood within the
overall context in which it is found if the writer's intent is to be accurately
discerned. The necessity of this principle lies in the fact that it is
not usually possible to include all essential components of a proposition
within one or two sentences. Often, several sentences or more are necessary
to fully express the concept at issue. Moreover, more complex scriptural
themes usually have many facets, not all of which are addressed within
the immediate context of a statement on the matter. Thus, the more reliable
approach for reaching a complete understanding of a particular proposition
is to review all relevant statements from scripture which bear upon the
issue.
These interpretative principles
must be violated if Romans 3:23-24 is to be read as supportive or a universal
justification, albeit only a "legal" justification. If one were to isolate
these two verses from their surroundings, one might think the two could
be linked directly so as to construe them to say that "since all have
sinned, all are justified freely." This is apparently the view of the
1888 MSC.[4]
However, the immediate
context of verses 23 and 24 is a passage extending from Romans 3:20-31
expounding upon the theme of righteousness by faith. The broader milieu
spans back to the beginning of chapter 2 wherein Paul, in comparing Jews
and Gentiles in relation to God and His judgment, concludes that both
are in the same predicament. God, being "no respecter of persons,"[5]
judges both by the same standard: by whether their deeds are righteous
or unrighteous. Such being the case, the problem is succinctly stated
in verses 10 and 23: "There is none righteous, no, not one." "For all
have sinned."[6] Thus, Paul rightly observes in Romans 3:20
that no person (no "flesh") shall be justified before God by the deeds
of the law. All have sinned and, consequently, are already condemned under
the law.
It is at this point, beginning
with verse 22, that Paul introduces his insightful summary of the plan
of salvation: There is a righteousness of God arising from a source other
than the keeping of the law, "even the righteousness of God which is by
faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." This "righteousness
by faith" is the direct, logical antecedent of the phrase "being justified
freely by his grace" of verse 24. This justification, freely available
through faith in Christ, stands in bold contrast to the unavailability
of justification through observance of the law.
The mechanism by which the
justification of verse 24 is freely provided is explained in the latter
part of that verse and the following verse. It is the operation of grace
through the redemption in Christ Jesus, which is achieved by the sacrifice
of His life as a propitiation. Significantly, this propitiation is stated
to be effective for the sinner only through faith in His blood
(vs. 25). It is the sacrificial death of the sinless Christ, as guilty
man's substitute, which fully satisfies the penalty of the law and thus
demonstrates God's righteousness and justice in remitting the sins of
the believer and justifying him (vss. 25, 26).
From this we see that verses
23 and 24 of Romans 3 are not closely linked in parallelism such that
the justification of verse 24 would be freely given, implied, to the "all"
who have been found to be sinful in verse 23, as is advocated by the 1888
MSC. Instead, verse 23 is obviously a continuation of the last phrase
of verse 22 and the combined passage is seen to be a parenthetical statement
to emphasize that the "all" of verse 22 to whom righteousness is made
available through their belief in Christ encompasses both Jew and Gentile,
"for there is no difference, for all"-both Jew and Gentile-"have
sinned."
This parenthetical remark harkens
back to Romans 3:9-18 wherein Paul emphatically states that the Jews possess
no moral superiority over the Gentiles for they all are under sin, none
are righteous. Because all men, of all races and creeds, have sinned under
God's law, there is no one who can be justified by the deeds of the law
(vs. 20).
Consequently, Paul wishes to
leave no doubt that "the righteousness of God without the law . . .
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all . . . them that believe"
is equally relevant and essential to all men of all persuasions, Jew and
Greek, free and bond, man and woman. Thus, the parenthetical sentence
is added to accentuate the universal need. Verse 24 returns to the theme
of verses 21 and 22: the righteousness (or justification) of God which
is made available by faith in and through Christ.[7]
Dr. E. J. Waggoner, one
of the principal articulators of the original 1888 message, is quite lucid
on the interrelationship between verse 24 and verses 21-22. He comments
extensively on Romans 3 in his seminal work, Christ and His Righteousness.<[8]
On page 61 of this work, Waggoner declares: "The scripture that we have
just been considering (Rom. 3:24-26) is but another statement of verses
21, 22. . . ."[9]
Since Romans 3:21-22
unmistakably describe righteousness (justification) by faith, we have
Waggoner's unequivocal conclusion that one is "justified freely" (vs.
24) by faith alone. Nowhere in his discussion does Waggoner propose that
the justification of verse 24 is different from the justification elsewhere
described in verses 22-26. In fact, as mentioned below, his conclusion
is quite the opposite: There is only one justification, that of faith
(and, we must say, that which embraces both objective and subjective aspects).
Throughout the entire passage
in Romans 3:21-31, Paul repeatedly identifies the key qualification to
justification: that it is "by faith" in the redeeming Christ. (See verse
22, "which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all . . . them that
believe"; verse 25, "propitiation through faith in his [Christ's] blood";
verse 26, "that he [God] might be just, and the justifier of him which
believeth in Jesus"; verse 28, "we conclude that a man is justified by
faith"; verse 30, "one God, . . . shall justify the circumcision
by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.") Clearly, in the face of
this consistent theme, there are no grounds on which to contend that the
justification of verse 24 has a basis other than faith.
Any assertion that the justification
described in Romans 3:24 is a universal "legal" justification, imputed
without condition of faith, is manifestly at odds with Dr. Waggoner's
understanding. As described above, Waggoner observes that Romans 3:24-26
is "but another statement of verses 21, 22." Thus, the justification freely
provided by God's grace is the "righteousness of God which is by faith
of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." Commenting elsewhere
on Romans 3, Waggoner further emphasizes this point in his declaration
that the justification of verse 24 means "to be clothed within and without
with the righteousness of God," that is, to encompass both the imputed
and imparted righteousness of God, to include both objective and subjective
justification.[10] Moreover, the verses cited by Waggoner to
explain how justification is given "freely" unquestionably convey the
conditionality of that provision. The gift, free through it may wonderfully
be, still must be accepted by the recipient. He must respond to Christ's
invitation of Revelation 22:17, "'Whosoever will, let him take the water
of life freely.' That is, let him take it as a gift."
Romans 5:12-18
It is this passage,
and specifically verse 18, that is relied upon most heavily by the 1888
MSC in support of the doctrine of a universal "legal" justification. Here
again, the interpretation advocated by the 1888 MSC is not consistent
with application of sound hermeneutic principles, including the understanding
of a verse within its larger context.
Verse 18 reads as follows:
Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;
even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life.
This
verse is construed by the 1888 MSC as teaching a universal legal justification
on two grounds. For one, the structure of the verse is viewed as a perfect
parallel: The judgment which came upon all men by Adam's sin is matched
by the free gift which came upon all men unto justification of life through
Christ's righteousness. As there is no exception with the former, so there
can be no exception with the latter.[11] Second, that the gift
unto justification is free is viewed by Waggoner as "evidence that there
is no exception to its application.[12]
In beginning an analysis
of Romans 5, one first must recognize that it is a continuation of the
theme introduced in the third chapter, that is, righteousness by faith.
As discussed above concerning Romans 3:23-24, the only justification presented
in the third chapter is that which is accessed by faith in Christ and
His sacrificial death. So begins the fifth chapter: "Therefore, being
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Comparisons
of the Acts of the First and Second Adams
In Romans 5:12-21,
Paul provides a series of comparisons between the sin of Adam (and its
consequences) and the righteousness of Christ and its ramifications. The
intent of these comparative illustrations seems to be to emphasize how
much the righteous act of Christ overshadows the sinful work of Adam.
That Paul intends to demonstrate
that the result of Christ's righteousness far exceeds the legacy of Adam
is quickly seen from the following: "But not as the offence,
so also is the free gift" (Rom. 5:15). "For if many are dead
all through the offence of Adam, so, much more, the grace of
God and the gift of grace (righteousness) has abounded, through Christ,
unto many."[13] In other words, the gift of grace, Christ's
righteousness, is more than able to negate the death brought through sin.
Again, in Romans 5:16, the
superiority of the gift is accentuated. While judgment came because of
the one sin of Adam leading to condemnation, in contrast, the
free gift of righteousness through Christ is sufficient to bring justification
for a multitude of sins.
Yet again, Romans 5:17
emphasizes that the result of Christ's righteousness-the reign
in life by those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift
of his righteousness-predominates over the death reigning
through Adam's offence. This preeminence is seen to be even greater when
the life in which the recipients of grace reign is recognized as encompassing
an eternity.
It seems relatively clear that
Paul's burden here is not to establish that the present life in carnal
flesh is the gift of God (although we fully agree that it is God's gift).
Generally, men and women accept this present life as a given. Mankind's
preeminent concern, which Paul addresses in this chapter, is the death
which follows and the absence of a remedy (but for the gracious gift of
Christ). Thus, the death addressed in Romans 5 is most immediately the
first death which has reigned throughout man's experience (although that
death implicitly carries with it the promise of the second death as the
sentence for sin but for the salvation graciously made possible through
the righteousness act of the man Jesus Christ).
Thus, in brief, the point of
Romans 5:12-21 is, in large part, to convey emphatically how much greater
and more potent is the glorious effect of Christ's righteous act of a
perfect sacrifice over the doleful effect of Adam's sin.
What Is the
Free Gift of Romans 5?
As we have seen, Romans
5:12-21 repeatedly refers to the free gift which abounds to men through
Christ's righteousness.[14] But what is this gift? The answer
comes clearly from verse 17: the gift of righteousness. Whose righteousness?
Certainly, the righteousness of Christ, which appears from verses 15 and
17. As we have noted, chapter 5 continues the theme of chapter 3. Thus,
the righteousness of Christ spoken of in Romans 5:12-21 must be the righteousness
of Christ which is received by His believers through their faith as shown
in Romans 3:21-22. Moreover, the gift of Christ's righteousness is described
as given "by grace" (Rom. 5:17), which is consistent with the justification
freely given through grace, which comes through faith in Christ's blood,
as stated in Romans 3:24-25 and 5:1. This conclusion is in accord with
Waggoner's understanding.[15]
From this, we conclude
that the free gift which came upon "all men" in Romans 5:18 is the one
and same righteousness of Christ by faith. There is no basis to identify
a gift of righteousness here which differs from that of preceding or following
verses.[16] In fact, verse 18 is seen to be a summing up or
conclusion of the preceding verses 12-17. This being so, the justification
of verse 18 is that which occurs by faith and the life which results is
Christ's life within the believer which culminates in eternal life with
Christ.
The close, direct relationship
between the believer's receipt of the righteousness of Christ by faith
and His justification by faith appears frequently in Scripture. As stated
so directly in Romans 3:24-26, the righteousness of Christ is demonstrated
to be sufficient that His sacrifice may justly discharge the penalty of
the law and bring about the remission of sins, such that Christ may be
the justifier of those who believe in Him. In essence, to be "righteous"
and to be "just" have virtually the same meaning (as is apparent from
the Greek, with one word being used for both): to be righteous is to obey
the law, for unrighteousness is sin, which is transgression of the law
(1 John 3:4). To be justified is to be found righteous.
That the "justification" of
Romans 5:18 is justification by faith can be seen by further comparison
with the immediately preceding and following verses. In Romans 5:17, the
reign of death (which is described in previous verses as affecting all
men) is contrasted with the reign in life of those who receive
the abundance of God's grace and abundance of the gift of Christ's righteousness.
It can only be the believer who has invited Christ to rule in his life
and who thus walks after the Spirit (Rom. 8:4) who can be described as
reigning in life. Whether the reign is considered to be a victorious overcoming
in this life, through the indwelling presence of Christ by his Spirit,
or the reign prophesied for believers after Christ's second coming (Rev.
20:4), it can only be applied to the believer. It would be a farce to
describe a carnally minded person, living apart from Christ, as reigning
in life. Similarly, the contrast in Romans 5:21 is between the sin which
reigned unto death and the grace which reigns through righteousness unto
eternal life. It is only the believer who is reigning or is the object
of the reign of grace in verses 17 and 21. Likewise, the justification
of verse 18 must be that of the believer by faith.
A final comparison is provided
to corroborate the conclusion. In 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, we find
an abbreviated version of the comparisons of Romans 5.
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
The obvious comparison is between
the death resulting from sin and the life through the resurrection made
available through Christ. The life which is contrasted with death is,
thus, eternal life of the saved. This clear statement confirms the inference
expressed above that the life which results from justification in Romans
5:18 is the eternal life of the redeemed and that the justification must
be that of faith. It also becomes more apparent from the passage in 1 Corinthians
15 that the parallel between the effects of the acts of Adam and Christ,
while stated quite literally, perhaps for literary effect, cannot be literally
intended. While all die the death of Adam, not all will be resurrected
unto eternal life.
The Condemnation
of Romans 5:18 and
8:1 and the Meaning of "In Christ"
In Romans 5:18, the
sin of Adam is said to have brought judgment upon all men resulting in the
condemnation of all.[17] However, under the 1888 MSC understanding
of this verse, the righteousness of Christ brought the free gift upon all
men so as to result in the legal justification of all. "As 'all men' are
under the legal 'condemnation' 'in Adam' by birth, so Christ has become
the 'last Adam' in whom the entire human race are legally acquitted. . . .
This is the 'in Christ' idea of the New Testament."[18]
If it is correct to say
that all men, whether converted or not, have had their legal status before
God adjusted to reflect Christ's imputed righteousness,[19] then
the condemnation of the law necessarily must have been negated for all men
without condition.
Such a state of affairs does
not square with the first verse of Romans 8: "There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. . . ." The
rather obvious corollary to this verse is that condemnation continues to
weigh upon those who are not in Christ, a situation which could not exist
if all condemnation had been effectually eliminated by Christ's sacrifice.
But, objects the 1888 MSC, there
is no conflict between Romans 5:18 and 8:1 for the reason that all men are
"in Christ" regardless of their belief or unbelief in Christ. Thus, the
import of Romans 8:1 is said to be that there is now no condemnation for
anyone since all are in Christ. Regrettably, such a position is unwarranted
in view of the context. Whatever applicability corporate representational
concepts may have in chapter 5 of Romans, they have no place in chapter
8.
Verse 8:1 immediately follows
Paul's recounting of the pathetic dilemma of the individual who desires
to serve God and obey His commandments but finds himself powerless to do
so. Romans 8:1 assures such a one that, if he is willing to walk after the
Spirit rather than after the flesh, if he is thus in Christ, God will remove
the condemnation and guilt which has been weighing down his soul.[20]
Sin in the flesh, which
has brought about the condemnation of the sinner of chapter 7 leaving him
in anguish, remains condemned in chapter 8. In fact, it is shown to be irrevocably
condemned in that it has brought about Christ's substitutionary, sacrificial
death, as described in verse 3. However, it is His death which enables the
lifting of condemnation from those who are "in Christ," having accepted
His righteousness by faith.
Perusal of Romans 8 shows uncontrovertible
evidence throughout that the benefits of Christ's life are not there discussed
as universally applied to all in a corporate sense but individually to the
believer. Numerous contrasts are presented between those who walk in Christ
after the Spirit and those who are carnally (sinfully) minded. But one notable
example is, "they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not
in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in
you. . . . And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because
of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Rom. 8:8-10).
Romans 8 is exemplary of the
clear theme running throughout Scriptures to the effect that Christ assumes
an indwelling presence in the life of the believer once he is converted.
Only then can a person be said to be "in Christ." See, for example, 2 Corinthians
5:17; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:8-10, where Paul states that "I have
suffered the loss of all things [for Christ] . . . that I may
win Christ, and
be found in him, not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ"; and
Colossians 1:26-28; 2:6, where Paul describes this theme as "the mystery
which hath been hid from ages . . . now is made manifest to his
saints . . . which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: whom we
preach, . . . that we may present every man perfect in Christ
Jesus. . . . As you have therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk ye in him."
Moreover, if we were to suppose
that Christ's death had eradicated condemnation of the law for all men,
unconditionally, we would be confronted by John 3:18, which states that
"he that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God." Moreover, under the law, all the world is "guilty
before God" (Rom. 3:19). Since guilt is the companion of condemnation, the
latter must still be in the world weighing upon the sinner until he accepts
the redemption of Christ.
Looking once again to Waggoner,
we find that he likewise understood Romans 8:1 as discussed above. In commenting
upon this verse, Waggoner observes that "getting into Christ is only the
beginning, not the end, of Christian life. It is the entrance of the school
where we are to learn of Him. He takes the ungodly man with all his evil
habits and forgives all his sins, so that he is counted as if he had never
sinned. [Here, we might note, is legal justification: at the point of conversion.]
Then he continues to give him his own life, by which he may overcome his
evil habits."[21] Also in
Christ and His Righteousness
Waggoner is indisputably clear in the following statement given on page
88:
The
freedom from condemnation comes to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom.
8:1); and we put on Christ by faith (Gal. 3:26, 27). It is by faith
that Christ dwells in our hearts.
In view of the foregoing, one must strenuously protest the proposition
that the freedom from condemnation for those who are "in Christ," as described
in Romans 8:1, is somehow supportive of a universal legal justification
whereby the "entire human race are legally acquitted."
In concluding this analysis
of the two principal scriptural passages cited by the 1888 MSC as foundation
for a universal legal justification, it has been seen that neither provides
support for such a doctrine. Upon close examination, both are correctly
understood to be addressing justification by faith rather than an unconditional
objective justification.
II. Dimensions
of Justification by Faith
Is Justification
by Faith Entirely
Subjective?
As we have seen, a
legal justification applying universally and unconditionally to all mankind
is stated by the 1888 MSC to have resulted from Christ's sacrifice. We
have found the scriptural evidence for this teaching to be lacking. A
concomitant of the 1888 MSC position is that justification by faith consists
entirely of subjective justification or sanctification.[22]
In this section, we will examine briefly whether this corollary of 1888
MSC belief, the separation of justification's objective and subjective
components, is consistent with the scriptural dimensions of justification
by faith.
The plan of salvation was conceived
by God to provide an effective remedy for the formidable problem presented
by sin. Not only is the problem pervasive, "For all have sinned" (Rom.
3:23, but more important, man is powerless to devise a solution. "By the
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified [or declared righteous]
in his [God's] sight" (Rom. 3:20).
The divine solution to sin
is for God, at great cost to Himself, to declare the repentant, believing
sinner to be righteous, that is, to be possessed of the righteousness
of God (Rom. 3:21, 22). But in what way and to what extent is God's righteousness
to be possessed by the believer? This question implicates a debate of
considerable depth and duration among various Christian commentators.
A detailed exploration of the issue will not be attempted here. The following
discussion briefly surveys Scripture and commentary which is believed
to provide insight into the content of "justification by faith."
Legal Justification
Is an Integral
Part of Justification by Faith
As might be supposed,
the book of Romans holds a central role in illuminating this issue. This
writer posits that a careful, wholistic reading of Romans leaves no grounds
for attempts to separate objective and subjective justification.
The foundational revelation
is made in chapter 3 that God Himself will supply to His wayward creatures
the needful righteousness which they so woefully lack. The setting of
this chapter seems largely a legal one wherein God graciously provides
His own perfect righteousness as an answer to man's dilemma of ineffaceable
guilt and impending judgment for sin. As we have discussed above, the
core meaning of "justify" is to demonstrate or declare one to be just.[23]
Here, Paul shows that God Himself will justify man through faith by imputing
to man His righteousness. This objective focus continues into chapter
4 where Abraham's faith in God "was counted unto him for righteousness"
(vs. 3).
Furthermore, on pages 61-63
of Christ and His Righteousness, Waggoner obviously places righteousness
by faith in a legal context, thus encompassing (but not solely consisting
of) legal justification. Near the top of page 62, he explains,
in commenting on Romans 3:21, that "the righteousness which comes by the
faith of Jesus Christ is the same righteousness that is epitomized in
the law; and this is further proved by the fact that it is 'witnessed
by the law.'" In explaining how this occurs, Waggoner states that the
righteousness that the sinner obtains through faith in Christ is the righteousness
that the law requires. Further, he personifies the law as a witness, saying:
And the law witnesses to the genuineness of this righteousness. It says
that so long as the man retains that [righteousness], it will go to
court and defend him against all accusers. It will witness to the fact
that he is a righteous man.
It is hard to imagine language which could more plainly describe the meaning
of legal justification than this.
The truth is that Waggoner
saw only one type of justification: justification by faith. Most certainly
that is so regarding Romans 3:21-25.
As with Waggoner, E. G.
White likewise comprehended justification by faith to be the only biblical
justification and considered it to comprise both imputed and imparted
(objective and subjective) elements. Illustrative of Mrs. White's statements
concerning this point are the following:
When God pardons the sinner, remits the punishment he deserves, and
treats him as though he had not sinned, He receives him into divine
favor, and justifies him through the merits of Christ's righteousness.
The sinner can be justified only through faith in the atonement made
through God's dear Son, who became a sacrifice for the sins of the guilty
world. No one can be justified by any works of his own. He can be delivered
from the guilt of sin, from the condemnation of the law, from the penalty
of transgression, only by virtue of the suffering, death, and resurrection
of Christ. Faith is the only condition upon which justification can
be obtained, and faith includes not only belief but trust.
Many have a nominal faith in Christ, but they know
nothing of the vital dependence upon Him which appropriates the merits
of a crucified and risen Saviour.[24]
������� It
takes only a cursory examination of this passage to see that Mrs. White
is placing legal justification within the context of justification by faith.
Many of the benefits of justification described here
-remission
of a sinner's due punishment, restoration to divine favor, affording him
the status of a righteous person, deliverance from the condemnation of the
law and from the penalty of transgression
-manifestly define legal
justification. Moreover, she unequivocally states that faith in the merits
of Christ's atonement is the only condition upon which justification, with
all the foregoing benefits, can be had.
A few pages later in the same
volume Ellen White addresses imputed righteousness, a term generally understood
to equate to legal or objective justification and which is clearly shown
by the context to do so in this instance. On page 392, she states:
Those who are justified by faith will make confession of Christ.
"He that . . . believeth on him . . . shall
not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John
5:24). (Emphasis added)
Obviously, if legal justification were to be universally imputed to all
men without condition on the basis of Christ's impending death, then all
men would have passed from death to life by virtue of that universal justification
and there would have been no reason for Christ to declare that it is the
believer who passes from death to life.
Mrs. White further says within
the same paragraph (p. 392):
By
Him who speaketh truth he [the sinner] is declared righteous. The Lord
imputes unto the believer the righteousness of Christ and pronounces
him righteous before the universe. . . . Upon Christ
He lays the iniquity of every soul that believeth. (Emphasis
added)
Here,
in unmistakable language, Mrs. White describes the legal justification
of the sinner as occurring upon his conversion.[25]
Proceeding to page 393
in book 1 of Selected Messages, we find the following:
Although as sinners we are under the condemnation of the law,
yet Christ by His obedience rendered to the law, claims for
the repentant soul the merit of His own righteousness. (Emphasis
added)
Interestingly, at the end of the section on imputed righteousness (which
is steadfastly described as occurring through the faith of the believer),
on page 394, Mrs. White quotes as a unit Romans 3:24-26, as we have advocated
throughout. Thus she clearly links the freely given justification of verse
24 with the believer's faith.
In but one more example from
Selected Messages, book 1, page 396, she states:
By faith in His
merits I am free from the condemnation of the law. He clothes
me with His righteousness, which answers all the demands of the
law. (Emphasis added)
There
can be no question that E. G. White saw justification by faith as
the solution to our legal problem as well as the basis of our victorious
experiential overcoming of sin.
Subjective
Justification Is Similary an
Essential Component of Justification by Faith
It would be most shallow
and erroneous to suppose that objective justification is all that is addressed
in the passages cited above. The very source of the sin problem is the
desire to commit, and the actual commission of, sinful acts. It is this
unrighteousness, decried in the first three chapters of Romans, which
calls for condemnation and judgment of the sinner. The hypocrisy of the
Jews, who broke the law while boasting in it, is denounced (Rom. 2:23).
The true Jew is described as he who is one inwardly (subjectively) and
true circumcision is "that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the
letter" (Rom. 2:29).
Foreseeing that righteousness
by faith might be misconstrued as a legal cover for continued unrighteous
acts, Paul clearly and decisively eliminates any warrant for such a misconception.
Answering his own rhetorical query, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace
may abound?" Paul states emphatically, "God forbid. How shall we, that
are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:1, 2).
Two chapters-chapters
6 and 8-are then devoted to explaining in depth the essential
subjective element of righteousness by faith.
Paul leaves no doubt that true
repentance, the prerequisite of righteousness by faith, is not a surface
act but one which goes to the very root of human will and desire. True
and deep repentance directly results in the crucifixion of one's carnal
nature. In Romans 6 Paul explains that baptism is symbolic of the death-the
willing sacrifice-of our sinful desires and acts. In verse 6
he declares that by our conversion our "old man" is crucified with Christ
in order that the body of sin might be destroyed, that we might not serve
sin.[26] Carrying this thought further in verse 11, Paul exhorts
his readers to consider themselves "to be dead indeed unto sin." Once
we are converted and walk after the Spirit, we will mortify the sinful
deeds of the body (and the underlying sinful will) through the Spirit's
power (Rom. 8:13).
The subjective aspect of justification
by faith is well illustrated by Zechariah 3. There the angel of the Lord
offers Joshua, the high priest (representing those who repent of sin)
a change of raiment. He is not given a new clean garment (symbolic of
Christ's righteousness) to cover the filthy garments of his past unrighteousness.
Instead, Joshua is instructed to take off his filthy garments as a precondition
to his receipt of the clean garments. There is a profitable exchange involved
here for the repentant sinner.
It can be, indeed must be,
concluded with confidence that justification by faith encompasses both
objective and subjective elements, both legal and experiential components.
The two are integral parts of the whole of righteousness by faith.
III.
Scripture Demonstrates That God
Has Taken
the Initiative in Accomplishing Man's Salvation
The
1888 MSC repeatedly expresses the belief that only a realization of a
universal legal justification is sufficient to convince the sinner of
God's love and to dispel the fear of and alienation from God which otherwise
bars his or her faith in God's sanctifying justification.[27]
The reader might ask whether there is warrant in Scripture for such a
position, even assuming arguendo that universal legal justification
was scriptural.
To the serious student of Scripture,
there can be no question that God has boldly seized the initiative in
making man's salvation possible. The evidence spans from the Bible's beginning
to end. Genesis 3:8-9 records that the Lord God sought out Adam and Eve
after their sin. Though the account of their encounter is brief, it leaves
no doubt that God promptly initiated this contact after the couple's transgression.
In verse 15 of that same chapter, God first reveals in terse but unmistakable
form the promise of man's salvation through the seed of the woman.
The profound truth of God's
initiative on man's behalf is quintessentially stated in Revelation 13:8,
where Christ is described as "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the
world," and also in Ephesians 1:4-7, which reveals that God has "chosen
us in him before the foundation of the world" that we might be adopted
through Christ in whom we have redemption through His blood. Thus, Scripture
clearly states that God, who occupies eternity and therefore foresaw man's
sin, had made provision for man's redemption prior to his creation. To
our utter amazement, not only does God take the initiative in advance
planning for man's salvation but he offers Himself as the sacrificial
means of accomplishing that salvation.
The writings of the Old Testament
are replete with references to the salvation which God has wrought on
behalf of His people. Such references reach their zenith in the Psalms
and the book of Isaiah. In Psalm 25:5 David writes, "Lead me in thy truth,
and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation." In the preceding
Psalm, he notes that the redeemed "shall receive the blessing from the
Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation" (Ps. 24:5). The
psalmist writes in Psalm 98:2-3, "The Lord hath made known his salvation:
his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. . . .
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." Among Isaiah's
favorite descriptors of the Lord are "thy redeemer" (Isa. 41:14; 48:17;
54:8) and "thy Saviour" (e.g., Isa. 43:3; 49:26). In his most sublime
expression of God's saving purposes, Isaiah says that the Lord was willing
to "bruise" his Servant, the Messiah, that his soul might be an "offering
for sin" which is "poured out . . . unto death," that by the
knowledge thereof many shall be justified (Isa. 53:10-12).
The loving basis of God's overture
is expressed in Romans 5:8-10 where Paul observes that "God commendeth
his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for
us [the ungodly]" and "when we were [God's] enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of his Son." The same truth is given in the well-known
John 3:16-19. Elsewhere Christ states His purpose as "to seek and to save
that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Numerous parables were given by Christ
to illustrate that God is the originator and active promoter of man's
salvation. See for example, Luke 15:4-10. These are reminiscent of the
parable of the Lord's vineyard (Isa. 5:1-7) in which God describes the
all-sufficient efforts and preparations He has made to nurture the development
of His righteousness in His people and thereby save them.
That God's salvific efforts
have been made on behalf of all people and not just a select group is
evident from the verses reviewed in the previous paragraph alone. If this
were not enough, the apostle Peter adds in 2 Peter 3:9 that "the
Lord is . . . not willing that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance." This statement is not to be misconstrued as
authority for universal salvation but does plainly express God's desire
that all would turn to Him. Similar sentiment is recorded in Ezekiel 18:31-32,
where God plaintively pleads with His people, "for why will you die, O
house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, . . .
wherefore turn yourselves, and live." And more, Paul states in 1 Timothy
2:6 that Christ "gave himself a ransom for all," and in Hebrews 2:9 that
Christ "by the grace of God should taste death for every man." God's boundless
initiative has made ample provision for the salvation of all.
With even this small sampling
of a wealth of scriptural evidence, man cannot reasonably doubt God's
initiative and ever active purpose in accomplishing the salvation of His
people. God has not lacked for initiative-far from it. The truth
revealed in Scripture is that God has done as much as divinely possible
to lead His creatures to salvation without overruling their freedom of
choice. The deficiency is on our part-a dumbfounding failure
to recognize and acknowledge what the Lord has done for us. Such being
the case, there is no need and even less warrant to introduce a doctrine
such as a universal legal justification (which, as we have seen, lacks
a scriptural origin) as a means of convincing doubters that God desires
their reconciliation far more than they and that they need not fear or
question his intentions.
______________
[1].
Robert J. Wieland, Lightened With His Glory, 14.
[2]. Ibid., see 16-18, 26, 30-31, 33, 35-36. This
doctrine has been commented on favorably by others, including Dr. Arnold
Wallenkampf in chapter 5 of his book What Every Christian Should Know
About Being Justified (Hagerstown, MD: Review & Herald Pub. Assn.,
1988).
[3]. Ibid., 33.
[4]. Ibid., 30.
[5]. Rom. 2:11.
[6]. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile
concerning their fate under judgment, for all have sinned.
[7]. Thus, the verse can be depicted as follows for
emphasis: "[21] But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, . . .
[22] Even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ unto
all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: [23] For
all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; [24] Being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. . . ."
[8]. E. J. Waggoner, Christ and His Righteousness
(Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Company, 1890).
[9]. Ibid., 61.
[10]. E. G. Waggoner, Waggoner on Romans (compiled by Glad
Tidings Publishers from numerous articles published originally in Signs
of the Times, October 1895 to September 1896), on p. 3.71.
[11]. Lightened With His Glory, 16, 30.
[12]. Waggoner on Romans, 101.
[13]. Waggoner refers to this abundance of grace, appropriately,
as a superabundance. See Waggoner on Romans, p. 5.103.
[14]. Rom. 5:15, 16, 17, 18. While the reference is sometimes to
the "free gift" and other times to the "gift," both are seen to have the
same object, as in verses 15 and 16. In fact, the term "free gift" involves
a redundancy since a gift, by definition, is free. Paul apparently uses
the redundancy for emphasis.
[15]. See Christ and His Righteousness, 60, where Waggoner
employs Paul's term "the gift of righteousness" in Romans 5:17 to explain
the "freely" dispenses justification of Romans 3:24, which, as discussed
elsewhere, is justification by faith.
[16]. In fact, there is no scriptural mention of a justification
which may be had by means other than by faith except for Romans 5:18 as
it is construed by the 1888 MSC. Thus, there can be no warrant to
introduce a new justification in verse 18 so wholly at odds with the rest
of Scripture.
[17]. We will not venture here into the competing interpretations
of the cause of the condemnation-that is, whether the sin of
Adam, as the corporate representative of all his future progeny, brought
guilt and condemnation upon his descendants without any independent act
of sin on their part or, alternatively, that the verse is a truncated
statement of how Adam's sin introduced substantive, degenerate changes
into human nature that have led, universally, to acts of sin by his descendants
which have brought condemnation.
[18]. Lightened With His Glory, 17. We understand the use
of "in Christ" to be intended in this context to refer to a corporate
or representational role of Christ in which all men share vicariously
in his accomplishment.
[19]. It should be clear by now, however, that this writer rejects
the proposition of a universal legal justification.
[20]. Some may complain here that the latter part of verse 1 is
of questionable value since some early manuscripts omit the phrase concerning
those who walk after the Spirit. However, the very same phrase appears
in verse 4 as well where there is no dispute as to its authenticity and
with much the same intent. In order for there to be no condemnation, Christ
first had to assure the fulfilling of the righteousness of God in us through
His own sinless life.
[21]. Waggoner on Romans, p. 8.127.
[22]. See Lightened With His Glory, 19.
[23]. Thus, the term in this essence arises from a forensic context.
[24]. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, 389.
[25]. The quoted statement demonstrates that, although the sacrifice
of Christ was sufficient to pay the penalty of the sins of every
person (that is, of the whole world), it is effective in remitting
only the sins of believers. This truth is foreshadowed in Leviticus
23:29 wherein Moses admonished the children of Israel that any person
who did not enter into the purpose of the Day of Atonement-that
is, did not afflict his soul-would be cut off from his people.
White the atonement to be accomplished by the sacrifice of the Lamb of
God was to be performed on behalf of all Israel, it would have no beneficial
effect for the unbeliever, the one who does not afflict his soul.
[26]. This thought is reiterated and further explained in Galatians
2:20, where Paul declares that "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless
I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live
. . . I live by the faith of . . . [Christ]."
[27]. See Lightened by His Glory, 17-19, 26-27, 30-31.
In one instance, the 1888 MSC characterizes the concept of a universal
legal justification as "the foundation on which justification by faith
rests" (Ibid., 33).