Romans 4--What is Justification?

It was a hot, August day in Istanbul Turkey. I was leading a short-term missions team on a project there. I was fed up by my high-maintenance, low stamina, quick to grumble team. I was so frustrated. My roommate, a seminary professor took me out to the only place in Istanbul (that I knew of) that made real American coffee at the time. He said to me words that I will never forget. “Do you know what is wrong with these people? (thankfully he did not give me time to answer) They don’t understand the difference between their justification and their sanctification.”

At that point, that wasn’t just their problem. It was mine also. I didn’t know the difference and it was my spiritual life. Do you? Do you understand the how God has given you the gift of both justification and sanctification and how they differ?

This is a large degree what Paul is getting at in this chapter and the next few chapters of Romans. Simply speaking, our justification and sanctification are both gifts that we receive through our union with Christ. Our union with Christ is another way of saying we are “in Christ” or have a relationship with Him. This is how justification and sanctification differ: Our justification is our legal declaration that we are innocent (of transgression) and righteous (having displayed full obedience) before God. At the cross, Jesus identifies with us and takes our guilt and unrighteousness. His death is the due penalty for sin. Not only that, but also we take his legal status of being fully innocent and fully righteous. In a sense, we trade our legal status. This justification is the grounds of our acceptance before God. That is why we can pray in Jesus’ name—not in our righteousness, but in his name by which we can stand before God (Heb 4:18)

Sanctification is spoken of in two ways through scripture. First, it speaks of a definite state where we are set apart and made holy to God—similar to the way the Temple or a Priest would have been (Hebrews 10:10). Secondly, scripture teaches us about progressive sanctification. This is our day to day Spiritual growth (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

When we mix up the two, we equate our acceptance before God based upon our progress in sanctification. This makes our sin hang heavy upon us for we cannot feel or experience the wonder of forgiveness. It makes us unwilling to enter into the presence of God. We assume our entrance ticket to his presence is based upon our performance rather than Christ’s performance.

This chapter shows us that grace has always come first--ever since Abraham. He was credited with righteousness before he ever fulfilled any law. Yet, from a well of acceptance, wonder and grace, Abraham not only submitted himself and his sons to circumcision (Paul uses as representative of the law), but displayed the faith that would trust God with everything that is dear to him (Gen 22). Abraham was justified by faith and then fulfilled the law later. If we base our relationship with God based upon how well we perform, we misunderstand Christian faith, and set aside the grace of God in the death of Christ (Galatians 2:21)

Now, let me ask you this: Does this make any sense?

Posted by Marc

Colossians 3: The Vision for the Christian Life

For most of us, our capacity to sing is fit for lonely places and showers. Our voices sound particularly sweet when we sing quietly and we are the only ones hearing it. However, If somehow magically gave one of us the natural talent of a world class singer, it wouldn’t necessarily be the ticket to stardom. See, we may have the talent by nature, yet our habits of practicing solely in the shower and mistreating our voices would remain. This gives us insight into the Paul sees the Christian life. I hope you are getting a sense of the vision that Paul has regarding the Christian life This chapter gives possibly the clearest picture.

Each person has been created with beauty, nobility, power and glory inherent in their nature. Yet, all men and women are born into a kingdom that was broken in the fall and ruled by rulers and principalities of darkness. This Kingdom has its own values and practices. The DNA of this kingdom is handed down from Adam and Eve and the practices are learned throughout life.

Jesus’ resurrection is the decisive blow of the Kingdom of light versus the kingdom of darkness. Now, the Holy Spirit unites Christians to the power, victory and new life of the resurrection. We are given a new nature that is not bound to sin but longs for righteousness. Like the one with the natural ability to sing, we now have the(super) natural ability live righteously.
This chapter shows us how we do it. We starve the old man (flesh, old life, etc) and we feed the new man. We break our practices that belonged to our earthly nature and we put on practices that belong to our new nature. Like the singer who really could sing with the kind of practice, we too can truly live if we take the opportunity to learn to live the new life.

What stood out as you read Colossians 3? It is a good habit to pick out one imperative to consider today and to apply in your life. Remember though. Apply it NOT to earn your approval but as ones who have been raised with Christ and as ones who ARE God’s chosen, dearly loved people.

Philippians 3: Natural in friendship

Friendships and relationships generally begin with a merit-like approach. ‘I like this person because I think we can relate. They are impressive in such and such ways… I would generally benefit from being around that person.’ And so, early on in a friendship we tend to want to make sure we are presenting ourselves as reasonable candidates for friendship. That doesn’t mean that honesty isn’t a part of that process, in fact, it is essential for the growth of the friendship. Yet, it is difficult to not consider the merits that you bring to a relationship as it progresses through its early stages. This really is inevitable in day to day friendships where self-revelation is a process. This is where relationship with God is different—revealing ourselves to God isn’t necessary.

Paul had every reason to think that he had merits that made him a worthy friend of God. His Jewish resume as described in vv 4-6 would be difficult to compete with. We too may have merits that might make us think that we are worthy of a relationship with God—volunteer at church, generous giver, extra-ordinary suffering in life, we read the Bible for Everyday faithfully (editor’s note: that makes you worthy of my friendship at least J). Paul looks at these merits and recognizes that to hold these things up to God is insulting. Our achievements are laughable compared to his standards and to cling to them is a mockery of his grace. Friendship that is driven by this kind of merit is more entourage than it is relationship.

When Paul is able to release the clutch he has on proving himself in the relationship (a righteousness of his own v. 9), he is able to appreciate the genuine affection and approval that Christ offers Him. And, Paul is able to stop his need to posture before God and can genuinely take interests in the interests of Christ. Now his concern is to know Christ, experience his power and share in his sufferings. This is the natural course of a friendship.

Friendship however is a limiting motif to understand a relationship with Christ. Jesus is also a Captain that goes ahead of us and models a life for us to follow. So Paul describes to us that this life of honest friendship, and sold out posture-less commitment requires training and straining into a new pattern of life (13-14, 17). Yet, even as we seek to attain that new pattern of life, the power and credit still come from the one who will transform our lowly bodies into his new glorious body(21).

Posted by Marc