Faith and Obedience -- Not Double Justification

It's clear from Paul and from James that those with a spiritual allegiance to God have the Holy Spirit, and thus show evidence of an imperfect righteousness.

By the strict judgment of the Law, this imperfect righteousness is sin, and yet by the cleansing judgment of God, made in light of the death of his Son, these imperfect works are cleansed and accepted by him.

Furthermore, it is a commonality of Scripture that those who are in a right state with God do show evidence of these works (visible to God at least -- an important caveat), and that the Lord often declares such persons to be "righteous," even though they are sinfully imperfect.

Beyond this, God even justifies -- approves -- the right, though imperfect, actions of his saints, and indicates the eternal, heavenly destiny of people who act like this from a true heart.

But, at root, it is clear that the presence of the Holy Spirit who generates these works in us is a free gift of God, whose coming to us is evidenced by "faith alone" in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the favorable judgment that God makes of the believers' works is a consequence of the favorable judgment he makes of the believers totally apart from their works.  Justification by works is brought about by complete justification apart from works.  There are not two separate hoops to jump through:  first, the judgment of faith; later, the judgment of works.  It is not as if one could have faith and then fail the judgment of works.  Rather, the judgment of works is a vindication of the efficacy of justification by faith only.

Double justification could have been asserted if the first justification (by faith) were incomplete or temporary, so that the threat of doom (in the judgment of works) hung over even those justified by faith.  But, the Paul who asserted "justification by obedience" in Chapter 2 of his Epistle to the Romans, goes on to teach "justification by faith and no works at all" in immediately following chapters of his epistle.

We have to conclude that the term "justification" is a flexible term used with various meanings, just as we use it in ordinary conversation.  We say that a man "justifies himself" when he gives good reasons for his actions that have been questioned.  Likewise, we are justified by our behavior because it reveals who we are spiritually.  But, the power relationship that leads to Christian behavior is a power relationship not to the "do this and live" of the Law, but to salvation as a total gift of free grace in Christ.

This is why the zeal to teach that our faith does inevitably eventuate in good works must be tempered by a larger zeal to make plain the active spiritual connection to Christ, by faith only, which is the source of such a life.

It ought to be considered that the one who is really justified, when the believers are justified in their works, is God.  This is why:  In bringing us to salvation and righteousness, God's method of salvation by grace alone is what is being justified, contrary to the accusations of Satan!

Spiritual Separation in the World

To speak of "Separation" sounds like something from Fundamentalism, doesn't it?  But is there a Scriptural "separation" from the world, and what is it?

Let us examine the parable of the wheat and the tares:

Matthew 13:24-30  Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." ' "

From this parable we draw certain conclusions.  (And, by the way, we don't want to abuse the parable to draw conclusions out of the range of our Lord's intention in giving it.)

It is clear that the intention of the parable is to show that good and evil grow simultaneously and in mixed proximity with one another in the world.  Good produces a crop, and bad produces a crop.  It's also clear that this is not a parable about evangelism.  There is no converting of tares into wheat, or vice versa.  The emphasis is on the distinction between the wheat and the tares.  This is an agelong distinction, as the two parallel crops grow to their final fruitage.

The explanation of the parable is like this:

Matthew 13:36-43  Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

There is a clear doctrine of "separation" in this parable.  This must be kept in mind when perusing other parables, such as the parable of the leaven, which teach the secret (but thorough) permeation of the world with the leaven of God's Kingdom.  There is a conquering by the good seed, but there is a constant mixture in the world with the bad seed, which will only be removed at Judgment Day.

Now, no one would say that we should abuse this parable to teach such an isolation of the good from the evil that no evangelism is possible, or that Christians leave the world.  The parable isn't about these things.  But, it is about the present phase of the Kingdom of God, as being a field containing a mixed crop until the end -- crops which don't mix their natures or their fruit, until their ongoing separation is made final in the Great Separation on the Day of Judgment.

Then will the Sons of the Kingdom shine forth as the sun!

What is "Legalism"

The term "legalism" has a million applications :-).

But consider Paul's allegory:

Galatians 4:21 - 5:1   21 ¶ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?  22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.  23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,  24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar --  25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children --  26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.  27 For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband."  28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.  29 But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.  30 Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman."  31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.  5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

The idea is that the natural offspring -- those not "promised" -- are related to God via Mt. Sinai, whereas the spiritual offspring -- those "promised" -- are related to God via the Jerusalem which is above.  It is probably the case that one could say "Mt. Zion," by arguing from other passages (Heb 12, Rev 14).

Therefore, to be "legal" is to be related to God as a natural (unregenerate) person, as typified by Mt. Sinai.  To be "gracious," or "spiritual" is to be related to God via the Jerusalem above, or Mt. Zion.

To be related to God via the Jerusalem above has no correlation with being exempt from the requirement for Christian behavior.  It is not "anti-nomian."

The real issue concerning Christian behavior is whether converted Christian behavior is brought about by a relationship to God's good law, which is in the mode of the First Creation, now fallen, (and which is typified by Mt. Sinai), or whether converted Christian behavior is brought about by a relationship to God by the Spirit in the New Creation, typified by Mt. Zion and the Jerusalem which is above.

Paul spends considerable time explicating this difference, when he compares the legal "do this and live," with the spiritual "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ."

The alternatives of legalism and spirituality have to do with the nature of the spiritual power-relationships which are active in a person's life.  A power-relationship to "do this and live," is a power-relationship to sin:

1 Corinthians 15:56   56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 

A power-relationship to the Holy Spirit through the Gospel of Christ is a power-relationship that delivers from the bondage of sin and writes the Law on the heart!

We hear a lot said about the need for Christian character.  It's true we need this, and the Scriptures will instruct us.  But, perhaps we need to pay more attention to the need for Christian faith!  Faith -- in the Gospel of Christ -- is associated with that power-relationship that delivers from sin and ultimately produces Christian character.  Sin began in Eden as a loss of faith.

Legalism has nothing to do simply with wrong methods of using sets of rules, or with making rules too "harsh."  Legalism is the advocacy of a power-relationship to the "do this and live."

Spirituality is a power-relationship to Christ which is only received -- by believing the gospel.  Faith is not a work.

Is Wine a Crime?

It's a common sight to see that folks coming out of American evangelicalism or "fundamentalism" into a more Reformational or "catholic" manifestation of Christian culture let it be visible that they use alcohol.  (And, by they way, in many cases, they always did, even if they were in "fundamentalism," but they just didn't let it be known.)

I think it's useful and spiritually healthy that proper use of alcoholic beverages in great moderation be acceptable in our Christian culture, and be considered a normal, valuable and God-given part of the enjoyment of life.

But, there's the rub.  So often, the visible use which I see nowadays in the company of other believers is often giddy.  It's as if children, freed from the non-alcoholic restrictions of "fundamentalist" childhood, are now throwing off the shackles and youthfully celebrating their liberty, rather than showing the quiet demeanor of maturity, with gratitude to God.

It's only the latter attitude which shows true deliverance from "legalism" about this subject.