I was wondering if someone could interact with me in the writings of St. Paul concerning his teaching on justification. Obviously most will not wish to participate. However, as someone who is seeking the truth, and who must submit to truth above any man, there is no better place to start than to debate concepts and definitions.
Now, I would like to say that in Paul, there are places where to be “justified” CANNOT mean an inner renewal and sanctification of the inner person so that an behaviorally unjust person become behaviorally just (to literally make one righteous instantaneous and progressively). For instance,*** “…for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified…on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the world through Jesus Christ”*** (Rom 2:13, 16). Since this justification takes place at the end of this human history, and because it is a justification which is based on examining the whole life lived, it CANNOT mean a kick-start for a new moral transformation from which unjustness becomes justness. Rather, justification in Rom 2 must refer to a forensic declaration on a person, a verdict, based upon a finished examination of that person’s life (i.e. whether they did good or bad). Do you see this? Therefore, we have an instance where justification is a legal declaration based on one’s life and obedience.
In other places, Paul speaks of a justification which takes place now in our time, when we are converted in faith to Jesus. We are “justified” (rom 3:24- past tense) through the “redemption” which is in Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus brings a liberation from sin which accomplishes a justification which then is spoken of as happening in the past. “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Rom 3:28). We see that there is a past tense to this justification, so that faith issues in justification, and not works. Justification is otherwise defined in terms of pardon and forgiveness (Rom 4:1-9) a restored relationship to God in peace (Rom 5:1-2), and a new status of being in God’s grace (Rom 5:9). In fact, it is the “blood” of Jesus which justifies us (Rom 5:9). Not the regeneration and renewal of the human heart in baptism.
Therefore, how can we define justification as a transformation of the inner person whereby they convert from practicing wickedness to practicing righteousness, by which is later used by God to appropriately declare someone just and holy???
Paul is speaking of a justification “of the ungodly”!! This is language of pardon and remission of sin, reconciliation, and a new status in God’s favor!
I know that many of you may be quick to turn to James 2:24 which definitely (it truth) teaches that Abraham was justified by works, and not by faith alone. We have a situation here, for Catholics sometimes do not realize that Paul teaches that Abraham was “justified” when He believed in Genesis 15:6, right? But James is speaking of Abraham being “justified” by works later in his life? And both times, the word “justified” is used in the past tense!!! In other words, Abraham was justified by faith in God’s promise, it was done (past tense). Then, no less real, Abraham was justified by works later on, and it was done (past tense).
Justification takes place 2 times in Abraham’s life, so far as the Scripture is teaching. We should understand then that justification, in neither Paul or James, is the spiritual transformation of a person’s heart, but in both cases (Abraham/James), justification is a forensic declaration passed over the human creature once their faith and works are examined and tested. Do you it never is referring to the ongoing spiritual renewal and progressive sanctification which occurs in our lives? It is a declaration, a verdict, on the basis of faith and works, that one is right in God’s sight.
How can we bring this to reconcile with Trent?
