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There is an unstated but deep-rooted assumption in most Christian theology that righteousness is exclusively a moral category. That is, a person is perfectly righteous if they are morally perfect and any degrees of righteousness in a person are in a linear and inextricable relationship to the morality of that individual. This righteousness then becomes the basis of God’s judgement of that person and within this framework it is clear that any acquittal (aka justification) requires adequate moral performance.
Interestingly Catholics and Protestants have historically agreed with this assessment – they have however disagreed on the source and scope of that righteousness in justification. Catholics have said God transfers or implants his own righteousness into believers (Infusion) whilst Protestants have held that God reckons Christ’s perfect obedience unto believers (Imputation). In either case moral righteousness or obedience is the key to justification even if it is received by faith as Catholics and Protestants (now) agree it is. The problem is this: if justification is by grace it must be unmerited and both these models clearly require and account for obedient merit. Read the rest of this entry »
Have you ever wondered if everyone but the Christian Church is damned to hell? The Reformation gave us back something quite valuable by reminding us that the Bible teaches no hierarchy amongst believers. While some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers all are called to love and serve each other as brothers, in the face-to-face manner of Jesus, a great man yet who walked amongst men as friends and washed their smelly feet.
While it is clear that all followers of Jesus are called to mission, it is far from clear, from Jesus’ teaching, that only his followers would be saved. Let us set aside our black-and-white conception of the world divided into saved Christians and damned non-Christians and consider Jesus’ own words which, as will be plain, contained other categories. What emerges is an inclusive picture of people entering the Kingdom based not on religion or beliefs but on a multitude of other factors. Read the rest of this entry »
The more I read the Bible and the more I read (and learn from) Reformed Theologians, the more I realise I don’t fit in into the category of a Reformed Christian…
Reformed Christian
God, you are so Infinitely Holy that you cannot tolerate sin. All are sinners and are utterly unacceptable, Totally Depraved, and displeasing to you, Objects of Wrath. The right and holy and just thing to do is to Punish Sinners and your infinite nature requires you punish infinitely, damning all people to Hell. This alone is so glorious that we can only praise you for your Severe Justice, but you top that by going even further and Unconditionally Electing people from this group of hell-fodder for salvation. These you Unilaterally Regenerate and Justify completely apart from who they are or what they’ve done, giving them by Grace a Saving Faith which they could not produce. Because your Grace is not quite free, someone had to pay, so you sent Jesus to be the Substitution of Atonementwhich placates your Wrath. This Grace is not for everytone it’s called Limited Atonement and those elected for Life cannot resist your plan – it’s Irresistible Grace. You are now able to do what was not possible before and Ignore Sin, Counting Sinners as Righteous although they are not sinless. You detest any form of self-righteousness and want people to rely on your justification instead of trying to be good. When the time comes for all to be judged, you will count them as perfect (Imputation) because you will see only Christ’s obedience and look over their own disobedience. Those not elected by you for salvation will endure Eternal Conscious Torment in Hell whilst the elect will necessarily and deterministically Perservere as Saints to enjoy Paradise for ever. What counts is Doctrines Believed, the key to Good Religion is Justification by Faith, all authority grounded in Scripture.
Transformed Disciple
God you are so Infinitely Loving that you cannot allow sin to continue it’s damaging hold on your Human Creatures whom you made in your Image to Reflect your Glory into Creation. You sent your only Son as a fateful messenger who Fully Reveals God, the embodiment of who you are. You allowed him to be crucified as a Transformative Symbol of how you Condemn Sin and will destroy all evil and as an echo through history of how Man Rejected God. More than that, his blood was the Pledge a Promise to Forgive Our Sins. You want us to make Disciples of All Men so that all can know the Forgiveness Accessible to Any and All who would turn (Repent) and ask for it. You are not a respecter of status but deal with each Valuable Person according to how they live and treat others, not looking to their past failings but eagerly anticipating their future under your Reign. You graciously Pour out Your Spirit so that we can begin to be Conformed to the Image of Jesus and be freed from the power of sin. You then Proclaim our Right Standing in your sight, proof of our Adoption as Sons and Daughters, and of your Covenantal Faithfulnessto Israel. You promised to bless the world through Abraham’s Seed and your Church is not only the recipient of blessing but the Instrument of Blessing, as Christ’s body, by which your Justice, Peace and Love are multiplied and fulfilled in the World Today. You begin a Good Work in us as we Participate in your Plan which you will complete so that, at the final judgement, you will be able to truly say of us “well done, good and true servant, you worked well, fought the good fight and will inherit the Kingdom”. As Loving Creatoryour plan is not to destory the physical world but to Bury, Resurrect and Renew it so that your promises to Bless all Nations and Restore Creation will come to fulfillment and your appointed Lord, the Messiah, will bring your Rule On Earth as it is in Heaven. What counts is Faithful Allegiance, the key to Good Religion is Active Love for You and Your Creatures, all authority belongs to Jesus.
The following question has been crystallising in my mind of late: is righteousness a status God bestows or a property he acknowledges? This, it seems to me, is the issue which divides protestant / catholic belief. Protestants, particularly Reformed Evangelicals hold: not our righteousness is counted but Christ’s (see John Piper, Counted Righteous in Christ) because God justifies the ungodly as we read in Romans 4:
However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
Rom 4:5
I would seem that if God calls a sinner a saint, then that is so. The reformed answer to the Euthyphro Dilemma is: Good is what God says is Good. We Christians may be bad people, but we’re good in God’s sight because of faith and that’s what counts. Thus, the flip side of our sins not being counted (forgiveness) is that Jesus life get’s booked to our account.
This conclusion is confirmed each time I read or hear an evangelical teaching. I listened to a preaching today by a good pastor from the south of England regarding Romans 4. His key exegetical points were that Paul is showing:
- You can’t earn entrance into heaven
- If you think you’re good, you’re not
- It is by grace through faith all the way (Eph 2:8)
He illustrated the second point from Luke 18:9-14 where a tax collector beats his breast in repentance after a Pharisee boasts his righteous deeds before God. Jesus says that the tax collector “went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”.
This really sums up evangelical thinking: Only God is truly Good and only when he justifies a person are they righteous. God declares someone righteous not because they are in fact righteous but because they have faith. Righteousness is a status bestowed and not a property discovered.
Now, it’s obvious that we all sin and need forgiveness. But is this the model for the Final Judgement? Will we stand before Christ, who will judge our deeds (Mt 24, 2 Cor 10), and, when things look bad, we fall on our knees and plea for mercy? Why can’t non-Christians do this? Or will Christians simply not be present at this horrible Judgement Day?
Many evangelicals have concluded that there is no real judgement for believers (Rom 8:1). There is an Awards Ceremony for Christians and a Terrible Judgement for the rest. Our sins are paid for and ignored because we believed and we’re only here to get awarded for good service by God. Evangelicals say Christians escape judgement and receive forgiven because of faith.
The closest thing I can find in Jesus teaching about this doesn’t quite match. In Matthew 7 Jesus says “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” and in Matthew 6:14 “if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”. Disciples are taught that they escape judgement and receive forgiven because they have forgiven and not judged.
| Forgiven | Not Judged | |
| Reformed Tradition | By Grace Through Faith on the Basis of the Cross | |
| Jesus | By Forgiving Others | By Not Judging Others |
In case it was unclear Jesus re-iterated (Mt 6:15): if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. What does that mean for any evangelicals who don’t forgive but “trust in the Blood”!?
My point is not simply the glaring gap between human tradition and Jesus teaching. Rather it’s that the evangelical teaching is a seemingly arbitrary formal deal (faith for forgiveness) whereas Jesus teaching is a logical real deal (reciprocal forgiveness). Evangelicals think God justifies and forgives on the basis of faith but Jesus teaches forgiveness on the basis of certain “works”. Secular people cannot follow our “justification by faith” doctrine but they really get “do unto others” and expect God to award good behaviour and “forgive us as we forgive others”. Are they seriously misled? I would say they’ve understood the Lord’s teaching better than us.
OK, we can debate about whether forgiveness is a “work” or not but I know that in many evangelical circles forgiveness, a virtue, will be classified as “good works”, as one of those good things we try to do to earn God’s approval. Is that really so bad? My English preacher used Galatians 5 to show that our good works are just like circumcision – they annul Christ’s work.
But Listen to Jesus:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Matthew 5:43-45
The main point of this verse is that God is benevolent towards all humans, good or bad, and so should we be. But the tacit assumptions are revealing and not generally shared by evangelicals:
- Sonship is earned by loving people
- There are just and unjust people
Again, we can debate whether or not “earned” is the right word but I expect love and prayer to be exactly the types of “good works” evangelicals keep telling us won’t get us to heaven. Prayer is typically associated with a religious duty and we know the bad Pharisees made long prayers (Mt 6). Yet here we have Jesus saying: “Do this, so that you will be sons of God”.
Of course sonship is not technically the same as forgiven and justified. Theoretically you could be adopted as a son by God with or without forgiveness and justification. However, biblically, these things go together (John 1:12, 2 Cor 6:18, Mt 6:8) – the justified are God’s family. Evangelicals treat sonship and justification as applying to the same group of people and I concur. But this makes passages such as Mt 5:43-45 above difficult for evangelicals who believe that faith and grace are all that is required. Indeed many of Jesus sayings, particularly Mt 25:31-46 is practically unintelligible for the Sola Fide group.
Think of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). He came home in repentance, pleaing for mercy. His father basically “justified” him by calling him “son” although the man acknowledged he did not deserve it. The father gave the status of sonship at the same time as forgiveness because he repented and pled for salvation (not because of his “faith”). This is Initial Justification, God’s “Welcome Home” to the repentant sinner. This is the topic of Romans 3:21 onwards.
Imagine now the scene many years later when the father stands up to speak of his son. He speaks about the things his son really did, how he helped develop the business, assisted his family, saved that sheep and praised his faithfulness. Perhaps the father will gloss over the failings but he surely won’t praise the son for deeds he never did, imputing righteousness as evangelicals understand it.
I conclude, with N.T. Wright (see Justification) that our present status before God as a result of Initial Justification by Faith is an anticipation of the final judgement where there will be a Justification by Works and that Paul has made this perfectly clear in, the oft neglected, or twisted Romans 2.
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will give to each person according to what he has done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.
All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Romans 2:5-13
I hear again and again that if you believe Jesus died (i.e. atoned) for your sins you are saved. Paul says the Gospel is the power of salvation to all who believe (Rom 1:16) and thus, putting 2 and 2 together we arrive at the formula that the Gospel is, essentially, atonement.
Although this is indeed good news for those who believe it, I’ve argued elsewhere that this is not the real Gospel but a subjective implication. The real Gospel is the royal proclamation of Jesus’ Kingship, a message about Him, true for everyone, a call to all to obedience and allegiance. Nevertheless I’m prepared to consider that I might be wrong and that Atonement is the Gospel and I would like to explore that possibility.
Read the rest of this entry »
Ever since I heard Tim Keller explain that the root of all problems is failure to believe the Gospel I’ve been fascinated by discovering just what exactly “The Gospel” is and how it is the “power of salvation”. What fact could there possibly be which, when believed, saves and totally transforms a person? Part of my discovery came from listening to N.T. Wright argue persuasively that the Gospel is, quote, “Jesus is Lord” and that most of what we consider to be Good News is a consequence of this.
In the evangelical world the Gospel is taken to be the radical and indeed life-transforming truth that we are justified by faith alone apart from works. Implicitly or explicitly we are told, works are bad because they insult the work Jesus did. I’ve discussed why I disagree with this view in Which Gospel and my realisation is that this is a shrunken, individualised and subjective good news which encourages passiveness and occludes the royal announcement of Jesus’ Kingship which is for the whole world to hear.
It strikes me that much of our apparently modern western insight or social morality is a restatement of things we have unconsciously learned from the Bible and sometimes modified or watered down:
- Don’t worry, be happy
- The Golden Rule
- Think Positive
- Basic human rights
- Save the planet
- Love as the greatest virtue
Don’t Worry be Happy
Jesus said “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” and “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” in Matthew 6:25-34 referring to our tendency to worry about our worldly needs. The modern meaning however is almost the opposite where we are encouraged to amass worldly goods and insurance whilst neglecting all deeper reflection which science cannot answer.
The Golden Rule
Jesus said “Do to others as you would have them do to you” as part of a longer exhortation in Luke 6 to empathy and self-sacrifice. Moderns chopped off the bits about turning the other cheek, minding our own business and forgiveness whilst keeping the pragmatic part which best garantees individual freedom and some measure of social justice.
Think Positive
The 20th century must go down as the century of the self – “solve it with self esteem” we have been told. The Bible speaks about faith which is trust in that which is good and worthy. All the positive thought in the world is not going to make a false thing true or an impossible act possible but faith in a worthy concept or trustworthy person is the key to the power of God to make the humanly impossible possible (Matthew 17:20, Matthew 19:16-27 or any of the hundreds of verses which speak highly of faith).
Basic Human Rights
The idea that all human beings deserve such basic things as justice, dignity, education and so on has only recently been incorporated into legal systems. As recently as last century the USA, arguably the pinnacle of modernity and democracy, wrestled with segregation and slavery is still in effect in many parts of the world. Jesus taught, in Matthew 25:40, that “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”. God values each life and considers ill-treatment of any human a personal affront. True Christian charity and service has never been something for insiders only but intended as a light to the whole world.
Save the Planet
We’re all trying to become more environmentally friendly especially when it hits our wallets. Jesus came to literally save the entire planet starting with the hearts of men but extending to the whole of creation. A key aspect of Christianity is the new earth which is God’s restoration of goodness to all the created order. Aside from this man was created as a steward of creation, intended to be a dutiful, responsible master over all that lives and answerable to the Creator (Genesis 2).
Love as the Greatest Virtue
Most music, literature and artistic expression attempts to embody and elevate love as the greatest passion/emotion/activity man can attain. Hollywood has perhaps mutated the word into a synonym for copulation but most people recognise the power and benevolence of love. The Bible teaches that love (of God, neighbour and self) is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22), something we need to major in, and that love is the greatest of all virtues without which no good act is truly of value (1 Corinthians 13).
Others
Parents are encouraged to spend time with and listen to their children instead of shooing them off (Matthew 19:14). Loyalty in marriage, truth-telling are basic biblical commands. Anyone who works in sales or customer service is regularly encouraged to “go the extra mile” which comes almost directly from Matthew 5:41. The motivation for salesmen is not love of customers personally of course but a recognition of the fact that customers treated this way tend to be loyal which brings me to my final point: cherry picking the religions for good tips on worldly success leaves much worthwhile by the wayside. Indeed failing to see the underlying principle (love) and only grasping for the fruits we miss out on really changing our world for the better.
So What?
Much of what makes our western society stable, free and attractive to outsiders comes from it’s Christian roots which are sadly being forgotten. Jesus was a pacifist who praised peacemakers and went a route unheard of in world history. Jesus did not fit into any of the 3 categories available to leaders of the time:
- He did not retreat from the world to remain holy and hope for escape in the next life (the religious quietest “holy man”route).
- He did not sharpen his sword, gather an army hope for a chance to revolt against Roman oppression (the revolutionary Zealot route).
- Neither did he conform to the world, disappear in the crowd, and make himself as comfy as possible, getting the most out of life and waiting for whatever happened (the worldly route taken by Jewish leaders of the time).
Jesus came with an agenda so radical and unique it bordered on foolishness and was rejected as such by most of his contemporaries.
The modern world’s agenda has been revisionist in nature: pick what feels right or works best from the world’s philosophers and cultures and discard the rest. In the process Jesus’ real radical message which carries with it power for lasting peace has been whittled away to a few hollow platitudes which bear only a faint echo of the wisdom of which they are but a shadow.
If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
This is one of the most popular questions in beauty contests and, as every beauty queen knows, the right answer is an enthusiastic: “World Peace!”.
This always gets a cheer but when the clapping fades we realise that this is not really the answer but rather an ideal we desire which tells us that we need change – the questioner wants to know “How? How can we change the world to get something like global peace?” – “What must we change or invent?”. We know we need “World Peace” the question is “What is that?” and, of course, “Where/how can we get it?”.
A Global Peace Empire
The philosopher Epictetus once said:
While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief and envy. He cannot give peace of heart for which many yearn more than even for outward peace.
Although many developed nations today enjoy relative local peace, we are all painfully aware that even our strong emperors (governments) cannot export this peace to the entire world. Darfur, Tibet, Palestine, Myanmar, North Korea, Zimbabwe and many other regions are testimony to this. Historically, even the largest and most powerful empires could not extend their (form of) peace very far and it was constantly having to be defended on all fronts and internally. Since the Roman Empire almost 2000 years ago peace and unity has become more fragmented and elusive. Humans, it seems, are not able to install peace but we sure as anything desire it.
Resignation
U2 has a song called “Peace on Earth” which starts
Heaven on Earth, we need it now
I’m sick of all of this hanging around
Sick of sorrow, sick of the pain
I’m sick of hearing again and again
That there’s gonna be peace on Earth
Sounds resigned, are we resigned to suffering? I can’t even remember the last time I thought seriously about World Peace – could it be that we have given up on the notion of global peace as modern disillusioned realists?
A Perspective from the Psalms
That old book, the Bible, hasn’t. It’s optimistic and promising to the extreme. The Psalms are full of hope, joy and praise for life and God! Consider, for example, these extracts from Psalm 34 although the theme runs through the entire book:
… let the afflicted hear and rejoice. … I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears…. Those who look to him are radiant;… This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles…. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him…. those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Incredible! The author is definitely high on something and he’s sure it’s God. But how can this be? We all have troubles, lack good things, have fears and very few of us consider ourselves radiant and joyful! What are we missing? Surely not an imaginary bully in the sky! Let’s hear the man out…
Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;… The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
You knew there was a catch didn’t you! We have to be righteous before we get all that stuff – what a downer – God probably has a really high standard which we can never meet! Feeling overwhelmed? Let’s hear the end, don’t stop reading yet…
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
So God is near and wants to help those who have given up hope! Those feeling overwhelmed und weak. If there are 7 steps to coming to God, I’d say we’ve covered steps 1 to 4 so far.
Step 1. Recognise our condition
Step 2. Desire and pursue the Good
Step 3. Realise we cannot make it
Step 4. Realise God can help
Here is where we need to finish reading the Psalm to proceed to step 5:
The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Step 5: Take refuge in God
We’re almost there, World Peace, Inner Peace, knowledge and reconciliation of God is within a hand’s grasp… but what does “take refuge in God” mean. What does it mean that the “LORD delivers” – I thought the LORD was the problem – he made this whole mess didn’t he? He set the righteous standard so high and made it so hard to follow and sin so attractive didn’t he?
Let’s not be discouraged when we’ve gotten so far: dare to believe that God is Good and only Goodness comes from Him. Dare to believe that he loves you personally, wants to help, to get involved and make it easy for you! Summon all your courage and consider your part and blame in the whole mess. Have faith in goodness and take the leap to step 6:
Step 6: Hear and receive the Good News of Jesus
What is the good news? It’s hardly ever on the cover of newspapers. It is simply this:
That you can be reconciled with God, once for all, by believing in his Son, Jesus, and accepting what he lived and died for: your salvation.
That’s it! That’s all you need. It’s like this massive present standing in your front Yard for 2000 years and you just needed to unpack it! What’s holding you back? Unpack it and you’ll be where you need to be and have your hearts desire: inner, lasting peace with God and goodwill to all men.
Step 7 (the destination): Fellowship and intimacy with God, the step into his Light.
The world will not be changed for a better, lasting peace, by powerful people, governments, technologies or better energy sources and resources. The world will be changed, one heart at a time.
