Chapter 37. The 2nd Degree of the Declaration of God's Love: Justification.
A GOLDEN CHAIN
Chapter 37. The 2nd Degree of the Declaration of God's Love: Justification.
The second degree is Justification, by which those who believe, are accounted just before God, through the obedience of Christ Jesus. 2Cor 5.21, He has made
Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we should be made the righteousness of God in Him. 1Cor 1.30.
Rom 5.19, As by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (that is, Jesus
Christ, v. 17) many shall also be made righteous.
Question: Whether Christ performed full obedience to the law for us men alone, or for himself also.
Answer 1: Not for himself, as some not rightly would have him. For the flesh of Christ being hypostatically united to the Word, and so being fully sanctified in itself, it was even from the first moment of conception, most worthy to be blessed with eternal life. Therefore, by all that obedience which he performed after his conception, Christ merited nothing for himself.
Answer 2: For us, namely, for the faithful, he fulfilled all the righteousness of the law. And this is why he is called the end of the law unto righteousness, to everyone who believes, Rom 10.4.
Objection 1: Christ, as he is man, is bound to perform obedience to the law for himself.
Answer: He is not bound by nature, but of his own accord. For he was not a mere man, but God and man.
And though Christ neither suffered nor fulfilled the law, except in that flesh which he took upon himself, yet because of the hypostatic union, his passion and obedience respects the whole person, considered as God and man. And therefore his obedience was not due on his part; thus it was without merit to himself.
Indeed, because the flesh of Christ is united to the
WILLIAM PERKINS
person of the Word, and thus exalted in dignity and sanctity above all angels, it may seem to be exempt from this natural obligation of performing the law.
Objection 2: If Christ, then, performed the law for us, we are no longer bound to observe it, as we do not undergo external punishments for our sins, for Christ bore those in his person, on the cross.
Answer: If we keep the same respect to performing obedience to the law, the consequence is very true; otherwise it is not so. For Christ performed obedience to the law for us, as it is the satisfaction of the law. But the faithful are bound to obedience, not as it is satisfactory, but as it is a document of faith, and a testimony of their gratitude towards God; or as a means to edify their neighbours. Even as Christ suffered punishments for our sins, we also suffer punishments as they are either trials, or chastisements to us.
Objection 3: The law and justice of God, do not together exact both obedience and punishment.
Answer: In man's perfect estate, the justice of God requires only obedience. But in his corrupted estate, he requires both obedience and punishment — punishment because the law is violated; obedience so that legal justice may be performed. Gal 3.10.
It is therefore plain that not only Christ's passion, but also his legal obedience, is our righteousness before God.
Justification has two parts: remission of sins, and imputation of Christ's righteousness.
Remission of sins is that part of justification by which he that believes, is freed from the guilt and punishment of sin, by the merits of the passion of Christ. Col 1.21-22, You he has now reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to make you holy and unblameable, and without fault in His sight. 1Pet 2.24,
Who, in his own flesh, bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we being delivered from sin, should live in righteousness — by whose stripes you are healed.
Imputation of righteousness is the other part of justification, by which those who believe, having the
A GOLDEN CHAIN
guilt of their sins covered, are accounted just in the sight of God, through Christ's righteousness. 2Cor 5.21.
Psa 32.1, Blessed is he whose wickedness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Romans 4, the whole chapter, where the Apostle repeats imputation eleven times. Phi 3.8-9, I have counted all things loss, and judge them to be garbage, that I might win Christ, and might be found in him; that is, not having my own righteousness, which is by the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, even the righteousness which is of God through faith.
The form of justification is, as it were, a kind of transfer of the believer's sins to Christ, and again,
Christ's righteousness to the believer, by means of God's divine imputation. As is apparent in this following picture:
Imputation of Christ's righteousness Christ a just Saviour The unjust Sinner to be saved A sinner Guilt Passion Justified Disobedience Obedience Corruption Holiness This obedience of Christ is called the Righteousness of God, and of Christ. Of God, I. not because it is in God, but of God. For it takes all the power and merit it has from the deity of the Son. This is why Jeremiah says, Jehovah our Righteousness, Jer 23.6. II. God not only accepts it for us, because that alone makes us boldly approach God's throne of grace, that we may have pardon for our sins and be received into eternal life — but it is also called the Righteousness of Christ, because being outside of us, it is in the humanity of Christ, as in a subject.
WILLIAM PERKINS
Objection 1. No man is made just by another man's justice [i.e., justness].
Answer: This justice is both another's, and also ours.
It is another's, because it is in Christ, as in a subject. It is ours, because by means of the forenamed union,
Christ with all his benefits, is made ours.
Objection 2. The ancient fathers never dreamed of this imputative justice, and it may seem, too, of no greater continuance than fifty years.
Answer: This is both false and impious to affirm.
Augustine's 3rd Tract on John says, All those who are justified by Christ, are just not in themselves, but in him. Barnard says in his sermon (ad milites templi cap.
11.), Mors in Christi morte fugatur, & Christi justitia nobis imputatur — that is, Death in Christ's death is put to flight, and the justice of Christ is imputed to us. And in his 62nd sermon on the Canticles:
Where is there any rest (he says) but in the wounds of our Saviour? I will further sing, but what? My own justice? No, O Lord, I will remember your justice alone.
For that is also my justice. For you were made by God, justice unto me. But should I fear whether that one justice would suffice for two? No, it is not a short cloak that is not able to cover a couple. Your justice is justice for evermore, and will both cover you and me; it is largely large, and eternal justice. And in me it covers the multitude of my sins, etc.
August. Lib. De Spiritu & litera cap. 9 & 26. We must understand this saying so: The doers of the law shall be justified, that we may know that there are no doers of the law, except those who are justified, so that they are not first doers of the law, and then justified; but first justified, and then doers of the law. So it is said, they shall be justified, as if saying, they shall be reputed just and accounted just.
Justification has annexed to it Adoption, by which all those who are predestined to be adopted, receive power to actually be accounted the sons of God by
A GOLDEN CHAIN
Christ. Eph 1.5, Who has predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ, unto himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.
By means of adoption, God has bestowed many notable privileges upon His children.
I. They are the Lord's heirs apparent. Rom 8.17, If we are children, we are also heirs, even the heirs of God.
II. They are fellow heirs with Christ, indeed kings.
Rom 8.17. Rev 1.6, And made us Kings and Priests, even to God his Father.
III. All their afflictions, even their wants and offences, are turned to trials, fatherly chastisements, inflicted on them for their good. Rom 8.28, We know that all things work together for the best, for those who love God. Verses 36-37, It is written, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Nevertheless, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Psa
89.32-33, I will visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes. Yet, my loving kindness
I will not take from him. 2Cor 12.7, There was given to me a prick in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, because I should not be exalted out of measure. 2Sam 7.14, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And if he sins, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men.
IV. They have dominion over all creatures; yet such that, they not only have right to the thing in this life, but also after this life. From this it is apparent that the faithful alone have the true use of the Lord's goods: 1.
Because their persons are, in Christ, acceptable to Him, in whom they also have restitution made to them of those goods which they lost in Adam, that they may use them with a good conscience. 2. They use them with thanksgiving to their ends appointed by God.
1Cor 3.22-23, Whether it is Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, whether they are
WILLIAM PERKINS
things present, or things to come, even all these are yours. Heb 2.7-8, You made him little inferior to the Angels; you crowned him with glory and honor, and have set him above the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.
V. Last of all, they may have the Angels as ministering spirits, attending upon them for their good.
Heb 1.14, Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for their sakes, who shall be heirs of salvation? Psa 34.7, The Angel of the Lord pitches [his tent] around those who fear Him, and delivers them.