The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Is man required to "choose" in order to be saved?

1. Justification IS inherently legal. It is the proclamation of a [the] judge that the accused is found to be not guilty... based upon the vicarious substitutionary work of Christ Who is in personal union with the accused through faith. Again, NO ONE is truly justified before they come to Christ in repentance and faith in Him. (cf. Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6; Jas 2:23) It is 'by faith' (Greek dia {dative of means} pistis) in Christ that one is declared justified by God on the basis of the Lord Christ's atonement (passive obedience) and His perfect righteousness (active obedience), which is reckoned/imputed [Greek: logizomai) to the believer.

Justification is not 'applied spiritually to the mind of the [already] Justified'. Again, justification occurs in time and only in time when a regenerated sinner reaches out with true repentance and saving faith to God in Christ Jesus, whereby God declares once for all that the pleading sinner's sins have been propitiated, God's wrath appeased, the infinite debt has been paid, he has been reconciled to God and redemption has been made, and the perfect righteousness of Christ is LEGALLY imputed to him, therefore and on the basis of Christ's life and death in his behalf, he is now an adopted son of the Living God. It is NOT as you surely believe, that justification 'applied to an already justified individual' is merely a matter of that person's "mind" being enlightened to a previously unknown event of which he had no part of.

There is, as John Murray's title of his book, Redemption: Accomplished and Applied two important aspects to a sinner's salvation. 1) the finished work of Christ in behalf of the elect as their substitute and righteousness, and 2) the application of all the merited benefits upon them when they come into union with Him through/by faith. The clear teaching of this truth is quickly understood in Paul's brief statement here:

Justification follows the calling (regeneration by the Spirit through the Gospel; cf. Rom 1:16, 10:8-10). And then shows how this salvation which is through faith in the Lord Christ is unassailable and a surety for all true believers in Rom 8:31-39. Assurance follows justification by faith in Christ, and not before by some 'ex parte' event.

For your further consideration:

- "Eternal Justification" by Louis Berkhof
- "Justification From Eternity” by G.C. Berkhouwer