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I think I may have had a go in the past but I feel now that I have managed to clearly explain why Tom Wright’s ideas about justification cannot be right. Without requiring a verse by verse breakdown - which would certainly not be my ->
I think I may have had a go in the past but I feel now that I have managed to clearly explain why Tom Wright’s ideas about justification cannot be right. Without requiring a verse by verse breakdown - which would certainly not be my ->
strong point!
It’s impossible to separate any of the following four things:
-God’s power
-His presence
-His unconditional approval
-His holiness.
Starting with the first two it’s impossible to conceive of the idea that ->
It’s impossible to separate any of the following four things:
-God’s power
-His presence
-His unconditional approval
-His holiness.
Starting with the first two it’s impossible to conceive of the idea that ->
God grants us power to please Him without at the same time granting us His presence. Christianity provides no power to please God other than God‘s in dwelling. The Holy Spirit isn’t our servant so that we can please God – He is God enabling and ->
advancing anything which is an expression of His character. It’s impossible to have God’s power without His presence.
But we also don’t have power to please God without it being an expression of His unconditional approval. ->
But we also don’t have power to please God without it being an expression of His unconditional approval. ->
“So what!” you say. “Sometimes He approves of our actions and another times He doesn’t - so it’s not relevant to whether He will justify us on the last day”. But God doesn’t approve individual actions – the only thing He approves and disapproves ->
is our decision to submit and depend only on Him - or not. Sin isn’t just one of those things that happens in the context of a life decision to submit to, and depend on, God. It is the decision in a moment to do neither of those things. ->
The only thing that is God’s unconditional approval is not a work but a whole of life decision. Christianity is therefore instant, often invisible, ongoing repentance. The following passage shows that sin is a decision, not an accident that is ->
disconnected from our will:
Romans 6:16 ESV
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ->
Romans 6:16 ESV
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ->
The Christian life therefore involves repentance - I renewed decision to serve God only - after every time we sin– because our sin was itself a decision not to serve God only.
Since sin is not an inevitability within right relationship with God ->
Since sin is not an inevitability within right relationship with God ->
it is therefore wrong to think of grace as the opportunity to sin and be forgiven. Because to sin and be forgiven (without repentance) is to make the decision at any moment not to live as a Christian and then hope to be forgiven for it. And of course ->
a pattern of sin then amounts to being a life decision not to follow God. So grace should be thought of as God’s decision to always consider true repentance to be acceptable.
With these things in mind now read Romans 5, considering what ->
With these things in mind now read Romans 5, considering what ->
the grace in this passage is referring to.
Romans 5:1-2 ESV
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, ->
Romans 5:1-2 ESV
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, ->
and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And now Romans 6, considering again what this thing called grace that is being referred to actually is.
Romans 6:1-2 ESV
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ->
And now Romans 6, considering again what this thing called grace that is being referred to actually is.
Romans 6:1-2 ESV
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ->
By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
It is possible to sin and yet still be Christian but the grace that would need to abound here would be the right to live in a pattern of sin and still consider oneself to be in relationship ->
It is possible to sin and yet still be Christian but the grace that would need to abound here would be the right to live in a pattern of sin and still consider oneself to be in relationship ->
with God.
And now with all that ground work laid let me explain how it relates to Tom Wright’s views about justification
Wright’s ideas about justification are wrong because they require us, at least from our perspective, to separate God’s ->
And now with all that ground work laid let me explain how it relates to Tom Wright’s views about justification
Wright’s ideas about justification are wrong because they require us, at least from our perspective, to separate God’s ->
presence and power from His ultimate approval. (I say “at least from our perspective“ because God is outside time so whilst He may not inform us of our future justification He can still be aware of it. Not that God doesn’t also relate to us from our ->
perspective).
There is no way in which God‘s character is compatible with the concept of provisional approval because God cannot be present or powerful without also being unconditionally approving and his unconditional approval is based on nothing ->
There is no way in which God‘s character is compatible with the concept of provisional approval because God cannot be present or powerful without also being unconditionally approving and his unconditional approval is based on nothing ->
other than our decision to serve Him only which Rom 12:1 says is acceptable worship. Therefore our lives offer neither God nor us anything to assure us that our worship is acceptable than our decision to serve God alone now hasn’t already done. ->
