(By: Nick Kennicott – repost from The Decablog)

I cannot express how excited I am for Kevin DeYoung‘s new book, The Hole in Our Holiness (You can also Pre-order the Kindle Edition). DeYoung addresses what I have been having an ongoing conversation about for a few years with several brothers, namely the relationship between justification and sanctification, or perhaps more appropriately stated, the law and the gospel (and of course, I realize this has been an ongoing conversation for much of the church’s history). It seems to me that there are very few men who have been associated, either willingly or unwillingly, with the “gospel-centered” movement who are talking about the use of God’s law in the lives of Christians. I’m thankful for the recovery of the gospel in much of what can be seen in quasi-Reformed evangelicalism today in some respects, but I am also concerned that without a recovery of the right uses of God’s law, we have not truly recovered the gospel. In fact, some men seem almost scared to give any validity to the use of God’s law in the life of a Christian at all. Based on what I’ve heard and read, methinks Kevin DeYoung is providing a valuable addition to the very necessary conversation – perhaps we could soon see brothers linking arms Together for the Law and Gospel.

(By: Nick Kennicott)

Read part 1: The Gospel and Moralism
Read part 2: What is Moralism?

I have sought to argue that the gospel of moralism is really no gospel at all – it is simply not good news! The legal hearts of man more readily assume a need to perform certain deeds and tasks before God than to live freely in the overflow of His grace. In other words, it’s far easier to understand that we should do something as opposed to relying on the fact that, in Jesus, everything has already been done. This, of course, is no new problem – it’s as old as the Judaizers. But, perhaps what’s most dangerous about moralism is what is so often the case in false teaching, namely that a little bit of truth is mixed with error, thus making it sound correct.

Certainly if one has listened to much evangelical preaching in the west, they have heard a (un)healthy dose of moralism. Now I am no antinomian – I love the Law of God (cf. Psalm 119:97). But the Law of God (and in moralism, it’s often mixed with the laws of man) understood apart from the gospel of God is devastatingly crippling and offers no sure foundation. Simply stated, moralism gets the cart before the horse when it comes to justification and sanctification.

Justification

Aside from the biblical teaching on justification, the very word itself testifies against a moralistic understanding of its meaning. “Justify” is a legal term meaning “to acquit” or “declare righteous”. Justification is the opposite of condemnation. Both are declarations: One is a declaration of innocence, the other a declaration of guilt. Take note that to justify does not mean that one is made to be good, perfect, or righteous. Likewise, to condemn does not mean that one is made to be wicked. In both instances, a declaration or pronouncement is being made regarding the state of one’s standing before a judge. Dr. Sam Waldron writes, “Justification is not a change in us. It is a verdict about us. In the act of justification God is acting as a judge, not as a surgeon.”

The difficulty that is presented in rightly understanding justification in relationship to the gospel is that the Bible does not state that God simply declares that His children are righteous, but rather that “many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19, emphasis mine). Does God wrongly declare some sinners to be justified when the Scriptures have clearly indicated that none is righteous, and that all have sinned, rightly deserving the punishment of God (Romans 3:10, 23; 6:23)? This is the profound beauty of justification.

God’s standard has never changed: “The penalty of sin is death” (Romans 6:23; cf. Genesis 2:17). Retribution in God’s economy is an absolute necessity. All sin either has been, or will be rightly punished. The beauty of the cross of Christ is that God’s right and necessary penalty of death was paid by Jesus on behalf of His people. For all others, the death penalty of sin will be paid eternally, separated from God in Hell. Therefore, God’s declaration of righteousness on His people is on the basis of faith in Christ Jesus, by grace, apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28). All who place their faith in Christ by the grace of God granted to them are declared righteous, not because of what they have accomplished, but because of what Christ has accomplished for them, namely perfect obedience and reception of God’s penalty. Dr. John Piper makes this clear: “The perfection we do not have, Jesus provided. The judgment we do not want, Jesus bore.” God has credited this work of Christ to them as righteousness (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23). “Justification is grounded in the righteousness of Christ’s obedience (Romans 5:17-19)” (Waldron).

Sanctification

It is important to understand that a new believer is definitively sanctified, meaning there is a radical change in their heart, both morally and ethically, in which he is at once desirous of at least some measure of holiness in his life, and is loosed from the bondage of sin. Therefore, definitive sanctification is the starting point at conversion which lays the moral foundation upon which progressive sanctification will build.

Progressive sanctification is the process whereby a Christian grows in likeness to Christ and spiritual maturity. Sanctification is ongoing, and will not be completed until the believer has been glorified with Christ. Simply stated, “Sanctification is a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ in our actual lives” (Dr. Wayne Grudem).

God provides various means by which the believer is sanctified: The means of grace (Bible, prayer, worship, baptism, Lord’s Supper, fasting), relationships (marriage, friendship, family, church), and everyday circumstances in the Christian life are at work to bring about the holiness God calls His children to embrace and walk in. God’s command upon the believer is to work out their, “Own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). Notice, the command presents the reality that in this process, both God and man are at work. Man has a responsibility to strive for holiness while God is at work within. The satisfying reality of sanctification is that God strengthens, guides, and empowers the believer in their pursuit of living a responsible Christian life. It is by the grace of God that a Christian has the desire and ability to be sanctified, to will and to work for God’s good pleasure.

Justification and Sanctification in Tandem

A Christian is no more or less justified than any other Christian, at any time, from the moment of regeneration unto eternity. The moment an individual is declared righteous and the righteousness of Christ is placed upon them, they are simultaneously definitively sanctified (given a new heart with a love for the Law of God and a desire to strive for holiness), and begin the process of progressive sanctification. Justification is a single event at a single moment in time. Sanctification is ongoing until completion when one is finally glorified.

Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding of the gospel has been the reversal of the order of justification and sanctification. Justification must precede sanctification. It is vitally important to understand that sanctification is not a means to justification, but must precede sanctification. To reverse the order is to lose the gospel altogether. The power and beauty of the gospel rests in the fact that God’s children were once God’s enemies (Ephesians 2:1), and yet in His great love He chose to declare them righteous based on the merits of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Prior to that great, choosing work of God, the heart of every man is fixed on unrighteous rebellion (Romans 3:10). Indeed, apart from the justifying work of God in Christ Jesus, every human effort of seeking to perform righteous deeds is as a “polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:6). Every admirable deed of mankind prior to justification is a self-righteous pursuit in an attempt to be justified by works, not grace through faith. This is a detestable sight before God and the very thing that happens when one seeks to be justified by first striving to be sanctified. This is the damning error of moralism.

The Church today is in desperate need of rightly understanding the relationship between God’s Law and the gospel, and the order of justification and sanctification. Understanding the difference is a matter of freedom and bondage, life and death.

Brothers, anything to add?

(By: Nick Kennicott)

Read Part 1

The false gospel of moralism takes on various nuances, but is most basically the belief that the Christian life is a performance in 3 acts:

Act 1: Everyone does more bad than good in life. Jesus dies for lost sinners and saves them from the penalty of death – eternal punishment in Hell. When a person becomes a Christian, they are set on course to live morally upstanding lives.

Act 2: Christians are new creations with improved behaviors. Depending on their cultural and political proclivities, some behaviors are deemed more sinful than others. In essence, this act is a song and dance number whereby life is best performed through various do’s and don’ts. These moral standards are a mixture of the commands of Scripture (the script), and the personal convictions of the individual believer (improvisation). To deviate from the script with more than a few minor improvisations leaves God disappointed and irritated with the Christian’s inability to act rightly.

Act 3: Based upon the moral uprightness of an individual, entrance to heaven is granted because God is pleased with the overall performance. In the end, if one has not performed according to the moral standards of the script, God will still grant entrance to an individual, even though they may have a lowly existence eternally, because Jesus paid the price.

It’s hard to even write these propositions for the sake of explanation because such deviations from the true gospel of Jesus Christ are contained within. Admittedly, most individuals who believe the gospel of moralism would probably not affirm this description, but therein lies a problem: Many professing Christians are in the midst of moralism (the preaching they hear and they way they apply it) and don’t even realize it.

My assumption is that the problem of moralism rests firmly in a misunderstanding of the relationship between justification and sanctification and how the law is applied within the framework of the gospel. More on this next time.

Any thoughts?

This is a Hebrew scroll fragment from the 10 commandments. The Royal Ontario Museum will be showing for 1 week only (Oct. 10-15)

(By: Christopher Powell) Please note: WordPress seems to delete all my Scripture references (how evil is that?!) every time I save. When we work it out, I’ll reinsert them in proper format.

All Previous Posts in this Series

“Wotcha gonna do, wotcha gonna do when they come for you…” -Inner Circle “Bad Boys” theme from the show “Cops”


The theme song from one of the oldest reality shows on television is culturally evocative of what many people think of when they hear someone talk about  “the Law”.   To many, the Law is entirely about addressing the “bad” guys – it really has nothing to do with the “good” guys.   This was the view of the Rich Young Ruler:  Mark ten verse 20 – “all these [commandments] I have kept from my youth.”   In other words, I’m good, I’m ‘covered’ on this – what’s next?  This in itself is naked self-righteousness.  And Jesus calls him on it.  He starts by seizing on the concept of what it means to be “good” Mark nine verse 19 – only God is good.   He then proceeds to painfully, but, graciously, expose the man’s self-righteousness to him.   He does so with an application of God’s law that would make most modern evangelists blush.  Much of the time we’re too afraid to offend a person, but, Jesus is more concerned with this man’s eternal destiny (and perhaps also of those watching and listening to the exchange).  Jesus tells the man that he is confident that this man knows the commandments intellectually – verse 19.  Jesus is concerned to communicate to this man the purpose of these commandments to humble men to the realization that no human being can of himself fulfill the moral law of God.   This is the first of the three classic “uses” of the law that the Scriptures teach and that our Confession refers to in chapter 19.  These three uses can be generally summarized as:

1. The pedagogical use of the law. This is the work of God whereby he uses the  law to  “teach” us our sinfulness (Romans three verse 20) by revealing the extent of corruption in our hearts and exposing our desperate state and need of a Saviour.
2. The civil use of the law (judicial in confessional terms). It’s use is to restrain wickedness and promote justice and righteousness in human affairs, a ‘public’ righteousness that is a result of God’s common grace.  This is what Paul is referring to in
3. The third use of the law is in the lives of believers as a living guide.  Jesus said in John fourteen v.15  “If you love me, keep my commandments.”  Similarly, instructions and imperatives are given to Christians throughout the New Testament that uphold and expand God’s moral law.  The law is liberty for the Christian to run in the paths of God’s commands (James one v.25 and cf. Psalms one hundred and nineteen v.32)

Jesus skillfully applied the law according to this first use.  He helped the Rich Young Ruler begin to grasp that no amount of effort on his part could rid him of his sins.  That even if he had managed to keep the law in one part he could not keep the whole law of God by himself.  That is our task as evangelists.  We seek to expose the law of God for the unbeliever and point them to Jesus Christ as the only one who can save Romans three v.21 and following.    We must then prayerfully trust the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of the unbeliever to the only solution to his sin.  The cross of Jesus where the law is fully satisfied in the great exchange of our sinfulness for the righteousness of Christ.  Christ’s death acts as a propitiation for our sins.

But it is important that in understanding this fact we not neglect the third use of the law in the process of evangelism.  Wait a second – the third use?  We’re talking about unbelievers.  What do you mean?  Well, the sad reality is that, perhaps unconsciously, many Christians also follow the same line of thinking as the Rich Young Ruler.   The way of thinking that says that the law is really only for bad people, not Christians.  You have nothing to fear from the law if you’re a Christian citizen.  After all, we’re not under law,  we’re under grace – it’s in the Bible!   Practically speaking many folks miss the biblical understanding of the law and see it as something that justifies them and condemns others.  These folks are just as guilty of the sin of self-righteousness.   Thus, when they apply the law in evangelism it is not with the humility of a saved sinner seeking lost sinners.  It is with a self-righteous attitude.  In case you think that’s too far from your own thinking, think about the last time you looked on a homosexual couple flaunting their sin.  What went through your mind?   Was it disgust and dismissal?  Or was it a heart of compassion which at the very least marvels at the mercy of God “but for the grace of God go I?”.  We must never forget that we are ALL recipients of grace – we are all sinners under the law – we are all far better than we deserve.    When Jesus was in the key evangelistic moment of applying the message of repentance to this covetous, self-righteous Rich Young Ruler, the Scriptures record a most amazing internal view of Jesus’ heart: “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him.”  He loved him!  Jesus had compassion for this arrogant, self-righteous but hopelessly lost man.  Does Jesus’ attitude characterize your heart as you engage in ministry or evangelism to others?  Or is it just another work for you – a way to earn a line on your Christian résumé?  The apostle Paul understood the wickedness of his heart.  He did not come from a state of superior self-righteousness in his witness.  He knew his real condition as he expressed it so clearly:  “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” First Timothy one v.15.   That is the attitude of the Christian who understands that the preaching the Gospel is something that ALL men desperately need to point them to (or back to) the only Saviour, Jesus Christ.   Law and Grace meet at the cross of Jesus Christ.  That’s where we must always return ourselves.  That way we’ll have something beautiful to sing when it comes to meditating on the law:

(By: John Miller)


As Christians in the Reformed tradition, we are those who love the law of God.  We agree with the Apostle Paul that “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Romans 7:12) One of the reasons we love the law is because it teaches us how to love.  Our love is not to be merely some amorphous feeling, but directed, active, and expressive of the law of God.  From this we see that law and love are not opposed to one another.  Instead, “love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10)  This is why the law can be expressed as the two great commandments to love:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.  (Matthew 22:37-40)

But there is another reason we love the law:  it teaches us how we fail to love, so that we might look outside of ourselves to the only source of love, the God who is love.  It is as the law shows me how I fail to speak kindly, how I steal from my employer, how I harbor bitterness in my heart that I realize I am a lover of self, lover of money, and lover of pleasure rather than a lover of God.  (2 Timothy 3:2-4).   I come to realize I do not and cannot love God or man in my own strength or power.  And here the law acts as a schoolmaster to drive me to Jesus Christ, the only one who can transform lovers of self into lovers of God.

But how does Jesus Christ make us into lovers of God?  By giving us His Spirit that we may grasp by faith the immeasurable greatness of the love of God in Jesus Christ.  Especially that we may grasp the love of God displayed in the atoning death of Christ on the cross.  For it is in the cross that God reveals to us a love that is unlike any other, that is otherworldly, that is truly heavenly.

Consider just one dimension of the immeasurable love of God in the cross of Christ.  It is at the cross that we see most clearly God’s eternal love for the unlovely.  Indeed, at the cross God loves those who are His enemies, those who hate Him and rebel against Him. How hard it is for us to continually love those who love us, much more those who hate us!  “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  Here is immeasurable love indeed!

May God give us the grace to immerse ourselves in the multi-dimensional and immeasurable love of God in Christ.  And may the prayer of Paul be answered daily in your life, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)