I have been reading a few posts by Calvinists and it occurs to me that terms have not been adequately defined. The main term is perhaps "justice" itself.
I believe that our understanding of justice may contribute to our disagreements.
I woukd like to look, therefore, at justice itself. The reason is we cannot come to a mutual understanding (even if we continue to disagree) without exploring justice itself. It does no good to look at the Cross if we are working off of different concepts of the "sin problem" as it relates to divine justice.
Let’s look at the “divine court” (at Judgement, that event that will occur when God separates people like a shepherd separates goats from sheep). This called “that day”, the “day of wrath”, “Judgment”.
Sitting in the “court room” there are two groups of people. One group is “the wicked”. The other group has been conformed into the image of Christ.
The wicked have “stored up wrath for themselves for the day of wrath”. This day has arrived and they are condemned, cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death.
But we are talking about this other group.
Can God justify these people without punishing their crimes?
What if rather than punishing these people God makes them new creations in Christ, removes their old heart and spirit, gives them a new heart and spirit, puts His Spirit in them? What if God conforms these people into the image of Christ? What if these people die to sin, put to death the “old man” who would have been the object of God’s punishment at judgment?
If those things happen then when God judges us we are literally innocent of any sin. Why? Because of the work of Christ. We are made new creations in Him, we are crucified with Him, we are made into His image.
The person who stands in that “divine court”, if they are saved, are so based on Christ Himself. They are made into His brothers, Jesus being the Firstborn of many brethren.
The question is whether this satisfies what some view as the demands of justice.
My answer is “of course”. If the guilty are made innocent then justice is served. Justice itself is not about punishing crimes. Punishing crimes is something that is done within a just system to achieve a better state of justice. So if you could make the criminal “righteous” then that would achieve justice.
I believe that our understanding of justice may contribute to our disagreements.
I woukd like to look, therefore, at justice itself. The reason is we cannot come to a mutual understanding (even if we continue to disagree) without exploring justice itself. It does no good to look at the Cross if we are working off of different concepts of the "sin problem" as it relates to divine justice.
Let’s look at the “divine court” (at Judgement, that event that will occur when God separates people like a shepherd separates goats from sheep). This called “that day”, the “day of wrath”, “Judgment”.
Sitting in the “court room” there are two groups of people. One group is “the wicked”. The other group has been conformed into the image of Christ.
The wicked have “stored up wrath for themselves for the day of wrath”. This day has arrived and they are condemned, cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death.
But we are talking about this other group.
Can God justify these people without punishing their crimes?
What if rather than punishing these people God makes them new creations in Christ, removes their old heart and spirit, gives them a new heart and spirit, puts His Spirit in them? What if God conforms these people into the image of Christ? What if these people die to sin, put to death the “old man” who would have been the object of God’s punishment at judgment?
If those things happen then when God judges us we are literally innocent of any sin. Why? Because of the work of Christ. We are made new creations in Him, we are crucified with Him, we are made into His image.
The person who stands in that “divine court”, if they are saved, are so based on Christ Himself. They are made into His brothers, Jesus being the Firstborn of many brethren.
The question is whether this satisfies what some view as the demands of justice.
My answer is “of course”. If the guilty are made innocent then justice is served. Justice itself is not about punishing crimes. Punishing crimes is something that is done within a just system to achieve a better state of justice. So if you could make the criminal “righteous” then that would achieve justice.