Rom. 6:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
In regard to the Law of God man has one basic problem that has a positive and negative aspect in regard to justification before God. The law functions positively to reveal what is righteousness and thus negatively what is coming short of that standard or sin. To fail to measure up to that standard is to be condemned as sin. Hence, the only resolution for avoiding condemnation as sin is to EQUAL the standard of righteousness demanded by the Law (Mt. 5:48).
Hence, any view of justification must resolve both this inseparable positive and negative function of God's law.
Paul states that justification consists of resolving both the postive and negative issue that all men have with God's law:
1. Imputed righteousness resolves the standard of righteousness demanded by God's law.
2. Remission of sins resolves the conclusion by God's law concerning all men in regard to its standard of righteousness.
Hence, for any man to be "justified before God" God's law must be satisfied in regard to both aspects or there is no satisfaction of at all. For the righteousness of the law to be satisifed so must the failure to measure up to that standard must be satisfied as well as they the former demands the latter or no man can be "justified before God" as they continue to "come short" of the glory of God and thus fail to measure up to the stanard of righteousness defined by God's Law.
It is the Person of Christ and Christ's personal works alone among mankind that alone can acheive the Law's dual aspect standard. Hence, Christ's provision to satisfy that requirement can only be communicated to sinners through imputation by faith based upon substitutionary atonement because the works of man regardless if they are a product of grace or not cannot possibly acheive that standard.
Paul argues that the Person and redemptive work of Christ is what is provided as the "propitiation" (satisfaction) of these demands and it is received through faith (Rom. 3:25-26; 4:5-6) by imputation.
Simply put, it is a substitutionary death for sin and a substitutionary life for righteousness - 2 Cor. 5:21.
Both of these aspects of justification (righteousness, remission of sins) are what constitutes the man who is personally "ungodly" to be viewed as the "blessed man":
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
The above quotation is taken from Psalm 32 which is a confession of the personal unworthiness and sinfulness of David exhibited in his sins with Bathsheba and Uriah. David is not basing his forgiveness of these sins on his personal righteousness or fitness but upon the fitness of Christ whom he had believed in.
Hence, for David to be justified before God both righteousness and remission of sins must be received solely by faith in Christ as David personally cannot contribute either as his own life reveals he personally not only came short but continues to come short of the Law's demands for satisfaction. Hence, imputation through faith is the only possible way that such righteousness and remission is achievable by the personal "ungodly" believer - Romans 4:5. Paul introduces David's words in Romans 4:6 "EVEN AS" thus designed to reinforce what was previously stated by Paul in Romans 4:5 in regard to the "ungodly."
Where there is no righteousness that fully satisfies the Law's standard or a righteousness that does not "come short" of God's personal glory - "the righteousenss OF GOD" there can be no justification before God as that would require God to justify that which continues to "comes short of the glory of God." Where there is no full remission of sin there can be no such thing as justificatio before God as that would require God to justify sinfulness. Hence, the only way personal sinful humans can be justified before God is on the basis of imputation which is rooted in substitution. Christ dying IN THE PLACE OF the sinner as a sinless man thus satisfying both aspects of the Law.
CONCLUSION: Inherent in Justification before God is righteousness that does not "come short" of God's glory and therefore inclusive of full remission of sins because without full remission of sins there is the continance of coming short of the glory of God.
Moreover, Inherent in justification before God is both the basis for justification found only in the Person and works of Jesus Christ AND the application of that basis found in the work of the Spirit of God in producing faith in the gospel of justification. One without the other does not obtain justification.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
In regard to the Law of God man has one basic problem that has a positive and negative aspect in regard to justification before God. The law functions positively to reveal what is righteousness and thus negatively what is coming short of that standard or sin. To fail to measure up to that standard is to be condemned as sin. Hence, the only resolution for avoiding condemnation as sin is to EQUAL the standard of righteousness demanded by the Law (Mt. 5:48).
Hence, any view of justification must resolve both this inseparable positive and negative function of God's law.
Paul states that justification consists of resolving both the postive and negative issue that all men have with God's law:
1. Imputed righteousness resolves the standard of righteousness demanded by God's law.
2. Remission of sins resolves the conclusion by God's law concerning all men in regard to its standard of righteousness.
Hence, for any man to be "justified before God" God's law must be satisfied in regard to both aspects or there is no satisfaction of at all. For the righteousness of the law to be satisifed so must the failure to measure up to that standard must be satisfied as well as they the former demands the latter or no man can be "justified before God" as they continue to "come short" of the glory of God and thus fail to measure up to the stanard of righteousness defined by God's Law.
It is the Person of Christ and Christ's personal works alone among mankind that alone can acheive the Law's dual aspect standard. Hence, Christ's provision to satisfy that requirement can only be communicated to sinners through imputation by faith based upon substitutionary atonement because the works of man regardless if they are a product of grace or not cannot possibly acheive that standard.
Paul argues that the Person and redemptive work of Christ is what is provided as the "propitiation" (satisfaction) of these demands and it is received through faith (Rom. 3:25-26; 4:5-6) by imputation.
Simply put, it is a substitutionary death for sin and a substitutionary life for righteousness - 2 Cor. 5:21.
Both of these aspects of justification (righteousness, remission of sins) are what constitutes the man who is personally "ungodly" to be viewed as the "blessed man":
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
The above quotation is taken from Psalm 32 which is a confession of the personal unworthiness and sinfulness of David exhibited in his sins with Bathsheba and Uriah. David is not basing his forgiveness of these sins on his personal righteousness or fitness but upon the fitness of Christ whom he had believed in.
Hence, for David to be justified before God both righteousness and remission of sins must be received solely by faith in Christ as David personally cannot contribute either as his own life reveals he personally not only came short but continues to come short of the Law's demands for satisfaction. Hence, imputation through faith is the only possible way that such righteousness and remission is achievable by the personal "ungodly" believer - Romans 4:5. Paul introduces David's words in Romans 4:6 "EVEN AS" thus designed to reinforce what was previously stated by Paul in Romans 4:5 in regard to the "ungodly."
Where there is no righteousness that fully satisfies the Law's standard or a righteousness that does not "come short" of God's personal glory - "the righteousenss OF GOD" there can be no justification before God as that would require God to justify that which continues to "comes short of the glory of God." Where there is no full remission of sin there can be no such thing as justificatio before God as that would require God to justify sinfulness. Hence, the only way personal sinful humans can be justified before God is on the basis of imputation which is rooted in substitution. Christ dying IN THE PLACE OF the sinner as a sinless man thus satisfying both aspects of the Law.
CONCLUSION: Inherent in Justification before God is righteousness that does not "come short" of God's glory and therefore inclusive of full remission of sins because without full remission of sins there is the continance of coming short of the glory of God.
Moreover, Inherent in justification before God is both the basis for justification found only in the Person and works of Jesus Christ AND the application of that basis found in the work of the Spirit of God in producing faith in the gospel of justification. One without the other does not obtain justification.
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