The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Lutheran Justification

Technically, and very importantly, this author is in error. It is NOT Christ's atoning work ALONE that "justifies" in and of itself. Let me try and make this a bit clearer. We must make a clear distinction between what Christ ACCOMPLISHED in behalf of those whom the Father gave Him and the APPLICATION of that atoning work. Christ's death does NOT "justify" anyone. Justification is a temporal act on God's part whereby He declares a believer, i.e., one who puts faith in Christ (not just His death) not guilty, aka: Justified (forensically), i.e., the believer is not "made righteous" intrinsically. Until the prerequisites of repentance and faith are exercised by a sinner, there can be no justification. Faith is that which unites a person to Christ. And with that union comes justification.

Now, to apply this to Prestor's Lutheran antagonists..... their concept of "objective justification" is fallacious because it obfuscates this distinction between that which is objectively accomplished by Christ's active and passive obedience and the application of that work. Until that which Christ secured is applied, nothing in the way of "justification" is realized. Moreover, the two are inseparably linked by God's eternal purpose (decree), for the means of salvation are no less ordained than the end of that salvation. Thus Christ's atonement is but a part of the whole, when we consider salvation eschatologically.