God's Salvation Provisions (2)

Freedom

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

The sacrifice of Christ is called a ransom. The price for our release was incredibly high. We must not move on too quickly. Please note: Jesus did not come from the Father to deliver numberless bags of gold or silver. He did not come to negotiate for our release. In fact, He did not bring anything to anybody to set us free. He gave Himself in love and grace for our salvation. Jesus said in plain language, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Jesus was the ransom, the price paid for our freedom from sin. "For there is One God, and one mediator also between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all …" (1 Timothy 2:5-6a).

Christ's death for sin is sometimes spoken of as a substitution for the penalty of our sins. This is rather loose language because "to substitute"; that is, "to offer a substitution,” implies that something secondary has taken the place of something primary. (Do you know anyone who substitutes something for real sugar in their diet?) Was Jesus "secondary" and we "primary" when He offered Himself? Of course not! It seems there is something inadequate about using the word "substitution" in reference to Jesus' death. At any rate, there are no words found in the New Testament that are translated "to substitute" or "substitution" with reference to Christ's death or anything else! This surely must be significant. On the other hand, we are told that “He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf …” (2 Corinthians 5:21a). “God had made Jesus who committed no sin to suffer as though He had sinned” (David Lipscomb, “Second Corinthians and Galatians” in A Commentary on the New Testament Epistles, Vol. III). Perhaps the best that can be said about the word “substitution” to describe Christ's redemptive role is that it may be misleading, being based on a very shaky inference without specific Biblical linguistic support.

The scriptural word “ransom” (lutron) is often assumed to require three parties: the one who pays a price to free someone who is held captive by someone. If one insists this version of “ransom” is exclusive, a difficulty arises. Note: God the Father gave a ransom (John 3:16) to redeem us (Titus 2:14), (the ransomed). Does that make three parties? If so, to whom was the ransom paid? Did the Father pay it to His Son? No! Did Jesus pay it to us or to the Father? Of course not! Did Deity “negotiate” with Satan and come up with a “settlement”? To suggest that God did this seems blasphemous to us. To even think He may have been tempted to do so is not only contrary to Jesus' experience with Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:5-11a); it is contrary to the very nature of God (James 1:13).

What, then, is the answer? The “ransom” was a liberation; a “setting free.” It was not “paid” to anyone. It was the terrible, agonizing, excruciating, sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. With this view of “ransom,” it is easy to see why no word in the original language of the New Testament is ever translated as “substitution” to describe what Jesus did for us on the cross (Sherman E. Johnson, “The Gospel According to St. Matthew,” in The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 7. Johnson says in reference to Matthew 20:28, “… just as the son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many,” that ransom is the usual translation of lutron, that which looses or redeems. There is no necessary implication that the ransom is paid to someone (God or the devil, for example); the thought is only that it costs greatly to rescue men from their enslavement”).

Human analogies may fail when describing what man does as compared to what God does. Nevertheless, the following true incident may help us to grasp the concept of ransom as a price paid at terrible cost. For a time during World War II this writer was confined to bed in a military hospital in England . In the bed next to me was a colonel whose face had been shot away—completely. The horror of that life-draining wound remains vivid to this day. What a terrible price to pay for service to his country. It was an excruciating death. He, himself, paid the utmost. But, to whom was the price paid? No one else. Through His sacrifice our freedom was preserved. He “bought us back,” so to speak, and freed us from potential bondage to the world's most infamous human tyrant the world has ever known. The colonel's death was one in millions. It was not a substitution. It was the real thing. Likewise, the role of Jesus as a ransom sacrifice was no substitute. It was the real thing: He died once and for all. As faithful Christians, we are truly in a ransomed state.

Righteousness

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption …” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

We have been examining major elements that constitute our salvation as loyal followers of Jesus Christ. Any study of salvation presents its difficulties. Our approach is no exception. We are trying to avoid the arbitrariness of a mere individual word study. At the same time, we are trying to avoid the ambiguity of vague generalities. Perhaps the middle ground is best. We are studying basic concepts that grow out of specific biblical words. This gives us an opportunity to explore without leaving our biblical base. This approach helps us to avoid dissecting a subject which, in the final analysis, cannot be separated into its component parts without irreparable damage.

Now we look at righteousness and justification in a logical order that is not sequential. Righteousness is a noun. It is a state of being. The state of being is described by the adjective righteous. So, if one is righteous, he is the embodiment of the state of righteousness. His life may be described by the observation, “He is living righteously.” All of this is pertinent to our study. But, what does it mean? It means very little unless there is some standard that clarifies the noun, adjective, verb, or adverb with which we are dealing. Examples follow.

Suppose we are walking down the street and pass a couple arguing heatedly. Before we get very far we hear one of them shout, “I am right!” We hear the words; we do not know their meaning. A grocery shopper sees a cereal box with the label “just right.” That, of course, is a matter of opinion that will probably be decided in a subjective way. Is the price right? Is the taste right? Is the nutritional value right? Does the amount of cereal in the box match the weight claim on the outside? It gets more serious as we probe. Sometimes we may hear or read of someone who claims his rights are being violated. What an amazing range of meaning that phrase carries! All of these examples become practically meaningless unless there is a way to evaluate them.

On the other hand, there is a way of measuring "right" that seems less subjective than some of the above examples may suggest. Who has the "right" to give me a speeding ticket for driving 75 miles an hour in a 40 mile an hour zone? Who has a “right” to send me to prison if I am proven to be a bank robber? These are questions that have more objective answers than our first examples. The answers are based on law. However, other questions can be raised that may put a strain on the role of law. Who has the “right” to prevent or allow an abortion? Who has a “right” to sanction or refuse the practice of euthanasia? What is the standard that determines the "right" answer to such questions?

In all of the examples, we find that the implied answers may vary greatly because different standards are applied. The answers may be subjective, objective, legal, or moral. Where does all of this leave us? We live in a state of confusion. Standards vary from time to time and from place to place. This ambiguity may lead us to decide what is “right” or wrong on an anthropomorphic basis. This is what gets us into terrible, terrible difficulty. Man (anthropos) is a sinful creature. “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, / And all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; / And all of us wither like a leaf, / And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away" (Isaiah 64:6). One who lives his life solely by human standards cannot be righteous—cannot live righteously. “I know, O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself; / Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).

Since man is not able to practice a consistent standard of righteousness, where may he find it? The answer is so simple and obvious it takes our breath away. The proper standard for living comes from a perfect source—God Himself! The Psalmist said concerning God, “As is Your name, O God, / So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; / Your right hand is full of righteousness” (Psalm 48:10). The apostle John wrote, “I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous” (John 2:1, emphasis added). “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31b-32). The apostle Peter wrote that “… no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21). We are informed that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, emphasis added). Paul also laid down a principle when he wrote to the Corinthians to “… learn not to exceed what is written…” (1 Corinthians 4:6b).

So, we have ample information. We see God the Father and God the Son as righteous. We have God the Spirit as the motivation (inspiration) moving the Biblical writers, making it proper for us to refer to the Scriptures as the "Holy Bible." This "Word of Truth" shall make us free. All of this information points to righteousness and opens the gates for our salvation. Therefore, with the Psalmist we can say, "My eyes fail with longing for Thy salvation, and for Thy righteous word" (Psalm 119:123, emphasis added). God the Father is righteous; He is right. God the Son is righteous; He is right. God the Spirit is righteous; He is right. The word of God is righteous; it is right. All these reflect a state of righteousness. In the work of the Trinity and by the assurance found in the Word, we see that "Loving kindness and truth have met together; / Righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalm 85:10).

To be righteous means to adhere to a righteous standard. We have seen what that standard is. God and His word is the standard. This word teaches us how to live righteously. Among other things, it requires accepting the ethics God presents, upholding the rules of justice He lays down, advocating the rights He offers, practicing the kind of benevolence He prescribes, and living pure and upright lives before Him. Even though this list is merely representative, not comprehensive, it seems like an impossible task. However, an attempt to be righteous in some other way would leave us in the quagmire we discussed earlier. We would be disoriented, confused, and thrown into despair; disoriented, because we did not have an authoritative or absolute guide; confused, because we did not have the ability to know or make correct decisions; despairing, because we realized we were still in a sinful state from which we could extricate ourselves.

Ironically, the world is much too overpopulated with people in this condition. It has been so from of old. "For not knowing God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God" (Romans 10:3, emphasis added). Paul spoke of his own people, the Jews; however, he also said,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise (Galatians 3:28-29).

Remember God's promise to Abraham? It is obvious that God shows no partiality (Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25). The apostle Peter, a Jew, came to the home of Cornelius, a Gentile, with the good news of Jesus. "And opening his mouth Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him’ ” (Acts 10:34-35). Here the word “nation” comes from the Greek ’ethnos. This implies “ethnic group” not “political” or “geographic group.”

Therefore, when we subject ourselves to God's righteousness and do what is right, we are God's children.

Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous … By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious; anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother (1 John 3:7, 9, emphasis added).

We have made the point that we are unable to “lift ourselves up by our own bootstraps.” In our sinful condition, we cannot strain hard enough to establish our own righteousness. Yet, we are enjoined to practice righteousness. Is this a contradiction or a paradox? It certainly seems contradictory. However, it is not contradictory in fact. It is paradoxical. A paradox is usually contrary to expectations. What is the answer? All too briefly stated, the answer is “… that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption …” (1 Corinthians 1:29-30). All God's children can rejoice because “by His doing” we are in Christ who “became righteousness” to us. How we become His children is a question with which we shall deal later.

Justification

“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25, NIV).

The English word “justification” (Gr. dikaioma) has the general meaning of “judicial sentence or declaration of right.’’ It is found only three times in the New Testament. However, it is related to a very rich word group (dikaio-krisia = just judgment; diakios = just, right, upright, righteous, impartial ; dikaiosune = righteousness, justice; dikaioo = to show to be righteous, to hold guiltless, to justify, to pronounce or treat as righteous; dikaioma = a righteous statute, an ordinance, a judicial decree of acquittal, [justification]; dikaios = justly, properly, uprightly; dikastes = a judge; dike = judicial sentence; dikaiosis = a setting right [justification]). A casual glance at the similarity of these “group words,” even by one not acquainted with New Testament Greek, shows how closely related they are in form and meanings. Please take special note of how practically all of their meanings have to do with righteousness in one form or another. It is essential that we see this striking intimacy between righteousness and justification. Since we have studied righteousness and have noted how closely related righteousness and justification are, perhaps a condensed description of justification is now in order.

In Christian theology this word [justification] is used primarily to indicate the establishment of a right relationship between man and God. Because of the inherit sinfulness of human nature man is separated from God. Left to his own devices, there is no possibility of his being delivered from sin and reconciled to God. As an expression of his grace toward man, however, God, through the life and death of Jesus, has made this deliverance and salvation possible, contingent only on obedient faith. Thus, what the believer cannot earn—justification—he receives freely in return for his faith which expresses itself in a desire to be freed from sin, in complete trust that God has redeemed man, and in obedience to God's commands” (William C. Martin, The Layman’s Bible Encyclopedia).

One way to zero in on our subject is to start with an examination of the three instances where the word “justification” is found in the English New Testament. They are found in Paul's letter to the Romans. Paul, writing about the role of Jesus in our salvation, said: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25, NIV). This speaks right to the heart of the gospel, the good news. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Paul says that the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In the text at hand, Paul speaks of Jesus being delivered over to death and raised to life. His death was for our sins; his resurrection was for our justification. It is difficult to grasp the profundity of this statement. Why was Jesus [falsely] accused, and being innocent, cruelly crucified? One cannot answer this question unless one realizes the horrible nature of sin. Sin separates us from God, who is life. As sinners, we are described as dead.

Sin is a matter of life and death. But Jesus, who knew no sin, lived and died—for our sins. Is this just? How can a father give his son to die in innocence? What could possibly motivate a father to hand over his son to wicked men for execution and listen to him cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me”? We are speaking of God the Father and His Son, Jesus. Can we understand? We can try.

First, the motive: John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (emphasis added). “Love” in this verse comes from the verb agapao. This is an all-giving kind of love. Love in other relationships may be described by the verb phileo, a sort of give-and-take, indicating a mutual relationship or friendship. Though not found specifically in the New Testament, yet another expression of love is found in the word eros, suggesting a carnal all-take self-gratifying sensuality. God's love is an all-giving kind of love. It is the motive behind God's gift of His Son. It is not beyond our appreciation, but it goes beyond our full comprehension (Romans 8:37-39).

Second, the nature: God is just as just as He is loving. He could not, (we say it reverently), be so unjust as to offer His Son unjustifiably. He was faced with the ghastliness, the enormity, of mankind's sins. He loves us unconditionally and immeasurably. He is also perfectly righteous and absolutely just. His love must always be understood in the context of His perfection and righteousness. An inferior sin offering, such as the blood of animals, was out of the question. A search for a superior offering would not suffice. The sacrifice had to be of such magnitude as to cover the heinous sins of the whole world. It could not merely be superior to the offering of bulls and goats. This offering had to be perfect. So, when God the Father offered His sinless, impeccable Son as a sacrifice for our sins, He expressed His love, justice, and righteousness. His integrity was preserved.

The second time Paul uses the word “justification” is as follows: “Again, the gift of God is not like the result of one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification” (Romans 5:16, NIV). In this verse we find Paul talking specifically about the theme of this study—SALVATION. Verse 16 will be more clearly understood if read in its contextual paragraph, verses 15-17. This verse speaks of “the gift of God,” which in verse 17 is called “the gift of righteousness.” Whereas the sin of Adam (verse 14), that is, “one man's sin” (verse 16), brought a judgment of condemnation, the gift of God “brought justification.” The larger context, verses 15-17, also speaks of God's grace that came by God's Son, Jesus Christ, through whom this grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in the lives of those who receive it.

The third and final time we find the word “justification” in the New Testament is immediately following the passage just examined. “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men” (Romans 5:18, NIV). Note that this statement is an elaboration or “consequence” of what had been said earlier. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). It helps to understand a concept if we can see the concept at work. Definition may identify. Description may clarify. However, seeing a concept in action often brings it into clear focus as nothing else can. This is certainly true of justification.

Without apologizing for redundance, we stress again that so far as our salvation is concerned, Jesus Christ is the essential Person in history, and His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection are the essential events in history. It is mind-boggling to realize how extensive the parameters are that explain our justification. We stand amazed to find that God the Father “chose us in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4, emphasis added). We read that God “… has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ …” (Ephesians 1:3). Peter tells Christians they were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ who “was foreknown before the foundation of the world …” (1 Peter 1:19-20, emphasis added). When Jesus prayed to His Father, He said, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5, emphasis added). He continued, saying, “… You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24b, emphasis added).

When Jesus came near the end of his personal ministry, He spoke of His return at the end of time and the great judgment of mankind. “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ ” (Matthew 25:34, emphasis added). Finally, we learn that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him … and the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us …” (John 1:1-3a, 14a, emphasis added). Thus, in His glorified state before the incarnation, Jesus was the Word of God. In His post-incarnate state of glory, He is again called “the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).

You recall we are studying “justification” in close relationship with “righteousness.” We have broken out of the constraints of time and found that from eternity God has been preparing for our justification. This is not an over-statement. It is a fact. The eternal relationship with God can be possible only for those in a righteous state. In the wisdom of God, Christ became righteousness for those in Him (1 Corinthians 1:30). All of this did not “catch God off guard!” Sometimes we speak of the foreknowledge of God. So do the Scriptures. We are told concerning Jesus of Nazareth that He was “… delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God…(and) nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put [Him] to death” (Acts 2:23).

God “foreknew” this “before the foundation of the world.” This means He knew of the plan of redemption before time. This means God knew about all of this from eternity. So, when the Scriptures speak of God's “foreknowledge,” they speak of what God has always known. He is omniscient. He knows all—always. His all-knowing is “foreknowledge” to us who are bound in history for a time. Historically speaking, God's “foreknowledge” simply means that He is knowledgeable of the sequence of events. He knows what comes before even before it comes before.

God's plan of redemption means there is a purpose for us in history and a means provided whereby we can fulfill that purpose. We have seen Jesus as the center piece of God's plan of redemption. He is our Redeemer. Therefore, it is not surprising when He says, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (John 14:6). This profound statement contains three components: The way, the truth, the life. The truth, of course, is the Word of God. Jesus is called “the Word of God.” In His long prayer to His Father, He said, “… Thy word is truth.” So, God's Word lived and written, is the truth. Jesus said, “… you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Jesus is the way. Since we were (are) incapable of removing the barrier of sin and providing our own way, Jesus established the way in His death, burial, and resurrection. He died for us. We are “justified by His blood.” This great provision means He has opened His way to become our way.

God has always provided a way back home for those yearning for it. In days of old the great Messianic prophet, Isaiah, encouraged the people with a prophetic picture of a great highway which God would provide for their return home. “And a highway will be there, a roadway, / And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, / But it will be for him who walks that way, / And fools will not wander on it” (Isaiah 35:8). This provided way is still an open reality for those who would walk in it. The way home continues to beckon weary travelers. We are told by the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, “Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh …” (Hebrews 10:19-20; Cf. G. G. D. Kilpatrick, “The Book of Isaiah,” in The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. Five, for the New Testament application of this old Testament prophecy).

The way and the truth are found in Jesus. So is the life. As the apostle John states in the prologue, “In Him [Jesus] was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). There is life in Jesus. This is not mere existence. Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). This is amplified when Jesus speaks to Martha after her brother's death. “I am the resurrection, and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

Jesus is, indeed, the way, the truth, and the life. In our twin examination of righteousness and justification we have seen how closely aligned they are with Jesus. We note in summary that both righteousness and justification are provided for us by what Jesus has done. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24). “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:9).

This is no doubt what the apostle Paul had in mind as he wrote to his friend Timothy shortly before his death, saying,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

(Basis Bible text: New American Standard Bible. Other translations are so noted)