Biblical Perspectives, Vol. 1 No. 2, 1993.
Review article
Justification by Faith, Judgment According to Works, and Assurance of Salvation
Ivan T. Blažen
; Pcific Union College, California, USA
Abstract
This study seeks to clarify the relationship between justification by
faith alone, which brings assurance of salvation, and judgment according to works. Varied attempts have been made to resolve what
was seen as a tension or contradiction between these two doctrines.
Often these attempts have taken the form of minimizing or negating
one or the other of these teachings. Author insists that both are
to be strongly maintained, for Scripture teaches both, since there
is an inner unity between them, like unity that exists between Christ
as Savior and Christ as Lord. Since so much of the discussion on
justification and judgment is carried on with respect to the thought
of the apostle Paul, authors intention is to focus there. This study
first considers the relation between reason and revelation maintaining
that revelation enlightens reason while reason’s task is to explicate
revelation. Then follows Paul’s exposition of the plan of
salvation which rests on the premise that God is for us, not against
us, since "he... did not spare his own Son but gave him for us all"
(Rom. 8:32). Justification discussed in Romans 4 becomes the basis
for the assurance of Romans 5. The conclusion of this discussion
about the question of justification, judgment and assurance is to
say that if justification grants assurance, judgment guards it. It
guards it from the illusion that assurance is possible without a fundamental relationship to Christ and a committed following of Christ.
Keywords
Paul; justification; faith; works; judgment; salvation
Hrčak ID:
89843
URI
Publication date:
15.12.1993.
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