[Worship] Justification

["Bruce L. Johnson" <bjohnson@worshipmap.com>]

Hi again, Ken,

Your NBD article is an excellent summary of the Pauline doctrine of
justification OF THE UNGODLY,   i.e., how sinners are accepted as righteous
by God.     But the article does NOT cover every Biblical use of the word
"justify" (sometimes translated "vindicate" in modern versions).       This
is not faulting the article;    I do not believe it really INTENDED to do
so.

In fact, the word "justify" all by itself in NO way implies that the one who
is justified or 'declared righteous' is a sinner!     It is a legal verdict
that  SOMEHOW that person IS righteous.       In our case,  we are righteous
BECAUSE we are included in Christ.       But in JESUS' case  God can declare
him righteous because he truly IS!

Look up the words "justify" and "vindicate" in a concordance and you will
find several instances, especially in the OT in which these refer to a judge
pronouncing the proper sentence to acquit an innocent person (falsely
charged).   (See Dt 25:1, 1 Kings 8:32, Job 13:18, Psalm 25:4-5, 35:22-23,
27)

In fact, this word IS used of Jesus   in 1 Tim.3:16, which tells us he was
"justified [KJV;  NIV='vindicated'] by the Spirit".
Also,  Isaiah 50:8-9 speaks of the "servant of the LORD" being
justified/vindicated  --which in part applies to God's people as a whole
(and thus Paul applies it to us in Romans 8), but just read vv.4-9 and tell
me it isn't especially true of Jesus!    He is NOT condemned, but vindicated
by God.

(Related to this, the Psalms frequently contain cries for God to vindicate
the writer, uphold his cause, etc. against those who falsely accuse, seek to
shame him, etc.       In the NT such  cries "God's anointed" are seen as
being the prayers of CHRIST, the truly righteous one    -cf.especially Psalm
22, 69.)

So when did this happen?       Looking at these passages, and many others
that talk about the Father's "declaration" of Jesus' righteousness and you
find it is especially connected to his being raised up from the dead by the
Spirit to sit at God's right hand as Son (cf. Rom 1:4,  1 Pet 3:18;    cf.
"by the Spirit" in 1 Tim.3:16 ).     This is the basis of Peter's argument
in Acts 2 that this Jesus who you crucified (=a condemned, cursed criminal),
God has proclaimed a rather different verdict about him   --he has raised up
to the highest place.

Now WE are justified IN him,   because HE is righteous --as your NBD article
repeatedly states.   But another way of stating it   --fully Biblical--
is this:     our justifiction--the declaration that we are righteous (and
beloved children of God, etc.)-- is our sharing in HIS justification-- the
declaration that HE is righteous,  which took place at his resurrection.

This is how Romans 4:25 can say "he was delivered over to death for our
sins, and RAISED TO LIFE for our JUSTIFICATION."

It might help to see (or remember) that Jesus is THE "Son of man," THE Seed,
THE 'anointed one,'  etc.       He is the "second Adam" who by his obedience
receives and gives to us what we lost in the first Adam (Rom.5).      Thus
we have life and righteousness --'justification' [God's declaration "you are
righteous"]  --  because HE has it first, and we receive it in union with
("in")  him.


Conclusion  #1:     when Geoff Bullock connects Jesus being "justified" with
his being "glorified"  --though we are more USED to the latter word,
"justified"/"publicly declared righteous"/"vindicated" is absolutely
correct!   And it is a glorious truth!

#2:    I think your explanation for how 'justification' relates to our
worshiping God is quite true.   But on the basis on the view I've outlined
here,  I think we can go even further.
The doctrine of justification rests on Christ's identification with US.
He IS "the anointed one" and "the servant of God".    HE sings the Psalmist
prayers for vindication, etc.--indeed they are MORE true for him.     And
that should transform the way we worship --the way we sing and pray them.
Dietrich Bonhoefer has a wonderful section in a book called Life Together
[Harper & Row, 1954],    in which he explains how the Church together
speaks/sings Psalms AS Christ's prayer-songs and can only sing them BECAUSE
they apply first to him.    Bonhoefer says,
        "Someone else is praying, not we; . . . the One who is here
protesting his innocence, who is invoking God's judgment, who has come to
such infinite depths of suffering is Jesus Christ himself.  He it is who is
praying here, and not only here but in the whole Psalter."  p.45)


Our confidence that the God who justifies will answer us as we "commit our
spirit into his hands" (Ps 31:5) is the fact that JESUS did so and was
heard,   and we do so IN him.     HE was not condemned, but justified,   and
since we are justified IN him,   "who can condemn US?"   (Isaiah 50:8f/Rom
8).

I hope this clarifies this terminology, but more than that underlines what
Christ has done for us,   and perhaps even suggested some implications for
how we approach worship.


By his grace,
Bruce Johnson
www.worshipmap.com





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