Excerpt: “False Reformation”; Chapter 2
Consequently, the law is still a standard for our righteousness. As we have seen previously, the Scriptures make it absolutely clear that we are justified APART FROM THE LAW. The Reformers twist that to mean apart from us maintaining it which requires us to live by a faith that continually offers the obedience of Christ as a satisfaction to the law. And at any point where this is not done, we lose our salvation. Therefore, this is no different than Christ plus something for salvation; in this case, faith alone as defined by the Reformers.
Anytime salvation is not “finished,” works enter in. This is why a separation of true progressive sanctification and justification is absolutely essential—NOTHING we do in sanctification can affect our justification. This is the ground of our assurance, and our freedom to aggressively obey in progressive sanctification is the experience of it. One wonders if this is the primary point of election, a dynamic dichotomy between justification and sanctification. God wants us to be so certain that justification is finished that he completes it before we are even born….no, in fact, before the Earth was even created!
This seems to be the point rather than determinism. How ironic therefore that the sultans of fatalistic determinism posit a confusing requirement to maintain our just standing by a perpetual re-offering of the finished work of Christ that secured our justification. This does not encourage a free and aggressive obedience that pleases God, but rather a false assurance in exactly what the brother of Christ the Lord warned us against: “Faith without works is dead, being alone.” Moreover, if James meant the works of Christ and not ours; certainly, one of his stature in the apostolic church would be expected to communicate better than that, and it is doubtful that such sloppy communication would have escaped the divine editor embodied in the Holy Spirit.
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Don’t you think it is a bit deterministic to say that those who are going to be justified are justified before they are ever born? Most Reformed people don’t even believe justification occurs prior to the point of initial faith in Christ.
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Anon,
I don’t do the freewill/election debate. The fact that God justifies us before the foundation of the world could’t be more obvious. How that weaves together with the fact that the offer of salvation to all men throughout the ages is a illegitimate offer is a mystery. Fatalism verses non-fatalism isn’t the issue, the fact that our justification is already a done deal when we give our life to Christ is the issue. Our Justification is not manifested at a future judgement that determines justification–we won’t be present at that judgement.
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Reblogged this on Clearcreek Chapel Watch.
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Perhaps you could tell us on what verse or verses you have based your conclusion that anyone has been declared righteous in God’s sight before the world was created and apart from faith. There is no question God has chosen his people from eternity and determined beforehand that they will be justified, but that is not the same as actually being justified.
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Anon,
Buy the book when it comes out.
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I don’t want to by a book to look for a verse I know doesn’t exist. What a cheap trick to try to sell books.
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Free country Anon, sorry.
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If you still think you are living in a free country, you haven’t been paying attention.
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No thanks to the New Calvinists and their mini Geneva style city states.
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The opening verses of Ephesians clearly teaches that God determined that those who would be saved, those who whould believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, would be declared righteous (Eph 1:4 “…holy and without blame before him in love:…”) and be partakers of a heavenly blessing and be adopted into His family (Eph 1:5 “…adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself…”, Eph 1:11 “…we have obtained an inheritance…”). And before the world was even created he determined that He would give these blessings to believers. (Eph 1:4 “…before the foundation of the world…”)
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Andy,
Correct me if I am wrong–I think your point is that it is a done deal.
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Right. But Mr. Anonymous was looking for verses, so I was trying to oblige.
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Andy,
There will be no more Mr. Anonymous’ on this blog: anonymous = troll. Those who want confidential correspondence can email me at pmd@inbox.com
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Andy,
And thanks for that input, I think those references are going to come in handy–in fact, I think I will footnote them where appropriate.
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Andy, I totally agree with your comment:
“And before the world was even created he determined that He would give these blessings to believers. (Eph 1:4 “…before the foundation of the world…”)”
He does not “force” us to believe.
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Yes, and my thesis is focused on “the blessing.” Once one is justified, glorification is guaranteed. Chapter 3 focuses on what powers sanctification. Not justification. I will be drawing heavily on Jay Adams’ treatise against Sonship Theology which is (Sonship) nothing more than authentic Reformed theology. And Jay is a Calvinist. Lord willing, should be interesting.
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