Paul's Passing Thoughts

 “Incredibly, Calvin’s view of double imputation raises its hand and counts itself with the unbelievers.”

 “Our attitude towards the law in sanctification shows what we believe about the law in justification, and that’s the difference between a true gospel and a false gospel.”

Calvinists are in danger of hell because of their view of the law. This can be primarily seen in their view of double imputation (will define shortly). This has everything to do with the gospel. Simply stated, Calvinism believes the law is the standard of justification. In contrast, the biblical gospel states that the law has been completely removed from justification. This is why it is ever-so critical that justification and sanctification are separate. If we are justified apart from the law, we can aggressively practice the law to glorify God in sanctification.

Calvin’s view of double imputation clearly shows that the Reformers believed that law is the standard for justification. Because of this, they expanded Christ’s role in the atonement to include His perfect obedience while He was on earth and lived His life among mankind (out of this comes the idea that Christ had to prove Himself to be a worthy sacrifice as opposed to being worthy by virtue of who He is). He died for our sins, but He also obeyed, or “fulfilled” the law in our stead. There are many, many, many problems with this view biblically, but primarily, it keeps believers, “under the law” and NOT “under grace.” These are the ONLY two categories in the Bible that distinguishes the lost from the saved. Calvinism categorizes “believers” as lost people. Incredibly, Calvin’s view of double imputation raises its hand and counts itself with the unbelievers.

The biblical double imputation follows: God the Father’s righteousness is imputed to us, and our sins are imputed to Christ. Therefore, His death took the old us and our sins to the grave. The Holy Spirit raised Christ from the grave, and also regenerates or quickens all of those who believe the gospel.

Calvin’s double imputation recognizes that Christ paid the penalty for our sins, but insists that the law had to be perfectly obeyed for us, or we cannot be truly righteous because we fall short of perfect law keeping. This perfect law keeping must then be perpetually applied to our sanctification by faith alone. It keeps Christians under the law for justification (Rom 6:14). Supposedly, this is ok because Christ kept the law for us.

Though the Bible continually states that the law has been voided in regard to our justification, Calvinism insists the following: It’s voided because Christ fulfilled it. This is why Calvinists are constantly referring to the righteousness of Christ being imputed to us, but the Bible doesn’t say that—it states that the righteousness of God the Father was imputed to us. Christ’s death put an end to the law, not His perfect obedience. The imputation of Christ’s obedience to sanctification to keep us justified is a “relaxing” of the law, and Christ sternly warned against that. Our attitude towards the law in sanctification shows what we believe about the law in justification, and that’s the difference between a true gospel and a false gospel.

What does the Bible say about the law in regard to our justification? Let’s see:

Romans 3:19 – Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.

I am not sure what is clearer. The law speaks only to those under it in regard to justification. The law informs the believer in sanctification (“although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it” also see Gal 3:21), but we are no longer under it for justification: “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law” We are justified by God the Father THROUGH faith in Christ:

Romans 3:25 – whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Here, we see that Christ’s role in the atonement was His bearing of our sin, not any keeping of the law. And God the Father is the “justifier,” not Christ. To replace the Father as “justifier” with Christ because Christ supposedly fulfilled the law is a false gospel. Why?

Romans 3:27 – Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.

No fulfilling of the law for justification was needed. We are justified by the “law of faith.” Think about it, has Christ ever needed faith? Only we need faith, not Christ. Christ didn’t fulfil any law for our justification, that law, in justification, is replaced with the law of faith because there is NO law in justification. Hence…

Romans 3:28 – For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

And that includes works of the law by anyone—it doesn’t matter who is doing the work—it’s irrelevant—we are justified by the “law of faith”—there is NO other law in justification. Why would Christ have to fulfil a law of faith? Did He lack faith? I think not.

Let’s add to our thinking with the following:

Romans 4:15 – For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Romans 4:24 – but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Note: the summation of Christ’s role in the atonement is here stated: He died for our sins, and was raised from the dead by God through the Holy Spirit. If a perfect obedience to the law is part of that, why would Paul exclude it here?

The Calvinist view of double imputation removes God the Father as the justifier and makes works of the law the basis of justification rather than the law of faith.

It’s a false gospel.

paul