The Urgency of Getting the Message of the Gospel Clear Part II

“Justification,” as defined above, is affirmed extensively by the Apostle Paul in Romans chapters 3 through 8.  He lays it out in Romans 3 and highlights Abraham and David as examples that justification is a doctrine of the Old Testament in chapter 4.  Then he unpacks justification as a practical doctrine that is central to the entire Christian life in chapters 5 through 8.  There is no explicit competing vision of the Gospel to be found in the N.T.  And it should be clear that the doctrine of justification is neither obscure nor a second-tier doctrine.  Not only in “Romans” is it to be found, the Apostle Paul references and draws upon this doctrine of justification, in varying degrees of specificity in his body of letters as a whole.

Historians have noted that the early church immediately following the apostolic age quickly lost that central doctrine as a guiding principle of their preaching and writings.  It appears indeed (from observation over two millennia of church history) that this magnificent doctrine is in general prone to be sidelined whatever the period in time under consideration.  Yet justification must be reaffirmed.  Justification is that one (and only) great doctrine which liberates sinners in a realistic manner (specifically to be addressed in an upcoming blog).  Whenever and wherever this biblical doctrine is taken out of its biblical context, it ends up devalued.  But more serious still, whenever it is obscured, the consolation of the Gospel in the assurance of the forgiveness of sin and the free gift of salvation are effectively (tragically) withheld from our world.  And God’s very name (including His character) is blasphemed.  The God of the Holy Bible is inexpressibly gracious.  All people need to know of His extravagant love.  As His ambassadors we Christians are obligated, even as we are privileged, to declare it.