Feb 13, 2010
The Accomplishment and Application of Redemption
On the Accomplishment and Application of Redemption in Romans 5:10-11
In preaching last night I taught that Romans 5:10-11 really affirms the Reformed distinction between the accomplishment and application of redemption. After preaching last night two of my fellow pastors asked me natural questions given my assertion in my message that our reconciliation was accomplished at the cross and that it was at the cross we were reconciled. One asked if the elect are under the wrath of God before they believe the gospel. Another asked me how what I said relates to the doctrine of eternal justification. I believe his desire was to make sure that no one misunderstood me in that way. Let me reiterate and expand here what I said last night in answer to those questions. I hope it will prove to be to your edification. Eventually, I will have six or seven points. Here are the first two.
(1) I detest the doctrine of eternal justification. Of course, I said nothing in my message about it. Eternal justification confuses the plan to justify with actual historical justification. This confusion is inexcusable and deadly to the gospel. Election is not salvation. The plan to justify is not justification. There is not the shadow of support for eternal justification in the Bible.
(2) Although I regard this as a completely different matter, I did not even speak of people being justified at the cross. I am pretty convinced that justification throughout Romans including Romans 5 is used exclusively of the application of salvation and not of its accomplishment at the cross. Romans 5:1 is clearly speaking of the justification received by faith and, thus, the application of salvation. I assume that this and the other uses of justification in Romans which assume the necessity of faith are normative for the mention of justification in Romans 5:9. In other words, Romans 5:9 is speaking of the application of salvation and being justified by faith.
I do believe that the idea adopted by John Murray in his commentary on Romans 5:6-11 of Christ’s people being justified in a sense at the cross is quite distinct from eternal justification and capable of an orthodox explanation and sense. I do not, however, know of any place which I am certain uses justification of what happened at the cross. Exegetically, as I have said, I am not convinced at all that this is the way justification is used in Romans 5:1 and 9.
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