Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification (5)
[Romans 3:21-26]
The passage discusses the overarching theme of "Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification" and focuses on the second subtopic, "The Originator of Justification," within the context of nine subtopics. The text refers to previous reflections on the first subtopic, "The Necessity of Justification," emphasizing that all people, including (1) Gentiles (Rom. 1:18-32), (2) those who judge others (2:1-16), (3) Jews (2:17-3:8), and (4) all of humanity (3:9-20), have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v. 23), highlighting the absolute need for God's justification.
Today's reflection centers on the second subtopic of the "Comprehensive Doctrine of Justification" overarching theme, discussing "The Originator of Justification."
The originator of justification is solely God!
Romans 3:21 states: "But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets." Here, the "righteousness of God" refers to God's justification. Romans 1:17 further states: "For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'" Westminster Larger Catechism Question 70 asks, "What is justification?" The answer is: “Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners, in which he pardons all their sins, accepts and accounts their persons righteous in his sight; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone.” d
Looking at Genesis 3, when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God's covenant command, they became aware of their nakedness, sewed fig leaves together to make themselves coverings, and hid from God's presence in the garden (Gen. 3:7-8, Modern Korean Bible). However, God made "garments of skin" to clothe them (v. 21, Modern Korean Bible). To make these garments, animals had to be killed, possibly symbolized by Abel's offering of the "firstborn of his flock" (4:4), representing Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). Jesus bore all our sins, shed His precious blood on the cross, and provided redemption, forgiving our sins (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14). Therefore, God providing garments of skin for Adam and Eve signifies God clothing us with righteousness and providing salvation through Christ's atonement.
This is Revelation 20:11-15: "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." This passage describes the final judgment, where all people stand before God's judgment seat. Those whose names are not written in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire. However, those who have received God's complete salvation and grace, having been justified, will enter the "new heaven and new earth" (21:1). Revelation 21:2-7 continues to describe the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from heaven, adorned like a bride for her husband. God will dwell among His people, wiping away every tear, and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. The Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, promises to make all things new. Those who overcome will inherit these promises, and God declares, "I will be his God, and he shall be My son."
This is Zechariah 3:1-5: "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?' Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, 'Take away the filthy garments from him.' And to him, He said, 'See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.' And I said, 'Let them put a clean turban on his head.' So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by." This passage is the fourth vision among the eight visions seen by the prophet Zechariah. In this vision, the high priest Joshua is depicted wearing "filthy garments" as he stands before the Angel of the Lord. God commands that Joshua's filthy garments be removed, symbolizing the removal of his iniquity. After this cleansing, God clothes Joshua with "rich robes" or, in the newer translation you provided, "holy garments for the festive occasion." This vision illustrates the forgiveness of Joshua's sins and his restoration to a state of purity and righteousness through God's intervention and grace.
We, who have received justification from God, will eventually participate in the wedding feast of the Lamb in the new heaven and new earth. This is expressed in Revelation 19:7-8: "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her, it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." In this wedding feast, the bridegroom is Jesus Christ, and the bride is us, the believers who have received justification. The garment we will wear is referred to as "fine linen," representing the justification that God has bestowed upon us (Note: The verb in verse 8 is in the passive voice, indicating that God has clothed us with fine linen). As the bride, the church, we need to prepare ourselves (Note: The verb in verse 7 is in the active voice, signifying our active role in preparation). This preparation involves engaging in "the righteous acts of the saints." In other words, as those who have received God's justification, we are called to prepare ourselves through righteous conduct or "righteous deeds" (v. 8, Modern Korean Bible). When mentioning "righteous deeds" in the context of 1 John, it aligns with the perspective of 1 John 3:7 (Modern Korean Bible), emphasizing doing what is right, as Jesus Christ is righteous (2:1) and those born of God practice righteousness (3:6). Specifically, these righteous acts reflect Jesus' dual commandments: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt. 22:37, 39).
The sole originator of justification is none other than God! Only God can declare us righteous. And only those who have been declared righteous by God can enter the kingdom and stand before Him. Moreover, only those who have received justification can partake in the wedding feast of the Lamb, who is the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Let us all give thanks, praise, and worship for the grace, love, and eternal blessings of God, who is the subject of justification. Let us all live with the assurance of justification and, as those justified, lead righteous lives. Let us all, following the example of Jesus Christ, who is righteous, walk in righteousness.