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Faith Alone Justifies:
Chemnitz on the true meaning of the word justify
In Martin Chemnitz’s classic Examination of the Council of Trent, he defines the word ”justification” as understood by the Lutheran Church according to the Scriptures. It is understood in a forensic (legal or courtroom) sense that always includes faith, by which the convicted sinner flees to Christ, the Throne of Grace. It is not understood as a one-time trial that supposedly took place 2,000 years ago where a sentence of innocence was pronounced on all human beings, or where justification “happened.” Those who would “use the word differently” than Chemnitz describes here need to prove that they are “justified” in doing so.
For the question is not really what the word “justify” means in other passages of Scripture, but this is being asked, what meaning the word “justify” has in those passages of Scripture in which the doctrine of justification is taught and treated, as in its own sedes doctrinae. The other examples are added only for the sake of explanation.
However, the antithesis is quite clear from Rom. 8, which shows the proper and true meaning of the word “justify” in this article. It agrees entirely with the forensic meaning, that we are absolved before the judgment of God, for Christ’s sake, from the guilt of sin and from damnation, pronounced just, and received to eternal life. For this is how the words read: “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn?” etc. So also in Rom. 5 justification and condemnation are repeatedly placed in opposition to each other. And in Rom. 3 the whole process is, so to say, described in judicial terms. The Law accuses all of being under sin. Every mouth is stopped and the whole world is made to stand guilty before God, because by the works of the Law no flesh is justified. But we are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption, etc. In 1 Cor. 4:3-4 we read: “I do not want to be judged by a human court, but He that judges me is the Lord. Therefore, though I am not conscious of anything against myself, nevertheless, I am not for this reason justified.” Thus in 1 John 2:1 mention is made of an advocate, as in Rom. 8:26 of an intercessor.Ps. 143:2 reads: “Enter not into judgment, … for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.” In Luke 18:13-14: the publican, standing as it were before God’s tribunal, prays: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” When Christ wants to indicate that this prayer of the publican has been heard, He says: “He went down justified,” that is, God was propitiated with respect to his sins. Acts 13:38-39 tells us: “Through Christ there is preached to you the forgiveness of sins, and in this everyone who believes is justified from all the things from which you could not be justified by the Law.” These testimonies cannot be frustrated by any kind of sophistry so as to be referred to the infusion of inherent righteousness, butthey clearly show that the meaning of the word “justify” in this article is judicial, namely, that the sinner, accused by the Law of God, convicted, and subjected to the sentence of eternal damnation, fleeing in faith to the throne of grace, is absolved for Christ’s sake, reckoned and declared righteous, received into grace, and accepted to eternal life. And although John does not employ the word “justify,” yet he describes the doctrine in judicial terms: “He that believes is not judged; he does not come into judgment.” “He sent His Son into the world, not that He should judge the world.” And 1 John 3: “We have passed from death to life.” In Acts 3 Peter says that “sins are blotted out.” Paul explains this when he says, Col. 2, that the hand writing which was against us has been blotted out.
Chemnitz, M., & Kramer, F. (1999). Vol. 1: Examination of the Council of Trent (electronic ed.) (473–474). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.
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