In the opening paragraph of this essay, Bonar speaks of justification and assurance. There is justification resulting from believing the gospel and there is assurance of that justification from believing God’s promise. The central issue of this essay, to put in oversimplified terms, is that Christ saves, not faith. Faith applies the atonement to individual believers, but in and of itself it lacks a salvific nature.
Faith is not our righteousness. It is accounted as righteousness, but is not righteousness itself. If there is righteousness in us (if we have faith), then it contradicts the need for the righteousness of Christ which is by faith. Faith imputes righteousness, but is distinct from it.
When God looks at the believer, he sees righteousness, but that is not from anything he has done, but Christ’s righteousness. So how do we understand the term “justified by faith”? Faith does not count as a work, a moral goodness, or anything of the sort. It is the object of faith, Christ, from which peace and justification come. An excellent quote sums this up beautifully:
“By a natural figure of speech, faith is often magnified into something great; whereas it is really nothing but our consenting to be saved by another~ its supposed magnitude is derived from the greatness of the object which it grasps, the excellence of the righteousness which it accepts. Its preciousness is not its own, but the preciousness of Him to whom it links us.”
Bonar’s faith is “not”s…
Faith is not our physician. It only brings us to the Physician.
Faith is not our savior. Faith is one thing, the cross is another.
Faith is not perfection. Only by perfection are we saved, either ours or another (and it surely is not ours)
Faith is not satisfaction to God. Faith can wash away no sin nor provide any righteousness. Faith brings us to the cross where such things can be accomplished.
Faith is not Christ, nor the cross of Christ. Faith does not work, it accepts a work done.
Faith does not lead us away from the cross. The Christian’s entire life is cross-centered, applying not only to justification but also to sanctification.
Faith does not believe in itself, but in the Son of God. It receives everything, giving nothing.
Bonar’s faith “is”s…
Faith is the beginning of the end of labor. We no longer labor to be pardoned.
Faith is rest, not toil. All is completed by Christ.
Faith is acknowledging that we are totally depraved and the cross is the substitute for everything we want.
So what do we need to believe to be justified?
There are many things we need to believe, but they may not pertain specifically to justification. We need to believe the Second Advent, but not for justification. We need to believe in the ascension, but not for justification. We need to believe in the resurrection, but not for justification. We are justified by faith in Christ’s death—both to be propitiation as well as our righteousness. He was raised as visible assurance of justification accomplished (Rom. 4:25).
The power of His resurrection (Phil. 3:10) refers to internal regeneration, renewal of spirit. But external things like satisfying the wrath of God, reconciliation, etc. come from the cross alone. Justification in an arisen Christ is the doctrine of “infused resurrection-righteousness,” which Bonar discussed previously.
It is the blood that attains justification (Rom. 5:9; John 6:55; Heb. 9:14, 13:12, 13:20; Col. 1:20; Eph. 1:7, 2:13; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 12:11; Acts 20:28)! This is also seen in the Old Testament, in which there is no mention of resurrection in any of the sacrifices. The sacrifices were “God’s symbolical exposition of the way of a sinner’s approach and acceptance,” and in them no resurrection is mention.
Bonar lastly addresses two commonly used phrases, and dissects them as to ascertain their proper and improper meanings:
“Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). This is true, but if confused with Christ being in us as justification is erroneous and obscures the image of Christ crucified for us (not in us). Christ in us and Christ for us are two different truths. Christ in us is a source of holiness and fruit (John 15:4), Christ for us is our propitiations, justification and righteousness.
“Life in a risen Christ” may also have the same improper usage. Properly, it means that resurrection has been made the channel through which life and justification are secured by the cross (John 6:51, 53-56). But this expression should never be disassociated from the cross.
Incarnation, death and resurrection should never be separated from each other, but it is from Christ’s death that comes the power of justification.
“We feed on that which has passed through the fire; on that which has come from the altar. No other food can quicken or sustain the spiritual life of a believing man. The unbroken body will not suffice; nor will the risen or glorified body avail. The broken body and shed blood of the Son of God form the viands on which we feast; and it is under the shadow of the cross that we sit down to partake of these, and find refreshment for our daily journey, strength for our hourly warfare. His flesh is meat indeed; His blood is drink indeed.”
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