Question
Can you give me your understanding of justification “under the law”?
In light of what Paul has said, it seems clear that God has never at any time left mankind to work for his own justification by religion or deeds. If Paul teaches us anything at all it is this (which makes many of the difficult passages from the Old Testament and gospels fall into place).
Could you also make some recommendations of other materials that would help me in this area especially a more detailed study of James, which seems to be totally misunderstood by the majority?
Response
I am glad to hear that you view the issue of justification unto eternal life the same as I do. There are many who do not view Old Testament justification in God’s sight to be ‘by grace through faith without works’. As far as I am concerned, such a view is a great weak spot in the ‘grace movement’, (one which has detrimental effects even to the point of being a hindrance to godly edifying), and it has existed as such for as long as I have been around and even well before that. As Paul makes clear in his dealings with the Romans, Corinthians, and the Galatians, there are issues that are so fundamental and integral to establishment that if they are not both firmly and purely understood and appreciated, they will actually hinder and/or prevent any real furtherance in godly edifying from taking place, and they will continue to do so until they get straightened out. A lot of what we call the doctrines of ‘living under grace’ fall into this category, with much of the ‘grace movement’ stalled (or just standing in place) and not being much of a ‘movement’ at all, because of its failure to be firmly and purely established. Yet I am persuaded that the inter-dispensational truth and doctrine of “The just shall live by faith” falls into this category as well, and that failing to be established in it carries its own measure of hindrance.
Regarding other materials that I may have on this issue; the “Justification and Salvation” video series is the main study I have that is dedicated to the issue. Also, in the “Romans Survey” it would be dealt with to some degree in the portion dealing with Romans 3:27 through 4:25. It also comes up and is dealt with to varying degrees in some of the video studies dealing with God’s program with Israel. I dealt with it whenever I felt that it needed to be dealt with; especially when I would be dealing with verses or passages that are commonly misunderstood and then misused to teach a ‘faith plus works’ issue for justification in God’s sight in Israel’s program. However, I don’t know exactly where in any of those series I did this. Moreover, I don’t think that there would necessarily be anything additional to what is set forth in the “Justification and Salvation” series, except that some other verses or passages may be looked at in some of the other series that were not specifically looked at in the “Justification and Salvation” series.
As far as having anything in writing on the issue, I don’t recall anything specific, except for a time or two that the issue was briefly addressed in one of “The Enjoy The Bible Quarterly” annual Questions and Answers editions. For example, in the Fourth Quarter 1998 issue I responded to a question on James 2 that briefly dealt with the issue, and again in the Fourth Quarter 2000 issue a question on Romans 4 and Galatians 3 also briefly dealt with the issue. (You are completely correct as far as I am concerned when you say that James “seems to be totally misunderstood by the majority.” I couldn’t agree more. This is due not only to the issue of failing to be firmly and purely established in the doctrine of “The just shall live by faith,” but also due to the issue of failing to have any real comprehension concerning the outworking of God’s program and dealings with Israel. Without controversy there is no way that the climactic stage in Israel’s program, (comprising the Gospel accounts, the opening of Acts, and Hebrews through The Revelation), can be properly understood, or properly taught, if one is not solidly established in the development and outworking of the program leading up to the arrival of the climactic stage. The beginning and middle of the program must be understood in order to understand the climactic end of it. Hence a person is clearly ‘in over his head’ in James and the like, when he doesn’t first understand Genesis through Malachi. And in my opinion failing to be so ‘solidly established’ is another one of the major weak spots among grace folks in general, and grace pastors and teachers in particular. Hence James suffers.)
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
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