Channels, Fall 2016
Page 30 Reis • Justification by Faith: A “Both-and” and that they are part of the single covenant family promised to Abraham.” 39 The main idea, here, is that a sinner is now considered a member of God’s people after having place his or hers faith in Christ. Wright also argues that this vindication occurs twice, in the pre- sent which was just described and also in the future based on the entire life of a person led by the power of the Holy Spirit. 40 This is where the idea of eschatology plays a vital role, considering that believers will also receive a future justification on the basis of their faith- fulness towards the Lord demonstrated by works. Wright states, concerning “justification by faith”, “it is the anticipation in the present of the verdict which will be reaffirmed in the future. Justification is not ‘how someone becomes a Christian’. It is God’s declaration about a person who has just become a Christian.” 41 It is important to notice that Wright is not say- ing future justification is based solely on works, as if by only living a faithful life in terms of morality will deliver someone from the future punishment coming in the Lord’s second de- scending. On the contrary, Wright says true saving faith will lead the believer to newness of life marked by obedience and holiness in this life time, which will play a pivotal role in the second justification with the Lord’s second coming. Now, some observations concerning Dunn’s and Wright’s definitions of God’s righteousness and the concept of justification are necessary. As it was pointed out, both scholars argue that “the righteousness of God” is mainly a relational concept which refers solely to God’s covenantal faithfulness to his people. When addressing the justification of the individual, they also claim that it is simply “the status someone has when the court has found in their favor, which does not denote an action which transforms someone so much as a declaration which grants them a status.” 42 Therefore, the reckoning of righteousness (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4.9, 22; Gal. 3:6) has nothing to do with God’s or Christ’s righteousness being transferred or imputed to the believer but rather the fresh status of a “covenant member” and/or a justi- fied sinner. 43 Although there are certain cases in the Scriptures where God’s righteousness is equivalent to covenantal faithfulness (Gen. 24:27; I Sam. 12:7; Isa. 38:19; Rom. 3:5, 25), there are other references where righteousness is depicted as a gift from God to believers (Rom. 1:17; Phil. 3:9) or even used apart from the context of covenant membership (Heb. 11:4; I John 3:12; 2 Pt. 2:7-8.) Old Testament Scholar, Gerhard von Rad, demonstrates this in his study regard- ing God’s righteousness in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, obedience to the com- mandments is essential for one to be declared righteous before God, but such righteousness is also a gift that can only be attributed by Yahweh and always indicates salvation. Von Rad states, “Man’s faithfulness to the relationship had to prove itself in recognizing the com- mandments and keeping them.” 44 Nevertheless, the people of Israel worshipped Yahweh 39 Ibid., 12. 40 Ibid., 12-13. 41 Ibid. 42 Wright, Justification, 90-91. 43 N.T. Wright, “New Perspectives on Paul,” 7. 44 Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology: The Theology of Israel’s Historical Traditions, 1 vols. (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1962), 1:381.
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