Two Hours on Justification

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As a guest host on the Dividing Line this week,” the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

Hour 1: Justification and the Three Transfers found in the Bible.

Hour 2: The Active and Passive Obedience of Christ, how Paul and James compliment each other on the matter of justification, and why Rome’s ‘gospel’ cannot save.

6 thoughts on “Two Hours on Justification”

  1. Pastor Samson, thank you for these very good stand-ins for James White.

    In this podcast, you contrasted the Roman Catholic and the Protestant positions, where the latter is justification by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone. With regard to the Protestant position, you didn’t explicitly distinguish between the Arminian and Reformed (Calvinist) understandings of ” by grace alone,” “through faith and “through Christ alone.”

    The Reformed position, as you know, is: salvation comprises the process that starts with God’s election moving onto his sovereign regeneration of the elect and ending in glorification of the elect, which is the the final product of salvation.

    – ” by grace alone” – Arminian’s call this “prevenient” grace, which is efficient but not sufficient. The Reformed say is both effective and sufficient.
    – “through faith alone” – both the Arminian and the Reformed say they ACCEPT Christ where this acceptance is not a work.

    “through Christ alone” – the Arminian says that although he cooperates with Christ in receiving the gift of faith, it is Christ who – after the believer accepts faith – regenerates and justifies/saves him. In contrast, the Reformed says regeneration precedes faith which results in justification and leading to a holy life – Eph 2:10.

    Perhaps your focus was not on the Arminian-Reformed distinction. I would think that if so, this distinction should be made clear in a discussion of these three “alones.” In Arminianism, as you know, grace, (the gift of) faith, and Christ are efficient in justification/salvation but not sufficient, because in Arminianism, the sinner has to “open the door of his heart” and give permission to Christ to save him. In the Reformed position, “alone” means exactly that. Of course, as you point out, faith, although alone, is not alone, that is, faith without works is dead.

  2. Raphael,

    You are right when you suggest that perhaps my focus “was not on the Arminian-Reformed distinction.” I was teaching on the subject of justification and comparing the Reformers to Rome, and while mentioning the aspect of grace alone did not have the time to go into the Reformed v. Arminian distinction. I believe I have done so quite clearly, elsewhere.

  4. Hi John,
    In one of the episodes as a stand-in for Dr. White, you mentioned a track and red from it. About a trial.
    How can I get a hold of one of those?
    By the way I really enjoyed your talk on Justification it was really helpful, glad to see you on The Dividing Line.
    Kevin

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