Justification by faith

We are right before God because Jesus has obeyed perfectly, offered Himself on the cross, and received the verdict of righteousness in the resurrection, a verdict in which we are included by union with the Risen Christ. We come to share in this verdict by faith.

But a question arises: Where do we ever hear this verdict? How is it communicated to us? We need to hear the verdict. What good is a verdict that's never declared to us?

We could say: I hear it in my heart. But how do I know that what I hear in my heart is God's verdict or my own self-justification?

We could say: In the preaching of the Word. Correct. But how do I know the promise delivered in the preaching of the Word is addressed to me, individually and personally?

We could say: I hear God declare me righteous when I hear His minister pronounce my sins forgiven in worship. Correct. But again that is a general declaration of forgiveness. I hear it, so to that extent, it is personally directed at me. But it doesn't have my name attached.

Here's one of the points where baptism links up with justification. Baptism is not the "ground" of justification; the ground is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the results of which we share in our union with Him. Baptism is the declaration of the verdict, to me personally, with my name attached.

In baptism, God promises to forgive me my sins for Jesus' sake. In baptism, He communicates His verdict to me, just as truly as He communicates it in preaching, but in baptism he more obviously communicates it to me. In baptism, He says that I am included in Christ, and in the verdict that He passed on Jesus. This is what it means for baptism to join us to Christ's death and resurrection, since the resurrection is the Father's verdict over the Son through the Spirit (Rom 4:25; 6:1-7).

I receive what my baptism declares only by faith. If I don't believe what God says about me in baptism, then I don't receive the verdict, for I make Him a liar.

In this sense, the relation of baptism-justification-faith is the same as the relation of preaching/absolution-justification-faith. God declares sins forgiven in the preaching of the gospel, calls me to believe that declaration; and I believe. God declares that He forgives my sins in my baptism ("for the remission of sins"); and I'm called to believe what He says.

This is not trusting in water. This is trusting the God who declares me cleansed through water. This is justification by faith.

posted by Peter J. Leithart on Saturday, June 16, 2007 at 07:27 AM

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