God's Sovereign Right to Declare Justification Theologically
God's Sovereign Right to Declare Justification Theologically
The concept of God's sovereignty is deeply intertwined with the doctrine of justification. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, God's sovereignty refers to "his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure" [3]. This understanding is rooted in biblical passages such as Daniel 4:25, 35, Romans 9:15-23, and 1 Timothy 6:15.
The doctrine of justification is primarily a forensic term, meaning it is a judicial act of God where He pardons the sins of those who believe in Christ and treats them as righteous [1]. This act is not based on human merit but on God's gracious character. As stated in Romans 3:26, God is both just and the justifier of those who have faith in Jesus [4].
The theological articulation of justification varies across Christian traditions. The Lutheran tradition, as expressed in the Augsburg Confession, emphasizes that justification is by faith alone, received through grace [6]. In contrast, the Catholic Church, as seen in the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, teaches that justification involves a process that includes faith, hope, and charity, and is not solely by faith [9].
John Calvin, one theologian, underscores the role of God's sovereignty in justification, highlighting that it is a manifestation of God's righteousness [7]. Similarly, Charles Hodge, representing the Reformed (Old Princeton) tradition, emphasizes the importance of understanding justification in the context of God's overall plan of salvation [10].
The Eastern Orthodox tradition, as represented by John of Damascus, views justification in the context of theosis, or deification, where believers are transformed into the likeness of God through the process of salvation [8]. This perspective emphasizes the transformative aspect of justification.
The biblical basis for justification is found in various passages, including Romans 3:21-26 and 4:16, which highlight the role of faith in justification [11, 5]. The apostle Paul's writings, particularly in Romans, are foundational to the Protestant understanding of justification by faith alone.
The concept of God's justice is also crucial in understanding justification. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, God's justice is "that perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does" [2]. This justice is demonstrated in His legislative, rectoral, and distributive justice.
The relationship between God's sovereignty and justification is complex. While God's sovereignty is not limited by human actions, His justice requires that He act in accordance with His character. Justification, therefore, is an expression of God's sovereign right to declare believers righteous, based on the work of Christ.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justification — A forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; an”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justice of God — That perfection of his nature whereby he is infinitely righteous in himself and in all he does, the righteousness of the divine nature exercised in his moral government. At first God imposes righteous laws on his creatures and executes them righteously. Justice is not an optional product of his will, but an unchangeable principle of his very nature. His legislative justice is his requiring of his rational creatures conformity in all respects to the moral law. His rectoral or distributive justice is his dealing with his accountable creatures according”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sovereignty — Of God, his absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure (Dan. 4:25, 35; Rom. 9:15-23; 1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 4:11).”
- Romans “Romans 3:26 (LEB) — in the forbearance of God, for the demonstration of his righteousness in the present time, so that he should be just and the one who justifies the person by faith in Jesus.”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 4:16: Therefore, &c.--A general summary: "Thus justification is by faith, in order that its purely gracious character may be seen, and that all who follow in the steps of Abraham's faith--whether of his natural seed or no--may be assured of the like justification with the parent believer."”
- Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), Article IV. Of Justification.: Article IV. Of Justification.”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 109: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:2 1:26 1:27 1:31 2:7 2:7 2:17 2:18 2:23 2:23 3:7 3:9 3:12 3:15 3:15 3:15 3:22 4:4 4:7 4:10 4:13 6:3 6:5 6:6 6:18 7:21 8:21 9:6 12:12 12:17 14:18 14:18 15:1 15:1 15:5 15:17 16:9 17:7 17:7 17:10 17:10 17:13 17:15 17:27 18:2 18:23 20:3 20:7 21:1 21:12 21:24 22:1 22:8 22:16-18 23:4 23:19 24:7 24:10 26:27 27:28 27:38-39 28:12 28:20 29 30:2 31:19 31:20 31:40-41 32 32:10 32:13 32:29-30 33 34 36:22 37:18 37:28 37:33 38:18 42 43 43:14 45:5 47:9 47:9 47:29-30 48:14 48:16 49:5-6 49:18 Exodus 2:12 3:2 3”
- CCEL (Eastern Orthodox) “John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, section 105: 9:5 9:5 9:5 9:19 9:21 9:21 10:4 10:4 10:6-9 10:13-21 10:17 11:8 11:25-27 11:28 11:32 11:33-36 11:36 11:36 11:36 12:3 12:13 15:10 15:12 16:25-27 1 Corinthians 1:9 1:10 1:17-25 1:20 1:20-25 1:23 1:23 1:23-24 1:24 1:24 1:24 1:27 1:27 2:2 2:7-8 2:8 2:8 2:8 2:10-11 2:11 2:12 2:12 2:14-15 3:8 3:8 3:16 3:17 3:19 7:2 7:25 7:31 8 8:5 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:6 8:7 10:1 10:17 10:31 11:2 11:24-26 11:29 11:31-32 12:3 12:3 12:3 12:3 12:4-7 12:4-11 12:5-6 12:5-6 12:8 12:8 12:8-10 12:11 12:12 12:24 13:10 14:32 14:37 15:3-4 15:16-17 15:20 15:2”
- Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent on Justification (Catholic) “Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent on Justification (Catholic, 1547), « Prev The Decree of Pope Pius IX. on the Immaculate… Next » 211: « Prev The Decree of Pope Pius IX. on the Immaculate… Next » 211”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 144: 1:23 2:8 2:9 2:22 2:24 2:24 2:24 3:18-19 3:19 3:21 3:22 5:10 2 Peter 1:3 1:3 1:10 1 John 1:1-3 1:1-3 1:7 1:8 1:10 2:1 2:1 2:2 2:2 2:2 2:20 2:20 2:27 3:4 3:16 3:17 3:24 4:9 4:10 4:10 4:10 5:1 5:1-18 5:10 5:12 5:19 Jude 1:4 Revelation 1:5 2:7 5:9 6:9 12:9 13:8 16:10-11 17:14 20:2 20:4 22:2 22:14 22:17 Wisdom of Solomon 2:24 2 Maccabees 7:9”
- Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 3:21: GOD'S JUSTIFYING RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, ALIKE ADAPTED TO OUR NECESSITIES AND WORTHY OF HIMSELF. (Rom 3:21-26) But now the righteousness of God--(See on Rom 1:17). without the law--that is, a righteousness to which our obedience to the law contributes nothing whatever (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16). is manifested, being witnessed--attested. by the law and the prophets--the Old Testament Scriptures. Thus this justifying righteousness, though new, as only now fully disclosed, is an old righteousness, predicted and foreshadowed in the Ol”