Justification by faith alone is one of the five central principles of the Reformation (scripture, faith, grace, Christ and the glory of God alone—see “Wrestling with Reformation Witnesses”). Holding the five principles together is important, especially in the context of attending to the tenet of justification by faith alone. Ultimately, everything returns to the gracious love of God, including the gift of faith that connects believers to the gift of salvation through Christ.
In this fifth sermon, Wesley begins to unpack more fully the principle of justification by faith introduced in the first sermon, called to be enacted in particular ways in the second and third sermons, and rendered universally contagious in the fourth sermon. Five impressions stand out for my initial reflection on the fifth sermon:
The myth of Adam and Eve is historicised; and that historicization sets the framework for the understanding of the original, all-pervasive sin from which humanity needs salvation.
Justification (being pardoned) and sanctification (becoming righteous) are clearly separated and ordered by Wesley. Justification comes first through the Son; then sanctification through the Spirit. Good works and spiritual development are not possible without the imposition of the goodness of God in a believer’s life.
Justification is pardon for the ungodly, i.e. for those who need it, which is all humanity following from the notion of original sin. The language is that of wrongdoing and wrong-being, followed by some kind of erasure or overcoming of that wrongness.
All action should be taken in the love of God, but it cannot be if God’s love is not in the actor. God’s love is imparted to the actor through the process of justification by faith.
Faith is defined in two different ways in this sermon. Firstly, it is defined as “divine, supernatural e}legcov, evidence or conviction”. Secondly, it is defined as humility: a coming to God as sinners “bringing nothing to God but ungodliness only”. The first definition was identified in the first sermon and reiterated in the fourth with some sketching of what that means in terms of recognising God and affirming the gift of salvation.
The notion of “original sin” is an important one in the Christian faith; but it is also vexed. Are we completely “depraved” or is there some hope that we may “cooperate”, by the grace of God, in our salvation? How far are we tainted? This notion is also complicated by the understanding that humanity is created in the image of God. The question of how we “fell” from such lofty heights then arises. A literal interpretation of the Adam and Eve myth isn’t convincing. So how then should we hold the tension of humanity as the glory of God in Creation, and also sinful, fallen, fragile, mortal… in need of the love and mercy of God?
The nature and timing of good works is part of this conversation. If there is a particular moment of salvation in the life of a believer, in Wesley’s account, good works prior to such a moment cannot really be good. This is a key distinction between Catholic and Reformation theologies. The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by Faith (1999), originally promulgated between the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation, articulates the distinction thus:
20. When Catholics say that persons "cooperate" in preparing for and accepting justification by consenting to God's justifying action, they see such personal consent as itself an effect of grace, not as an action arising from innate human abilities.
21. According to Lutheran teaching, human beings are incapable of cooperating in their salvation, because as sinners they actively oppose God and his saving action. Lutherans do not deny that a person can reject the working of grace. When they emphasize that a person can only receive (mere passive) justification, they mean thereby to exclude any possibility of contributing to one's own justification, but do not deny that believers are fully involved personally in their faith, which is effected by God's Word.
In its response to the Declaration upon co-signing in 2006, the World Methodist Council clarifies its understanding thus: “The destructive effects of the Fall are countered by the universal availability of prevenient grace… That people are able to respond to God’s call is due only to God’s prior work.”
Faith is a gift of God that connects humanity with the love and mercy of God. And still there is the question of what is this faith? Wesley remains firmly with the notion of “conviction” but adds the significance of humility in coming to such a conviction. There seems some God-assisted cooperation here. The lines are not so easily drawn.
So, what is this justification? In broad terms, it is the overcoming of the problem of “fallen” humanity, however it came about. How we understand the fallenness affects how we understand the salvation from it.
Wesley’ salvific framework is within the milieu of the array of atonement theories variously called “objective”, “penal substitution”, “ransom”, “satisfaction”, “propitiation”, “expiation”, etc. Although couched in slightly different terms, this cluster of theories requires the death of Jesus as some kind of recompense for humanity’s sinfulness. They are transactional in nature in some way. These theories are not the only way of understanding salvation, of course, although they are very popular because they have a certain simplicity to their schemas. They are easy to understand. However, as I have even had cause to remind an Anglican bishop, Christians may all agree that Jesus saves, but we do not all agree on how that happens. Nor are we required to adhere to any particular atonement theory by the overarching symbols of the faith, the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds.
The Uniting Church’s Basis of Union (Para. 3) is very circumspect about attributing a particular mechanism to this miracle of grace; and that openness is welcome!
In Jesus Christ “God was reconciling the world to himself ” (2 Corinthians 5:19 RSV). In love for the world, God gave the Son to take away the world’s sin.
Jesus of Nazareth announced the sovereign grace of God whereby the poor in spirit could receive God’s love. Jesus himself, in his life and death, made the response of humility, obedience and trust which God had long sought in vain. In raising him to live and reign, God confirmed and completed the witness which Jesus bore to God on earth, reasserted claim over the whole of creation, pardoned sinners, and made in Jesus a representative beginning of a new order of righteousness and love. To God in Christ all people are called to respond in faith. To this end God has sent forth the Spirit that people may trust God as their Father, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord. The whole work of salvation is effected by the sovereign grace of God alone.