LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1983, Page 339

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THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

atonement. expiation, and faith in Christ. (Ps. 32:1: Rom. 3:24-26:
4:2-8: 5:1-11: 2 Cor. 5:18-21: Ap IV. 76. 103, 117, 132. 158. 163. 290:
XII, 36; XX, 10: XXIV, 12; FC SD Il. 30, 39, 54: FC SD V. 25: Trig. Ap
Il, 37, 61, 157. 261)

It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospei to teach
That forgiveness and justification before God do not
involve each other, or that justification and reconciliation
are entirely different from each other. as though a person
can be reconciled without being justified or justified without
being reconciled

4. In normal Biblical and ecclesiastical usage the terms “justify” and
“justification” refer to the (“subjective”) justification of the individual
sinner through faith (Rom. 4:5, 5:1, etc., AC IV, 3: FC SD III, 25). But
because theologically justification is the same thing as the forgive-
ness of sins (Rom. 4:1-8: Ap IV. 76: FC Ep Ill. 7). it is Biblicalty and
confessionally correct to refer to the great sin-cancelling, atoning
work of the Redeemer as the “objective” or “universal” justification of
the whole sinful human race. (John 1:29: Rom. 5:6-18: 2 Cor. 5:19:
Col. 2:14-15, 1 Tim. 3:16; Ap IV, 103-105: LC V, 31. 32. 36.37. FC SD
ttl, $7)

5. Thus objective justification or reconciliation is the forgiveness of sins
both as it has been acquired for the entire human race by Christ's
work of obedience in its stead and declared by His resurrection, and
as it is seriously and efficaciously offered to atl in the means of
grace

6. Subjective justification or reconciliation is this same forgiveness as it
Is received. appropriated by. and applied to the individual sinner
through God-given faith alone (sola fide)

Il. The Nature of Justification
(What Happens When the Sinner ts Justified)

7, When the sinner ts justified. (@) God does not count his sin against
him, but forgives him, and (b) God imputes to him the righteousness
of Christ. (1s. 45:25: Rom. 5:18-19: Phil. 3:8-9; Ap IV. 177. 305: XXI, 19
FC Ep Ill. 4: FC SD III, 15, 30-31)

8. When the sinner ts justified. he is forgiven ali his sin: no sin remains
unforgiven, (Matt. 9:2: Luke 747-48: Rom. 8:1. 1 Jonn 1:7: Ap IV. 149,
222, SA Il. xin. 2: SC V, 16)

It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach
That, aithough Christ by His work has earned forgive-
ness for all. there are still certain conditions which God de-
mands of peopie before He will pronounce them righteous

V. The Basis of Justification

13. Tne source of the sinner's justification before God is solely God's
grace in Jesus Christ. (John 1 16-17. Epn.1:7. 2:5b: Ap IV. 41,53: LC
I, 43; 1, 96. IV. 37; FC SD XI, 43)

It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospei to teach
That there is grace outside of Jesus Christ
14. God's grace whereby He justifies and saves the sinner 1s His unde-
served mercy and loving kindness, His powerful and active love
which sent Cnrist to be the Savior of the world. (John 3:16. Rom
3:24. 5:15. 20. 2 Cor. 8:9: Eph. 119: Titus 2:11: AC Ill. 1-3: Ap II, 50:
LC H. 65. W543

it 1s contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach
That the grace by which God justifies the sinner is a
supernatural divine power or quality which God gives or
infuses into man in order to enable him to do good works
and become righteous before God:
That there is conflict between the fact that Christ by
His saving work made God gracious toward the world and
the fact that God in His grace sent Christ to be the Savior.
or vice versa
15. The scope of God's grace in Christ is universal, including all people
of all times and places. (John 3.16. Rom. 11:32: 1 Tim. 2:4: 4.10: FC
SD XI. 28. 68)

It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach

That grace is extended to ail simply by virtue of the fact
that all are children of our Creator God, and not because of

Christ's atonement
That God's grace extends only to a segment of human-
ity. either those whom God has especially chosen to favor
or those who have cooperated with God. sougnt after God.

or believed in God
16 The basis of the sinner’s justification before God is the work of God's
only begotten Son in the flesh. His work of obedience This obedi-
ence is the perfect obedience of Christ according to both the divine
and human natures. It is His vicarious living under God's law in the
Place of ail sinners. as well as His substitutionary. sacrificial. and
atoning death for ali the sins of all sinners (Rom. 5:18-19: Gal. 4:4-5.
1 Peter 2:21-24: 3:18: Ap IV. 214: FC Ep Il. 3.4.6: FC SD Ill. 9. 11-12.

14-15. 22. 30. 54-58: V. 22: VIII. 46-47: XII. 10)

(tis contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach
That the basis of the sinner's justification is Christ's
inherent righteousness as God

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The one who justifies is always and only God. Father. Son. and Holy
Spirit. (Is. 50:8: Rom §:19: 8.30. 33: 1 Cor. 130.611; Col. 3.13: AC IV.
3: Ap lV 224. 389: XV.7. SAT. 1-4: UL xii, 1. LC I, 63-65. FC Ep Vv,
5)

Its contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach
That a person is abie to bring about his own justifica-
tion or that of anyone else by his own faculties. abilities. or
works,

IV. Man’s Need for Justification

The one who Is justified by God 1s sinful man, man ungodly ‘Rom
3:23:45: Eph. 4:20-24) and guilty (a) because the offense and guilt of
Adam. the first man, have been imputed. or reckoned. to all mankind
(Gen. 3: Rom. §:12-19) and (b) because every human beng 's a
sinner by the hereditary corruption of his nature (Rom. 7) and sins
daily. (Ps. $1§: Eccl. 7:20: John 36: Rom. 1:32: 3:12. 16-18. 23:5 6.8
6 23: Gal. $:19-21: 1 John 1-8: AC Il: I. 3: XIX: Ap I 5-13: IV. 34. XI,
142: SA IIL. SC Hl. 16 LC tH. 86-87: FC SD 1. 53)

Its contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach
That God judges al! peopie to be guilty sinners only
because of their hereditary corruption and resulting actual
sinful thoughts. words. and actions. or only because He has
reckoned Adams offense and guilt to all human beings
That Adam was not a historical person. the first man
created by God
That everyone is “his own Adam.”
All people born according to the course of nature stand before God
as sinful and guilty. owing an insurmountable debt. and condemned
to eternal helt and punishment. (Lev. 19.2. Deut. 32:4: Is. 6:3. Matt
5 20. Luke 10:15: Rom 1.18. 2:5, 8-9. 6.23. Gat. 3.10: Rev. 15:4, AC Ill
3. LC |. 31-34. 234: FC SD I. 6)
Because of man’s sin. God. who is absolutely holy and righteous. 1s
angry against all sinners, and there could be no forgiveness or justifi-
cation except for the fact that propitiation and satisfaction were
made by Jesus Christ (Deut 27:26: Ps. 5:5. Gal 310; 2 Tim 213
Heb 29.922: AC II. 2. Ap li. 40: IV 40. 128: LC I. 122. 234; 11. 68. FC
SDI. 6)

It 8 contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel! to teach
That the loving God would not require propitiation and
satisfaction before He forgives

That Christ according to His human nature cannot ren-
der to God adequate obedience to substitute for all men
That the obedience of Christ which is the basis of the
sinners justification is the obedience of the divine nature
only or of the human nature only
The obedient death of Christ was a penal death. the death of an
innocent victim under the condemnation of God. a sacrificial and
atoning death paid as a ransom to a just and wrathful God and
vicariously given to satisfy the penal justice of God. (ls. 53:5-7. Mark
10.45. Rom. 8:32. 2 Cor. 5.21: Gal. 3.13. Eph. 5.2: 1 Tim. 2:6: Titus
2:14. 1 Peter 1.18-19: 1 Jonn 4.10: AC il. 3. 1V.2 XXIV. 25. Ap IV. 40
53. 57 98. 178-179, 204, 292: XI. 160: XIII. 7-8. XX. 19. XXIV. 22-24
$5.59. LC Il. 31: FC Ep V.5. FC SD V. 20)

It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach
That Chnst’s death was not a truly vicarious sacrifice
because His condemnation under the wrath of God 1s a
mere metaphor. or because it otherwise does not corre-
spond to reality
God imputed all the sins of all mankind to Christ. who by the perfect
obedience of His life and death paid fully and made complete expia-
tion for them and has thus propitiated the wrath of God (John 129
Rom § 18-19: 2 Cor 5 15.21: Col 2°14: 1 Jonn 2:2: Ap IV. 40. 103. XX.
S: SAH. 1 1-3: Mhin, 38: FC SD V. 22)

It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach
That Christ has not propitiated the wrath of God by the
perfect obedience of His life and death
That Christ paid the ransom to the devil

VI. The Universal and Finished Results
of Christ's Work of Obedience

Christ is the Savior of all This means that the whole world of sinners
has been redeemed. forgiven. and reconciled to God in Him iRom
324-25. 5:10. 2 Cor. 5:19. 1 Tim. 4:10. Heb. 9.28. Ap IV. 103. XXIV
22-24 FC SD Ill. 57: X1. 15:

Its contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach
That it is improper to speak of God being reconciled to
man

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