“As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11).
Federal Visionists love this verse because they think that we are justified because Christ bore our iniquities. They delight to say that we are justified by the death of Christ. However, such a statement betrays the carelessness of our opponents.
It is not that this statement is completely wrong, it is just deficient. We are justified in part by the death of Christ, but this is only half of the story. The Reformed faith has always insisted that we are justified by the death and the merit of Christ.
Federal Visionists see the insertion of merit as an unnecessary addition to the Biblical language of justification. On the contrary, the Reformation was all about recovering the Biblical usage of merit. If merit is so unnecessary, why did Paul spend so much time defending merit?
Thus, we must always take pains to speak of justification as the result of the death and merit of Jesus Christ. If we leave out merit, then we are preaching a different gospel, which is no gospel at all.
Showing posts with label OT - Isaiah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OT - Isaiah. Show all posts
Friday, March 21, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Isaiah 45:4
“For the sake of Jacob My servant, And Israel My chosen one, I have also called you by your name; I have given you a title of honor Though you have not known Me” (Isaiah 45:4).
Federal Visionists love this verse because they think that God is referring to all of Israel as “My chosen one,” including both the saved and unsaved under the one title of “elect.” Thus, Federal Visionists argue that one can be “elect” corporately, but “non-elect” soteriologically. However, this so-called corporate election is a myth designed to overthrow the Reformed tradition.
The Reformed faith has always insisted that election can only mean election unto to eternal life. You will not find corporate election or ecclesial election in any of the Reformed Confessions. On the contrary, in Reformed theology, election is always identical to salvation.
We freely recognize that the Bible speaks of election in differing ways, but Reformed theology has never made an allowance for these different kinds of election. Remember, we dare not add or subtract from the Modern Reformed magisterium. Semper Reformanda is a slogan, not a policy.
Federal Visionists love this verse because they think that God is referring to all of Israel as “My chosen one,” including both the saved and unsaved under the one title of “elect.” Thus, Federal Visionists argue that one can be “elect” corporately, but “non-elect” soteriologically. However, this so-called corporate election is a myth designed to overthrow the Reformed tradition.
The Reformed faith has always insisted that election can only mean election unto to eternal life. You will not find corporate election or ecclesial election in any of the Reformed Confessions. On the contrary, in Reformed theology, election is always identical to salvation.
We freely recognize that the Bible speaks of election in differing ways, but Reformed theology has never made an allowance for these different kinds of election. Remember, we dare not add or subtract from the Modern Reformed magisterium. Semper Reformanda is a slogan, not a policy.
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