Glorious Terms and Meanings in Christian Redemption

Romans 5:1-2: The Glory of Christian Salvation A. 1. Fruits of Gospel Salvation, 5:1-21 The assured grace/forgiveness in the Gospel, 5:1-11 {Rom 5:1ff Intro} With Romans chapter five and Paul, the second major section of Romans is before us; the establishment of believers, with faith like Abraham, in the doctrines of Christ, of justification, and with the assurance of that standing before God forever. The whole force of the argument by Paul, since salvation is all of grace, will be: 1) God’s assured love and forgiveness in Christ (5:3-11); and 2) God’s assured triumphal righteousness and power in Christ over sin (5:21-21). Romans five consists of two halves of a whole proof that the justified Christian, proven in chapters 3 and 4 and summarized in 5:1-2, will always have that standing of eternal life in Christ (Paul will finish with a flurry on this in 8:31-39). Essentially, the Christian historical doctrine of assured redemption once sinners come to Christ, is that our confidence is not in our strength, but in God’s. In between Paul’s beginning here and his glorious conclusion of triumph for saints in Romans 8:31-39 will be a series of questions and answers and, in chapter eight, an extended section on the Spirit’s work in our nature as Christians and in Christian perseverance (8:4-30). {Rom 5:1-2} Paul begins Romans five with a summary of what was essentially expounded in chapters 1-4, that Christians have a right standing before a Holy God through faith in Christ – a standing that has no grounding or admixture of good works. All is of free grace. Paul opens with his “Therefore” to let us know what our summation should be to his data and his reasonings in 1:18-4:25, which verses are Paul’s argument/proof of his theme of the whole book (1:16-17). In other words, Paul is saying, ‘Now that you have read 1:18-4:25, this is therefore what you should have concluded’. The word translated in the KJV “being justified” by faith is better rendered “having been justified” by faith, for Paul gives the form of the word justified in Greek a definitive, final force in the past. Justification is a once-for-all declaration by God with reference to the sinner when he repents and trusts in Christ. Here are Paul’s three key words in his summary of 1:18-4:25 in 5:1-2: Justification In Scripture (and with Paul here), to say someone is justified is to put us in a courtroom setting as a defendant before a judge – in this case, The Lord God Almighty. God in justifying someone (like the saints reading Romans 3 1 Romans), and 1:18-5:2 is making an argument regarding this doctrine which is a declaration as to our guilt or innocence to a given charge with the evidence before Him (of course, in the case of God and knowledge of our personal “case”, it is both infinite and infinitely accurate and pure, without bias). Note such uses of justify and its cognate works used in Deuteronomy 25:1, “If there be a controversy between men, and they come into judgment, that the judges may judge them, then they (judges) shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked”, and Luke 7:29, “And all the people heard him, and the publicans, justified God…”. In both cases, it is clear those judging (rendering a judgment), are not adding or subtracting any works but declaring a verdict (especially obvious in Lk 7:29 with reference to God!). They are stating that upon what they know, and they are rendering a verdict of ‘justified’ on the grounds of the evidence before them. This is precisely what the gospel work of Christ has done for us as we trust in Him. God, knowing we believe in Christ and thus are united to Him, is declaring us righteous on the foundation of Jesus’ life and death as our substitute (the Father even went so far as to grant us a real-life illustration of this when the people substituted Barabbas for Jesus Christ [Mt 27:26]). Notice the ubiquity of this truth of justification of believers in Paul. At the time of their faith, although ungodly (Romans 4:5), through faith they are said to be justified by Christ’s work (Acts 13:39; 1 Cor 6:11; Gal 2:16; 3:8, 24; Tit 3:7), or to be declared righteous (1 Cor 1:30; Gal 3:6; Phil 3:9; Tit 3:5). When we have trusted in Christ for our hope of redemption and forgiveness we are, as it were, coming and holding the hand of Jesus and saying, “He stands in my place. I put my faith in Him”. This means we by faith have come into union with Christ relationally, and God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us and at Calvary (our sins) to Him. Note: Because redemption has the common use of buying/selling and value/price and like language of the marketplace - as well as the Greek words used to describe our salvation (, , , ) - we have beautiful exhortations in this vein, “Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things…but with the precious blood of Christ” and “For you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God” (1 Pet 1:18-19; 1 Cor 6:20). The Just dies for the unjust (1 Pet 3:18; 2 Cor 5:21), and thus we now stand before God innocent and righteous. The key term is redeemed. This substitutionary atonement and gospel redemption is the great mystery solved at the cross. If Christ is really sinless and pure, and only the wages of sin is what brings death legally, how could God ever allow the injustice of abandoning Christ and allowing His physical/spiritual death?? This is clearly injustice by God with reference to Christ and what He merits! But if from all eternity the sins of sinners were given to Christ (Eph 1:4) such that there was a real exchange, the just for the unjust (1 Pet 3:18), then Jesus died, not for His own actions, but as our true representative. It was Barabbas (us) in exchange for our Lord. Romans 3 2 Indeed, Paul knew this full well when, after he displays Christ as our mercy seat for sin (Rom 3:25, cf. Lev 16:15-16), he states that this was done that God might be both “just, and the justifier of him who believes in Jesus” (Rom 3:26). And the book of Hebrews makes this plain when, in Hebrews 2:9, the writer says Christ was made a little lower than the angels (the incarnation), “that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man”. Note: It is not uncommon for saints to believe that there is some sort of exchange in salvation; we give God our faith and He gives us forgiveness. But, as we have noted earlier in Romans, if Scripture and its writers wanted us to think this way, the Greek language has a quick and easy way to say that we are redeemed/forgiven/justified because of our faith. There is a grammatical way for the New Testament writers to do this, but it never occurs. “Because of faith” is never written when linked to the way we are forgiven. The faith that reaches out and lays hold of the Lord is a gift: Philippians 1:29 – to suffer as well as believe is given to Christians. Ephesians 2:8-9 – it is the summation of salvation vs. work (also note the Lord that grants faith also ordains that the child of God will walk in holiness, 2:10). Colossians 2:12 – Faith is a work of God – the Greek reads “faith, the faith that is God’s work, which (work) raised Him (Christ) from the dead”. 2 Peter 1:1 – “Peter…to them that have obtained like precious faith”. There are only four uses of the Greek word translated “obtained”; two relate to drawing lots (Lk 1:9; 19:24), another to the choice of Judas, which was the choice of Christ (Acts 1:17, comp. Jn 13:18). So, it is clear, that Peter’s intent was that the faith of those receiving the letter was a gift, a sovereign choice by God. Access Paul now goes on in Romans to say that this justifying declaration gives us peace and access with/to God. It seems clear that the apostle contrasts this peace with the wrath upon mankind who suppress truth (Rom 1:18) - the wrath upon men who practice ungodliness (3:17), and the peace only the righteous shall inherit (cf. 2:10, which none have of themselves, but we have in Christ’s righteousness imputed to us). Further, we have a blessedness of access through Christ that occurred prior to Christ only in unique circumstances, and that only in part. One example being Moses in Ex 33:17-20, another when each year on the Day of Atonement the high priest entered the Holy of Holies (Lev 16:2, 14-18; Heb 9:7). But Christ has now made us all priests (Rev 1:6; 1 Pet 2:5,9) and Christians have full and free access into the presence of God through prayer (Heb 4:14-16) - and will finally see His face (Rev 22:5) and dwell in His presence forever (Ps 23:6; Jn 14:2-3). Romans 3 3 Glory The introduction to justified saints is that we “rejoice (Greek, boast, ) in the hope in the glory of God” (Rom 5:2). There are two parts to this “glory of God” - one present, and the other future. Scripture testifies to a glory that is present here and now. In being a part of the New Covenant (verses the Old), Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3 that if the giving of the commandments was glorious (2 Cor 3:7), which covenant was removed (v7), the New Covenant “giving/blessing” being far more glorious (2 Cor 3:8-9). Indeed, there really is no comparison (2 Cor 3:10-11). Moses put a vail on his face so Israelites could not look upon the glory he experienced (2 Cor 3:13), but we receive great plainness of revelation (v12), and we look into truths/revelations even the greatest prophets and angels long to see and know (1 Pet 1:10-12) – specifically the full revelation of YHWH in Christ Jesus (Jn 1:18; Eph 1:17). The revelation of God in Christ is analogous to Creation (2 Cor 4:4-5). Even the apostle John could say after the wine miracle at Cana, “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested His Glory” (Jn 2:11). This explains why Christ said to Mary and Martha in John 11:40, “Said I not unto you that if you would believe you should see the glory of God”? The Greek word in Romans 5:2 translated “glory” is often translated “honor”, and it seems right because of their close relationship. In John 5:41 and 5:44, Christ says: “I receive not honor from men” and “How can you believe which receive honor one from another and seek not the honor that comes from God only” (all being the same Greek word translated ‘glory’ in Romans 5:2). In John 8:54, “if I honor myself, my honor is nothing”, the verb and noun forms of glory are used. It seems that the Christian honor of becoming a child in the family of God - a child of God has a glorious present experience. In New Testament revelation, to read and behold the revealed truths of Scripture has a glory to it. The New Covenant, which we are a part, is a superlative Covenant with a glorious essence. I think this would explain the intimate Lord’s High Priestly prayer of John 17 – and especially the text in v22, “And the glory which thou (God) gave me I have given them”. The verb “given” is in the perfect tense (like “it is [e.g. stands] written” and Calvary’s “it is [e.g. stands] finished”, Mt 4:7 and Jn 19:30), and signifies something that has been given and retains its power and freshness even now. There is a glory experienced by the relational (sonship) revelation by the Spirit (Rom 8:15ff; Gal 4:6f) of God in His Word and in our hearts. But there is a future glory, when the fullness of Christ will be our experience, as John writes, “Beloved now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. Every man that has this hope Romans 3 4 in him purifies himself, even as He is pure” (1 Jn 3:2-3). This is the fulness that awaits us, or as Psalms 17:15 says, “As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake, with your likeness”, and Job, “after my skin worms destroy his body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25). Christ (as the pre-incarnate Son of God) was glorious as we see from His prayer in Jn 17:5 and John’s reference to Christ in Isaiah 6 (Jn 12:37-41, esp. v41). But then in Philippians 2:5-8, we are told that Christ, to die for our sins, took the nature of man, which He still retains. Thus, being Divine (the meaning of the Greek “form of God”), He took the nature of manhood so that Isaiah could truly prophecy, “He had no form or comeliness; and when we saw Him, there was no beauty that we should desire Him” (Is 53:2). And He took humanity to lay down His life. This lack of glory stayed with Him even through the resurrection, as is seen from John’s sight of Him after He rose (Jn 21). Then, as an honor because of His sinless life and redemptive work, Christ’s prayer of Jn 17:5 is answered and He is honored by sitting down as equal at God’s right hand (Ps 110:1; Heb 5:5), the eternal King, Son of David (2 Sam 7:12-14; Is 9:6-7; Acts 2:23-33). Moreover, He received back the glory that He had from all eternity with the Father. And further, it is His preincarnate Glory shining though His humanity. In Scripture, the metaphor used for this change/glory is the glory of the sun (Acts 26:14, note it was at midday; also, Rev 1:16). This was what Christ tasted, but refused on the Mount (Mt 17:2), choosing Calvary instead. This glory shining through Christ’s humanity is the “hope of glory” Paul is speaking of in its fullest form in the Christian’s resurrection. We shall be like Him, for we will see Him as He is (see 2 Cor 4:17-18). Romans 3 5