Justification by Faith for Wrong Doing?

 

Is the salvation of God valid forever? Do Christians possess eternal salvation regardless of their sins? Christians who confess the doctrine of being 'saved by grace' or 'Justification by Faith' tend to downplay the significance of their moral shortcomings.

 

The proponents of what is known as 'cheap grace' often find the responsibility of obeying the commandments and maintaining a severe demeanor burdensome. Their most common excuse is the inherent weakness of human will, which they attribute to the corruption of human nature. Cheap grace can often be observed among Christians who believe in the doctrine of justification by faith.

 

It is not suitable for Christians to justify their crimes or disobedience based on the righteousness of God and the fallen nature of humans. Disregarding the responsibility of lawfulness due to the corruption of human nature is not a result of true salvation or repentance.

 

The doctrine of original sin and the corruption of free will do not absolve us from our responsibility to obey the law and commandments.

 

Augustine emphasized the corruption of human will, while Calvinism emphasized the total depravity of humans. The focus of Augustine and Calvinism, which highlights the total depravity of human will, is not primarily to emphasize that humans are inevitably inclined to sin. Instead, it underscores the abnormality of the human condition, God's grace achieved through the redemptive work of Christ.

 

The doctrines of original sin and the corruption of free will do not serve as excuses for disobedience to the law and the gospel.

 

It is not suitable for Christians to justify their immoral actions based on the complete corruption of human will. Using the corruption of human will due to the fall of Adam as an excuse to justify one's immoral behavior and to disregard the law is unacceptable. The saints' struggles in the Old Testament era would be meaningless and futile if such a notion were valid.

 

In the absence of the law, we would not have realized sin and would not have recognized grace. The law remains a commandment that Christians should continue to uphold to awaken to God's grace anew each day.

 

Ignoring our responsibility to obey the law and commandments by using the doctrines of original sin and total depravity of human will as excuses is incorrect. Truly saved individuals who have received God's righteousness do not disregard the responsibility of obeying the law.

 

The law is an essential part of God's grace. Gospel believers uphold and obey the commandments received by Moses from God. Observing and obeying the commandments of the Torah is the way to demonstrate the gospel's authenticity.

 

The commandments given to Moses and Christ's teachings were completed within the gospel of salvation. Attaining the law is an essential part of the effort to receive fully God's grace embedded in the gospel. Treating the law and the gospel as mutually exclusive and opposed to each other is not correct, as it would diminish the power of the gospel.

 

The law and the gospel are part of a continuous process that culminates in Christ. The urgent task of the modern church is to confirm the continuity between the law and the gospel and to examine their faith in the light of this understanding.

 

Doug Choi, Ph.D., President of Peniel Theological Seminary, Busan Korea