Michael Reeves

Just so, the Christian is at one and the same time sinful in themselves, in their habits, in their lifestyle, but by status now, united to Christ in that joyful exchange, righteous. sinful in herself and righteous, absolutely righteous by status with the righteousness of Christ. That is the joyful exchange. And do you see how much stronger this is than simply being forgiven?

Just so, the Christian is at one and the same time sinful in themselves, in their habits, in their lifestyle, but by status now, united to Christ in that joyful exchange, righteous. sinful in herself and righteous, absolutely righteous by status with the righteousness of Christ. That is the joyful exchange. And do you see how much stronger this is than simply being forgiven?

Sometimes people talk about justification, saying that it means it's just as if I'd never sinned, which is half helpful. It's what I believed when I first became a Christian. That's what I was taught about justification. And I thought it sounded good for a bit. I thought it was lovely to have my slate wiped clean when I became a believer, but I messed it up again rather quickly.

Sometimes people talk about justification, saying that it means it's just as if I'd never sinned, which is half helpful. It's what I believed when I first became a Christian. That's what I was taught about justification. And I thought it sounded good for a bit. I thought it was lovely to have my slate wiped clean when I became a believer, but I messed it up again rather quickly.

So what do I do with the sins I've committed since I was justified? Do I have to be re-justified now? What I hadn't grasped is that justification involves not only my transferring all my sin to him, but not only are my sins counted to him, he's positively given me, imputed, counted to me all his righteousness. I do not just have a blank slate as a believer.

So what do I do with the sins I've committed since I was justified? Do I have to be re-justified now? What I hadn't grasped is that justification involves not only my transferring all my sin to him, but not only are my sins counted to him, he's positively given me, imputed, counted to me all his righteousness. I do not just have a blank slate as a believer.

My sin is counted to him, his righteousness is counted to me. So justification, Luther saw, is a legal term, not a transformational term. It fits into the idea that man stands before God the judge in the cosmic courtroom. And we are justified when God pronounces the verdict that we have a righteous status before him.

My sin is counted to him, his righteousness is counted to me. So justification, Luther saw, is a legal term, not a transformational term. It fits into the idea that man stands before God the judge in the cosmic courtroom. And we are justified when God pronounces the verdict that we have a righteous status before him.

And so in the Bible, the righteous person is not the person who's never sinned, not the person who's done plenty of good works. The righteous person is the sinner on whom God has pronounced the verdict righteous. Romans chapter 4 from verse 3 reads, For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

And so in the Bible, the righteous person is not the person who's never sinned, not the person who's done plenty of good works. The righteous person is the sinner on whom God has pronounced the verdict righteous. Romans chapter 4 from verse 3 reads, For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, they're his due. This is the most extraordinary verse, verse 5. To the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." Isn't that amazing language?

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, they're his due. This is the most extraordinary verse, verse 5. To the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." Isn't that amazing language?

To the one who does not work but believes in the one who not justifies the one who's sorted himself out, not justifies the one who's been through a process of internal purification, God who justifies the wicked, the ungodly. This is our God. He goes on.

To the one who does not work but believes in the one who not justifies the one who's sorted himself out, not justifies the one who's been through a process of internal purification, God who justifies the wicked, the ungodly. This is our God. He goes on.

Verse 6, just as David, also speaking of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works, and he quotes Psalm 32, blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. And so the blessed person here, in Romans, is not a person who has no sin.

Verse 6, just as David, also speaking of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works, and he quotes Psalm 32, blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. And so the blessed person here, in Romans, is not a person who has no sin.

The blessed person is the one whose sins are not counted against them. This is legal language, meaning, to use Luther's shocking phrase, The Christian is simul justus et peccator, simultaneously, at the same time, just or righteous by status and a sinner in themselves. And you know, in fact, there was no support for the use of the word justification as a process.

The blessed person is the one whose sins are not counted against them. This is legal language, meaning, to use Luther's shocking phrase, The Christian is simul justus et peccator, simultaneously, at the same time, just or righteous by status and a sinner in themselves. And you know, in fact, there was no support for the use of the word justification as a process.

That's not what the word justification means today. And it's not what it ever meant. That misunderstanding arose because of a bad translation of the Greek New Testament into the Latin that the Roman church was using. Because there is a perfectly good set of Greek words the New Testament could have used if it wanted to speak of making us righteous rather than God declaring us righteous.

That's not what the word justification means today. And it's not what it ever meant. That misunderstanding arose because of a bad translation of the Greek New Testament into the Latin that the Roman church was using. Because there is a perfectly good set of Greek words the New Testament could have used if it wanted to speak of making us righteous rather than God declaring us righteous.