Sinclair Ferguson

These are, as it were,

seeing that God is so great, we've got to use all of these descriptions, which we use seriatim, that is to say one by one, but they're all different ways of looking at the same person of God and means by which we can get to know him so that we know he is holy, we know he is infinitely great, we know he's also kind and generous, and he's all of these things all of the time.

I do like the question.

I mean, I like all the questions, but I think one question and answer that is really helpful for people is the question on justification.

I mean, I remember somebody telling me, if you want to define justification, it's just as if I'd never sinned, justified, right?

And I remember thinking, that's quite clever.

And then thinking, but it's not clever enough.

But many Christians think that's what justification is, means your sins are forgiven.

And it does mean that.

But if that were all justification meant, then in a way you're back with Adam in the Garden of Eden.

It's as though God is giving you a second chance to keep what the Westminster Assembly calls the covenant of works.

You're on your own, pal.

And so I think it's so helpful that the Westminster Confession and the catechisms emphasize that yes, on the one hand, it's the pardon of your sins,

but it's also you are now accounted righteous in Christ for Christ's sake.

And that means if I'm accounted righteous in Jesus Christ, the righteousness I have standing before God is as perfect a righteousness as Jesus' righteousness because it is His righteousness.

And one of the ways in which I think that is helpful to us is because I've had this sneaking suspicion that many Christians think that justification is something that happens in them, that the righteousness is in them, and don't realize actually that is medieval Catholicism, that righteousness is infused into you.

And what the divines are emphasizing there is, no, the only righteousness you ever have is not in you.

If you depend on any righteousness in you, you are a goner.

And that question then I think does something very important.

It teaches me to live the Christian life from the objective to the subjective.