Evangelicals and Catholics Together in 1994
Many conservative evangelicals pushed back on Evangelicals and Catholics Together in 1994.
Charles Colson represented evangelicals and Richard John Neuhaus represented the Catholics. The gospel was watered down: “We affirm together that we are justified by grace through faith because of Christ.” (click to open). But the indispensable word "alone” was left out. Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. R. C. Sproul wrote Justification by Faith Alone to correct this biblical error.
The Gift of Salvation in 1997
Because of the pushback, the evangelicals conducted their second Evangelicals and Catholics Together meeting called The Gift of Salvation in 1997.
James Montgomery Boice was quoted in Christianity Today magazine as stating that GOS “sells out the Reformation” (click to open). Imputation was left out of its statement.
Michael Horton: Well, why do they fall short? Central and essential to the Biblical doctrine of Justification and to Reformation doctrine of Sola Fide is the concept of the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ to the believer.
Historically Rome has always contended that the basis of Justification is the righteousness of Christ, but it’s a righteousness infused into the believer rather than being imputed to him. This means that the believer must cooperate with and assent to that gracious work of God and only to the extent that Christ righteousness inheres in the believer will God declare that person Justified.
Protestants disagree pointing to the critical difference between infused righteousness and imputed righteousness. Sola Fide affirms that you are Justified on the basis of Christ’s righteousness for us which is accomplished by Christ own perfect act of obedience apart from us not on the basis of Christ’s righteousness in us. So the good news of the Gospel is that we do not have to wait for a righteousness to be accomplished in us before God counts us as Righteous in his sight. He [God] declares us to be Just on the basis of Christ’s imputed righteousness. Without the imputation of righteousness the Gospel isn’t Good News because we could never know if we are standing before God in a Justified therefore a saved state, we’ll have to wait for some ultimate but by no means guaranteed salvation
Rome declares that a person could have such faith without being justified if a person commits a mortal sin, such sin deemed mortal because it kills the grace of Justification even if faith remains intact. Thus, Rome teaches that one can have faith without Justification which is a clear and persistent denial of Sola Fide (The Difference between (infusion) and Geneva (imputation) in Justification).
The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration in 1999
R. C. Sproul declared there needed to be an Evangelicals and Evangelicals Together meeting. The following evangelicals, Packer, Sproul, D.A. Carson, Timothy George, Erwin Lutzer, John Ankerberg, and John Armstrong, produced The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration in June 14, 1999, Imputation was included in the statement. Affirmation number 12 reads:
We affirm that the doctrine of the imputation (reckoning or counting) both of our sins to Christ and of his righteousness to us, whereby our sins are fully forgiven and we are fully accepted, is essential to the biblical gospel (2 Cor. 5:19–21).
Michael Horton stated that leaving the imputation out of the gospel is like leaving the chocolate chips out of chocolate chip cookies. You may call it chocolate chip cookies, but it is not.
There are two grounds for justification:
· The biblical ground imputation of righteousness based on faith in Christ
· and the unbiblical ground of the infusion of righteousness based on works.
1. Roman Catholic teaching on Justification
A. Justification is conferred in baptism
“Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life.” [1]
B. Justification consists of sanctification
“Justification is not only the remission of sins but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.” [2]
C. Justification is grounded in infused righteousness
“Thus, neither is our own justice established as our own as from ourselves; nor is the justice of God ignored or repudiated: for that justice which is called ours, because that we are justified from its being inherent in us, that same is (the justice) of God, because that it is infused into us of God, through the merit of Christ.” [3]
[1] The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent (1563), “Decree on Justification”. Ch. VII.
[2] Catechism of the Catholic Church (1995). #1989. Directly quoted from the Council of Trent (1547).
[3] The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent (1563), “Decree on Justification”, Ch. XVI.
2. Biblical teaching on Justification
A. Biblical justification is grounded in the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Justification is a legal or courtroom word (Dt. 25:1)
B. Imputation is not personal. Imputation is a business or accounting word. Imputation is like a deposit in the bank. Money is put into your account in the bank.
1. The imputation of Adam’s sin to the race in the fall (Rom. 5:12-21). The inheritance of sin is personal.
2. The imputation of man’s sin to Christ on the cross (2 Cor.5:21a).
3. The imputation of Christ’s righteousness to believers at salvation (2 Cor. 5:21b. Rom 4:3).
John Calvin declared, “Believers are simultaneously justified and sinful.” [4] Believers are declared righteous grounded in imputed righteousness as far as our standing in heaven before God, while personally, we are still sinful. Imputation is not personal but positional.
How would you answer Chris Bray: Is Righteousness imputed or infused?
[4] John Calvin, Institutes 3.2.1, 3.11.1