The current discussion in the blogosphere concerning union with Christ and the duplex gratia of justification and sanctification is a good one. We should have this debate, so long as it remains brotherly and respectful.
I’m actually not here to chime in on the technicalities of the doctrinal discussion – far better minds than my own are already doing that well enough. I want to address the discussion from the perspective of the pulpit. That is to say, from a practical and pastoral perspective relative to the week in and week out work of the minister of the Word.
And here I have only two points I’d like to make.
First, justification by faith alone must never become assumed, but must remain explicit in our preaching. With zeal to build up the holiness of the congregation, many pastors go on to a practical series of sermons where he addresses the nuts and bolts of the Christian life. Here he speaks to Christians, or to those he assumes are Christians. It seems that here justification by faith alone is not relevant. After all, so it seems, that doctrine is for converting unbelievers, not for the saints. What the saints need is teaching on what to do, not on what is done for them in Christ’s work of justifying the ungodly. The result of this can be two-fold. First, it may lead a congregation to forget the fact that they are still – in and of themselves – ungodly. And all they need are tips for better living. They come to church to get some good life advice on how to live the Christian life. Or, on the other hand, after hearing a series of sermons on what they should be doing, they become honest with themselves and discover that they aren’t living the Christian life as they should. The end result of this is despair. They get a bunch of good and biblical dos and don’ts, but because justification by faith alone is assumed rather than explicitly taught, they forget who they are in Christ no matter how much they fall short of God’s law.
Secondly, preaching from indicative to imperative is not enough. I think everyone in the current debate agrees that we must preach the imperatives as they are grounded in the great indicatives of the Gospel. And if we did this, my first point above wouldn’t really be a problem. But another problem arises if we preach in a linear why from the indicatives to the imperatives and stop there. The problem is we leave off on a legal note. We leave off with man. We leave off with what I am supposed to do. And our people go out from church, all charged up to change the world, and then horribly fall short on Monday morning. OK, if the sermon was really good, maybe they make it until Tuesday. And once again, they are driven to despair. Or, they fool themselves – or otherwise excuse themselves – and convince themselves that they are keeping the law they heard on Sunday. Therefore, we must also remind our people that even their sanctification – their gifted sanctification which flows from Christ himself – will be imperfect. Therefore, and I often tell my congregation this, Christ’s justifying grace redeems me not only from my past sins of open rebellion, but it also pays for my “good works” as well. If it is true that not even the most sanctified of believers in this life approach perfect obedience, and if our best of works are really as filthy rags in the sight of God, then Christ’s justification is not only a reality which became mine “back then” at my conversion. But we must remind our people that their justification is a continual and abiding reality, even and especially when I am living a holy life. Even when I say no to sin, and turn from it, that act was itself so mingled with sin that I praise God I am forgiven of even the imperfection found in that good work. I think that much preaching in Reformed pulpits can lead people to think that they come in and out of a state of justification. But we must remind our people that if they are really in union with Jesus Christ by a sincere faith, no matter how bad they fail in their sanctification throughout the course of the week, they are no less justified as they were when they were first converted. To say otherwise is to lead people to think that they are justified by their sanctification.
The beauty of the doctrine of the duplex gratia is how justification and sanctification are co-terminus benefits in the life of the believer. Even while I am being sanctified, I am at the same time justified in Christ. And as one who is justified in Christ, I am also being sanctified. We can never leave one or the other out of our pulpits.
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