Justification

[KeithThompson]

Amen..What a wonderful & glorious thing it is that we are not justified by our works but that our works prove our being justified.

[follow_the_way]

Eternal life in Christ is given freely by God to all and obtained through our obedience to His commands. All who want eternal life in Christ just have to obey Him.

[robertmckay]

Piper i think is right on his explanation of justification and imputation through faith alone and not through any of the fruits of the Spirit. To be imputed with the righteousness of Christ by faith alone.

[bynumai]

Wow, such a timely message. I've been searching for a video like this for such a long time. Thank you!

[lynnmcintosh]

I totally agree. Anger is what I have felt lately, it kills our spirit to see good and to see God too

[blessedwithoutmeasur]

Justification is a free gift once a person is saved, He is the rightousnes of God that is by faith it all goes together, faith that works by Love which we were bore into in Christ

[jameszimmerman]

I had to listen for a minute, but this was really good-thankyou!
I think when people try to make the "fruit" the prerequisite, they really don't comprehend the righteousness of GOD. HALLELUJAH! (I didn't intend it...but that statement alone really exposes all of the false arguments against, Justification by Faith).
HALLELUJAH!
JESUS gives us such pure joy. HALLELUJAH! Amen.

[donboniface]

The Catholic view of Salvation is that Christ’s death is a sacrifice of atonement (see Leviticus chapter 5). Christ offers himself, not just nails through his wrists, but his whole life is a offering given to God. Holy Week is Christ displaying before our very 👀 the ethic that he commands for us.

Christ surrenders himself to wicked men who martyr him, not God killing Christ, but us. Not as a penal substitution but as a martyr to charity, holiness and righteousness. As Paul says he took on the nature of a servant, obedient to death on a Cross, therefore God exalted him.


If you follow Imputed Justification the rest of the Bible (mostly about moral behavior and warnings) makes no sense.

[gtepp]

Yes this issue was worked out a long time ago by Augustine in his letter on "grace and free will"

[gtepp]

"he fails to note that faith ITSELF is a fruit of the spirit."

Well said. If it was simple our act of faith, and not the grace being the driving force behind the faith, (meaning that it was really the grace that gave the faith that connected us to Christ)then John Piper has made a huge error. He is teaching that by our act and work of faith we are saved, rather then by the work of GODS grace (faith), which is one of many of the works of grace. I wonder what his responce to this would be?

[fearitselfpinball]

John, sometimes I disagree with you but I love you for this video. Wonderful. Do you agree that 2 Peter 1:9 (not an oft-quoted verse) is making your point (in the negative)? The passage that precedes it talks about adding to faith goodness, to goodness something else - adding adding adding... this is the fruit. Keep adding and you won't be unproductive in your knowledge of Jesus. Then when you get to verse 9 it says something almost completely unexpected - that those who lack these qualities have "forgotten that they have been cleansed from past sins.". What does that have to do with all this adding and adding? The answer seems to be: everything. I love you.

[twowitnessesoftheson]

Amen my brother, , Peace be with you...

[twowitnessesoftheson]

Forgiveness and salvation are two different things

[victormashatt]

The faith required is the very gift of God. You forgot to mention that. Surely since it is, fruit will come of it as faith looks to Christ the vine from whom fruit flows.
Your explanation was convoluted.

[johndodson]

Yeah, right, Mr. DOUBLE JUSTIFICATION.

[gtepp]

Not to be mean but some advise from a former Protestant "be not highminded, but fear."...."with fear and trembling work out your salvation."....do not abandon the fear of GOD, as your Protestant brothers have, they shall recieve a swift condemnation.

[NickGypps]

I think NT Wright's scholarship makes exegetical sense. Paul's letters actually make sense when they are seen through the lens of God's covenant faithfulness to bless the whole world through the true Israel: Messiah. Righteousness to Paul was being included in the covenant community, not being endowed with Christ's moral virtue. However, I do not deny that through the Holy Spirit we have true life, and are in mystical union with Christ. In that sense we are already spotless and blameless.

[theearstohear]

As Piper metions the "fruits" of patience and love which he says result from our justification, he fails to note that faith ITSELF is a fruit of the spirit. Justification is a declaration of righteousness. We are declare righteous in the courtroom of God by the blood of Christ, PERIOD. We are declared righteous in our own experience by faith which lays hold of this preexisting truth. We are declared righteous in the eyes of others by works which demonstrate our faith.

[QuisutDeusmpc]

We are reborn through faith and baptismal regeneration (initial justification).  We then grow or increase in our justification by our faith working through love - doing works of Christian charity by grace, the works that God has prepared beforehand that we would do which He works in us through His good pleasure.  Justification is both an initial encounter with Jesus Christ in faith and baptismal regeneration AND an ongoing process whereby we are infused with the righteousness of Christ.

[twowitnessesoftheson]

Yes, I agree that all are forgiven yet all are not saved. Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many not all. The Father does have a heart bigger than we can possibly imagine yet people choose to follow the world and Satan. Why? We are tainted. No not one is without sin. Jesus paid the price to open the Way but we must will ourselves to walk in it. We still have free will. Our choices dictate the outcome of our lives and the destination of our souls. The Way was shut before Jesus.