Often, when I dig deep into how many think justification before God works, I find they believe it depends on their obedience in some way. I have heard it said that not requiring obedience for justification would lead to outward sin or (to use a more complicated word) it would lead to antinomianism.
On the other hand, many professing Christians say that because salvation is by grace alone, they can live in disobedience to God. Others argue that we cannot claim those who live in sin are not Christians. After all, if we have to obey God, then that would be justification by works. Right? That would be legalism.
Both of these theological stances could not be more different. But are they? I often drift into one or the other of these two paths of thinking when I consider why I try to obey God. It is easy to slip into attempting to earn God's favor.
"It is failure here that leads to the mistake of prescribing a dose of antinomianism to heal legalism, and vice versa, rather than prescribing the gospel antidote of our grace union with Christ.”
-The Whole Christ
The Whole Christ by Sinclair Ferguson seeks to tackle this question by surveying a historical debate called the Marrow Controversy. I will not get into that specific debate, but I want to share my takeaways. This book clarified a lot for me.
What God united (and which no man or woman should have put asunder), namely, his glory and our joy, have been divorced.”
-The Whole Christ
For starters, Sinclair pointed out that legalism (obedience for the sake of salvation) and antinomianism (disobedience because we are saved by grace) tend to approach God's commands with a negative attitude. They see God's commands as something given only to earn a right standing with God, not as something for our good. Most professing Christians would agree that God is good, but there is a tendency to live as if disobedience (sin) brings happiness and obedience is an unwanted burden to bear.
“The enjoyment of plenty is the first element in the command, the prohibition of one tree is the second. The serpent’s tactic was to cause a fixation on the one negative command. Now all Eve saw was a negative command.”
-The Whole Christ
If God is good, it should follow that his commands are good. Instead of seeing them as a burden, we should view them for our own good. Instead of thinking of how much God is supposedly withholding from us, we should embrace the blessings he has given. We need to understand the kindness and love of God in his commands for us.
This one point helped cut through the fog that seemed to hover over the tug-a-war between law and grace. God's commands are a gift of grace in themselves.
Ultimately, the underlying issue on both sides is a misunderstanding of the character of God. Both legalism and antinomianism are attitudes that minimize the kindness of God.
But the question remains, how are we saved? Is obedience to these gracious commands the means of our salvation? Or could someone disobey and still be justified by grace?
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
What does it mean to be "saved"? And what do we need to be saved from? If we have established that God's commands are for our good, then it would follow that disobedience leads to harm. The Bible says that sin leads to death. We need salvation from sin itself. If you are living in outward sin, you have not received salvation from sin, which is what we all truly need.
Romans 6:15-16 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
All of us are not only born with a heart that doubts the goodness of God but one that hates him. Because of this, in our natural state, we cannot obey him because we do not want to.
Romans 3:10-12 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
Furthermore, God is infinitely holy, so to be right before him, we also must have perfect obedience.
Matthew 5:48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
So, again, how could we be saved if this is so?
“It is grace. But not “grace” as commodity, grace as substance. It is grace in Christ. For God’s grace to us is Christ.”
-The Whole Christ
This is where "the gospel antidote" Sinclair Ferguson mentioned in the first quote comes in. Christ himself is our salvation.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
We receive salvation from the penalty and power of sin through union with Jesus. In Christ, we are saved from the wrath of God. In Christ, we are blameless before God with his imputed righteousness. In Christ, we are saved from the power of sin. But only in Christ.
“He receives us only in Christ and for Christ’s sake.”
-The Whole Christ
Our works do not contribute to our salvation because Christ does all the saving apart from us, yet we will do good works because Christ is in us and has saved us from the power of sin. Jesus does not allow his redeemed to continue in outward sin.
Titus 2:13-14 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
There is no partial salvation here. We cannot receive salvation from the penalty of sin, but not its power. With changed hearts, we will delight in obeying God because he is good, and his commands are for our good. In reality, sin is misery, but Christ is joy and comfort.
“Thus grace, not law, produces what the law requires, yet at the same time it is what the law requires that grace produces.”
-The Whole Christ
How are we united with Christ? It is by faith. All who repent and believe are united with Christ and receive these blessings. This freedom does not mean those in Christ are perfect (not by a long shot!), but our relationship to sin changes. Instead of sin being a master to serve, it is a foe to fight. Instead of loving sin, we hate it.
“There is only one cure for legalism. It is the same medicine the gospel prescribes for antinomianism: understanding and tasting union with Jesus Christ himself.”
-The Whole Christ.
I am so glad I read The Whole Christ because it opened my eyes to a greater understanding of our complete union with Jesus. So, in temptation, we can remember that if we are in Christ, we have victory over sin. In discouragement, we know we have been counted perfectly righteous with his righteousness. We are united with Christ in his death, reign, and resurrection and seated with him in the heavenly places.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.