Fifth Address: The Present Reality of Justification, Jerry Bridges (PCRT 2009 Sacramento)

by Dan Phillips

NOTE: I have now added the pictures I took.

At 6:30, the host church's pastor Robert Briggs (who has the Scottish accent I wish I had) gladly introduced a chorale made up of members and attenders of Immanuel Baptist Church. The good brothers and sisters sang of God's gracious salvation.

This is a good opportunity for me to express appreciation for Immanuel. They were most gracious hosts, and made all of us welcome. I particularly want to thank Scott Blaising for making sure that I had internet access, to bring these posts to you. Scott was endlessly and cheerfully helpful, and took great pains to make sure I was set up. Also, thanks to ACE's Denise Malagari (who is also Managing Editor at the Reformation 21 site) for making me welcome in my role as your on-the-scene reporter.

My final session began at 7pm Saturday with a call to worship by Rick Phillips, who read 1 Corinthians 1:30-31. Then we sang the favorite hymn of at least two Phillipses (Rick and Dan) — "And Can it Be?" — and Pastor Briggs read Galatians 2:17-21). One more hymn, and Jerry Bridges came to preach.

Paul repeats over and over again in this section that we are not justified by works of law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. That is the focus of Galatians 2:15-21.

Galatians 2:20 is a favorite verse of those who take a passive approach to sanctification - I don't do anything, Christ lives through me. So all I do is trust Him for sanctification, as I had trusted Him for salvation; I am but a glove on His hand. But that is not what Paul is saying in Galatians 2:20. The passage has to do with justification.

Paul is emphatic that a curse is on everyone who does not do all the works of the Law (Galatians 3:10). A grade of 99% is a failing grade. That is why we must be justified by faith, not works of Law, or we are under a curse.

Faith has two elements. It involves a renunciation of any confidence in our performance as a basis for our relationship with God. It also involves reliance upon Jesus Christ alone. So we don't say, If I've had my quiet time, I have a relationship with God; if I have not, I might as well go back to bed. No, if I am relying on my own performance, in place myself under a curse.

Then Bridges focused again on Galatians 2:20, particularly on the words "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." Bridges says "faith in the Son of God" means Paul is speaking of justification, and not sanctification. Paul never uses the phrase in another sense, he argued. So, given that justification is a point-in-time, past event, how does Paul speak of an ongoing life-dynamic?

The answer, Bridges says, is the most important thing he will say this evening. For Paul, justification was not only a past even that he could look back to, but also a present event having an impact on every day of his life. We have a tendency to base our ongoing relationship with God on our performance. We are saved by grace, but then we try to change the rules of the game, and live by performance. Every day, Paul looked outside of himself to Jesus Christ's shed blood and righteousness. As Romans 5:1 says, having been justified, we have peace with God, now.

We must work at turning away from ourselves and relying entirely on Jesus Christ. If we do not, we will default into a performance-based relationship. We must be proactive, we must preach the Gospel to ourselves every day.

John Owen wrote in Communion with God that it is the daily of saints to consider the great provocation of our sins. Start the day confessing your sin. The Gospel is only for sinners. Then Owen says they lay down their sins at the Cross. Then, Owen says, draw night, and take from Him that righteousness which He has wrought out for you. "And you must do this every day," Owen adds.

What will happen when we do this? In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 we see that we will live, not for ourselves, but for Jesus Christ. The love of God squeezes us in from all sides and points us in one direction, to live for Jesus Christ. God's love as shown in the Cross focuses us and aims us, not like a shotgun blast, but like a rifle bullet.

And so, the impetus for sanctification is the Cross, which is not only the beginning of our Christian life, but its eternal focus.

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