Conversation on Justification: Source of Justification - Part 3

This is the third part of the email exchange I had on Biblical Justification. You can check here Part1 and Part 2.


...


Hi A,

Greetings. Allow me to make it short this time and in only 4 points.

1) You said, "it is true that you differentiate two forms of righteousness but you also separate them as if  the (second) do not depend on the first one."

The fact that they are differentiated show that they are separate items otherwise there is no point to differentiate that which is one and the same. The word, "differentiate" necessitate for a matter of fact that we are talking about two separate approaches. However the separation that I pointed out were not presented as if the secondary righteousness was independent of the first one. Two things can be separate while being interdepend to each other or one dependent of the other. 

The secondary righteousness (iustificatio pii) is dependent on the first one (iustificatio impii) as I pointed out that the first one comes in justifying the ungodly (Roman 4:5) while the secondary righteousness is credited to believers as they practice righteousness (1John3:7). The secondary one can not be experienced unless the first one has been experienced a-priory, because the secondary one is for the little children (Believers), which means after they have converted by receiving their initial righteousness from Christ.

And in my last correspondence, I used the very same scripture of Philippians 1:18 that you share to point out that the source of both level of righteous is the same, it comes from Jesus Christ himself as the word "through" indicates: "being filled with the fruits of righteousness through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." -- Philippians 1:18 and more importantly to note the secondary justification is on the same level the first one because it is said that the one who practice righteousness is righteous JUST LIKE Jesus is righteous. It is not an inferior level/position of righteousness.

They are separate level of righteousness, one depend to the other in chronological order and both dependent of the same source which is Jesus Christ. 

2) You said, "in my understanding I think the one you call secondary righteousness is a fruit or a result  of the first. is that what you mean as well?"

You are in a sense correct when you said that the secondary righteousness is a result of our initial position / primary justification as righteous people. But to be more biblical, it is better to say that our secondary righteousness is related to our practices of righteousness as the verb to be "is" expresses it clearly; for it is written in 1 John 3:7 -- 

"Little children, don't let anyone deceive you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, just as the Messiah is righteous" - 1john3.7

3) You said, "You observe that a person is justified through actions and not through faith alone. this is a conclusion of what was said before"

I am glad that you agree now that "a person is justified through actions and not through faith alone", which is the correct biblical position on justification 'with regard to the secondary righteousness'. You got me worried a bit earlier when you said, "I think he [Abraham] was not justified by his actions, but his actions was justifying his faith in God." It was clearly and obviously a non-biblical statement. I am glad that we are now on the same page with St. James, on the biblical fact that "a person is justified through actions and not through faith alone" James 2:24.

The clear message of the scripture is that justification is neither by actions alone nor by faith alone, but a simultaneous expression of both actions and faith. This is the basic argument for our 'secondary justification positioning before God' if you allow me to use a theological phraseology.

4) You finally commented, "there is no way you can prove that you have faith if you don't act out of that  faith." 

I have no objection to this. I totally agree.

Thank you again for the email.

....

The next reaction is found in Part 4.