Grace Evangelical Society

P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202
  • About
    • Home
    • Beliefs
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
  • Resources
    • Grace in Focus Magazine
    • Grace in Focus Radio
    • Journal of the GES
    • Book Reviews
    • Partners in Grace Newsletter
    • Audio Messages
    • Videos
    • Blog
    • Email Subscription
    • Online Tracts
  • Store
    • Main Page
    • On Sale
    • Return Policy
    • Your Cart
    • Your Account
  • Events
  • Connect
    • Contact Us
    • Free Grace Church Tracker
    • Free Grace Jobs
    • Ministry Links
  • Donate
  • Search
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Home
→
Blog
→
Created and Re-Created Freely

Created and Re-Created Freely

November 27, 2018 by Shawn Lazar in Blog - Creation, Martin Luther, Oswald Bayer

“Luther’s doctrine of justification has frequently been attacked for being monotonous, empty, and even obsessive.” So notes Oswald Bayer in his article, “Justification as the Basis and Boundary of Theology.” 

Sound familiar? 

GES’s emphasis on the promise of everlasting life has faced the same criticism. 

Bayer continues to explain that Emmanuel Swedenborg caricatured Lutherans in this way: “the Lutheran is locked up in a darkened room his entire life. Pacing back and forth in the room, unable to see anything, he searches for light by repeating only one sentence to himself: ‘I am justified by faith alone; I am justified by faith alone; I am justified by faith alone!’” 

I’m sure that’s what we sound like to many people—obsessed with the promise of life and therefore shut out from the real world. 

But in his article, Bayer explains why the opposite is true. “Justification is not a separate topic apart from which still other topics could be discussed. Justification is the starting point for all theology and it affects every other topic” (emphasis his). Knowing that we are justified by faith apart from works affects our entire approach to existence. 

For example, Bayer ties justification to creation.  He says there are two basic approaches to creation—by works, or apart from works. People today think they can create themselves, just as they think they can save themselves: “The modern human being thinks of himself, from beginning to end, as a doer and maker. In the terms of Karl Marx, a human being produces him- or herself through work.”

By contrast, Bayer notes that God created the world out of nothing: “Creation out of nothing means that all that is exists out of pure goodness; it is unmerited.” How does creation out of nothing connect to justification? Just as the world cannot create itself, neither can man save himself. The same God who creates the world out of nothing also creates the new man out of nothing. Creation and new-creation are both received as a gift. There is nothing you did to earn the former, and there is nothing you can do to earn the latter. 

In other words, far from being an isolated or isolating doctrine, justification (or the promise of eternal life) is tied to the very motif of creation itself. It does not cut us off from the world, but reminds us of the world’s true nature as a gift from God.

Subscribe by Email

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
Shawn Lazar

by Shawn Lazar

Shawn Lazar is the Editor of Grace in Focus magazine and Director of Publications for Grace Evangelical Society. He and his wife Abby have three feral children. He also works as the associate pastor at Gateway United Baptist Church in Denton, TX, leading the contemporary service (www.faithfellowshipdenton.org). He has written two books: Beyond Doubt: How to Be Sure of Your Salvation and Chosen to Serve: Why Divine Election Is to Service, Not to Eternal Life.

5 Responses

  1. Alvin

    It’s a blessing to be justified which is a legal term, but to have eternal life is more of a personal term, the very life of God. And written to the unbeliever in John’s Gospel that they may have life. Justifcation is not found there.
    I also love the call to the unbeliever to receive reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5:19-21. It shows the heart of God, not only was Jesus imputed the sin of the world, but God is pleading through believers to receive the reconciliation.
    Now Calvinism doesn’t fit any of that because they force love, there’s no pleading what so ever.

    November 27, 2018 /
  2. KEN TAMASHIRO

    Hi Pastor Shawn,

    I just recently had a debate in FB about Justification by Faith.

    Basically, he could not get around the area of Justification by Faith in scripture. Every time he would throw Discipleship or Repentance or True Believers, I would say we are Justified by Faith not by the other.

    This person knew I was right because Justification by Faith stood on its own without me explaining myself…

    Grace and Peace,
    Ken Tamashiro

    November 27, 2018 /
  3. Brady

    Hey, I didn’t get to read yesterdays BLOG until TODAY. Wow!!! Great blog, but I wanted to as my 2 cents in sooo here’s my 2 cents for YESTERDAYS blog.
    I too have been WORKING OUT/exercising since I was 14 and KNOW it takes serious FREE WILL “effort” to keep on keeping on. I turned 65 in October. But I have been at some more practical and serious than that since I was 6-7 years old and that IS believing and defending John 3:16 by the Grace of God only.

    November 27, 2018 /
    1. Alvin

      God Bless you Brady, that is the main thing for sure~!

      November 27, 2018 /
  4. Peter

    Gentlemen,
    Your blogs are truly a JOY to read. They compel me to go to the WORD and thoughtfully meditate. Thank you for your faithfulness.

    November 30, 2018 /

Comments are closed.

Cart

Recently Added

February 20, 2019

The Free Grace Movement and Sanctification

Pastor Bill Lee (Trego, WI) told me about a conference being held at Central Seminary (officially Central Baptist Theological Seminary) in Minneapolis, MN. They were...
February 19, 2019

Suffering Is Necessary (Romans 8:17-18)

The last two regional conferences went through Romans 5-8. Each time I felt my understanding of Romans improved. I still haven’t arrived, but I’m inching closer...

Grace In Focus

Grace In Focus is sent to subscribers in the United States free of charge.

Subscribe for Free

The primary source of Grace Evangelical Society's funding is through charitable contributions. GES uses all contributions and proceeds from the sales of our resources to further the gospel of grace in the United States and abroad.

Donate

Bookstore Specials

  • The Ten Most Misunderstood Words in the Bible $9.95 $5.00
  • The Epistles of John (Reprint) $8.95 $5.00
  • Harmony with God $9.95 $5.00
  • Inerrancy for Dummies $7.95 $5.00
  • Power to Stand: An Exposition of Jude $9.00 $5.00
Grace Evangelical Society
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

(940) 270-8827 / ges@faithalone.org

4851 S I-35E Suite 203, Corinth, TX 76210
P.O. Box 1308, Denton, TX 76202