Author: PJD
Company: SymCast

©1998  Joe Griffin								98-09-01/JSH-017

Introduction: Victory through Faith: Principles from 1 John 5:5: Review of Hypostatic Union & Power Systems; Justification, Romans 5:8-9; 4:5,8

Review: Hypostatic Union

In the Person of Christ are two natures—divine and human—inseparably united without mixture or loss of separate identity, without loss or transfer of properties or attributes.  Designated in theology as the hypostatic union, the union of God and man in the Lord Jesus Christ is personal and eternal.  That is, as the God-Man, He is one Person, and He will exist forever as both undiminished deity and true humanity.

Review: Comparison of the Prototype with the Operational System

	PROTOTYPE:

	Objective:		Fulfill the salvation plan of God.

	Process:		Maintenance of impeccability by resistance to 				temptation with 8 problem-solving devices.

	How:			Dependence upon the Spirit’s leadership and 				reliance on doctrine in the soul.

	Status quo:	Impeccability

	Result:		Qualification to be our Substitute on the cross.

	Conclusion:	The prototype system proved sufficient to 				achieve the objective of salvation.

	OPERATIONAL:

	Objective:		Fulfill God’s plan for our life.

	Process:		Maintenance of spirituality by resistance to 				temptation with 10 problem-solving devices.

	How:			Dependence upon the Spirit’s leadership and 				reliance on doctrine in the soul.

	Statue quo:	Spiritual when filled with the Holy 	Spirit.

	Result:		Spiritual maturity, experiential sanctification, 				capacity righteousness, and glorification of 				Christ.

	Conclusion:	The operational system is proved to be 					sufficient to achieve the objective of spiritual 				maturity.

Romans 5:8 - God demonstrates His Own love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died instead of us.

22) This verse reveals how God’s love is made known to us.  It was demonstrated by Him through the work of Christ on the cross.

23) God’s love was unconditional.  It was directed to “whoever believes” as per John 3:16.  If God’s love had been conditional then the erroneous theology which asserts that there are a predetermined few who may appropriate salvation would suddenly become orthodox.  But Christ died for “sinners” which includes the entire human race.

John 3:16 - [CTL] God unconditionally loved the world so much [ the entire human race ] that it resulted in Him giving His Son—the uniquely-born One—[ equal provision of salvation to all ] for the purpose of assuring that everyone who believes in Him [ faith alone in Christ alone ] shall not perish [ cancellation of eternal punishment ] but have eternal life [ eternal security ].

24) It is important to remember that our Lord became a servant to man by redeeming mankind at the cross, a mission accomplished by offering Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice for all.

25) This is brought out in the final phrase of verse 8, “Christ died for us.”

26) This death was not his physical death but rather his spiritual death, a three-hour ordeal during which He was judged in our    place.

27) That His spiritual death was vicarious is brought out by the preposition of substitution:

^‘υπερ /huper / plus the ablative of the pronoun:

^’εγω / ego / - “as a substitute for us” or “instead of us.”

Romans 5:8 - God demonstrates His Own love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died as a substitute for us.

28) Since Jesus Christ died as a substitute for us this means that the justice of God imputed our sins to Him and judged them in Him instead of us.

29) He did this while we were still His enemies.  The next verse indicates that since He was willing to do the most difficult for us while we were His enemies He is now able to do the less difficult now that we are in Christ.

Romans 5:9 - Much more therefore, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be delivered from punishment through Him.

30) This verse starts with the dative adjective, πολυς /polus / followed by the comparative adverb, μαλλον /mallon /.  Along with the transitional conjunction ο^’υν /oun / we have the    translation, “Much more, therefore …”

31) Used together they present this rationale: If the greater benefit has been given, the less will not be withheld.

32) So what is the greater benefit?  Salvation!  What is the lesser benefit which will not be withheld?  Deliverance from wrath!

33) Verse 9 also indicates that there is a link between greater and lesser benefits, the aorist, passive, participle from the verb:

δικαιοω /dikaioo / - “having now been justified”

aorist: Constative; contemplates the action in its entirety and regards it as one completed event.

NOTE: For justification to be a completed event then also involved in the action is salvation and the imputation of perfect    righteousness.

Romans 3:28 -  [CTL] We conclude that man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law.

Romans 4:5 - [CTL] To him who does not work for salvation, but believes in Him who justifies the unbeliever, his faith receives credit for the imputation of divine righteousness.

v 8 - “Happy is the man to whose account the Lord will not charge sin.

NOTE: The words “receives credit” in verse    5 and “not charge” in verse 8 are the same word in the Greek: λογιζομαι      /logizomai /.  This is a technical legal term from the field of business for charging a debt.  In Paul’s usage it referrs to the fact    that our sin debt is taken off our books and placed into Christ’s at the cross.

Therefore, justification results from the forgiveness of presalvation sin and the imputation of divine righteousness to the sinner who believes in Christ.

passive: The believer receives the action of being imputed divine righteousness.  Justification becomes the legal pronouncement of this transaction.

participle: Circumstantial.  Here’s the corrected translation now of verses 8-9:

Romans 5:8 - God demonstrates His Own love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died as a substitute for us.

Romans 5:9 - Much more therefore, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be delivered from punishment through Him.

NOTE: What is it that made it possible for God to conduct a legal transaction which enabled Him to impute our sins to Christ and not to us?  It is found in the phrase “by His blood.”  And that introduces us to our next verse in 1 John 5.  First of all, a corrected translation of 1 John 5:4-5:

1 John 5:4 - [CTL] Everyone who has been born from God is victorious over the cosmic system, and this is the initial victory which has been victorious over the cosmic system—our faith.

v 5 - [CTL] Who is the one who is victorious over the cosmic system?  None other than he who comes to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.