Question/Objection to UOJ:
Aren’t all people justified/forgiven through faith alone?
Defense for UOJ (Parts 1 & 2 of 5):
1) Justification cannot be dependent upon man’s faith. 2) Otherwise, faith would then complete justification.
Analysis:
This defense has two distinct aspects I’d like to address, but each goes hand-in-hand with the other, so I’d like to address them together. We’ll look at them one-at-a-time.
1. Re: Forgiveness depends upon man’s faith – One thing I have noticed in my UOJ research is just how much proponents of UOJ will use very obscure arguments when defending their position, even to the point of seemingly denying their own theology (temporarily) to make their point. This UOJ defense is a prime example.
How so?
Right off the bat, this defense is a hoot.🤣 Any decent conservative Lutheran pastor, professor, etc. (in any other circumstance), would be quick to emphasize that the faith which a man has is a God-given gift, granted to him by the grace of God. Yet, with this defense, the proponent of UOJ is not-so-subtly implying that if forgiveness is dependent upon faith, then this equates to its being dependent upon man’s faith (emphasis on faith being man’s).
Further, by making this implication, the proponent of UOJ would seem to be further implying that since we, as good Lutherans, know that our forgiveness can never be dependent upon man, then UOJ must be true.
I’ve seen this sort of wording (referring to man’s faith) numerous times. The proponent of UOJ does not normally say, “…forgiveness would be dependent upon faith.” Rather, as already stated, it is most often stated as something like, “…forgiveness would be dependent upon man’s faith.”
Moreover, I have never once read or heard a proponent of UOJ say something like, “If UOJ were not true, then forgiveness would become dependent upon God’s gift of saving faith, and that would be very bad because…”
Hmmm. I wonder why? (You caught the sarcasm in that question, right?) This brings us to the second problem I have with this argument.
2. Re: Faith completes justification – What’s so bad about faith “completing” justification?
In one sense or another, both those who agree with UOJ as well as those who disagree with it, must admit (if they are honest) that there is a sense in which justification or forgiveness becomes completed, or more complete or more fulfilled (or, however you want to look at it) once faith has been granted. After all, even the proponent of UOJ insists upon a distinction between the objective and the subjective aspects of UOJ. Let’s face it, something more (dare I say, “more complete”) happens with subjective justification which goes beyond the objective aspect of justification. Objective justification is, in a sense, missing something that subjective justification has in abundance…objective justification is less “complete” by comparison.
The proponent of UOJ may object, saying, “The only thing ‘missing’ from objective justification is faith…nothing more. And, faith does nothing more than simply receive that which is already offered in objective justification.” they might further conclude.
Really? Then, how does this applied (realized) justification (including forgiveness and righteousness) become a credited justification (forgiveness and righteousness) which then makes all of the difference in the world…er, umm…for eternity for the one receiving it, without “adding” something to the equation. Something, in some way, shape or form becomes more completed…or, maybe that’s just me.
If this were not so; if something in some way were not becoming more complete, wouldn’t we ultimately be finding ourselves promoting universalism (all are saved, believer and unbeliever, alike)?
But even when we recognize that faith, in one way or another, completes forgiveness, the reality is that since God grants faith, this completion of forgiveness through faith is still all about the work of God through the grace of God. In other words, it is all fully dependent upon God, not man. So…what’s the problem?
The underlying suggestion or implication by the proponent of UOJ seems to be that if faith completes justification and forgiveness, it therefore becomes a meritorious work…faith does, rather than faith receives. Lutherans are big on understanding faith as (warning: fancy terminology coming…) the organon leptikon – the “receiving instrument.” To be clear, this means that faith only receives that which is offered in the gospel. It lays hold of the promises of God rather than doing anything.
In keeping with JIC, however, if justification has been fully applied to the account of Christ, then justification is complete already (according to a UOJ definition of what it means to be complete) and faith does not complete anything any more than the subjective aspect of UOJ does.
I don’t know about you, but whether or not we think of faith as completing justification, I am personally of the view that I will allow God to complete things as he will, rather than trying to tell him how he must go about completing things; or telling him how he must define completion of those things.
Maybe I’m just weird that way.
Which is more consistent with the testimony of Scripture, UOJ or JIC?