Paul’s Emphasis Is Not Justification By Faith

In Protestant theology we stress the centrality of justification by faith. This, certainly, is a good thing. We are justified by faith, not works. Dead people are not able to pay the penalty for sin with their own effort. It is only through faith in Jesus that we are no longer condemned before our heavenly judge. The emphasis on justification by faith, however, was intended to combat a particular crucial error in the Roman Catholic church, and not intended to carry as much theological freight as we often give it. Instead of centering on justification by faith, which is more limited in scope, Paul prefers to write about how we are united by faith into Christ’s death and resurrection. Jesus died for our sins and was raised by the power of God. We, too, were dead because of our sins. But by faith we have been united with Christ: we are in Christ. So His death to sin is our own, His resurrection to life is our own, His being seated in the heavenly realms is our own, and His glorification is our own. Justification by faith is one fact of “union with Christ.” – Ed Welch