A view from a notebook
Some notes from my dissertation notebook, and a little introductary explanation!
The concept of righteousness as ‘forensic’ that is to say, that righteousness is concerned with the lawcourt as its primary analogy, and that justification is a declaration of righteousness as opposed to a transformation or similar often gets accused by those in other camps of being nothing but a ‘legal fiction.’ Thomas Schreiner has this to say about that:
Such an objection is logically flawed, for believers are truly and really in right relation with God on the basis of Christ’s work. This righteous status with God is no fiction but a reality. Further, because believers are right in God’s sight, God grants them his Spirit and power to live a new life.
- Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ, 194
As such, the believer has no self-righteousness, no internally originating grounds with which to consider themselves right with God - nothing that can cause them to boast and nothing that could conceivably do anything but glorify Christ, since his work and his person alone are the grounds for salvation. However the believer most definately does have righteousness. If they did not there would be no righteous way for a relationship with God to be established, God would have to deny his holiness and turn aside the wrath that his justice rightly (and righteously) requires to be poured out on all rebels against his kingdom rule (i.e all sinners). As such they have an ‘alien’ righteousness, a righteousness that comes from outside themselves, a righteousness that comes from Christ.
It’s much better this way. Why? We don’t have to rely on ourselves. We rely on Christ! And that gives more glory to him. That makes him bigger. The bigger Christ is, the better.
Hence, the forensic gift of righteousness becomes the basis (and is the only basis) on which believers receive God’s powerful Spirit that transforms their lives.
- Schreiner, 194
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