This is installment two of three parts. Find the first installment here. This concerns a re-posting of a single document that I had originally published on another of my blogs a few years ago but shortly thereafter removed it for reasons that I explain here and here.
Now that Steve Fernandez has published his book, Free Justification: The Glorification of Christ in the Justification of a Sinner, and has reproduced in it his misrepresentations and abusive citations of The Race Set Before Us as found in his internet published PDF copy of Free Justification: A Hill to Die On, which constitutes the first chapter of his book.
I will address the PDF version. Consider Steve Fernandez's endnote 11 on page 15. (Find the following footnote 11 on page 19 of Free Justification: The Glorification of Christ in the Justification of a Sinner.)
Schreiner and Caneday say that our final complete justification is conditioned on our earnest pursuit of holiness. They say, “By faith he concentrates every nerve, every muscle, every desire on the singular goal that lies before him to win Christ (v. 9). For to win Christ is the only hope of being declared righteous before God in the day of judgment. . . . Paul extends his use of athletic imagery in Philippians 3:12-15, lest anyone presume to have won Christ already without the need for steadfast faith to the very end” Ibid, pp. 111-112. The emphasis is clear. Christ is not fully ours in this life; we must await the final judgment to see whether Christ will be ours and we will be declared righteous. I must confess that I am not able to see how this is not justification by works. Nor how this differs from the Roman Catholic teaching of a final justification by infused grace. It seems that in the final analysis, sanctification is turned into justification, and the gospel of grace, with an immediate free and full pardon by faith in Christ, is gone.
Now consider how much fuller Fernandez's endnote/footnote would have been if he had not cherry-picked words and sentences to achieve his agenda. Unless his readers actually pick up The Race Set Before Us to read the segments that he quotes, those readers will not realize that Fernandez uses the ellipsis marks (. . .) to leap over two absolutely crucial paragraphs. In fact, as you read those two paragraphs in red below, you will discover that these two paragraphs completely contradict the conclusions that he draws concerning what we say and mean.
Here, then, is Steve Fernandez's endnote/footnote filled out with the missing paragraphs from page 111 of The Race Set Before Us. Also, following the segment that Fernandez quotes I have included two paragraphs from page 112 which make it obvious that we simply expressed what Paul's own words from Philippians 3:12-15 express. It shows that Fernandez's quarrel, ultimately, is not with us but with the Apostle Paul.
Steve Fernandez thoroughly misrepresents our affirmations that the “not yet” verdict of the day of judgment has become ours “already” in Christ, and because of this, we may in this present age already have bold confidence and assurance of our acquittal before God that will be ours in the Last Day. We scrupulously and carefully distinguish the biblical imageries of justification and sanctification without separating them and without effacing either with the other.Schreiner and Caneday say that our final complete justification is conditioned on our earnest pursuit of holiness. They say, “By faith he concentrates every nerve, every muscle, every desire on the singular goal that lies before him to win Christ (v. 9). For to win Christ is the only hope of being declared righteous before God in the day of judgment. . . . [It may seem that Paul mixes metaphors–the athletic and the courtroom–for he introduces the imagery of judgment. However, because judges enforced the rules of the games in the athletic arena (cf. 2 Tim 2:5), Paul’s imagery is consistent with the arena metaphor. Paul is determined to run his race with complete devotion in order that he might win Christ, which is the same as “knowing Christ” (Phil 3:8) and being “found in him” (vs. 9). The expression, “that I may be found in him,” does not deny that the Christian is already “in Christ.” It is a phrase that derives from the courtroom where the defendant is found either guilty or not guilty. Without denying his present state of righteousness in Christ, Paul makes it clear that he determines that God’s righteous verdict shall be his in the day of judgment. Therefore, he portrays his own Christian faith as a race in pursuit of Christ and the wreath of righteousness which will be awarded to all who persevere in faith to the end (cf. 2 Tim 4:7-8).
Paul elaborates upon the intensity of his athletic-like faithful pursuit of being found in Christ when God judges. The pathway of this pursuit brings acquired knowledge of both Christ and the power resident in his resurrection, and it brings about a real participation with Christ in his sufferings as one, who like him, dies to sin. Only if we run this pathway that brings us through death to sin, to the world, and to self, is there any hope that we will attain the resurrection of eternal life (Phil 3:10-11). One cannot win Christ at the end without faithfully running this course now. Faith endeavors to overcome every obstacle of the race course now in order that it may victoriously clutch Christ as the prize when it attains the end.]
Paul extends his use of athletic imagery in Philippians 3:12-15, lest anyone presume to have won Christ already without the need for steadfast faith to the very end.
[Not that I have already arrived or have already been perfected, but I pursue it, if I also may lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not yet regard myself as having laid hold of it. I do but one thing: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I pursue the goal to attain the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. As many as are perfect, let us think like this. And if someone thinks differently, God will reveal this understanding to you also. Only let us live up to what we have already attained (Phil 3:12-15).
Like a marathon runner, Paul disavows satisfaction with past accomplishments and sets his eye upon the goal. He recognizes that there are obstacles to overcome that lie between his present attainment and the goal because he has not yet arrived at the goal line. Continuity between the starting block and finish line of this race course is attained only by faith in the God who exists and who rewards all
who pursue him.]” Ibid, pp. 111-112. The emphasis is clear. Christ is not fully ours in this life; we must await the final judgment to see whether Christ will be ours and we will be declared righteous. I must confess that I am not able to see how this is not justification by works. Nor how this differs from the Roman Catholic teaching of a final justification by infused grace. It seems that in the final analysis, sanctification is turned into justification, and the gospel of grace, with an immediate free and full pardon by faith in Christ, is gone.
Once again, consider the following portion that Steve Fernandez deliberately left out of his citation of our book.
The expression, “that I may be found in him,” does not deny that the Christian is already “in Christ.” It is a phrase that derives from the courtroom where the defendant is found either guilty or not guilty. Without denying his present state of righteousness in Christ, Paul makes it clear that he determines that God’s righteous verdict shall be his in the day of judgment.
Given what we say, how could Steve Fernandez possibly and in good conscience draw the following contrary conclusion?
The emphasis is clear. Christ is not fully ours in this life; we must await the final judgment to see whether Christ will be ours and we will be declared righteous.
The conclusion Steve Fernandez has drawn is both unreasonable and wrong. Tom and I devote an entire chapter, "Running with Confidence: Being Assured that We Shall Win the Prize" (pp. 268-311), to affirm and demonstrate from Scripture why we are convinced that assurance of salvation is of the essence of faith. In other words, we contend that being assured that we shall be saved in the Last Day is integral to Christian faith in Jesus Christ. Did Steve Fernandez read this chapter? If he did, it would seem that he did not read it with understanding.
Add the following erroneous, unwarranted, and ridiculous conclusions that he states in the same endnote/footnote.
I must confess that I am not able to see how this is not justification by works. Nor how this differs from the Roman Catholic teaching of a final justification by infused grace. It seems that in the final analysis, sanctification is turned into justification, and the gospel of grace, with an immediate free and full pardon by faith in Christ, is gone.
What? Justification by works? To offer a response would run the risk of giving dignity to the foolishness of Fernandez's charge. Yet, I run the risk. What part of the two following statements is so difficult to understand that what we are talking about is faith, belief in Christ Jesus?
Therefore, he portrays his own Christian faith as a race in pursuit of Christ and the wreath of righteousness which will be awarded to all who persevere in faith to the end.
Faith endeavors to overcome every obstacle of the race course now in order that it may victoriously clutch Christ as the prize when it attains the end.
That Steve Fernandez could possibly draw the conclusion that Tom and I advocate the notion that the Apostle Paul's pursuit was to achieve his own righteousness before God on the basis of his own works is preposterous. How did we not make it clear that Paul's pursuit of righteousness before God was entirely focused upon being "found in Christ"? What does this mean except that Paul's only hope was to be found righteous before God on the basis of Christ's accomplishments on his behalf and not on any achievement of his own which we expressed this way, as we echo Paul's words: "Like a marathon runner, Paul disavows satisfaction with past accomplishments and sets his eye upon the goal."
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