True. In Catholic teaching, our state of justice is based on who we are, not merely who we're imputed to be, who we've become by the grace of God as we now enter relationship with Him via faith.
So you are you referring to
sanctification (growth in holiness)
after imputed righteousnesss of
justification.
Agreed.
And we're expected to produce, so to speak, with the seed of grace given, depending on the time and opportunity also given with more expected of those given more. Again, the Parable of the Talents gives clarification here.
Imputation or declaration involve forgiveness but not the justice or sanctity, itself, necessary to enter heaven, which is why the ancient churches maintain that, at justification, more than forgiveness is granted but also the power of the Spirit which involves the righteousness to oppose and overcome sin. If we were to die immediately, we'd go to heaven as long as our faith, hope, and love were genuine, but
if God's plan for us included a longer life, as most will have, and we were to squander that gift, to bury that grace- that life of Himself in us- or fail to persevere, turning away from God and back to sin, away from love, then...
The born again into eternal life do not spiritually die again by the loss of eternal life.
The born again persevere in faith and obedience to the end (
John 6:37,
John 6:39).
Those who do not persevere were never born again in the first place, they were only tares.
Anyway, at the end we're judged on holiness/sanctification,
But they are the
result of saving faith, so it is the
faith that saves us at the judgment.
For there can be a very religious life, and one can love well, without actual saving faith in Jesus' atoning blood (
Romans 3:25), as in Orthodox Jews who reject Jesus Christ.
judged on our love to put it succinctly, so at some point in conjunction with justification that must be already realized, as a gift of righteousness even if only in seedling form. And with this in mind, verses such as the following make perfect sense as applying to believers now, and align with all of Paul's thoughts in Romans and elsewhere:
"For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." Rom 2:13
Okay, we need a litte more work in Romans 2.
I hope I'm dealing with person #2 today, and not person #1.
In the context of
Romans 1:18-3:20 (three whole chapters), where
Paul is showing the
unrighteousness of
all mankind, Gentile and Jew, God having locked up
all men in sin (
Romans 11:32,
Romans 3:9-10), Paul is presenting
a righteousness from God by faith only (
Romans 1:17).
In
Romans 2:1-3:8, the middle of this passage,
Paul establishes the unrighteousness of the
Jews (having established the unrighteousness of the
Gentiles in
Romans 1:18-32).
It is in the context of
2:1-3:8 that he demonstrates the
unrighteousness of the Jews
based on the Law itself. For
"it is only those who obey the Law who will be declared righteous." But
no one has, because no one
can, obey the law according to its requirements, because to break
one is to be guilty of breaking them
all (
James 2:10), so
no one is declared righteous by keeping the law.
So, because
no one can
do the Law as required for righteousness by law-keeping, Paul concludes in
Galatians 3:10 that
"All who rely on the Law are under a curse," the curse of the Law itself in
Deuteronomy 27:26, "Cursed is
everyone who does not continue to do
everything written in the Book of the Law." Thereby Paul concludes his demonstration of the
unrighteousness of all Jews.
Now to our point regarding what I have
highlighted in your post above.
This does not apply to the Christian sanctification process.
This was not stated by Paul to demonstrate righteousness
by law keeping, but to demonstrate there is, and can be,
no righteousness by law keeping.
Righteousness is from God, through faith (
Romans 1:17), which
faith grows through
obedience in the Holy Spirit, and that growth in
faith (through obedience) is sanctification/holiness.
That's why
belief/
believe and
obey/
obedience are the same word (
peitho) in the Greek.
So in conclusion:
Romans 2:23 in your above does
not refer to the process of
sanctification/holiness through obedience
by the Holy Spirit, but refers to earning righteousness
by law keeping.
"...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." (
Philippians 3:9)
"Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Rom 8:12-13
As well as John:
"Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil." 1 John 3:7-8
Yes
"...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." Phil 3:9
