Justification

[JM]

“The doctrine of justification from eternity does not replace traditional protestant or evangelical doctrines, but radically changes them from within. Most fundamentally it changes the ontological status of historical events from causes into signs: Conversion, faith and works are never causes, but signs of something which is already the case prior to the sign. In important difference from the Puritan ordo salutis, these are not, however, necessary signs, but contingent expressions of an eternal truth that is quite independent of any sign. The gospel is good ‘news’ in the sense that it uncovers a grace that was literally given “before the times of the ages” (2 Timothy 1:9-10). But if we are to avoid the dangers of a too rigid Platonism, we need to explain how this does not leave history void of meaning. The false dichotomy between making justification dependent on historical factors on the one hand or making it a static, transcendent and abstract truth on the other, should be avoided.”

Justification from Eternity