Wesleyan Arminian and Reformed differences on Justification

The doctrine of justification is one of the most important doctrines for protestantism. People will usually say that Justification is the doctrine by which the church stands or falls and they are not wrong to a certain extent. Since this is important since it deals with our salvation but justification is only one part of salvation. Wakefield excellently says "The sum of this salvation, so far as it regards a qualification for eternal life, consists in justification, regeneration, adoption, and sanctification."(1) So to talk about salvation is not only to talk about Justification but also talk about those doctrines such as sanctification. But for this post my goal is to explain the doctrine of justification by faith alone as explained by Wesleyan tradition pulling from the Samuel Wakefield since he does the best job of explaining and contrasting it with the Reformed view. And I will be pointing out the differences and agreements between our view and the Reformed view when it comes to justification.

What does Justification mean?

First we need to define what justification means Wakefield defines it as "an act of God's free grace, by which he absolves a sinner from guilt and punishment, and accepts him as

righteous, on account of the atonement of Christ." (2) Justification is used in a forensic sense for example in Luke 7:29 and Romans 2:13. We know that no human can be justified in the sight of God “ There is none righteous, no, not one.” Rom. 3:10. "For all have sinned and come short of theglory of God;" Rom 3:23. So this makes perfect sense when Paul says in verse 20 “by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified." So justification can not be merited by man or worked by man's deeds and St. Paul is pretty clear on this. So there has to be a gracious pardon on God's behalf so that person can be forgiven from the wrath of God and eternal death. And we have to make this distinction that Justification doesn't make one righteous that is sanctification if you don't make this distinction you will have a works based salvation like the papist have.

How does a sinner obtain Justification?

There are two main views one that says 

Justification is obtained by the imputation of Christ active and passive obedience together which would be the standard Reformed position. As the Westminster confession of faith says about justification "nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God." (3) The second view is that justification is obtained by the imputation of faith for righteousness this would be the Wesleyan view. I will go over the areas of agreement and disagreement between these two views. I think Wesley shows the agreement between these two views he says "But in what sense is this righteousness imputed to believers? In this: All believers are forgiven and accepted, not for the sake of anything in them, or of anything that ever was, that is, or ever can

be done by them, but wholly and solely for the sake of what Christ hath done and suffered for them.” (4) So both views affirm that we are forgiven and accepted not for anything within ourselves but for the sake of Christ only.

 But Wakefield points out that "Though these eminent (Arminian) divines seem to agree substantially with Calvin as to the meritorious cause of our justification, yet it is clear that in their interpretation of the phrase, “the imputed righteousness of Christ," they do not entirely follow him."(5) 

  So this would be the major difference between these two views is on how imputation is understood. For Calvin imputation is understood as Christ entire obedience to the Father is doing and suffering is imputed to us as if it was our own. While Wakefield would say that "the majority of evangelical Arminians is, that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers in the sense of its being accounted of God the valuable consideration, satisfaction , and

merit, for the sake of which alone he justifies them freely, and admits them to all the privileges of the covenant of grace." (6) So the Arminian understanding of imputation would be that the "benefits of redemption, through the righteousness of Christ, as the only meritorious cause."(7) While with the Calvinist understanding imputation is understood as Christ righteousness becomes our own righteousness. The Arminian would say that Christ passive and active obedience aren't separated in scripture and because of that we shouldn't separate them. They are both necessary for the redemption of mankind but were different "that the relations which they sustained to this extraordinary event were very different."(8) Wakefield explains how Arminians understand passive and active obedience and how it relates to our salvation. "The passive obedience of Christ was necessary as an atonement for sin as the redemption price of our salvation — as a sacrifice to reconcile the grant of pardon with the justice of God ; but his active obedience was necessary to the perfection of his own moral character, that we might be redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ”His active obedience has nothing more to do in the

work of redemption than his supreme Divinity. Both were essential to his character as the world's Redeemer; but neither of them can in truth be imputed to us."(9)

The Doctrine Of Justification By The Imputation of Faith For Righteousness explained.

Wakefield quotes the 9 Article of the 25 articles of religion to define what we mean by the Imputation of Faith For Righteousness. "We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by

faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of

comfort.”(10) Now were we show this doctrine in scripture is in Romans 4 since it's the clearest example of this doctrine. Verse 3 "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Then we see this again in verse 5 "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." So verse 3 shows that how is someone accounted righteous it's by faith and verse 5 shows this faith is not a work so saying the Arminian view is works based salvation fails. Let's proceed to verse 9 "We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness." So we see again that Paul is emphatically showing that Abraham's faith is imputed to him for righteousness. Then verse 24 "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." So what we see here overall is that faith is imputed to us for righteousness since that was how Abraham was accounted righteous. And this is opposed to works in this chapter and throughout Romans as a whole faith is opposed to works. When you look at verse 5 it says "his faith is counted for righteousness" so it fits perfectly well to say faith is imputed to us for righteousness since we are just repeating language from scripture. So to me is clear evidence of this evangelical doctrine that faith is imputed for righteousness but we need to define what kind of faith. Since it can't be a dead faith that James says so what do we mean by 'faith" is essential to understand.

 This is how I would define faith that is imputed for righteousness "This view of faith excludes all notion of its meritoriousness. It is not faith, generally considered, which is imputed to us for righteousness, but trust in an atonement offered by another in our behalf; by which trust in something without us we acknowledge our own insufficiency, guilt, and unworthiness, and directly ascribe the merit to that in which we trust, and which is not our own, namely, the propitiation of the blood of Christ."(11)

 So in conclusion the doctrine of Justification is important and it needs to be Evangelical not focused on the law since St. Paul says that doesn't work. But the doctrine laid out by the Reformed on this question I slightly disagree with just like the orthodox Methodists. I don't find the imputation of Christ passive and active obedience as the best scripturally way of speaking. But we don't deny the need of Christ passive and active obedience we just have a different understanding of it's role for salvation of man. I would recommend Richard Watson systematic since he goes through the verses that deal with the understanding of Imputation that Calvinist use. So the doctrine of faith imputed for righteousness fits the way scripture talks about justification and Romans 4 proves this. Even though we have these slight differences both Arminians and Calvinist can still affirm that faith is a gift from God and we don't merit salvation it's only for Christ sake we are saved by faith alone.

1. A complete system of christian theology chapter 8: pg 403

2. A complete system of christian theology chapter 8:of 406

3. Westminster Chapter 11 On Justification

4. Wesley's Works, vol. 1, pp. 171, 172.

5A complete system of christian theology chapter 8: pg 413

6.A complete system of christian theology chapter 8: pg 413

7.A complete system of christian theology chapter 8: pg 413

8.A complete system of christian theology chapter 8: pg 414

9. A complete system of christian theology chapter 8: pg 414

10. 9th article of the 25 articles of religion

11.A complete system of christian theology chapter 8: pg 418