Thursday, April 14, 2011

Raised for our Justification

"[Christ] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification."  Romans 4:25
What does it mean that Jesus was "raised for our justification"?  Anybody have any insight into this?

4 comments:

Dan Rolfe said...

I've always followed Grudem, Packer, Boice (among others) to take this verse to mean that "the resurrection gave final proof that Jesus earned our justification" (Grudem)

I'd love to hear if others have heard it explained another way...

TheBeastMan said...

Quoted Calvin from Institutes 2:16:13, but it didn't leave the comment... here's the end of the quote:

"By his death sin was taken away, by his resurrection righteousness was renewed and restored. For how could he by dying have freed us from death, if he had yielded to its power? how could he have obtained the victory for us, if he had fallen in the contest?"

TheBeastMan said...

Hodge says "the resurrection was essential to our justification" as "the evidence of the acceptance of his sufferings as our substitute" and "as a necessary step towards securing the application of their merit to our benefit." (Commentary on Romans, 103)

Justin Nale said...

Thanks guys. I am in agreement with what you guys have posted. I'm preaching on Romans 4:25 for Easter Sunday since we're in the middle of a study on justification and wanted to make sure I was thinking correctly. Hope all of you have a wonderful Lord's Day tomorrow.