Active Obedience of Christ
- Definition: Christ's active obedience refers to His perfect fulfillment of God's law throughout His life. This includes His sinless life and His obedience to all of God's precepts. Matt 3:15; Jn 8:29; Rom 5:8-19; 2 Cor 5:21; Matt 5:17
- Role in Justification: Christ's active obedience is seen as a necessary component of justification because it provides a record of perfect righteousness that can be imputed to believers. This means that not only are believers pardoned for their sins, but they are also counted as righteous in God's sight due to Christ's perfect obedience.
Passive Obedience of Christ
- Definition: Christ's passive obedience involves His suffering and death on the cross, where He bore the curse of the law for believers. This term does not imply passivity in the sense of inaction; rather, it refers to Christ's voluntary submission to suffering. 1 Pet 2:22-24; Isa 53:5; Phil 2:5-8; Lk 23:46; Psa 22
- Role in Justification: Christ's passive obedience is the basis for the forgiveness of sins. By paying the penalty for man's disobedience, Christ's death satisfies the demands of God's law, allowing believers to be pardoned for their sins.
In theological discussions, justification is often described as a passive process from the believer's perspective, meaning it is something that is received by faith rather than achieved through personal effort. The believer's salvation is based solely on Christ's perfect life, and his shed blood on the cross.
God - "He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'” (1Cor 1:30-31 NRSV)
- Definition: Christ's active obedience refers to His perfect fulfillment of God's law throughout His life. This includes His sinless life and His obedience to all of God's precepts. Matt 3:15; Jn 8:29; Rom 5:8-19; 2 Cor 5:21; Matt 5:17
- Role in Justification: Christ's active obedience is seen as a necessary component of justification because it provides a record of perfect righteousness that can be imputed to believers. This means that not only are believers pardoned for their sins, but they are also counted as righteous in God's sight due to Christ's perfect obedience.
Passive Obedience of Christ
- Definition: Christ's passive obedience involves His suffering and death on the cross, where He bore the curse of the law for believers. This term does not imply passivity in the sense of inaction; rather, it refers to Christ's voluntary submission to suffering. 1 Pet 2:22-24; Isa 53:5; Phil 2:5-8; Lk 23:46; Psa 22
- Role in Justification: Christ's passive obedience is the basis for the forgiveness of sins. By paying the penalty for man's disobedience, Christ's death satisfies the demands of God's law, allowing believers to be pardoned for their sins.
In theological discussions, justification is often described as a passive process from the believer's perspective, meaning it is something that is received by faith rather than achieved through personal effort. The believer's salvation is based solely on Christ's perfect life, and his shed blood on the cross.
God - "He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.'” (1Cor 1:30-31 NRSV)
