It is not sound doctrine so to say. Abstractedly everything is eternally present with God, and there is no time with Him; but, then, I cannot say 'when' or 'before' in this point of view, because there is no when or before when there is no time. And in the scriptural view, such language is wholly unwarranted; because in due time Christ died for the ungodly, "when we were yet without strength": and "having been justified by faith," etc. We are not justified without believing, but by faith, through faith in His blood—not without it or before it—nor hence without being at the same time born of God. "When we were dead in sins," we were quickened together with Him, etc. " By grace are ye saved through faith." We were by nature children of wrath, but God, who is rich in mercy, when we were dead in sins, quickened us. It is a new nature which we as persons never had before it was communicated to us, when we had only the old. To say we were eternally believers, is nonsense. In the same sense, we were eternally unbelievers, too, and eternally glorified, for all these things were before God's mind together, without time. It is not true that Rom. 4:2525Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25) means because we were justified; 'because we were justified' is not in the passage: δικαίωσις cannot mean it, but 'for justifying us'; it would have been, διὰ τὸ δικαιωθῆναι ἡμᾶς. Hence, when the part. passive is used, faith is added; wherefore, δικαιωθέντες, "having been justified by faith."
Eph. 4:1818Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: (Ephesians 4:18) proves the contrary to what it is alleged. They were "alienated from the life of God" when they were in darkness; and then he talks of learning Christ—that is, when unbelievers, they had to learn Him: if they had, indeed, learned Him according to the truth in Him; namely, the putting off according to the former conversation the old man, and being renewed in the spirit of their mind. Now, here is a work clearly wrought in them; if they had really learned Christ, they knew what it was to put off the old man; they had it before, and put on the new, which they had not before. To say that a man is born of God when he is in sins, is false; that he is created again in Christ Jesus when he is a mere sinner, is nonsense. Scripture does not speak so. Justification is referred to faith, which I have not, assuredly, before I believe. High Calvinists have this manner of speaking. If they merely mean, that all was in God's thoughts and purposes, it is all right. But scripture never speaks as they do, but puts a man as a creature, who belongs to time, into time, and deals morally with him. If it be said, that the life which we get existed eternally, for it was Christ who is our life, it is all well. But it is not ours till we have Christ, and before that we are children of wrath; at least, so says the scripture. The work may be all viewed mentally in Him, when the power wrought; but if it be referred to the saints, so that it is only their knowledge of it which is now given, it is untrue and mischievous, because God purifies the heart by faith, as well as justifies us. Scripture says, "what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power," etc.; not to the elect. It had been only wrought in believers. I do not know whether it is held that faith is eternal.
No doubt, πώρωσις, being the active form of nouns, like δικαίωσις, may seem to raise a question; but if adequately considered, the difficulty disappears. For πώρωσις has the simple sense of a callous place, as one might say, 'it is a hardening of the skin,' though the form 'hardening' be active, because it was a gradual act, while it is now a state. So νέκρωσις is applied to Sarah's womb; and again, we are to carry about the νέκρωσις of the Lord Jesus. But this is, I apprehend, in no way the case with justifying, or δικαίωσις Διά always means "on account of:" the question is, does it here signify previous to, or after, the resurrection of Christ? People often cite the verse, as if it meant that Christ was raised on account of our having been already justified before He rose. This, I am convinced, would require some such phrase as διὰ τὸ δικαιωθῆναι ἡμᾶς, which essentially differs from that which Paul employs. In the present case, there would be no process like that of πώρωσις, or νέκρσις (which words express a state as result), but a state existing by the simple act of another, a relationship in virtue of an act done. This, the active form, does not, I believe, express; an effect to be produced it can express. The great doctrinal mischief of the alleged rendering, 'because of,' is, that it excludes faith from justifying, which is Calvinism, or ultra-Calvinism, but wholly unscriptural.