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Encyclopedia > Active obedience of Christ
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The active obedience of Jesus Christ (sometimes called his preceptive obedience[1]) comprises the totality of his actions, which Christians believe was in perfect obedience to the Law of God. In Reformed theology, Christ's active obedience is generally believed to be imputed to Christians as part of their justification. This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Icon of Christ in a Greek Orthodox church This page is about the title, office or what is known in Christian theology as the Divine Person. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Calvinism... Christian doctrine redirects here. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Imputed righteousness is a... The Harrowing of Hell as depicted by Fra Angelico In Christian theology, justification is Gods act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God. ...

Contents

The life of Christ

Jesus, whom the Bible describes as being "without sin".
Jesus, whom the Bible describes as being "without sin".

In Acts 3:14, Peter calls Jesus "the Holy and Righteous One", while in Acts 10:38 Peter says that Christ "he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... For the literature genre, see Acts of the Apostles (genre). ... St Peter redirects here. ...


According to the Bible, in Hebrews 4:15, Jesus was "without sin". Robert L. Reymond interprets Romans 5:18 (which talks about his "one act of righteousness") as referring to Christ's "entire life work", and the references to Christ being a "servant" as indicating his obedience.[2] For other uses, see Bible (disambiguation). ... The Epistle to the Hebrews (abbr. ... Robert L. Reymond is a Christian theologian of the Protestant Reformed (Calvinist) tradition. ... The Epistle to the Romans is one of the letters of the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ...


Christ's active obedience (doing what God's law required) is usually distinguished from his passive obedience (suffering for his people), but J. Gresham Machen argues that John Gresham Machen (1881-1937) was an influential American Presbyterian theologian in the early 20th century. ...

Every event of his life was a part of his payment of the penalty of sin, and every event of his life was a part of that glorious keeping of the law of God by which he earned for his people the reward of eternal life.[3]

Machen also points out that Jesus was not subject to the law for himself, and that "no obedience was required of him for himself, since he was Lord of all."[4]


Imputation

The imputation of Christ's active obedience is a doctrine within Reformed theology. It is based on the idea that God's righteousness demands perfect obedience to his law. By his active obedience, Christ has "made available a perfect righteousness before the law that is imputed or reckoned to those who put their trust in him."[5] The Heidelberg Catechism asserts that God grants to the believer "the perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ," so that the Christian can say that it is "as if I never had had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me" (Q&A 60). This imputation therefore constitutes the positive element of justification.[6] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Imputed righteousness is a... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Calvinism... Christian doctrine redirects here. ... The Heidelberg Catechism is a document taking the form of a series of questions and answers, for use in teaching Reformed Christian doctrine. ... The Harrowing of Hell as depicted by Fra Angelico In Christian theology, justification is Gods act of declaring or making a sinner righteous before God. ...


The imputation of Christ's active obedience has its foundation in the idea of a covenant of works made with Adam, though this has been the subject of debate, since covenantal language is not employed until the Noahic covenant in Genesis 6. Machen argues that "if Christ had merely paid the penalty of sin for us and done nothing more we should be at best back in the situation in which Adam found himself when God placed him under the covenant of works."[7] As a result of this, our "attainment of eternal life would have been dependent upon our perfect obedience to the law of God," and we would be certain to fall.[8] Machen goes on to say that Christ was "our representative both in penalty paying and in probation keeping," and that for those who have been saved by him, the probation is over since "Christ has merited for them the reward by his perfect obedience to God's law."[9] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      This article...


Criticism

The imputation of Christ's active obedience has usually been denied by Arminians, who, according to Louis Berkhof, argue that justification simply places man "in the position of Adam before the fall."[10] Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought in Protestant Christian theology founded by the Dutch theologian Jacob Hermann, who was best known by the Latin form of his name, Jacobus Arminius. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Michelangelos The Creation of Adam, a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, shows God creating Adam, with Eve in His arm. ... Adam, Eve, and a female serpent (possibly Lilith) at the entrance to Notre Dame de Paris In Abrahamic religion, the Fall of Man, the Story of the Fall, or simply, the Fall, refers to mans transition from a state of innocence to a state of knowing only dualities such...


In addition to this, some within the Reformed community, particularly writers associated with the Federal Vision theology, have objected to the traditional formulation of this doctrine, because of its basis in the covenant of works and the idea of merit. James B. Jordan argues that the "transformation... achieved by Jesus was not something 'earned' like a weekly allowance."[11] What is transferred to the believer is not Jesus' "works and merits" but his "glorified and resurrected life in the Spirit."[12] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Calvinism... The Federal Vision (also called Auburn Avenue Theology) is a Reformed Evangelical theological position that focuses on covenant theology, trinitarian thinking, the sacraments of Baptism and Communion, biblical theology and typology, justification, and postmillennialism. ... For rule by those having merit, see meritocracy. ... James B. Jordan is a Calvinist theologian and author. ...


Adherents of New Covenant Theology have also been critical of this imputation, on the basis that the sinless life of Christ merely qualified him to be the perfect substitute on behalf of humanity. Christ's keeping of the law proved that he was righteous, rather than making him righteous.[citation needed] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      New Covenant Theology refers to a...


Importance

J. Gresham Machen, who declared on his death-bed that there is no hope without the active obedience of Christ.
J. Gresham Machen, who declared on his death-bed that there is no hope without the active obedience of Christ.

As he lay dying, J. Gresham Machen, the American Presbyterian theologian, sent a final telegram to his friend John Murray containing the words, "I'm so thankful for the active obedience of Christ. No hope without it."[13] Profile of J. Gresham Machen http://www. ... Profile of J. Gresham Machen http://www. ... John Gresham Machen (1881-1937) was an influential American Presbyterian theologian in the early 20th century. ... John Gresham Machen (1881-1937) was an influential American Presbyterian theologian in the early 20th century. ... John Murray (October 14, 1898–May 8, 1975) was a Scottish-born Reformed theologian who taught at Princeton Seminary and then left to help found Westminster Theological Seminary, where he taught for many years. ...


References

  1. ^ Reymond says this term is to be preferred on account of the fact that Christ did nothing "passively" — that is, without "full desire and willingness on his part." Robert L. Reymond, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (2nd ed., Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998), 631.
  2. ^ Reymond, Systematic Theology, 629.
  3. ^ J. Gresham Machen, "The Active Obedience of Christ," in God Transcendent (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1982), 191.
  4. ^ Machen, "Active Obedience of Christ," 189.
  5. ^ Reymond, Systematic Theology, 631.
  6. ^ Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology (London: Banner of Truth, 1941), 515.
  7. ^ Machen, "Active Obedience of Christ," 187.
  8. ^ Machen, "Active Obedience of Christ," 188.
  9. ^ Machen, "Active Obedience of Christ," 187-188.
  10. ^ Berkhof Systematic Theology, 515.
  11. ^ James B. Jordan, "Merit versus Maturity: What did Jesus do for us?" in Steve Wilkins and Duane Darner (eds.), The Federal Vision (Monrone: Athanasius, 2004), 158.
  12. ^ Jordan, "Merit versus Maturity," 195.
  13. ^ John Piper, J. Gresham Machen's Response to Modernism

Robert L. Reymond is a Christian theologian of the Protestant Reformed (Calvinist) tradition. ... John Gresham Machen (1881-1937) was an influential American Presbyterian theologian in the early 20th century. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... James B. Jordan is a Calvinist theologian and author. ... John Piper John Stephen Piper (born January 11, 1946, Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a Reformed Baptist minister, author, and theologian, currently serving as senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

See also

The Expounding of the Law (KJV:Matthew 5:17-48), sometimes called the Antithesis of the Law, is a less well known but highly structured (Ye have heard . ...

External links

  • The Active Obedience of Christ by J. Gresham Machen
  • A Defense of the "Active Obedience" of Jesus Christ In The Justification of Sinners by Brian Schwertley


 

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