Andrew Fuller Conference: Benjamin Keach's Doctrine of Justification- Tom Hicks

Neonomian controversy- was much like the New Perspective on Paul

(Sadly, it became apparent in the Q&A period that one of the presenters who was attending was a New Perspectivist. A VERY interesting conversation ensued after between him, Tom Nettles, my newly-found friend Jade, and myself. I wish I could have recorded it. His arguments were scary but also easily answered by Scripture. Especially when he said things that were complete opposites of specific verses in Romans 4. His statement that he couldn't see the Gospel in Genesis was more than a little disturbing too. And yes his comment of "whoever wrote Genesis" was ignored, simply because we didn't want to get too far off topic.)

Keach said that justification by faith alone is necessary for humbling sinners, comforting saints, and glorifying God

gave sermons on Romans 4-5 to answer neonomians
- all works (both legal and Gospel) are excluded from justification
- justification is by the free grace of God
- neonomianism is the opposite of the Gospel because it lowers the standard of obedience while saying our obedience to this easier law justifies us before God
- based on this error, neonomianism denies the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer
- Keach said, "We do not tell you be holy and then believe in Jesus Christ but believe in Jesus Christ and you will be holy"

justification by faith alone is founded in the covenant of grace
- just as the covenant of grace comforted David on his deathbed, so it does with every believer
- the covenant of grace is the covenant of redemption
- two distinct parts of one covenant: covenant with Christ, covenant with the elect
- it is a covenant of works with Christ but a covenant of grace with the elect

justification by faith alone glorifies the Trinity
- God sends Christ in accordance with His plan
- Christ secures redemption
- the Spirit draws and empowers the saints

justification by faith alone upholds God's holiness
- the law is never watered down, it is eternal
- God decree and character are fixed

justification by faith alone motivates godly living
- God is not capable of approving evil or condemning good because He is intrinsically holy and pure

Christ's sacrifice merited representative justification for the elect, but this righteousness is imputed in time when men grasp it by faith

the believer loves and obeys Christ because of free grace, not for it