Faith and Justification

Berkhof has some intriguing comments about the distinction between “active or objective” justification and “passive or subjective” justification. The first refers to the declaration that God makes concerning the sinner, that the demands of the law have been met and the sinner is considered righteous for Christ’s sake. In this sense, Berkhof claims, “justification logically precedes faith and passive justification. We believe the forgiveness of sins” (p. 517). The promise of justification is declared, and is that which is believed.

Subjective justification refers to the way the objective declaration comes home to the sinner’s heart and conscience: “The granting of a pardon would mean nothing to a prisoner, unless the glad tidings were communicated to him and the doors of the prison were opened.” This is what the Bible is normally talking about when it refers to justification, though the two “cannot be separated.” In this sense, “justification follows faith; we are justified by faith,” that is, we come to experience the reality of God’s declaration concerning us through faith.

Several things are of interest here. First, Berkhof recognizes that in some sense the declaration of righteousness precedes faith. Second, Berkhof uses the intriguing image of the opening of the prison door to explain the subjective experience of justification. Subjective justification does not include merely the announcement that the prisoner will be released; it includes the release itself. It is not clear what “prison” Berkhof has in mind, but it seems reasonable to assume that he is thinking of our imprisonment to sin and death. Thus, Berkhof seems to be approaching the notion that justification is a “deliverdict.” Third, a criticism: I would be completely happy with Berkhof had he not limited the target of subjective justification to “the heart or conscience of the sinner.” As a “deliverdict,” justification is experienced not merely as a peaceful conscience, but is experienced as a change in life situation, as a vindication against the enemies ?ESin, Death, and the Devil.

Still in all, Berkhof offers a very important piece of systematics.