Download Introduction: Victory through Faith: Principles from 1 John 5:5

©1998 Joe Griffin
98-09-01/JSH-017
Introduction: Victory through Faith: Principles from 1 John 5:5:
Review of Hypostatic Union & Power Systems; Justification, Romans
5:8-9; 4:5,8
Review: Hypostatic Union
In the Person of Christ are two natures—divine and human—inseparably
united without mixture or loss of separate identity, without loss or transfer
of properties or attributes. Designated in theology as the hypostatic
union, the union of God and man in the Lord Jesus Christ is personal and
eternal. That is, as the God-Man, He is one Person, and He will exist
forever as both undiminished deity and true humanity.
Review: Comparison of the Prototype with the Operational System
PROTOTYPE:
Objective:
Fulfill the salvation plan of God.
Process:
Maintenance of impeccability by resistance to
temptation with 8 problem-solving devices.
How:
Dependence upon the Spirit’s leadership and
reliance on doctrine in the soul.
Status quo: Impeccability
Result:
Qualification to be our Substitute on the cross.
Conclusion: The prototype system proved sufficient to
achieve the objective of salvation.
OPERATIONAL:
Objective:
Fulfill God’s plan for our life.
Process:
Maintenance of spirituality by resistance to
temptation with 10 problem-solving devices.
How:
Dependence upon the Spirit’s leadership and
reliance on doctrine in the soul.
Statue quo: Spiritual when filled with the Holy
Spirit.
©1998 Joe Griffin
Result:
98-09-01/JSH-017
Spiritual maturity, experiential sanctification,
capacity righteousness, and glorification of
Christ.
Conclusion: The operational system is proved to be
sufficient to achieve the objective of spiritual
maturity.
Romans 5:8 - God demonstrates His Own love to us in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died instead of us.
22) This verse reveals how God’s love is made known to us.
demonstrated by Him through the work of Christ on the cross.
It was
23) God’s love was unconditional. It was directed to “whoever believes”
as per John 3:16. If God’s love had been conditional then the erroneous
theology which asserts that there are a predetermined few who may
appropriate salvation would suddenly become orthodox. But Christ died
for “sinners” which includes the entire human race.
John 3:16 - [CTL] God unconditionally loved the world so much [ the
entire human race ] that it resulted in Him giving His Son—the
uniquely-born One—[ equal provision of salvation to all ] for the
purpose of assuring that everyone who believes in Him [ faith alone in
Christ alone ] shall not perish [ cancellation of eternal punishment ] but
have eternal life [ eternal security ].
24) It is important to remember that our Lord became a servant to man by
redeeming mankind at the cross, a mission accomplished by offering
Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice for all.
25) This is brought out in the final phrase of verse 8, “Christ died for us.”
26) This death was not his physical death but rather his spiritual death, a
three-hour ordeal during which He was judged in our
place.
©1998 Joe Griffin
98-09-01/JSH-017
27) That His spiritual death was vicarious is brought out by the preposition
of substitution:
‘ /huper / plus the ablative of the pronoun:
’ / ego /
- “as a substitute for us” or “instead of us.”
Romans 5:8 - God demonstrates His Own love to us in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died as a substitute for us.
28) Since Jesus Christ died as a substitute for us this means that the justice
of God imputed our sins to Him and judged them in Him instead of us.
29) He did this while we were still His enemies. The next verse indicates
that since He was willing to do the most difficult for us while we were His
enemies He is now able to do the less difficult now that we are in Christ.
Romans 5:9 - Much more therefore, having now been justified by His
blood, we shall be delivered from punishment through Him.
30) This verse starts with the dative adjective,  /polus / followed by
the comparative adverb,  /mallon /. Along with the transitional
conjunction ’ /oun / we have the
translation, “Much more, therefore
…”
31) Used together they present this rationale: If the greater benefit has been
given, the less will not be withheld.
32) So what is the greater benefit? Salvation! What is the lesser benefit
which will not be withheld? Deliverance from wrath!
33) Verse 9 also indicates that there is a link between greater and lesser
benefits, the aorist, passive, participle from the verb:
 /dikaioo / - “having now been justified”
©1998 Joe Griffin
98-09-01/JSH-017
aorist: Constative; contemplates the action in its entirety and regards it as
one completed event.
NOTE: For justification to be a completed event then also involved in the
action is salvation and the imputation of perfect
righteousness.
Romans 3:28 - [CTL] We conclude that man is justified by faith apart
from the works of the Law.
Romans 4:5 - [CTL] To him who does not work for salvation, but believes
in Him who justifies the unbeliever, his faith receives credit for the
imputation of divine righteousness.
v 8 - “Happy is the man to whose account the Lord will not charge sin.
NOTE: The words “receives credit” in verse
5 and “not charge” in verse
8 are the same word in the Greek: 
/logizomai /. This is a
technical legal term from the field of business for charging a debt. In
Paul’s usage it referrs to the fact
that our sin debt is taken off our books
and placed into Christ’s at the cross.
Therefore, justification results from the forgiveness of presalvation sin and
the imputation of divine righteousness to the sinner who believes in Christ.
passive: The believer receives the action of being imputed divine
righteousness. Justification becomes the legal pronouncement of this
transaction.
participle: Circumstantial. Here’s the corrected translation now of verses
8-9:
Romans 5:8 - God demonstrates His Own love to us in that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died as a substitute for us.
Romans 5:9 - Much more therefore, having now been justified by His
blood, we shall be delivered from punishment through Him.
NOTE: What is it that made it possible for God to conduct a legal
transaction which enabled Him to impute our sins to Christ and not to us?
©1998 Joe Griffin
98-09-01/JSH-017
It is found in the phrase “by His blood.” And that introduces us to our next
verse in 1 John 5. First of all, a corrected translation of 1 John 5:4-5:
1 John 5:4 - [CTL] Everyone who has been born from God is victorious
over the cosmic system, and this is the initial victory which has been
victorious over the cosmic system—our faith.
v 5 - [CTL] Who is the one who is victorious over the cosmic system?
None other than he who comes to believe that Jesus is the Son of God.