[We are using Pr. Matt Richard‘s helpful study, “How Do We View Christianity?” which sums up two ways of looking at the various aspects of human beings, sin, free will, salvation, and more.]
Our discussion on Sunday revolved around where Justification (being right with God) is located (p. 7 in the study guide): is it something that happens individually, within each person? Is the primary meaning of justification my internal transformation: that justification is something that happens within my heart? Or is it something that happens outside me, in Christ, because of His death and resurrection? We might be tempted to go with the first option, since that seems to make it more personal. But our discussion of the location of our assurance of salvation made it clear that if justification happens inside us, then we are going to look for the assurance of our justification also within ourselves. But to look within for assurance is always uncertain and changing, since our emotions, circumstances, and experiences are always changing. In the midst of a changing world and changing circumstances, we needs a certain word and an unchanging promise–which can only be found outside us in Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. “On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
Bishop and Christian 