Gorman: "Cruciform Faith" (V)

To enter into relationship with God is to identify fully, both cognitively and existentially (with both the Head and the Heart) with the cross and resurrection of Jesus. It is by THIS sort of faith that we are justified.

A Note on Justification. Gorman doesn’t delve too deep into the concept of justification, and I find myself more drawn to N.T. Wright’s work on justification—originally titled Justification—but Gorman does have lots of good points. He points out that the Hebrew and Greek terms for justification, justice, and righteousness are all related via the same root. Each word is part of (at least) three “lexical clusters”: the language of divine and human virtue, the language of covenant, and the language of apocalyptic judgment. Justification is the language of restoring and maintaining right covenantal relations in the present; it is also the language of acquittal and acceptance on the apocalyptic Day of Judgment. In both case, right relationship and acceptance by God include the right treatment of other people, for those who are in right relationship with God will express the righteous character of God through the righteous treatment of others (the New Testament is quite clear about this: there is no justification if we do not love one another). Justification can be called “right-wising”: it’s establishing right covenantal relations with God. Proper relations with God assumes acquittal or even vindication on the Day of Judgment. Justification ALSO means performance of just or righteous deeds, fulfilling the “just requirement of the Law” made possible by the Spirit. Thus justification may be described as (a) right relations with God (covenant), issuing in (b) right (or “godly”) relations with others (virtue), and (c) acquittal or vindication on the Day of Judgment.

Gorman’s whole premise is that it is by sharing in the faith of Jesus—that faith of obedience and devotion before God flowing out in love for other people—that brings about justification. Some will argue, “Doesn’t this turn justification into moral transformation rather than a judicial declaration?” Gorman answers them. Justification isn’t merely a declaration but a restoration to covenant faithfulness, which is an inherently moral enterprise, as the Greek and Hebrew terms make clear but the English terms obscure. Justification is indeed a sheer and unmerited gift of divine grace, but the gift demands and offers complete identification with the cross of Christ, not only as the BASIS of right relations with God but the very SHAPE of that relationship.

“Isn’t this making justification by works, since faith of this nature requires cruciformity and not simply cognitive and heartfelt belief?” Gorman points to Romans 10.9-10, where Paul says that if you just believe in your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you will be saved. “Look how easy it is!” we proclaim. But Gorman says, “Wait just a minute.” Paul’s celebrating the universal availability of justification for all people, Jew or Gentile, with the condition that they both believe and confess. The confession part is where things get tricky. Such a belief and confession maintains that the crucified Jesus has been raised by God and exalted to the position of Lord, and this confession places the confessor under the lordship of the crucified Jesus, making a deliberate move from the sphere of any other lord (whether pagan idol, Roman emperor, or anything else) into the sphere of the crucified lord. To confess “Jesus is Lord” involves the implicit confession, “And I am the servant of this exalted crucified Lord.” It is to change from a posture of disobedience to obedience. This confession could be called a performative rather than declarative statement: it’s not only a declaration about reality but also a vow as to how one will live.

Cruciform faith—the faith of Jesus—isn’t a human deed or badge meriting divine approval (a “work” performed to attain right covenant relations with God). The fact that faith is costly doesn’t mean that it’s a work. Gorman writes, “Faith is the confession that Jesus is Lord and I am his servant, and the conviction that God’s offer and demand are one gift to bring about the restoration of covenant faithfulness in disobedient, faithless Israel and in ungodly humanity at large.” (145)

Faith as Cruciformity. Gorman rounds out his chapters on faith with these five “points” on cruciform faith:

(1) Faith is renunciation of (death/crucifixion with respect to) any other possible basis for justification. Any boasting—other than in God or the cross—is absurd.

(2) Faith is liberation from the hostile powers that enslave humans, including those about which humans may be tempted to boast.

(3) Faith is conformity to Christ’s faith, his narrative posture of faithful obedience and trust before God.

(4) Faith is an initial and ongoing experience of the above dimensions; cruciform faith liberates people from the powers of this age and inaugurates and maintains restored covenant relationship with God.

(5) Faith, like Jesus’, can be costly.