The single greatest threat to Confessional Lutheranism is the denial of Objective Justification (OJ). It is a denial of the Gospel. That’s what Dean Saleska said in a 1981 meeting of the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary at Fort Wayne. He said it to Dr. Preus, president of CTS, over against the question of disciplining Dr. Walter A. Maier II’s denial of Objective Justification. (I overheard this heated discussion while on security duty on the campus late one night.) While much has been and can be written on this subject, below is another effort at defending the concept of OJ. It’s not the whole story of justification. You can see this blog (https://www.pastorharris.com/
We all, confessors and deniers of Objective Justification alike, will speak about forensic justification agreeably, if not amicably. But we forget while forensic is usually connected with a courtroom scene and the verdict rendered there, it is another term for public. Merriam-Webster says this of the etymology of forensic: “Latin forensis public, forensic, from forum forum.” Hence, my assertion forensic justification is Objective Justification.
At first, the deniers of Objective Justification might disagree. But where else does forensic justification happen than at the empty tomb on Easter morning? Justification is declared publicly in the Absolution, but since no one can read hearts who knows who, if anyone, actually believes it? Same is true for a public, adult Baptism. A real, valid, efficacious Baptism was administered, but who knows if the person being baptized was a hypocrite or not?
I can see the argument being made for Infant Baptism which is why it is so important to maintain the augment for the probity and scripturalness of this doctrine. In Infant Baptism, the sacrament is administered and the lost and condemned creature is brought into the family of God, publicly. But where does justification happen forensically, publicly for all the world to see?
Christ was put to death on the cross publicly. His crucifixion is testified to in Roman writings. He rose from the dead publicly. The One who was put to death, though declared innocent six times, arises from the dead by a miracle. Again, publicly the sun failed, publicly the earth shook, “publicly” (at least before the eyes of the priests), the veil in the Temple was torn from top to bottom. Again, publicly Roman legionnaires saw the angel throw the stone away, publicly they fell down as dead men, and publicly the tomb was declared to be empty.
Ergo, publicly, that is objectively, Jesus was put to death for the sins of others, and publicly, that is objectively, He was raised from the dead by the glory of His Father thereby declaring publicly that He had accepted His Son’s sacrifice for sins.
I can point to the inside of my pious, believing heart and say, “There is justification”, but that is subjective. The only place I can point publicly to it happening is the empty Easter tomb. So C.F.W. was right in his famous, or infamous, Easter sermon: “Christ’s Resurrection – the World’s Absolution.” That is what you believe if you believe in forensic justification.
