COUNTED RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST
By John Piper
IVP. 141 pages. £6.99
ISBN 0 85111 991 3
John Piper looks at one of the central truths of Christianity - which makes this book relevant to every Christian's personal faith and experience. His subject is how God accepts us, the great biblical and Reformation truth of justification.
He took up this topic for several reasons. His preface gives the first: he accepts Martin Luther's estimate of justification as 'the chief article of Christian doctrine . . . If we know this article, we are in the clearest light; if we do not know it, we dwell in the deepest darkness' (p.13). Chapter 1 gives a second reason: pastoral concern for those who are not clear about it and whose Christian lives (including family life and evangelistic witness) will thus be impoverished. 'The full glory of Christ is at stake, as well as pastoral ministry to trembling sinners and imperfect saints' (p.51).
Chapter 2 gives his third and main reason, the contemporary challenge. In the words of the sub-title: should we abandon the imputation of Christ's righteousness? Piper shows how this truth is under attack from within professedly evangelical circles. Chapter 3 brings his 'exegetical response to the challenge'; and chapter 4 his conclusions.
The book is much needed, since the challenge, if true, would undermine the basis on which for centuries Christians have grounded their access to God and security in him. The challenge comes in many quotations from Robert Gundry and others: 'The doctrine that Christ's righteousness is imputed to believing sinners needs to be abandoned . . . it is not even biblical . . . Ours (is) a righteousness that by God's reckoning consists of faith' (pp. 44, 122).
Piper goes through all the relevant passages, expounding them all with great carefulness. This is no light read, but immensely rewarding. He shows that the uniform teaching of the New Testament is that it is Christ's righteousness that is imputed to those who believe; and refutes with equal certainty the idea that anything in us (such as faith) can be the basis of acceptance with God. And he relates it all to pastoral concerns and the glory of Christ.
The past few years have seen much attention given to 'new perspectives' on justification; Piper shows that 'new' is not necessarily better - or true.
