Jesus Canceled Your Debt!

Abstract

Buchholz explains his work by saying, “A dispute has arisen among Lutheran theologians regarding the doctrine of justification. The specific question deals with the completeness of justification at Christ’s cross and empty tomb, as well as the role of faith in justification. Did God justify the world objectively, apart from the faith that receives it subjectively? Or is God’s justification only effected when an individual trusts the promise of forgiveness? Is there only one justification—that which is a completed reality by the work of Christ and received by faith? Or is the distinction between objective and subjective justification practically teaching two justifications which are separate and distinct from one another? Is justification complete apart from faith? Or is justification only completed when faith is added? Because we are confronting an assertion today that the concept of universal objective justification is a later theological development, I have, for the most part, refrained from quoting authors from the 19th century forward. In some respects this is unfortunate, because there are some beautifully clear studies and expositions of the doctrine that have been produced in the last 150 years. Nevertheless, the primary focus in this paper is showing that the basis for the doctrine is Scripture itself. Additionally helpful in treating the subject, the writings of church fathers, Lutheran dogmaticians, the Lutheran Confessions, and Luther himself, speak in harmony with Scripture in teaching that the whole world was forgiven and acquitted in Christ at the cross and empty tomb.”