Whereas obedience is the response to grace, grace is the consequence of law keeping. The merciful will be shown mercy (Matt. 5:7). In response to his children’s obedience, the Father gives yet more grace. The righteousness for which believers hope (Gal. 5:5) is no less a gift than that which has embraced them in the gospel (Rom. 1:17; 3:21). At the Final Judgment, those who obey the law will indeed be declared righteous (Rom. 2:13), not as a basis for forgiveness, but as the Father’s glad acceptance and approval of what they have done in response to grace (cf. 1 Cor. 4:5; Matt. 25:21; Jas. 2:14:26).
–Continuity and Discontinuity, pp. 194-195.
Hat Tip: Patrick Ramsey
Venema says the same thing in his little book Getting the Gospel Right.
His complaint is that NPP and others are arguing for an “on the basis of,” when all that is allowable is “according to.”
I’m still not sure if I see the ultimate difference between the two. I’ve seen both Catholics and Protestants appeal to Augustine’s “God crowning His own crowns” to prove their positions.
Steven,
The I believe the distinction is fairly simple:
“On the basis of”=the Christian is saved becasue of (at least in part) his good works
“According to”=the Christian who is saved will also have good works that are evidence of the fact of salvation
That is a pretty big difference is it not?
Ben
Dr. Chamblin is one of the good ones.
It really isn’t a big difference if the “according to” always happens.