Future or Final Justification

How would I define future or final justification?   Well it is predicated on a verses such as this found in Romans 2:6–8 (ESV),

⁶ He will render to each one according to his works: ⁷ to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; ⁸ but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

The Greek text in verse 6 is: ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ [emphasis mine].  κατά the preposition is correctly translated by the ESV as "according to" does not necessarily mean "because of".  Now Dr. Douglass Moo does not favor the following interpretation (which places me on thin ice) but I think it's a favorable choice.  We might interpret this verse this way: "because of God’s grace in Christ and the indwelling Spirit, are enabled to produce works that will count favorably in the judgment of God (see, e.g., 2 Cor 5:10; Jas 2:14–26)." [1]

I think Dr. Richard Gaffin summarizes this so well:

"For Christians, future judgment according to works does not operate according to a different principle than their already having been justified by faith. The difference is that the final judgment will be the open manifestation of that present justification. . . . And in that future judgment their obedience, their works, are not the ground or basis. Nor are they (co-)instrumental, a coordinate instrument for appropriating divine approbation as they supplement faith. Rather, they are the essential and manifest criterion of that faith, the integral 'fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith.'”  [2]

The danger and the most frequent "push-back" is to suggest we are saying something contrary to "justification by faith alone in Christ alone".  This cannot be too strenuously affirmed.  We are not. Just like Abraham's works (Genesis 22)justified him, after he was previously imputed the righteousness of God in Genesis 15, (“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?” (James 2:21, ESV).  ) so too our works, at the final judgment will affirm that we indeed were justified, saved by grace, and sanctified. 

I quote Dr. John Piper: "Present justification is based on the substitutionary work of Christ alone, enjoyed in union with him through faith alone. Future justification is the open confirmation and declaration that in Christ Jesus we are perfectly blameless before God. This final judgment accords with our works. That is, the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives will be brought forward as the evidence and confirmation of true faith and union with Christ. Without that validating transformation, there will be no future salvation." [3]   That last sentence is not meant by Piper to suggest that imputed righteousness of Christ is insufficient to save.  He means by this that those who are indeed granted the free gift of justification, will out of inherent necessity bring forth fruits, evidence and confirmation of that gift.  In plain English, if there is no evidence of sanctification, then there has never been justification (“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” (Romans 8:30, ESV))

The Westminster Confession of Faith [4] affirms this:

Section II.—Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.  [Emphasis mine].

Romans 2:13 (ESV) reads this way: "¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified."   The ESV notation states, "Paul reaffirms the principle enunciated in vv. 6–11, that the doers of the law are the ones who are righteous before God, and that their justification will be pronounced on the last day." [5]  Taking that to be a correct interpretation we could then say that those who are counted righteous by God through faith in His Son, will be pronounced righteous at the final judgment; and Spirit-empowered works will give evidence that this in fact is valid.

Again, I am in grave danger of being misinterpreted. No one is justified by works, but no one will be justified without works.  There are inherent, intrinsic elements that accompany salvation by faith in Christ alone (“Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation.” (Hebrews 6:9, ESV).  There are things that belong to salvation that will be evident on that last and final judgment.

Robert Haldane  gives us a great summary statement here:  "The works of believers will not be appealed to as the cause of their acquittal, but as the evidence of their union with Christ, on account of which they will be pronounced righteous, for in them the law has been fulfilled in their Divine surety." [6]

That's future, or final justification.  

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1. Quoted as an option by Moo, D. J. (2002). Encountering the book of Romans : A theological survey (66). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
2. Richard Gaffin By Faith, Not By Sight (Paternoster Press, 2006) pp. 96-97 noted in http://feedingonchrist.com/paul-the-law-and-eschatological-justification-three-views-on-romans-213/
3. http://www.trinityfoundation.org/horror_show.php?id=46
4. http://www.reformed.org/documents/shaw/index.html?mainframe=/documents/shaw/shaw_11.html
5. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2160). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
6. Haldane, R. (1996). An exposition of Romans (electronic ed.) (90). Simpsonville, SC: Christian Classics Foundation.