But actually, now back from his sabbatical, John Piper is tossing the hat into the ring and ready to confront the New Perspective on Paul teachings. Here are some quotes from Justin Taylor and Denny Burk.
John Piper's sermon on justification, delivered this past Sunday upon his return from Cambridge, is now available on line. An excerpt:
"Do you see why I would spend weeks of my sabbatical laboring to understand why so many teachers in the church today are replacing the righteousness that Christ has in himself with the righteousness that Christ creates in us as the basis for our justification? People who trust in the righteousness that God has worked in them for the basis of their acceptance and acquittal and justification do not go down to their house justified. People who really believe that the righteousness that God helps them do in this life is a sufficient basis for their justification, Jesus says, will not be justified. Bethlehem, this is serious. We are not justified by the righteousness that Christ works in us, but by the righteousness that Christ is for us."
In particular, Piper confronts the imputation-denying theology of N. T. Wright. In a letter posted on the Desiring God website last week, Piper announced his plans for a book that would challenge Wright’s views. But this first sermon offers a foretaste of the forthcoming work that will be a more thoroughgoing rebuttal of Wright. I just finished listening to the sermon, and I commend it to you for your careful consideration: “The Man Went Down to His House Justified (Luke 18,9-14)” (mp3 audio).
I think that Dr. Piper has grasped what is the heart of the matter in this controversy. Many evangelical proponents of the New Perspective (NP) have argued that God produces righteousness within a Christian (be it faith, faithfulness, obedience of faith, etc.) which then becomes the “basis” for one’s justification. NP advocates claim that this is not a Pelagian or semi-Pelagian stance because the righteousness is God-produced.
(H.T.) http://theologica.blogspot.com/2006/08/piper-sermon-on-justification.html(H.T.) http://www.lifebloodproject.com/denny/wordpress/?p=433
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