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{"id":16008,"date":"2014-05-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leithart.level2d.com\/?p=963"},"modified":"2014-05-12T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-05-12T00:00:00","slug":"what-does-christ-merit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leithart\/2014\/05\/what-does-christ-merit\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does Christ Merit?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<\/head>

But what is the New Testament basis for this formulation? Jesus\u2019 obedience reverses the disobedience of Adam, and through that one act of righteousness there is \u201cjustification of life to all men\u201d (Romans 5:21-21). But Paul says nothing in that passage that connects obedience to \u201cworth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The New Testament also speaks of the merit or worthiness (axios<\/em>) of Jesus, but this in the context of Jesus earning the right to receive and open the sealed book (Revelation 5:2, 4, 9, 12). He is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, might, honor, glory, blessing, and these He surely shares with His people (Revelation 5:12). But He does not share or impute His worthiness; He shares the blessings that He received through His worth\/merit.<\/p>\n

For medieval Catholics, merit comes from grace-assisted works; for Protestants, all merit is Christ\u2019s, imputed to sinners. But the context of merit-talk remains the same.\u00a0\u201cMerit\u201d in Protestant, as in medieval theology has to do with the sinner\u2019s acceptance before God.\u00a0And in both cases, it appears, the context of merit-talk is different from that of the New Testament.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"