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Regverdigmaking deur geloof

Regverdigmaking deur geloof

Die Skrif sê vir ons dat “die regverdige uit die geloof sal lewe” (Romeine 1:17).

Maar wie is die regverdiges? En hoe word ‘n mens regverdig?

Die regverdiges is diegene wat geregverdig is – maar wat beteken dit om geregverdig te wees?

Deur watter wetslens lees jy hierdie woord: menslike wet – opgelegde reëls wat eksterne toesig en toegediende straf vereis, of ontwerpwetgewing – die protokolle waarop ons Skepper die werklikheid gebou het om te werk (soos die wette van gesondheid en fisika)?

As ons God as Skepper sien, verstaan ons dat Sy wette die wette is waarop die werklikheid gebou is en dat oortredings van God se wet ons benadeel en vernietig, wat uiteindelik tot die dood lei, tensy die Skepper ingryp om te genees en te herstel – dit wil sê, om reg te stel, wat regverdigmaking eintlik beteken: om dit reg te stel wat nie reg is nie.

Maar as ‘n mens onder die menslike definisie van die wet funksioneer – opgelegde reëls, opgemaakte volmag – dan dink ‘n mens dat geregtigheid vereis dat die heerser mag gebruik om die wet te polisieer en af te dwing deur middel van straf. In hierdie siening gaan regverdigmaking nie oor genesing, herstel of om harte en gedagtes reg te stel nie; dit gaan oor ‘n regsaanpassing.

Verkeerde aanname, verkeerde gevolgtrekking

Baie teoloë stel voor dat die woord regverdiging in die Christendom na ‘n regsproses verwys omdat die woord self deel is van ‘n stel regswoorde – dit is regstaal, sê hulle.

Sommige probleme met hierdie siening is:

  • Die woord regverdigmaking bestaan nie in die oorspronklike Bybelteks nie.
  • Die Bybel is nie in Engels of Latyn geskryf nie.

In plaas daarvan was regverdiging ‘n woord wat gebruik is deur opregte maar bevooroordeelde vertalers wat, wanneer hulle vertaal het, dit vanuit ‘n wetlike Romeinse wêreldbeskouing gedoen het. Met ander woorde, die vertalers, wat uit ‘ n Romeinse agtergrond gekom het, het die leuen aanvaar dat God se wet nie anders as mensewet funksioneer nie.

Kortom, hulle het regstaal en idees kunsmatig bekendgestel.

Maar selfs die gebruik van die woord regverdig, is ‘n valse idee dat dit slegs ‘n wetlike konnotasie het. Regverdig het ook nie-wetlike betekenisse:

  • Om die kantlyne in jou dokument “reg te stel” (in Engels: to justify) is nie ‘n regshandeling nie; in plaas daarvan is dit ‘n skuif of instelling om dit wat nie in lyn is nie reg te stel om in lyn te wees.
  • En regverdig kan ook beteken om ‘n aksie, posisie, persoon of bewering as reg te demonstreer of te bewys.

As ‘n mens die Bybel deur ‘n menslike wetslens beskou, dan gee jy ‘n wetlike definisie aan die woord regverdigmaking en leer dus dat geestelike regverdigmaking is om wetlik as regverdig verklaar te word, al is jy nie regverdig nie. Dit skep ‘n regsfiksie waarin God uitgebeeld word as iemand wat iets waar verklaar wat in werklikheid nie waar is nie.

Maar wanneer ons die valse menslike wetskonstruksie verwerp en ontwerpwet aanhang en terugkeer na die aanbidding van God as Skepper, verstaan ons dat regverdigmaking in die Bybel beide die regstelling is van wat verkeerd is (om sondaars heiliges te maak) asook om die geregtigheid van God in die persoon van Jesus Christus te demonstreer.

Die Bybel toon regverdigmaking

In Romeine 3:25, 26 beskryf die apostel Paulus beide die demonstrasie-aspek van regverdigmaking en die regstelling van die verkeerde aspek van regverdigmaking:

Hom het God voorgestel in sy bloed as ‘n versoening deur die geloof, om sy geregtigheid te bewys deurdat Hy die sondes ongestraf laat bly het wat tevore gedoen is onder die verdraagsaamheid van God  – om sy geregtigheid te toon in die teenwoordige tyd, sodat Hy self regverdig kan wees en regverdig maak wie uit die geloof in Jesus is (AFR53, beklemtoning myne).

Regverdigmaking is deel van die proses om sondaars van sonde te red. Daarom, om akkuraat te verstaan wat regverdiging is, moet ons akkuraat verstaan wat die probleem is. Met ander woorde, ons moet eers diagnoseer wat eintlik verkeerd is voordat ons God se behandelingsplan probeer beskryf.

As ons die leuen aanvaar dat God se wet soos menslike wet is, dan glo ons dat die probleem wat Adam en Eva geskep het toe hulle gesondig het, regsprobleme was – dat hulle onder wetlike veroordeling gestaan het omdat hulle die wet van God oortree het. En dat God, wat beide volkome heilig en soewerein is, deur Sy wet en heiligheid vereis is om gepaste straf vir hulle sonde op te lê. Daar word beweer dat as God hierdie straf sou kwytskeld, dan is God nie regverdig nie en is Sy wet nutteloos. Dus, volgens die wetlike siening, vereis geregtigheid dat God die doodstraf vir sonde oplê. Maar, word daar aangevoer, daar is goeie nuus: God het Sy sondelose Seun gestuur en Hom in ons plek tereggestel (al was Hy onskuldig) en ons kan nou aanspraak maak op die bloed van hierdie sondelose menseoffer om op ons wetlike register in die hemel aangewend te word. Deur dit te doen, word dit wetlik van God verwag om ons wettig regverdig te verklaar, selfs al is ons nog steeds onregverdig in hart, verstand en karakter.

Nie net stel so ‘n siening God se wet verkeerd voor nie, maar dit verdraai ook die goddelike karakter omdat dit God ‘n leuenaar sal maak – om mense as regverdig te verklaar wat nie is nie – en God as die bron van die dood sal uitmaak. In so ‘n verwronge siening, het God nodig dat iets aan Hom gedoen word (paaiing deur offerhande) sodat Hy nie Sy krag sal gebruik om ons dood te maak nie.

Wanneer ons die leuen verwerp dat God se wet soos menslike wet funksioneer en terugkeer na die aanbidding van die Skepper wie se wette die ontwerpprotokolle vir die lewe is, besef ons dat toe Adam en Eva gesondig het, hulle nie op een of ander manier lojale, getroue, betroubare wesens gebly het wat skielik in regsmoeilikheid was nie. In plaas daarvan verstaan ons die werklikheid, dat hul sonde hulle verander het. Liefde en vertroue is deur vrees en selfsug in hulle harte verplaas, wat nou hul nuwe dryfvere geword het. Hulle was in hulle diepste wese beskadig en was nou “dood in oortreding en sonde” (Ef 2:1). Met ander woorde, hulle het ‘n terminale toestand gehad. Soos die Bybel sê, “sonde bring die dood voort wanneer dit tot volle ontwikkeling gekom het” (Jakobus 1:15). Sonder God wat ingryp om hierdie toestand te genees, sou alle mense sterf omdat alle mense “gebore is in ongeregtigheid en in sonde ontvang is” (Psalm 51:5).

Om te verstaan dat sonde die sondaar verander – die verstand bederf, vrees en selfsug aanhits, karakter verdraai, ons uit harmonie met God en die heiligheid van die hemel neem – wat het sondaars dan eintlik nodig om in regte stand met God te wees?

  • ‘n Nuwe regsrekord?
  • ‘n Geregtelike uitspraak?
  • ‘n Bloedbetaling aan ‘n straffende godheid?
  • ‘n Regsverklaring?
  • Of het hulle ‘ n nuwe hart en ‘n regte gees nodig?

Die Skrif is duidelik oor wat nodig is:

  • “Skep vir my ‘n rein hart, o God, en gee opnuut in die binneste van my ‘n vaste gees” (Psalm 51:10 AFR33).
  • “Ek sal hulle een hart gee en ‘n nuwe gees in julle binneste gee; en Ek sal die hart van klip uit hulle vlees verwyder en hulle ‘n hart van vlees gee” (Esegiël 11:19 AFR33).
  • “Dit is die verbond wat Ek ná dié dae met die huis van Israel sal sluit, spreek die Here: Ek sal my wette in hulle verstand gee en dit op hulle harte skrywe” (Hebreërs 8:10 AFR33).
  • “…maar hy is ‘n Jood wat dit in die verborgene is, en besnydenis is dié van die hart, die gees, nie na die letter nie” (Romeine 2:29 AFR33).

Al die beskrywings van die Skrif is dieselfde: Die verlossingsplan is God se werk in sondaars om hulle harte en gedagtes te herskep om hulle reg te stel deur God se wet van liefde in hulle te herstel en vrees en selfsug uit hulle karakters uit te roei. Soos ons in Romeine 2:29 vind, is dit ‘n hartswerk en nie ‘n wetlike (geskrewe kode) werk nie.

Die Bybel beskryf ons sondige hart en verstand as vyandig teenoor God:

“…omdat wat die vlees bedink, vyandskap teen God is” (Romeine 8:7 AFR33).

‘n Ander vertaling stel dit so: “Die vleeslike verstand is vyandskap teen God” (NKJV).

Ons, in ons onbekeerde, sondige toestand, wantrou God en is vyandig teenoor Hom. Ons harte is nie in harmonie met Syne nie. Ons het nie lief wat God liefhet nie. Ons dink nie hoe Hy ons ontwerp het om te dink nie. Ons funksioneer nie soos God bedoel het dat ons moet funksioneer nie. Ons is bang en selfsugtig. Ons moet reggestel word, reggemaak word, geregverdig word in hart, verstand en gesindheid om God te vertrou. Dit is wat regverdigmaking is – om die hart van ‘n wese wat wantrou te verander in iemand wat vertrou en die hart met God regstel.

Regverdigmaking geïllustreer

Abraham, soos die res van ons, is “in sonde gebore en in ongeregtigheid verwek.” Hy was ‘n sondaar wat deur vrees en selfsug versoek is en het by verskeie geleenthede opgetree om ander te mislei op so ‘n manier dat hy sy vrou in gevaar gestel het, alles om homself te red. Maar Abraham het ‘n verandering beleef – nie ‘n wetlike verandering nie, maar ‘n werklike verandering. Hy het gegroei van ‘n persoon wat God nie vertrou het nie en dinge op sy eie manier gedoen het, na ‘n persoon wat God vertrou het en God se instruksies gevolg het. Met ander woorde, Abraham het ‘n werklike verandering van hartsmotief ervaar; sy hart was reg met God. Dit is regverdiging.

En toe Abraham Hom vertrou het, het God – wat die Skepper-God van die werklikheid en nie fantasie is nie – die nuwe toestand van realiteit in Abraham erken, dat hy geregverdig was, eintlik reg in hart tot God (Romeine 4:1-3).

God het Abraham nie regverdig verklaar toe Abraham God steeds gewantrou het nie, maar Hy het die werklikheid erken dat Abraham se hart verander het van wantroue na vertroue. En sodra ‘n sondaars God werklik vertrou en hulle harte vir Hom oopmaak, genees en herstel God hulle deur Sy wet op hulle hart en verstand te skryf.

Dit is die regverdigmaking van die individuele sondaar by God. Maar hierdie regverdigmaking – die regte herstelling van ‘n individuele hart en verstand teenoor God – is slegs moontlik omdat Jesus eers ons plaasvervanger geword het, die tweede Adam, en sonde in ons plek oorwin het en die menslike spesie met God reggestel het.

Toe Adam gesondig het, was hy nie net as ‘n individu uit harmonie met God nie (in vyandskap met God), maar die hele spesie was ook uit harmonie – omdat elke mens van Adam afstam en besmet is met vrees en selfsug. Ná Adam en voor Jesus, was daar geen sondelose mense nie – geen. Jesus het mens geword om daardie situasie reg te stel, om die verbindende skakel na die hemel te word, die een mens waarin God se ontwerpwet van die lewe volmaak uitgeleef is, en sodoende harmonie met God se ontwerpwet in die mensdom herstel het.

Deur dit te doen, het Jesus die nuwe hoof geword van ‘n hernude en gereinigde mensdom – ons tweede Adam.

In die persoon van Jesus Christus, was die menslike spesie geregverdig – reggestel, herstel – met God. Hy het mens geword en is in alle opsigte versoek net soos ons, maar Hy was sonder sonde (Hebreërs 4:15). In die menslike lewenservaring van Jesus het Hy iets werkliks bereik, iets wat geen ander mens kon nie, iets objektiefs: Hy het met die gebruik van slegs Sy menslike vermoëns ‘n volmaakte, sondelose menslike karakter ontwikkel en sodoende God se ontwerpwet van liefde in die menslike spesie herstel. In die persoon van Jesus is die mensdom met God reggestel – ons was geregverdig.

Alhoewel hy ‘n seun was, het hy gehoorsaamheid geleer uit wat hy gely het en, sodra hy volmaakheid bereik het, het hy die bron van ewige verlossing geword vir almal wat hom gehoorsaam (Hebreërs 5:8, 9 NLV84).

Wag … was Jesus nie altyd volmaak nie?

Hy was altyd sondeloos, ja, maar Bybelse volmaaktheid beteken volwassenheid van karakter en karakter kan nie geskep word nie, dit moet ontwikkel word deur die keuses van die lewende wese. Jesus het as ‘n mens ‘n volmaakte, volwasse sondelose karakter ontwikkel en God se wet van liefde in die menslike spesie herstel. Sodoende het Hy as ons plaasvervanger die menslike spesie met God reggestel; dit wil sê, Hy het die spesie geregverdig en ons geneesmiddel teen sonde geword, die bron van verlossing vir almal wat Hom volg.

Wanneer ons gewen word tot vertroue, maak ons die hart oop en ontvang die inwonende Gees, wat die karakter van Christus neem en dit in ons weergee, sodat “Ek nie meer lewe nie, maar Christus in my woon” (Galasiërs 2:20 NLV84). Dit is ware Bybelse regverdiging.

Soos Paulus aan die Korintiërs geskryf het, “Want Hy het Hom wat geen sonde geken het nie, sonde vir ons gemaak, sodat ons kan word geregtigheid van God in Hom” (2 Korinthiërs 5:21 AFR53).

Opregte regverdiging is nie ‘n kwessie van wetlike vergifnis nie; dit is die werklike werk van God deur Christus om ons reg te stel in hart, verstand, gesindheid en karakter – om verenig te wees, een-met God.

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