Justification as Right to Eternal Life (More than Forgiveness)

It seems to me that much of the debate regarding the imputation of Christ's active obedience that has recently risen up in the past 20 years really needs to be focused on the meaning of "justification" and the "righteousness" that is imputed to us itself. It is undoubtedly true that Christ's righteousness is the righteousness that is imputed to us, Michael Bird admits as much, and everyone agrees that as his death is obedient and his death is counted to us, therefore his righteousness in death is counted to us, but the question is whether that righteousness has a positive relation to gaining right to life (i.e. is this righteousness meritorious of eternal life or only of forgiveness of sins). Virtually everyone, even a Twisse or a Paraeus, believes in "active obedience" in the more colloquial sense of Christ's obedience and that this obedience is imputed to us (anyone who holds Christ died for them believes as much); the relevant question is whether that active obedience actually acquired right to life for us. Active and passive obedience must be distinguished by their objects. If the object is right to life, then the obedience is formally active, even if it materially consists of suffering. I here want to propose a list of verses, that I may later actually explain, that I think support the notion that justification includes legal right to eternal life and not simply forgiveness of sins.

• Rom. 3:21

• Rom. 4:6

• Rom. 4:25

• Rom. 5:1-2

• Rom. 5:17-18, 21

• Rom. 8:10 (and context up to 17)

• Rom. 8:30

• Rom. 8:33 paralleled with 34 may imply same thought as 4:25

• Rom. 10:4 (and surrounding context)

• Gal. 3:11

• Gal. 4:5

• Titus 3:7

• Phil. 3:9

• Hebrews 10:19-20

• John 1:12

• 1 Tim. 3:16 (when combined with Last Adam motif 1 Cor. 15 and other resurrection verses cf. Gaffin's Resurrection and Redemption; connect back to Rom. 4:25)