HARMONY WITH GOD Part 3 of 3 by Zane C. Hodges - Chafer ...

Harmony with God 37
without hearing again and again its simple, yet amazing offer of
eternal life by faith in Christ. John allows this message to stand out
without complication.
John 5:28–29
Since the Lord Jesus had evidently said little about
justification, John could not make His words on this great theme
the basis of his Gospel. So he chose not to refer to it directly at all.
In one place in his Gospel, however, it is possible to see an implicit
reference to justification.
In describing the two resurrections in 5:28–29, John speaks of
those who come forth in the resurrection of life as those who have
done good, and those who come forth in the resurrection of
condemnation (Greek = “judgment”) as those who have done evil.
There is no qualification here at all (such as, “more good than evil”
or vice versa), and we have no right to read it into the text.
Those who participate in the resurrection of life are presented
as doers of good and only good. This implies that they possess a
perfect righteousness before God, which of course is attainable
only by means of justification (Romans 3:21–22).
By contrast, those who come forth in the resurrection of
judgment (that is, at the Great White Throne) have done evil and
only evil. They fit the Pauline claim, There is none who does good,
no, not one (Romans 3:12).
Nevertheless, in John 5:28–29, the doctrine of justification by
faith is only implicit. John does not expound it here or elsewhere in
his writings.
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, therefore, John and the
other original apostles allow Paul (the converted Pharisee!) to be
God’s chief spokesman for the wonderful truth that, when we
believe in Christ, we are completely cleared of every charge of evil