In working on a monograph titled Covenant and Command: Works, Obedience, and Faithfulness in the New Covenant, I am wrestling with a number of things, including the relationship of justification and sanctification (and between justification and perseverance in particular).

Jonathan Edwards wrestled with this at great length.  Here are a couple of selections from volume 19 of the Yale edition of his works (pages 202-203).

"So that although the sinner is actually, and finally justified on the first act of faith, yet the perseverance of faith, even then, comes into consideration, as one thing on which the fitness of acceptance to life depends. God the act of justification, which is passed on a sinner's first believing, has respect to perseverance, as being virtually contained in that first act of faith and 'tis looked upon and taken by him that justifies, as being as it were a property in that faith that then is: God has respect to the believer's continuance in faith, and he is justified by that, as though it already were, because by divine establishment it shall follow; and it being by divine constitution connected with that first faith, as much as if it were a property in it, it is then considered as such, and so justification is not suspended; but were it not for this it would be needful that it should be suspended, till the sinner had actually persevered in faith."

"And that it is so, that God in the act of final justification that he passes at the sinner's conversion, has respect to perseverance in faith, and future acts of faith, as being virtually implied in the first act, is further manifest by this, viz. that in a sinner's justification at his conversion, there is virtually contained a forgiveness as to eternal, and deserved punishment, not only of all past sins, but also of all future infirmities and acts of sin, that they shall be guilty of; because that first justification is decisive and final."

As is often the case with the history of Christian theology, the giants of the past have often dealt with issues which (understandably) frustrate and puzzle us mere mortals as we approach Holy Writ, wrestle, twist and turn, and try to understand the unity and coherence of Scripture.  But I suspect Edwards is spot on.  The reason that our works, obedience, and faithfulness are so central to the New Testament writings, and the reason the New Testament can so thoroughly teach the sovereignty of divine grace and teach that justification is by faith, is because--as Edwards so helpfully captures--faith is always pregnant with good works.

I will try and post some things from John Owen and Turretin soon, as they wrestle with these same realities.

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