Doesn't justification have conditions?

Zacharias disbelieved and yet the pronouncement (promise, prophecy) was fulfilled precisely as declared. "And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." Luke 1:20. His disbelief did not derail the pronouncement.

Then why is it that most people will be on the broad road and be destroyed? What derailed the promise for them? Does God want them to die?

Aren't you talking about a different situation? Pronouncing what will surely happen (i.e. the birth and ministry of John) isn't the same as offering salvation on condition.

Yes, they are different situations. That's the point. When we are talking about salvation - justification, sanctification, glorification - there are conditions to be met.



When you are talking about things that have no conditions, that's a different situation.

What condition could be for conversion but faith to start as we are born again??? That's what Abraham did - he believed God's stupendous promise.

In justification we are made alive spiritually because we accept Jesus as Saviour from sin: a new heart - no conditions other than choosing faith, so...no.

Conditions of obedience characterise the life of faith, exercising our justified, new heart, which is the mind of Christ: otherwise called sanctification. Justification itself - the moment of choosing faith and experiencing rebirth of the Spirit - has no conditions, but continuing beyond the choice is conditional.

Thank you for clarifying the two different points. I agree with you. However, what does it say about freewill in cases where Jesus pronounces how the future will play out? Let's consider a different sample. In the Revelation Jesus pronounces how the future will play out in surprising detail. How can He know the future choices of so many people spread out over hundreds of years in advance?

Also, has He known for eternity who will make up the 144,000? If so, what does that say about freewill?

Perhaps this is what you're saying: God requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take place; and in order for man to retain justification, there must be continual obedience, through active, living faith that works by love and purifies the soul. {FW 100.1}

The way I see it is that justification is conditioned upon entire surrender of the heart, and continued justification is conditioned upon continual obedience and living faith.

I don't see freewill as being obstructed by God's perfect knowledge of how we will exercise our free will.

Pretty much, yes: that heart action is in reality a heart response and a decision for God's truth.

Are you aware that teaching a purely forensic justification by faith bars Gospel mandated, sanctified obedience from the life based on such a teaching? Full submission to Christ is the rebirth, not so? - that rebirth is the heart of the experience of justification, opening the way to full righteousness by faith, in a life obedience. Are we clear on that basis for obedience, in the church? - not that I've seen and heard!

Unless it's clear that justification is the experience of the new birth, sanctified obedience cannot practically be included in the gospel required of us, hence perfect obedience is totally abandoned and it's just try your best. Without God giving us a new heart at the start, we cannot live that new life at all. Obedience is possible at all only as justification is taught to include the regeneration of the Spirit; else, obedience is but our best efforts....filthy rags. The genuine article needs the genuine foundation of the experience of justification.