Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Transformative Justification in 2 Nephi 9:14


In 2 Nephi 9:14, we read the following:

Wherefore we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt
and our uncleanness and our nakedness.
And the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge
of their enjoyment and their righteousness,
being clothed with purity,
yea, even with the robe of righteousness.

In this text, Jacob contrasts the “nakedness” (as a result of guilt/uncleanness [sinful actions]) with the righteous, who are considered “righteous” which is based, not on an imputation of an alien righteousness, but, just as their enjoyment is not a mere declaration or “label,” their “righteousness,” as a result of righteous living (the contrastive parallel with the guilty and their sinful lifestyle). As a result, we are to understand that the clothing imagery to be an outward sign of an inward reality. I have discussed this theme a few times on this blog. See, for e.g.:







Also, note the parallel with “purity” and “righteousness.” This is also significant. In Hebrew, the word for "clean" or "pure" is ‎טָהוֹר and is often used for "pure" gold (e.g. Exo 25:11, 17, 24, 29, 31, 36, 38, 39). The term for righteous is ‎צַדִּיק and even in legal contexts, is used to denote a reality (i.e., one is declared not guilty as they are, intrinsically, innocent/righteous; cf. Deut 25:1 and Lev 17:3-4). All this supports the view that justification is not a mere declaration wherein one is declared to be “pure” or “righteous”; we are also made such in justification, too.