Chapter 11
Of Justification
- Those whom God effectually calleth, He also freely justifieth,1 not
by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and
accepting their persons, as righteous;2 not for anything wrought in
them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone;3 not by imputing
faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their
righteousness, but by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive
obedience in His death, for their whole and sole righteousness;4 they
receiving, and resting on Him, and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not
of themselves: it is the gift of God.5
- Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone
instrument of justification:6 yet it is not alone in the person
justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but
worketh by love.7
- Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are
justified; and did by the sacrifice of Himself, in the blood of His cross, undergoing in
their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real and full satisfaction to God's
justice in their behalf;8 yet, inasmuch as He was given by the Father
for them, and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, not
for anything in them,9 their justification is only of free grace, that
both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of
sinners.10
- God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect,11 and
Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their
justification;12 nevertheless, they are not justified personally,
until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them.13
- God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified;14
and although they can never fall from the state of justification,15
yet they may by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure;16
and in that condition, they have not usually the light of His countenance restored unto
them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith
and repentance.17
- The justification of believers under the Old Testament, was in all these respects one
and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.18
Footnotes:
1. Ro 3:24; 8:30.
2. Ro 4:5-8; Eph 1:7.
3. 1Co 1:30-31; Ro 5:17-19.
4. Php 3:8-9; Eph 2:8-10.
5. Jn 1:12; Ro 5:17.
6. Ro 3:28.
7. Gal 5:6; Jas 2:17,22,26.
8. Heb 10:14; 1Pe 1:18-19; Isa 53:5-6.
9. Ro 8:32; 2Co 5:21.
10. Ro 3:26; Eph 1:6-7; 2:7.
11. Gal 3:8; 1Pe 1:2; 1Ti 2:6. 12. Ro 4:25.
12. Ro 4:25. 13. Col 1:21-22; Tit 3:4-7.
14. Mt 6:12; 1Jn 1:7,9.
15. Jn 10:28.
16. Ps 89:31-33.
17. Ps 32:5; Ps 51:1-19; Mt 26:75.
18. Gal 3:9; Ro 4:22-24.