The Doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone
"He has not dealt with us according to our sins" (Ps. 103.10).
No Christian can deny the certainty that God has appointed a day in which He will judge all people. However, belief in a final judgment is not limited to the Christian faith. According to Barna Report, 74% of Americans strongly agree with the statement that God will judge all people! The most relevant question, therefore, is how does one become right with God before that appointed day? Concerning this crucial question Charles Hodge has written: "The answer given to this question decides the character of our religion, and, if practically adopted, our future destiny. To give a wrong answer, is to mistake the way to heaven. It is to err where error is fatal, because it cannot be corrected. If God requires one thing, and we present another, how can we be saved? If He has revealed a method in which he can be just and yet justify the sinner, and if we reject that method, and insist upon pursuing a different way, how can we hope to be accepted?" (1)
How does one become right with God? Before answering this question, we must first answer two other questions. First, on what basis are we judged, and, secondly, who will judge us? The answer to the first question, the basis of judgment, the apostle Paul makes it all too clear: "For not the hearers of the Law are just before God, but the doers of the law will be justified" (Rom. 2.4). Our Lord said to the same to the Rich Young Ruler who asked of Jesus, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus tells this young man that if he wishes eternal life, then he must keep the law; then Jesus rigidly applies what it means to keep the law in such a manner that the disciples were astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" (Mt. 19.16-26). The standard God will use on the coming day of judgment is His Law, perfectly kept. Our Lord Himself says that we are to "be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt. 5.48). And, as James points out, "For whosoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, has become guilty of all" (Ja. 2.10).
But surely, someone might protest, God cannot judge humanity so rigidly! He must allow for mistakes, after all we are only human! However, this objection brings us to the second question, Who is it that will judge us? Perhaps a better question is, What is this Judge like? The Bible tells us that God is holy, righteous, and just, therefore His treatment of us must also be holy, righteous, and just. For God to be just, He must condemn the sinner for this is what His the law demands, "The soul that sinneth shall die' and, "the wages of sin is death" (Ex. 18.4; Rom. 6.23). God is immutable (2)and He cannot customize His Law to fit the short comings of His creatures, and because He is just He cannot accept inferior obedience, nor can He just look the other way. The law demands what the sinner cannot give-- perfect righteousness; and if God is holy, righteous, and just, then the law must be satisfied: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" (Gen. 18.25).
Obviously, understanding the nature of the One who will judge the world, and understanding the basis of this judgment, no one will escape a guilty sentence from God's throne. The Scriptures tell us, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them" (Gal. 3.10). Left to ourselves, all of us will be found guilty and condemned: "There is none righteous, not even one," "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3.10, 23). The problem is not that we have some faults that maybe God will graciously overlook. We are sinners. Moreover, we are not sinners merely because we sin, but because we are inherently sinful. In other words, not only are we not right with God because we sin, but because sin dwells within us as well (Rom. 7.14). How can we, then, in this dreadful state, ever hope to be right with God? This brings us to our original question: How do I, a sinner, a transgressor of the law, become right with a holy, righteous, and just God? Given the circumstances, it is seemingly hopeless.
Now the good news. The same God and judge of the world, who is holy, righteous, and just, who must condemn the guilty, is also a God of love, mercy and grace; and HE has revealed a way in which He can in love, mercy, and grace freely forgive the sinner, yet remain holy, righteous and just. This way is by giving to the undeserving sinner His own righteousness--the righteousness of God. The Scriptures tell us, "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction" (Rom. 3.21-22). "And that I may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith" (Phil.3.9). This righteousness from God, given to all who believe, and is the basis for our justification, is what this article is about.
JUSTIFICATION DEFINED
The Shorter Catechism answers the question, "What is justification?" with: "An act of God's free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith" (3).In justification, God declares us just not because of anything we do, or anything in us, but for the righteousness of Christ that God graciously imputes to the believer.
There is, however, much confusion and false teaching regarding justification. Therefore, it will be helpful in this study to examine what justification is not.
JUSTIFICATION NOT MERELY FORGIVENESS
The idea that justification consists ONLY in the forgiveness of a sinner disregards the immutability of God's law, and infers that God's law is imperfect. God's law, however, is perfect(4)and immutable. (5) Scriptures teach that God, in justifying the believer, does not lower His standard or disregard the penalty of the law, but through Jesus Christ delivers the believer from the penalty of His law through its execution (Rom. 8.3-4). The law of God thus satisfied on our behalf, God declares us to be what we truly are in His sight: not guilty. God must act according to justice. Unless God's justice is satisfied, there is no justification. If, therefore, justification only consisted in the forgiveness of the sinner, then we do not need a Savior, or atonement.
Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand -
The shadow of a mighty rock
Within a weary land. . . .
O safe and happy shelter!
O refuge tried and sweet!
O trysting-place, where heaven's love
And heaven's justice (6)
JUSTIFICATION NOT OF WORKS
"Just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works" (Rom. 4.6).
The Scriptures teach that justification is not by works of any kind: "Who saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to works, but according to His own purpose and grace granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity" (2 Tm. 1.9). "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" (Ti. 3.5). "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace" (Rom. 11.6). "Just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works" (Rom. 4.6).
Some argue that the works Paul refers to are the ceremonial law. However, note carefully that in these verses the work is unspecified. The apostle's intent was to let his readers know that justification is not possible by works of any kind. And when the apostle does speak of the inability of justification by works of the law, he means law in a comprehensive sense and not of the ceremonial law. Furthermore, the ceremonial law view contradicts the objection made to Paul's teaching. Those hearing Paul's teaching on Justification apart from the Law objected, saying, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? May it never be!" (Rom. 6.15). If Paul was teaching that in justification we are free from the ceremonial law, regarding justification, yet still bound to the moral law for justification, then this objection is pointless. As Charles Hodge observes, "Had Paul taught that we are free from the ceremonial, to be subject to the moral law, there could have been no room for an objection. But if he taught that the moral itself could not give life, that we must be freed from its demands as the condition of acceptance with God, then, indeed, to the wise of this world, it might seem that he was losing the bands of moral obligation, and opening the door to the greatest licentiousness." (7)If salvation is all of grace, as the Scriptures teach, then grace must exclude all works. Grace and works are antithetical(8)
Many acknowledge that salvation is by grace and not works, yet what they seemingly grant with one sentence they take back with the next. They insist that salvation be by grace through faith, but then define faith so it becomes the work. For example, Dake's Annotated Reference Bible says on page 55 of the Old Testament