Of Justification
I. Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely
justifies;a not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins,
and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for any thing wrought in
them, or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act
of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by
imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them,b they receiving
and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of
themselves, it is the gift of God.c
a. Rom. 8:30; 3:24.
b. Rom. 4:5-8; II Cor. 5:19, 21; Rom. 3:22, 24-25, 27-28; Tit. 3:5, 7;
Eph. 1:7; Jer. 23:6; I Cor. 1:30-31; Rom. 5:17-19.
c. Acts 10:44; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9; Acts 13::38-39; Eph. 2:7-8.
II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His
righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification:a yet is it not alone
in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no
dead faith, but works by love.b
a. John 1:12; Rom. 3:28; 5:1.
b. James 2:17, 22, 26: Gal. 5:6.
III. Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully
discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and
full satisfaction to His Father's justice in their behalf.a Yet, in as much as
He was given by the Father for them;b and His obedience and satisfaction
accepted in their stead;c and both, freely, not for any thing in them; their
justification is only of free grace;d that both the exact justice, and rich
grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.e
a. Rom 5:8-10, 19; I Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 10:10, 14; Dan. 9:24, 26; Is.
53:4-6, 10-12.
b. Rom. 8:32.
c. II Cor. 5:21; Matt. 3:17; Eph. 5:2.
d. Rom. 3:24: Eph. 1:7.
e. Rom. 3:26; Eph. 2:7.
IV. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all
the elect,a and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and
rise again for their justification:b nevertheless, they are not justified,
until the Holy Spirit does, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.c
a. Gal. 3:8; I Pet. 1:2, 19-20; Rom. 8:30.
b. Gal. 4:4; I Tim. 2:6; Rom. 4:25.
c. Col. 1:21-22; Gal. 2:16; Tit. 3:4-7.
V. God does continue to forgive the sins of those that
are justified;a and, although they can never fall from the state of
justification,b yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly
displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they
humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.c
a. Matt. 6:12; I John 1:7, 9; 2:1-2.
b. Luke 22:32; John 10:28; Heb. 10:14.
c. Ps 89:31-33; 51:7-12; 32:5; Matt. 26:75; I Cor. 11:30, 32; Luke 1:20.
VI. 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.a
a. Gal. 3:9, 13-14; Rom. 4:22-24; Heb. 13:8.
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