What is justification?

1. From whence is the word [justification] borrowed?

Being a law-word, it is borrowed from courts of justice among men, when a person arraigned, is pronounced righteous, and, in court, openly absolved.

2. How doth it appear, that justification denotes an act of jurisdiction, and not an inward change upon the soul?

From its being opposed to condemnation, which all own to consist, not in the infusing of wickedness into a person, but in passing sentence upon him, according to the demerit of his crime.

3. What is it then to justify a person?

It is not to make him righteous, but to declare him to be so, upon a law-ground, and trial of a judge.

4. Who is the author, or efficient cause of our justification?

It is God himself; for, “it is God that justifieth,”

5. Whether is it God essentially, or personally considered?

God, essentially considered, in the person of the Father, is the justifier, in respect of judiciary power and authority; Romans 3:26 and our Lord Jesus Christ, in respect of the dispensation or exercise of that power. Acts 5:31

6. In what respect is the Spirit said to justify, 1 Cor. vi. 11.?

As the applier of the blood or righteousness of Christ, whereby we are justified.

7. In what state is a sinner before justification?

In a state of sin and guilt, Romans 3:19 and consequently in a state of wrath and condemnation. Galatians 3:10

8. How can God justify the ungodly?

Every elect sinner, however ungodly in himself, yet, upon union with Christ, has communion with him in his righteousness, and on this account he is justified, “In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified.”

9. Why have elect sinners communion with Christ in his righteousness, upon their union with him?

Because their sins having been imputed unto him from eternity, he became legally one with them, transferring their debt on himself, and undertaking to pay the same; Isaiah 53:6 wherefore, upon union with him by faith, his perfect satisfaction is imputed to them, as if they had made it themselves. 2 Corinthians 5:21

10. Why is justification called an [act]?

Because, like the sentence of a judge, it is completed at once, and not carried on gradually like a work of time.

11. What is the moving cause of justification: or what kind of an act is it?

It is [an act of God’s free grace.] “Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.”

12. How can free grace be the moving cause of our justification, when it is through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ?

Because the redemption that is in Christ, is the channel through which justifying grace runs freely unto us.

13. What are the constituent parts of justification?

They are two; that [wherein he pardoneth all our sins,] Romans 4:7 and that, wherein he [accepteth us as righteous in his sight,] Ephesians 1:6

14. What is the pardon of sin?

It is God’s absolving the sinner from the condemnation of the law, on account of Christ’s satisfaction for sin.

15. Why is the pardon of sin set before the accepting us as righteous, in the answer?

Because, till the sentence of the broken law be dissolved by pardon, it is impossible that our persons can be accepted, or any blessing of the covenant conferred upon us; Hebrews 8:10–13 where, after a great many other promised blessings, it is added, “FOR I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,” &c.; Hebrews 8:12 intimating, that the pardon of sin led the way to the other covenant-blessings.

16. What is it in sin that pardon removes?

The guilt of it, which is a person’s actual obligation, or liableness to eternal wrath, on the account thereof.

17. Can the guilt of sin ever recur upon a pardoned person?

No: the obligation to punishment, being once taken off, can never recur again; because “there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus,”

18. Will after-sinning revoke a former pardon?

No: after-sinning may provoke the Lord to withdraw the sense of former pardon, but can never revoke the pardon itself; because “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance,”

19. What sins are pardoned in justification?

[All our sins] whatsoever, “Who forgiveth ALL thine iniquities.”

20. How are sins past and present pardoned?

By a formal remission of them, “Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.”

21. How are sins to come pardoned?

By securing a not imputing of them, as to the guilt of eternal wrath, “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

22. If a not imputing of eternal wrath, as to future sins, be secured, why do the saints pray for the pardon of them when committed?

Because the guilt, or liableness to fatherly anger, is contracted by the commission of them; and therefore they pray for the removal of that guilt, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation.”

23. Is repentance a condition of pardon?

No: because this would be to bring in works into the matter of our justification before God, quite contrary to scripture, which tells us, that “a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,”

24. How do you prove, that repentance hath not the same interest with faith, in our justification?

From this, that in scripture we are frequently said to be justified by faith, but never said to be justified by repentance.

25. Is it not affirmed in our Confession, that “repentance is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it?”

The meaning is, that repentance is such an inseparable concomitant of pardon, that no pardoned person continues to be impenitent.

26. If none can expect pardon, without expecting repentance along with it; will it not therefore follow, that repentance is a condition of pardon?

Not at all; for if repentance cannot so much as have the least instrumentality in pardon, it can never be the condition thereof, nor have the smallest casual influence thereupon. [Chap. xv. § 3. “Repentance” is “not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof.”]

27. How doth it appear, that repentance hath not the least instrumentality in pardon?

It appears evidently from this, that faith is the sole instrument of receiving Christ and his righteousness; without receiving of which, there can be no pardon, “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”

28. Doth God any more in justification, than freely to pardon all our sins?

Yes: he likewise [accepteth us as righteous in his sight,]

29. Why is the accepting us as righteous joined with pardon, in justification?

Because, though among men, a criminal may be pardoned, and neither declared righteous, nor received into favour; yet it is not so with God, for whom he forgives, he both accounteth their persons righteous in his sight, and receives them into perpetual favour.

30. How can a holy and righteous God, whose judgment is according to truth, accept sinners as righteous, without a perfect righteousness?

He accepts them as righteous, [only for the righteousness of Christ,] which is perfect, and becomes truly theirs through faith.

31. By what right doth the surety-righteousness become theirs?

By the right of a free gift received, and the right of communion with Christ.

32. How doth it become theirs by the right of a gift received?

Inasmuch as Christ’s righteousness being made over in the gospel, as God’s gift to sinners, it is by faith actually claimed and received; hence called, the GIFT of righteousness.

33. How doth Christ’s surety-righteousness become theirs by right of communion with him?

Inasmuch as sinners being united to him by faith, have thereby communion, or a common interest with him in his righteousness.

34. When is it then, that, according to truth, God accepts us as righteous in his sight?

When Christ’s surety-righteousness is actually reckoned ours, and we made the righteousness of God IN HIM: 2 Corinthians 5:21 upon this account precisely, and no other, are we accepted of God as righteous; the righteousness of GOD being UPON all them that believe. Romans 3:22

35. What is the matter of our justification, or that for which we are justified?

The RIGHTEOUSNESS of Christ only: hence is he called, The Lord our Righteousness.

36. Wherein doth [the righteousness of Christ] consist?

In the holiness of his human nature, his righteous life, and satisfactory death. [See these explained on Quest. 20. intitled, Of the covenant of grace.]

37. Can law or justice reach the person, who is under the covering of the surety-righteousness?

By no means: for, “who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?——It is Christ that died, yea, rather, is risen again,”

38. Is the righteousness of Christ meritorious of our justification?

Yes; because of the infinite dignity of his person: for, though he “took upon him the form of a servant,” yet, “being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God,”

39. How is the righteousness of Christ commonly divided?

Into his active and passive obedience.

40. What is his active obedience?

The holiness of his nature, and righteousness of his life, in full and perfect conformity to the whole law, without the least failure, either of parts or degrees of obedience, unto the end.

41. What is his passive obedience?

His satisfaction for sin, by enduring the infinite execution of the curse upon him in his death, Galatians 3:13 to the full compensation of all the injuries done to the honour of an infinite God, by all the sins of an elect world. Ephesians 5:2

42. Why doth his satisfactory death get the name of obedience, Phil. ii. 8. as well as his righteous life?

Because his sufferings and death were entirely voluntary, and in most profound submission to the commandment, which he had received of his Father.

43. What is the formal cause of our justification, or, that whereby Christ’s righteousness is made ours?

It is its being [imputed to us,]

44. What is it to impute Christ’s righteousness unto us?

It is God’s accounting or reckoning it unto us, as if we had obeyed the law, and satisfied justice in our own persons, and dealing with us accordingly.

45. Upon what ground, or foundation, is Christ’s righteousness imputed to us?

Upon the ground of his representing us from eternity, and our union with him in time.

46. What necessity is there for the imputation of Christ’s passive obedience?

Because, without the imputation thereof, we could have no legal security from eternal death.

47. What necessity is there for the imputation of his active obedience?

Because, without the imputation thereof, we could have no legal title to eternal life.

48. If Christ, as man, gave obedience to the law for himself, how can his active obedience be imputed to us?

Though the human nature, abstractly considered, be a creature, yet, never subsisting by itself, but in the person of the Son of God, the acts of obedience performed therein, were never the acts of a mere man, but of him who is God-man, Mediator; and consequently acts of obedience, not for himself, but for us.

49. If Christ’s active obedience be imputed to us, are we not loosed from any obligation to give obedience to the law in our own persons?

We are only loosed from an obligation to yield obedience to the law as a covenant of works, but not loosed from obedience thereunto, as a rule of life.

50. Whether is the righteousness of Christ itself imputed to us, or only in its effects?

As the guilt itself of Adam’s first sin is imputed to all his posterity, whereby judgment comes upon all men to condemnation; so the righteousness of Christ itself is imputed to all his spiritual seed, whereby the free gift comes upon them all unto justification of life.

51. What is the difference betwixt the imputation of our sins to Christ, and the imputation of his righteousness to us?

Our sins were imputed to Christ as our surety, only for a time, that he might take them away; but his righteousness is imputed to us to abide with us for ever, hence called, an everlasting righteousness.

52. Why are we said to be pardoned and accepted [only] for the righteousness of Christ?

Because a sinner can have no other plea before God, for pardon and acceptance, but Christ’s fulfilling all righteousness, as the only condition of the covenant.

53. What is the instrumental cause of our justification?

It is twofold; namely, external and internal.

54. What is the external instrumental cause?

The GOSPEL; because therein is the righteousness of God revealed, and brought near to us as a free gift.

55. What is the internal instrumental cause of our justification?

It is [FAITH,]

56. Why is faith the instrument of our justification?

To shew that our justification is wholly of grace; it being the nature of faith to take the gift of righteousness freely, without money and without price; therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace.

57. What then is the instrumentality of faith in our justification?

It is no more than to be the hand that receives and applies the righteousness of Christ, whereby we are justified. [Larger Cat. Quest. 73. “Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it, Gal. iii. 11.; nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification, Rom. iv. 5.; but only as it is an instrument, by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness, John i. 12.”]

58. Is the grace of faith, or any act thereof, imputed to a sinner for justification?

No: for, “to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness,”

59. What is the difference between saving faith, and justifying faith?

Saving faith receives and rests upon Christ in all his offices, as “of God made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption;” but justifying faith receives and rests upon him, more particularly, in his priestly office, for pardon and acceptance, on account of his meritorious righteousness, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

60. Why is the righteousness of Christ said to be received by faith [alone]?

That works may be wholly excluded from having any share in our justification, less or more, “Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law.”

61. If good works have no influence upon our justification, of what use are they to the justified?

Though they cannot justify us before God, yet they are good “evidences” of our justification, being “the fruits of a true and lively faith:” James 2:18 they “adorn the profession of the gospel, Titus 2:11–12 stop the mouths of adversaries, 1 Peter 2:15 and glorify God,” John 15:8 [Confession, Chap. xvi. § 2.]

62. If faith’s receiving of Christ’s righteousness justify us, doth not faith justify as a work?

It is not properly the receiving, or any other act of faith, that justifies us, but the righteousness of Christ RECEIVED: Romans 3:22 even as it is not the hand that nourishes us, but the food which we take thereby.

63. If we are justified by faith alone, why is it said, James ii. 24. That by works a man is justified, and not by faith only?

This is to be understood of justifying, or evidencing the reality of our faith before men, and not of justifying our persons before God.

64. When is it that God justifies the ungodly?

“Though from eternity God decreed to justify all the elect,” yet “they are not” actually “justified, until the holy Spirit doth, in due time, apply Christ” and his righteousness “unto them,” [Ibid. Chap. xi. § 4.]

65. How were believers, under the Old Testament, justified?

“Their justification was, in all respects, the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament,” [Ibid. § 6.]

66. What may we learn from this important doctrine of justification?

That all ground of pride and boasting is taken away from the creature; Romans 3:27 that faith itself, by laying hold upon the surety-righteousness without us, is nothing else but a solemn declaration of our poverty and nakedness; and that therefore it is our duty, to glory only in Christ Jesus, saying, “Surely—in the Lord have we righteousness and strength,” Isaiah 45:24