The Importance of Justification by Faith Alone

[Reformed]

Guy Waters writes,

“Justification is as simple as A-B-C-D. Justification is an act of God. It does not describe the way that God inwardly renews and changes a person. It is, rather, a legal declaration in which God pardons the sinner of all his sins and accepts and accounts the sinner as righteous in His sight. God declares the sinner righteous at the very moment that the sinner puts his trust in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-26, 5:16; 2 Cor. 5:21).”

Philippians 3:9 states:

“and 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,”

Sola Fide (Faith Alone) describes the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. The word “alone” does not mean there are no other forces at work in the New Birth. Certainly, the work of the Holy Spirit is present in grace (Sola Gratia), the preaching of the Word (Sola Scriptura), and the Substitutionary Atonement (Solus Christus). “Alone” means that faith does not need to be accompanied by any work of man.

In Philippians 3 the Apostle Paul makes a powerful point about justification by faith. It is important to note that justification and righteousness are inseparable. When a sinner is converted he is declared just before God. Another way of saying it is that the converted sinner is now righteous. Declared just or declared righteous are interchangeable. The new believer has a righteousness that is not obtained by any work of merit (i.e. keeping the Law) but is obtained through faith in Christ.

Even within the church, there are those who attack justification by faith alone. Without justification by faith alone we are forced into a works-based religion that cannot save, it can only condemn. In short – we are under the weight of bondage contained in the Law.

 

[SovereignGrace]

Guy Waters writes,

“Justification is as simple as A-B-C-D. Justification is an act of God. It does not describe the way that God inwardly renews and changes a person. It is, rather, a legal declaration in which God pardons the sinner of all his sins and accepts and accounts the sinner as righteous in His sight. God declares the sinner righteous at the very moment that the sinner puts his trust in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-26, 5:16; 2 Cor. 5:21).”

Philippians 3:9 states:

“and 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,”

Sola Fide (Faith Alone) describes the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. The word “alone” does not mean there are no other forces at work in the New Birth. Certainly, the work of the Holy Spirit is present in grace (Sola Gratia), the preaching of the Word (Sola Scriptura), and the Substitutionary Atonement (Solus Christus). “Alone” means that faith does not need to be accompanied by any work of man.

In Philippians 3 the Apostle Paul makes a powerful point about justification by faith. It is important to note that justification and righteousness are inseparable. When a sinner is converted he is declared just before God. Another way of saying it is that the converted sinner is now righteous. Declared just or declared righteous are interchangeable. The new believer has a righteousness that is not obtained by any work of merit (i.e. keeping the Law) but is obtained through faith in Christ.

Even within the church, there are those who attack justification by faith alone. Without justification by faith alone we are forced into a works-based religion that cannot save, it can only condemn. In short – we are under the weight of bondage contained in the Law.

I love how Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6, and James 2:23 all speak to how even Abraham, centuries before the Christ came, was declared righteous by faith alone. Soli Deo Gloria

 

[Deacon]

"...the Reformers always took “faith alone” to mean that faith is the only thing that God responds to. But historic Protestant teaching from the Reformation onward has never taken “faith alone” to mean “faith that occurs by itself in a person, unaccompanied by other human activities”
Wayne Grudem

 

[Reformed]

"...the Reformers always took “faith alone” to mean that faith is the only thing that God responds to. But historic Protestant teaching from the Reformation onward has never taken “faith alone” to mean “faith that occurs by itself in a person, unaccompanied by other human activities”
Wayne Grudem

This is kind of what I was getting at when I wrote, "The word “alone” does not mean there are no other forces at work in the New Birth." Being Reformed in my soteriology, I believe regeneration precedes faith in the Ordo Salutis. Again, that does not mean other forces are not at work, even simultaneously.

 

[Steven Yeadon]

Guy Waters writes,

“Justification is as simple as A-B-C-D. Justification is an act of God. It does not describe the way that God inwardly renews and changes a person. It is, rather, a legal declaration in which God pardons the sinner of all his sins and accepts and accounts the sinner as righteous in His sight. God declares the sinner righteous at the very moment that the sinner puts his trust in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:21-26, 5:16; 2 Cor. 5:21).”

Philippians 3:9 states:

“and 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,”

Sola Fide (Faith Alone) describes the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. The word “alone” does not mean there are no other forces at work in the New Birth. Certainly, the work of the Holy Spirit is present in grace (Sola Gratia), the preaching of the Word (Sola Scriptura), and the Substitutionary Atonement (Solus Christus). “Alone” means that faith does not need to be accompanied by any work of man.

In Philippians 3 the Apostle Paul makes a powerful point about justification by faith. It is important to note that justification and righteousness are inseparable. When a sinner is converted he is declared just before God. Another way of saying it is that the converted sinner is now righteous. Declared just or declared righteous are interchangeable. The new believer has a righteousness that is not obtained by any work of merit (i.e. keeping the Law) but is obtained through faith in Christ.

Even within the church, there are those who attack justification by faith alone. Without justification by faith alone we are forced into a works-based religion that cannot save, it can only condemn. In short – we are under the weight of bondage contained in the Law.

Well said on by faith alone!

What I would have an issue with is not stressing equally the gift of the Holy Spirit by Whom we have freedom from the Law. A freedom that comes through supernaturally derived spiritual fruit that enables us to fulfill the Law, free of its supervision. The Holy Spirit Who seals our eternal inheritance.

I must be cautious in my continual refrain of warning people about the need to have good deeds, as a confirmation and sign the Spirit is within. I cannot forget to teach anything but faith alone as the vehicle by which we are saved and given the Spirit.

I must conclude with the scandal of faith alone in my own history. I discovered as a liberal Christian what faith is two years ago when I was saved.

A pastor told me recently of the story of a man on a tight rope over Niagara falls. No one believed he would survive, he does and asks the crowd if they believe. They say yes, but the man counters by asking who was willing to ride in a wheel barrow across the falls. Belief turned to faithlessness again and no one volunteered.

It is the same with saving faith. I had to go before God in blind faith, in openness to His will instead of my previous rush to sin, before I ever changed down to my heart, as I have for two years now.