Chapter 11. Of Justification

Chapter 11. Of Justification

I. Those whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth;²⁴³ 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; nor²⁴⁴ 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,²⁴⁵ they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.²⁴⁶

II. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification;²⁴⁷ yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.²⁴⁸

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.²⁴⁹ Yet inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them,²⁵⁰ and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead,²⁵¹ and both freely, not for any thing in them, their justification is only of free grace;²⁵² that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.²⁵³

IV. God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect,²⁵⁴ and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification:²⁵⁵ nevertheless, they are not justified until the Holy Spirit doth, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.²⁵⁶

V. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified;²⁵⁷ and although they can never fall from the state of justification,²⁵⁸ 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.²⁵⁹

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.²⁶⁰