Mission Statement - EBC Constitution - 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith - Officers |
| 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith - Chapter 11 |
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1. Those whom God effectually calleth, he
also freely justifieth, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by
pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as
righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for
Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or
any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by
imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience
in his death for their whole and sole righteousness by faith, which faith
they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God. Romans 3:24; Romans 8:30; Romans 4:5-8; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 31; Romans 5:17-19; Philippians 3:8, 9; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Romans 5:17 2. Faith thus receiving
and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of
justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever
accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh
by love. 3. Christ, by his obedience and death,
did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did, by
the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing in their
stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction
to God's justice in their behalf; yet, inasmuch as he was given by the
Father for them, and his obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead,
and both freely, not for anything in them, their justification is only of
free grace, that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be
glorified in the justification of sinners. 4. God did from all eternity decree to
justify all the elect, and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their
sins, and rise again for their justification; nevertheless, they are not
justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply
Christ unto them. 5. God doth continue to forgive the
sins of those that are justified, and although they can never fall from the
state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's
fatherly displeasure; and in that condition they have not usually the light
of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess
their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance. 6. 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.
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