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| Chapter 11 - Of Justification |
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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.
Romans 3:28; Galatians 5:6; James
2:17, 22, 26
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.
Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:18, 19;
Isaiah 53:5, 6; Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:26; Ephesians
1:6,7; Ephesians 2:7
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.
Galatians 3:8; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 Timothy
2:6; Romans 4:25; Colossians 1:21,22; Titus 3:4-7
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.
Matthew 6:12; 1 John 1:7, 9; John
10:28; Psalms 89:31-33; Psalms 32:5; Psalms 51; Matthew 26:75
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.
Galatians 3:9; Romans 4:22-24 |