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The Reformation doctrine of justification has undergone
severe criticism in recent decades. Challenges have come from
three different sources. First, a number of ecumenical
discussions have offered more ambiguous expressions on
justification than the Reformation doctrine in the interests of
church unity and have implicitly rejected the Reformation
teaching as too divisive. The statements "Evangelicals and
Catholics Together" and "The Gift of Salvation" are examples of
such ecumenical compromise. Second, some biblical scholars have
argued that Luther and Calvin misunderstood what Paul was
actually teaching and so constructed a false doctrine of
justification. The so-called "New Perspective on Paul" offers
such an argument. Third, some who claim to be Reformed suggest
that too many Reformed people have a Lutheran view of
justification and need to develop a distinctively Reformed view
of justification. These critics usually claim that they accept
the Reformed confessions, yet at the same time claim that
Reformed theology needs to be changed and clarified to be
distinctive. Such critics, called neonomians in the seventeenth
century, today are perhaps better labeled covenant moralists.
Our testimony is directed primarily to this third group who
claim to be genuinely Reformed. These covenant moralists teach,
contrary to the Reformed confessions and/or historic Reformed
conviction, some or all of the following:
- that the Reformation doctrine of justification is not
fully biblical;
- that the Lutherans and Calvinists have different
doctrines of justification;
- that the Reformation misunderstood Paul on
justification;
- that justification is not by faith alone, but by
faithfulness, i.e. trust in Christ and obedience;
- that the idea of merit as a way of explaining the work
of Christ for us is unbiblical;
- that Christ died for our sins but he did not keep the
law perfectly in our place (his active obedience);
- that Christ does not impute his active obedience to us;
- that obedience or good works is not only the fruit or
evidence of faith, but is also part of the ground or
instrument of justification;
- that our justification is in some way dependent on the
final judgment of our works.
As the faculty of Westminster Seminary California we
believe that we must issue this testimony especially in
relation to those who claim to be Reformed in their attack
on the Reformation doctrine of justification and who claim
to uphold the teaching of the Reformed confessions.
The confusion found in our confessional Reformed churches
among some ministers, elders and members has reached an
alarming level. We recognize that the confessions are
standards subordinate to the Holy Scripture. Nevertheless it
is our conviction that in them, the Reformed churches have
summarized the correct understanding of Scripture. The
contemporary confusion in the churches may be due, in part,
to a lack of familiarity with our confessions. Therefore, we
hope that by highlighting certain of their statements and
commenting on them we will encourage the Reformed churches
to uphold the biblical truth presented in them. Our purpose
is not to supplement the confessions, which are clear and
comprehensive in themselves. Rather we want to underscore
the obvious elements of the confessions that the critics
seem to ignore or deny.
The Human
Condition in Sin
The seriousness of our lost condition shows us that we need
a righteousness that only God can provide.
- Heidelberg Catechism
Question and Answer 5: "...I am prone by nature to hate
God and my neighbor."
Q and A 8: "…we are wholly incapable of doing any good,
and inclined to all evil."
- Belgic Confession
Art. 14: "…man is but a slave to sin…."
- Canons of Dort
III-IV,3: "…all men are conceived in sin, and are by
nature children of wrath, incapable of saving good,
prone to evil, dead in sin, and in bondage thereto…."
- Westminster Confession of Faith
6,6: "Every sin, both original and actual, being a
transgression of the righteous law of God…, doth…bring
guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the
wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject
to death…."
The Work
of Christ
The righteousness that sinners need must be the perfect
righteousness of Jesus Christ, the righteousness of both
his sacrificial suffering (passive obedience) and his
perfect life (active obedience). A. Passive
Obedience
- Heidelberg Catechism
Q and A 56: "That, for the sake of Christ’s
satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, neither
the sinful nature with which I have to struggle all
my life long…."
- Belgic Confession
Art. 21: "We believe that Jesus Christ…hath
presented himself in our behalf before his Father,
to appease his wrath by his full satisfaction, by
offering himself on the tree of the cross, and
pouring out his precious blood to purge away our
sins…."
B. Active Obedience
- Heidelberg Catechism
Q and A 60: "…the perfect satisfaction,
righteousness and holiness of Christ, as if I
had never had nor committed any sin, and myself
had accomplished all the obedience which Christ
has rendered for me…."
- Belgic Confession
Art. 22: "Therefore, for any to assert that
Christ is not sufficient, but that something
more is required besides Him, would be too gross
a blasphemy; for hence it would follow that
Christ was but half a Savior."
"…Jesus Christ, imputing to us all His merits,
and so many holy works which He has done for us
and in our stead, is our righteousness."
- Westminster Confession of Faith
8,5: "The Lord Jesus, by His perfect obedience,
and sacrifice of Himself…hath fully satisfied
the justice of His Father; and purchased, not
only reconciliation, but an everlasting
inheritance in the kingdom of heaven…."
11,1: "…imputing the obedience and satisfaction
of Christ unto them…."
11,3: "Christ, by His obedience and death, did
fully discharge the debt of all those that are
thus justified…and His obedience and
satisfaction accepted in their stead…."
- Westminster Larger Catechism
Q and A 55: "Christ maketh intercession…in the
merit of his obedience and satisfaction on
earth, declaring his will to have it applied to
all believers…."
Q and A 70: "…he pardoneth all their sins,
accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous
in his sight…only for the perfect obedience and
full satisfaction of Christ…."
The Merit of Christ
Our confessions repeatedly speak of
the work of Christ as meritorious in the sight
of God.
(The idea that sinners can merit anything from
God is rejected explicitly: Heidelberg Catechism
Q and A 60, 63 and 86; Belgic Confession arts.
23; Canons of Dort II, 7, V, 8; Westminster
Confession of Faith 16, 5; Westminster Larger
Catechism Q and A 193.)
- Heidelberg Catechism
Q and A 21: "…everlasting righteousness and
salvation are freely given by God, merely of
grace, only for the sake of Christ’s merit."
Q and A 84: "…all their sins are really
forgiven them of God for the sake of
Christ’s merits…."
- Belgic Confession
Art. 22: "…faith, which embraces Jesus
Christ with all his merits…."
Art. 24: "…we do good works, but not to
merit by them (for what can we merit?)….our
poor consciences would be continually vexed
if they relied not on the merits of the
suffering and death or our Savior."
Art. 35: "…Christ communicates himself with
all his benefits to us, and gives us there
[at the Lord’s Supper] to enjoy both himself
and the merits of his sufferings and
death…."
- Canons of Dort
Rejection of Errors I, 3: "…the pleasure of
God and the merits of Christ…."
Rejection of Errors II, 1: "…of the wisdom
of the Father and of the merits of Jesus
Christ…."
Rejection of Errors II, 3: Dort rejected the
error of those "Who teach: That Christ by
his satisfaction merited neither salvation
itself for anyone, nor faith…."
Rejection of Errors II, 4: "…we by faith, in
as much as it accepts the merits of Christ,
are justified before God and saved…."
- Westminster Confession of Faith
17,2: "…the efficacy of the merit and
intercession of Jesus Christ….:
Westminster Larger Catechism
Q and A 55: "Christ maketh intercession…in
the merit of his obedience and sacrifice on
earth…."
Q and A 174: "…feeding on him by faith...,
trusting in his merits…."
Imputation
The righteousness of Christ is reckoned or
imputed to sinners, not infused or worked in
them, for their justification.
- Heidelberg Catechism
Q and A 60: "…though my conscience
accuse me that I have grievously sinned
against all the commandments of God and
kept none of them, and am still inclined
to all evil, yet God, without any merit
of mine, of mere grace, grants and
imputes to me to perfect satisfaction,
righteousness, and holiness of Christ,
as if I had never had nor committed any
sin, and myself had accomplished all the
obedience which Christ has rendered for
me; if only I accept such benefit with a
believing heart."
- Belgic Confession
Art. 22: "…Jesus Christ, imputing to us
all His merits, and so many holy works
which He has done for us and in our
stead, is our righteousness."
- Westminster Confession of Faith
11,1: "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 any thing wrought
in them, or done by them, but for
Christ’s sake alone…by imputing the
obedience and satisfaction of Christ
unto them…."
- Westminster Larger Catechism
Q and A 71: "…in as much as God
accepteth the satisfaction from a
surety, which he might have demanded of
them, and did provide this surety, his
own only Son, imputing his righteousness
to them, and requiring nothing of them
for their justification but faith…."
- Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q and A 33: "Justification is an act of
God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth
all our sins, and accepteth us as
righteous in his sight, only for the
righteousness of Christ imputed to us,
and received by faith alone."
The Role of Faith
Faith and faith alone is the instrument
that looks away from self to Jesus and
receives the imputation of his perfect
righteousness.
- Heidelberg Catechism
Q and A 61: "Why do you say that you
are righteous only by faith? Not
that I am acceptable to God on
account of the worthiness of my
faith, but because only the
satisfaction, righteousness, and
holiness of Christ is my
righteousness before God, and I can
receive the same and make it my own
in no other way than by faith only.
- Belgic Confession
Art. 22: "…if all things are in Him,
…then those who possess Jesus Christ
through faith have complete
salvation in Him.…we do not mean
that faith itself justifies us, for
it is only an instrument with which
we embrace Christ our
righteousness….And faith is an
instrument that keeps us in
communion with Him in all His
benefits, which, when they become
ours, are more than sufficient to
acquit us of our sins."
- Westminster Confession of
Faith
7,3: "…He freely offereth unto
sinners life and salvation by Jesus
Christ; requiring of them faith in
Him, that they may be saved…."
11,2: "Faith, thus receiving and
resting in Christ and His
righteousness, is the alone
instrument of justification…."
14,2: "…the principal acts of saving
faith are accepting, receiving, and
resting upon Christ alone for
justification, sanctification, and
eternal life…."
- Westminster Shorter Catechism
Q and A 30: "The Spirit applieth to
us the redemption purchased by
Christ, by working faith in us, and
thereby uniting us to Christ in our
effectual calling."
Justification and Sanctification
Our confessions show how
justification and sanctification are
present together in the redeemed,
but are clearly distinct from one
another.
- Heidelberg Catechism
Q and A 86: "Since, then, we are
delivered from our misery by
grace alone, through Christ,
without any merit of ours, why
must we yet do good works?
Because Christ, having redeemed
us by His blood, also renews us
by His Holy Spirit after His own
image, that with our whole life
we may show ourselves thankful
to God for His benefits…."
- Belgic Confession
Art. 24: "These works, as they
proceed from the good root of
faith are good and acceptable in
the sight of God, forasmuch as
they are all sanctified by His
grace. Nevertheless they are of
no account towards our
justification, for it is by
faith in Christ that we are
justified, even before we do
good works…."
- Westminster Confession of
Faith
11,2: "Faith, thus receiving and
resting on Christ and His
righteousness, is the alone
instrument of justification: 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."
- Westminster Larger
Catechism
Q and A 77: "Wherein do
justification and sanctification
differ? Although sanctification
be inseparably joined with
justification, yet they differ,
in that God in justification
imputeth the righteousness of
Christ; in sanctification his
Spirit infuseth grace…."
In justification "sin is
pardoned;" in sanctification "it
is subdued…"
Justification "doth equally free
all believers from the revenging
wrath of God, and that perfectly
in this life, that they never
fall into condemnation;"
sanctification "is neither equal
in all, nor in this life perfect
in any, but growing up to
perfection."
The Christian’s
Sanctification
Sanctification is a work of
God's renewing grace by which
Christians become more holy over
the course of their lives while
still confronting real sin in
their lives -- making it
impossible for even our best
works to stand in the face of
perfect judgment. A. Real
Progress in Sanctification
- Heidelberg Catechism
Q and A 86: "…Christ, having
redeemed us by his blood,
renews us also by his Holy
Spirit after his own image,
that with our whole life we
may show ourselves thankful
to God…."
Q and A 114: "…with earnest
purpose they [the converted]
begin to live, not only
according to some, but
according to all the
commandments of God."
- Westminster
Confession of Faith
13, 1: "They, who are once
effectually called, and
regenerated, having a new
heart, and a new spirit
created in them, are further
sanctified, really and
personally, through the
virtue of Christ’s death and
resurrection, by his Word
and Spirit dwelling in them:
the dominion of the whole
body of sin is destroyed,
and the several lusts
thereof are more and more
weakened and mortified; and
they more and more quickened
and strengthened in all
saving graces, to the
practice of true holiness,
without which no man shall
see the Lord."
- Westminster Shorter
Catechism
Q and A 35: "Sanctification
is the work of God’s free
grace, whereby we are
renewed in the whole man
after the image of God, and
are enabled more and more to
die unto sin, and live unto
righteousness."
B. Continuing Problem
with Sin
- Heidelberg
Catechism
Q and A 62: "…the
righteousness which can
stand before the
tribunal of God must be
absolutely perfect and
wholly conformable to
the divine law, while
even our best works in
this life are all
imperfect and defiled
with sin."
Q and A 114: "…even the
holiest men, while in
this life, have only a
small beginning of this
obedience…."
- Belgic Confession
Art. 24: "…we can do no
work but what is
polluted by our flesh,
and also punishable; and
although we could
perform such works,
still the remembrance of
one sin is sufficient to
make God reject them."
- Westminster
Confession of Faith
13,2 "This
sanctification is
throughout, in the whole
man; yet imperfect in
this life, there abiding
still some remnants of
corruption in every
part…."
16,2 "These good works,
done in obedience to
God’s commandments, are
the fruits and evidences
of a true and lively
faith…."
16,5 "…and as they [good
works] are wrought by
us, they are defiled,
and mixed with so much
weakness and
imperfection, that they
cannot endure the
severity of God’s
judgment."
- Westminster
Larger Catechism
Q and A 78: "…their
[believers’] best works
are imperfect and
defiled in the sight of
God."
Justification and
Final Judgment
Justification occurs
when one comes to true
faith, giving peace of
conscience and assurance
of eternal life in the
present. God's final
judgment is not the
justification of his
own, but their
vindication and
perfection.
- Heidelberg
Catechism
Q and A 59: "But
what does it profit
you now that you
believe all this?
That I am righteous
in Christ before
God, and an heir to
eternal life."
- Westminster
Larger Catechism
Q and A 77:
Justification "doth
equally free all
believers from the
revenging wrath of
God, and that
perfectly in this
life, that they
never fall into
condemnation…."
Q and A 90: "At the
day of judgment, the
righteous, being
caught up to Christ
in the clouds, shall
be set on his right
hand, and there
openly acknowledged
and acquitted…."
- Belgic
Confession
Art. 37: "…this
judgment is…most
desirable and
comfortable to the
righteous and elect;
because then their
full deliverance
shall be perfected,
and there they shall
receive the fruits
of their labor and
trouble which they
have borne.…the
faithful and elect
shall be crowned
with glory and
honor; and the Son
of God will confess
their names before
God His Father…; all
tears shall be wiped
from their eyes; and
their cause which is
now condemned by
many judges and
magistrates as
heretical and
impious will then be
known to be the
cause of the Son of
God. And for a
gracious reward, the
Lord will cause them
to possess such a
glory as never
entered into the
heart of man to
conceive."
- Westminster
Confession of Faith
33,2:"The end of
God’s appointing
this day is for the
manifestation of the
glory of His mercy,
in the eternal
salvation of the
elect; and of His
justice, in the
damnation of the
reprobate, who are
wicked and
disobedient."
The doctrine of
justification taught
in the Reformed
confessions is a
faithful summary of
the biblical
teaching, is
necessary for the
faithful preaching
of the Gospel in the
churches and is
foundational to all
Christian assurance
and holy living.
©2004 Westminster
Seminary California.
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[date] Westminster Seminary California. Website: www.wscal.edu.
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