Chapter 11: Of Justification

Understanding The Westminister Confession of Faith
Chapter 11 - Of Justification

He will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. (Rom 3:30)

It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Rom 4:24-25 ESV)

Justification is a forensic term, a kind of legal argument that opposes condemnation. In its biblical and spiritual nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which He pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands

The eleventh chapter of the WCF on justification begins by saying, “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 … by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them … it is the gift of God.”

John Calvin in his Institutes teaches that...
·      Man’s only resource of escaping the curse of the law (and recovering salvation) lies in faith in Christ.
·      When we come to faith in Christ we receive two principal benefits: (1) when we are reconciled by the righteousness of Christ, God becomes an indulgent Father instead of a judge; and (2) we are sanctified by his Spirit such that we can aspire to integrity and purity of life.

From this we can see that faith alone is the only instrument of justification. However, note what Calvin says. He says that after we are “sanctified by His Spirit” we can then “aspire to integrity and purity of life.”

This is the part that must concern all modern Christians today. This is the part that most occupy my prayers for you.

James in his letter in 2:17 insists that faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. This is saying that works must follow faith. The faith that does not produce works of love and mercy is without the living principle which energizes all true faith.

When John the Baptist began his ministry to prepare the way for one who is “more powerful” than him, he refuses to baptize those who come to him unless they can prove to him that they can “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

Beloved, let us remember that “fruit” is not the change of heart, but the acts which result from it.

In Him,
Rev Robert Chew