Jesus Alone the Basis, and Faith Alone the Means, of the Justification of His People

 

"Faith is said to justify because it is the instrument by which we receive Christ, in whom righteousness is communicated to us. When we are made partakers of Christ, we are not only ourselves righteous, but our works also are counted righteous in the sight of God, because any imperfections in them are obliterated by the blood of Christ."

- John Calvin, commentary on Romans 3:22

When people profess that salvation is by faith alone, they express the biblical doctrine of justification. However, too often modern believers, even among evangelicals, don't understand the meaning of the words as they are in Scripture. We have been infiltrated by the doctrine of the Catholic Church, the same doctrine opposed by the Reformers, that justification by faith means by having faith, or faithfulness. This is how Rome (and her Arminian allies) has retained a role for works in justification. 

Sad as it is, that doctrine of justification cannot save, because it is not God's plan for justification. 

Notice what the Bible says, in the first passage in which justification as such is mentioned: ":He [i. e., Abraham] believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). The Lord, the preincarnate Christ, accepted Abraham's faith, and declared him righteous. Jehovah does not make Abraham righteous, as Rome claims, but declares him righteous. That is the distinction between justification, a change in legal status, and sanctification, a change in nature. 

Does God merely erase Abraham's sin? No, nor that of nay other believer. To gloss over sin in such a way would be to substitute tolerance for justice. Rather, here is where we see the double imputation that is involved in justification. The sin of the elect, at the moment, of faith, is transferred to our Surety, Jesus Christ: "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; and we have turned- every one- to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:4-6).

But that was only half of our justification. In addition to taking the punishment for our sins, Jesus gave us His perfect record of works: "O Lord, You will ordain peace for us, for You have indeed done for all our works" (Isaiah 26:12). 

Thus, faith is not the basis of our justification. Jesus alone provides that. Rather, faith is the means of our justification. Or, to use, Calvin's term in the quote above, the instrument of our justification.