Justification by Faith Alone

Tim has graciously invited me to contribute to his blog on a weekly basis, and I thought that what I would like to generally do with my contributions is allow you to "look over my shoulder" so to speak and view along me some of what is affecting my mind and heart in my reading. And so I would like to share with you particular excerpts that have impacted me, and hopefully will serve to impact you as well.

This past weekend I attended the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology at Tenth Presbyterian Church, in Philadelphia. I have participated in this conference every year, save one, since 1978. It would be difficult to find adequate words to express the formative influence and effect that this conference, along with the ministry of Tenth Presbyterian Church, has had on my theological convictions and spiritual growth in the Faith over the years. The conference theme this year was "Right With God: The Doctrine of Justification", and having been taught well at the conference concerning the meaning of this vital area of Biblical truth, and having been reminded again of it's crucial foundational importance regarding our relationship to God, and having it press upon my heart afresh, it seemed good to me to share with you some helpful comments on this glorious reality that flows to us from the work of Christ.

In the classic book Redemption Accomplished and Applied, by professor John Murray, the following observations are made concerning the free forgiveness of our sins through the justifying work of the Savior, received by faith alone. Hear them well--

...justification by faith and faith alone exemplifies the freeness and richness of the gospel of grace. If we were to be justified by works, in any degree or to any extent, then there would be no gospel at all. For what works of righteousness can a condemned , guilty, and depraved sinner offer to God? That we are justified by faith advertises the grand article of the gospel of grace that we are not justified by works of law. Faith stands in antithesis to works; there can be no amalgam of these two (cf. Gal. 5:4). That we are justified by faith is what engenders hope in a convicted sinner's heart. He knows he has nothing to offer. And this truth assures him that he needs nothing to offer, yea, it assures him that it is an abomination to God to presume to offer. We are justified by faith and therefore simply by entrustment of ourselves, in all our dismal hopelessness, to the Savior whose righteousness is undefiled and undefilable. Justification by faith alone lies at the heart of the gospel and it is the article that makes the lame man leap as an hart and the tongue of the dumb sing. Justification is that by which grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life; it is for the believer alone and it is for the believer by faith alone. It is the righteousness of God from faith to faith (Rom. 1:17; c.f. 3:22)

In subsequent weeks I would like to follow-up with some additional thoughts on this great doctrinal truth. But for now, as we prepare our hearts for corporate worship tomorrow, I would like encourage us all to reflect on the staggering reality of what Christ has done for His people in justification--our sin imputed to him, and His righteousness imputed to us--all of it--and with the result that we are now forgiven before the holy God! There is not a single moment in this life when our fellowship with God is not dependent utterly upon this free forgiveness of sins grounded in the work of justification. Only upon this basis may we come before God with a truly pacified conscience. So, as we worship tomorrow may this affect us to the core, and may we find ourselves looking away from ourselves, and gazing upon Christ. May we cry out in praise with Zinzendorf--"Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness, my beauty are, my glorious dress.... this shall be all my plea--Jesus has lived, has died for me!"