Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore

PARA 1– Comprehensive Description of Justification

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.

Outline

No	Justification Questions	1689 Answer
1	Who are the subjects?	Those whom God effectually calleth he also freely justifieth
2	How are they not justified?	not by infusing righteousness into them
3	How are they justified?	but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous
4	What is not the basis of justification?	not for anything wrought in them, or done by them
5	What is the basis of justification?	but for Christ’s sake alone
6	What is not the method of justification?	not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness;
7	What is the method of justification?	but by imputing Christ’s active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness
8	What is the means of justification?	by faith
9	Who is source of the means?	which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift of God

PARA 2– Exclusive and the only means of justification – Faith

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.

PARA 3– The divine glory of justification

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.

Outline

Its basis: the full satisfaction of God’s justice

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;

Its motive: the free grace of God’s benevolence.

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.

PARA 4– Trinity involved in justification

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.

Outline

Father decreed

• God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect

Christ purchased

• and Christ did in the fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification; nevertheless,

Holy Spirit Applies

• nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply Christ unto them

PARA 5– Sins of the Justified

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.

Outline

The continued forgiveness of their sins.

• God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified

The impossibility of perishing due to their sins.

• and although they can never fall from the state of justification

The fatherly displeasure due to their sins.

• 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,

Way back to Father’s love

• until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.

The epochal unity of justification

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.