HC 60

Q60. How are you righteous before God?

Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Although my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all God's commandments, have never kept any of them, and am still inclined to all evil, yet God, without any merit of my own, out of mere grace, imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ. He grants these to me as if I had never had nor committed any sin, and as if I myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for me, if only I accept this gift with a believing heart.

Proof texts

• Rom. 3:21-28 — [21] But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — [22] the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, [25] whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. [26] It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. [27] Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. [28] For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
• Gal. 2:16 — [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
• Eph. 2:8-9 — [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, [9] not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
• Phil. 3:8-11 — [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — [10] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
• Rom. 3:9-10 — [9] What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, [10] as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
• Rom. 7:23 — [23] but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
• Deut. 9:6 — [6] “Know, therefore, that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stubborn people.
• Ezek. 36:22 — [22] “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.
• Titus 3:4-5 — [4] But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, [5] he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
• Rom. 3:24 — [24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
• Eph. 2:8 — [8] For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
• Rom. 4:3-5 — [3] For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” [4] Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. [5] And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
• 2 Cor. 5:17-19 — [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. [18] All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; [19] that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
• 1 John 2:1-2 — [1] My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [2] He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
• Rom. 4:24-25 — [24] but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, [25] who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
• 2 Cor. 5:21 — [21] For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
• John 3:18 — [18] Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
• Acts 16:30-31 — [30] Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” [31] And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
• Rom. 3:22 — [22] the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Rom. 3:21-28 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 19 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WSC Q33 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. WLC Q70 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WSC Q33 · WLC Q70 · WLC Q71 · WLC Q72 · WLC Q73 · WCF 11.1 · BC 6.1 · BC 6.2 · BC 6.3 · 1689 11.1