WCF 11.2
Westminster Confession of Faith
11.2. Of Justification
Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.
Proof texts
- John 1:12 — [12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
- Rom. 3:28 — [28] For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
- Rom. 5:1 — [1] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Jam. 2:17, 22, 26
- Gal. 5:6 — [6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
For discussion
- The Assembly cited John 1:12 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
- 5 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
- WSC Q33 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
- 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 · HC Q59 · BC 6.1 · BC 6.2 · BC 6.3 · 1689 11.1 · SC60 5.1 · SC60 5.2 · SC60 5.3 · SC60 5.4 · IAR 5.6 · SHC 5.1 · SHC 5.2 · SHC 5.3 · SD 11.1
Leader's notes
A Commentary on the Confession of Faith (A.A. Hodge): These Sections teach the following propositions : 1st. All those and only those whom God has eifectually called he also freely justifies. 2d. This justification is a purely judicial act of God as Judge, whereby he pardons all the sins of a believer, and accounts, accepts and treats him as a person righteous in the eye of the divine law. 21 * 245 3d. That this justifying act proceeds upon the imputation or crediting to the believer by God of the righteousness of his great Eepresentative and Surety, Jesus Christ. 4th. That the essential and sole condition upon which this righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer is, that he exercises faith in or on Christ as his righteousness…
An Exposition of the Confession of Faith (Robert Shaw): I The doctrine of justification by faith holds a most imI portant place in the Christian system. It was justly termed by Luther, articuliis stantis xel cadentis ecclesice — the test of a standing or of a falling Church. In the Church of Rome this doctrine was most grossly corrupted ; and it was eminently through the preaching of the scriptural doctrine of justification that the reformation from Popery was effected. Even in the Protestant Churches, however, pernicious errors in regard to this subject have been widely disseminated, and at difi^erent periods have produced much acrimonious controversy. In our Confession, the scriptural doctrine of justification is accurately discriminated from the various forms of error ; and, in the progress of…