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Q33. What is justification?

Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

Proof texts

• Rom. 3:24-25 — [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.
• Rom. 4:6-8 — [6] just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: [7] “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; [8] blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
• 2 Cor. 5:19,21 — [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. [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.
• Rom. 5:17-19 — [17] For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. [18] Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. [19] For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
• 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.
• Phil. 3:9 — [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 —

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Rom. 3:24-25 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 6 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. WLC Q70 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. WLC Q71 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

WLC Q70 · WLC Q71 · WLC Q72 · WLC Q73 · HC Q59 · BC 6.1 · BC 6.2 · BC 6.3