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11.2 11.4

Of Justification

Section 11.3

Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to His Father’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.

See also in WSC: Q33 See also in WLC: Q70, Q71, Q72, Q73 Compare: Salvation: Calling, Justification, and Sanctification, Justification, Of Justification
Rom. 5:8, 9, 10, 19
[8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. [10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. [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.
1 Tim. 2:5, 6
[5] For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Heb. 10:10, 14
[10] And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. [14] For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Dan. 9:24, 26
[24] “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. [26] And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
Isa. 53:4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12
[4] Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. [5] But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned — every one — to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [10] Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. [11] Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. [12] Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Rom. 8:32
[32] He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
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.
Matt. 3:17
[17] and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Eph. 5:2
[2] And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Rom. 3:24
[24] and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Eph. 1:7
[7] In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Rom. 3:26
[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.
Eph. 2:7
[7] so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

This Section teaches that justification changes radically and permanently the relation which the subject of it sustains both to God and to the demands of the divine law, viewed as a condition of favour. Before justification, God is an angry Judge, holding the sentence of the

condemning law for a season in suspense. After justification, the law instead of condemning acquits, and demands that the subject be regarded and treated like a son, as i provided in the eternal covenant, and God, as a loving Father, proceeds to execute all the kind offices which belong to the new relation. This requires, of course, discipline and correction, as well as instruction and consolation.

All suffering is either mere calamity, when viewed aside from all intentional relation to human character; or penalty, when designed to satisfy justice for sin; or chastisement, when designed to correct and improve the offender. Irrespective of the economy of redemption, all suffering is to the reprobate instalments of the eternal penalty. After justification, all suffering, of whatever kind, is fatherly chastisement, designed to correct their faults and improve their graces. And as they came, in the first instance, to God in the exercise of repentance and faith in Christ, so must they always continue to return to him after every partial wandering and loss of his sensible favour in the exercise of the same repentance and faith ; and thus only can they hope to have his pardon sensibly renewed to them. Examine the proof-texts appended above to the text of this Section of the Confession.

Socinians deny that Christ made any real and proper satisfaction to divine justice in behalf of his people ; and their grand objection to this doctrine is, that it leaves no room for the exercise of grace in the salvation of sinners. Many modern writers, of a different class, deny that Christ satisfied retributive justice, and insist that he only satisfied public jus-

» See Owen on Justification, ch. xx. ; Dick's Lectures, vol. iii., pp 380-385 ; Hill's Lectures, vol. ii.. pp. 284,285 ; Tiirretin's Inst. Thee, L. 16, Q. 8; also Turretin's Exerc. Theol. text.— De Concord. Paul, et Jac.

134 CONFESSION OF FAITH. [[c HA P. XT.

tice ; consequently, they must maintain, that he neither discharged the debt of those who are justified, nor made a proper satisfaction in their behalf. Indeed, they hold that a debt of obedience or a debt of punishment, is, in its nature, intransferable ; of course, neither was transferred to Christ, and neither was paid by him. The demands of the law, in respect both of obedience and satisfaction, instead of being exacted by Jehovah, and fulfilled by Christ, are, in their opinion, by an act of divine sovereignty, " suspended, superceded, overruled." And the chief argument which they urge against the doctrine of " a proper, real, and full satisfaction" to divine justice is, " its excluding anything of the nature of grace from every part of the process of a sinner's salvation, excepting the original appointment of the Surety." The statement of our Confession, in this section, is directly opposed to these views; and in confirmation of it, we need only refer to the explicit testimony of the Scriptures. " By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." — Rom. v. 19. What stronger proof could we desire that Christ discharged the debt of obedience due by those who are justified ? " By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities," — Isa. liii, 11. " Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us."' — Gal. iii. 13. What words could more clearly convey the sentiment, that Christ endured the very penalty of the broken law, and thereby made " a proper, real, and full satisfaction to his Father's justice," in behalf of all whom he represented? But the justification of sinners, " through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," instead of excluding or obscuring, serves rather to illustrate the glory of the grace displayed in it. Grace shines in God's condescending to accept of the righteousness of a surety; still more in his providing the surety; above all, in giving his only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Besides, that faith by which we receive the righteousness of Christ is the gift of God.— Eph. ii. 8. " The glory of the gospel is, that g7-ace reigns through righteousness. Salvation is of grace ; but this grace comes to us in a way of righteousness. It is grace to us ; but it was brought about in such a way that all our debt was paid. This exhibits God as just as well as merciful. Just, in requiring full compensation to justice; and merciful, because it was he, and not the sinner, who provided the ransom." *

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11.2 11.4

Chapter 11: Of Justification

Justification by faith alone through the imputed righteousness of Christ

Of Justification

Section 11.1

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; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness, but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.

Of Justification

Section 11.2

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.

Of Justification

Section 11.3

Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to His Father’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.

Of Justification

Section 11.4

God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did, in the fulness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification: nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit doth, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.

Of Justification

Section 11.5

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 not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.

Of Justification

Section 11.6

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.