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The Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger Catechism
1. Those whom God effectually calls he also freely justifies.[1] He does not pour righteousness into them but pardons their sins and looks on them and accepts them as if they were righteous–not because of anything worked in them or done by them, but for Christ's sake alone. He does not consider their faith itself, the act of believing, as their righteousness or any other obedient response to the gospel on their part. Rather, he imputes to them the obedience and judicial satisfaction earned by Christ.[2] For their part, they receive and rest on Christ and his righteousness by faith (and this faith is not their own but is itself a gift of God).[3]
[2] Rom 4:5-8, 2 Cor 5:19,21, Rom 3:22,24-25,27-28, Ti 3:5,7, Eph 1:7, Jer 23:6, 1 Cor 1:30-31, Rom 5:17-19.
[3] Acts 10:43-44, Gal 2:16, Phil 3:9, Acts 13:38-39, Eph 2:7-8, Jn 1:12, 6:44-45, Phil 1:29.
2. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the only means of justification.[4] In the person justified, however, it is always accompanied by all the other saving graces and is not a dead faith, but works by love.[5]
[4] Jn 1:12, Rom 3:28, 5:1, Jn 3:16,18,36.
3. By his obedience and death Christ completely discharged the debt of all those who are so justified, and he made the correct, real, and full satisfaction to his Father's justice on their behalf.[6] Since Christ was voluntarily given by the Father for them,[7] and since his obedience and satisfaction were accepted in their place[8] and not for anything in them, their justification is the result only of his free grace[9]–so that both the perfect justice and the rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.[10]
[6] Rom 5:8-10,18-19, 1 Tm 2:5-6, Heb 10:10,14, Dn 9:24,26, Is 53:4-6,10-12, 1 Cor 15:3, 2 Cor 5:21, 1 Pt 2:24, 3:18.
[8] 2 Cor 5:21, Mt 3:17, Eph 5:2, Is 53:6.
[9] Rom 3:24, Eph 1:7, Rom 6:23, Eph 2:6-9.
4. From all eternity God decreed the justification of all the elect,[11] and in the fullness of time Christ died for their sins and rose again for their justification.[12] Nevertheless, the elect are not justified until the Holy Spirit in due time does actually apply Christ to them.[13]
[11] Gal 3:8, 1 Pt 1:2,19-20, Rom 8:30.
[12] Gal 4:4, 1 Tm 2:6, Rom 4:25, 1 Pt 1:21.
[13] Col 1:21-22, Gal 2:16, Ti 3:4-7, Jn 3:5,18,36.
5. God continues to forgive the sins of those who are justified.[14] Although they can never fall from the state of justification,[15] they may by their sins come under God's fatherly displeasure and not have a sense of his presence with them until they humble themselves, confess their sins, ask for forgiveness, and renew their faith in repentance.[16]
[14] Mt 6:12, 1 Jn 1:7,9, 2:1-2.
[15] Lk 22:32, Jn 10:28, Heb 10:14, Phil 1:6, 1 Jn 2:19; see proofs under Chapter 17.
[16] Ps 89:31-33, 51:7-12, 32:5, Mt 26:75, 1 Cor 11:30,32, Lk 1:20.
6. The justification of believers under the Old Testament was in all these respects identical with the justification of believers under the New Testament.[17]
[17] Gal 3:6-9,13-14, Rom 4:22-24, Heb 13:8, 11:13, Jn 8:56, Acts 15:11, Rom 3:30.
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