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So we come obviously to a topic 
that is of the utmost importance for Christianity to have a, truly 
to have a proper church and to truly have Christianity. We must 
have a proper doctrine of justification where a heretical doctrine of 
justification is there is no church and there is no Christianity. 
The importance we'll look at in a little more detail in a 
number of minutes here, but just to introduce this topic, a quote 
from C.H. Spurgeon. How shall man be just 
with God is a question of infinite importance to every child of 
Adam. A question, however, which could never have been answered 
if Jehovah had not manifested his sovereign grace towards his 
apostate creatures. Far from being a merely speculative 
point, it permeates the whole system of Christianity and lies 
at the foundation of personal religion and of all right views 
of the character and moral government of God. Whatever else may be 
considered indifferent or non-essential, this cannot be. It is a capital 
article of that faith which was once for all delivered to the 
saints, and a mistake here may prove eternally fatal. Well might 
Luther call it the article of a standing or falling church, 
the article on the reception or rejection of which the stability 
or subversion of the church depended. This isn't the stuff of millennial 
positions. You can reject post-millennialism 
in favor of all millennialism and still be safely within the 
fold of Christ. Pre-millennialism as well. But 
you cannot reject the doctrine, the biblical doctrine of justification 
and be found safely in the fold of Christ. You're outside saving 
religion if you reject the confessional presentation, and by that I mean 
the accurate presentation of the biblical doctrine of justification. You're outside of orthodoxy, 
outside of the church, outside of heaven, outside of Christian 
safety if you oppose this doctrine of justification and are found 
to err at this point. Some introductory matters here 
before we get into a definition of justification and some other 
things. I thought it might be good to have some Maybe some 
introductory stuff today and then two weeks from now we can 
look in more depth at the meat of these six paragraphs. First 
off, to note, justification touches upon or involves the following 
concepts. Justification isn't really found 
in a vacuum detached from other theological principles and other 
biblical truths. But rather, justification, again, 
touches upon or involves the following concepts. The pure 
and condemning law of God is clearly in view when we come 
to the topic of justification. And we'll see that as we move 
along. The sinner's standing or status before that law is, 
of course, concerned in the matter of justification. Covenant theology 
and federal headship are very important as we come to the stuff 
of justification because we'll touch upon the stuff of Adam 
and Christ as covenant or federal heads. The guiltiness of man, 
the righteousness of Christ, the cross of Calvary and the 
blood shed upon it, and the resurrection of Christ on the third day are 
all intimately connected to the doctrine of justification. The important marks of biblical 
justification we could say are fourfold, and these are just 
helps. This isn't you know, anything 
that should bind your conscience. But these four things, these 
important marks of biblical justification, help us. And we can see them 
certainly in the Bible, and we see them here in the Confession 
of Faith. And those marks are these. First, 
the author. Who is the author of justification? 
Well, we see here those whom God effectually calleth, he also 
freely justifieth. So the author is God. The ground 
or cause of justification we see is Christ's active obedience 
unto the whole law and passive obedience in his death. it says 
here for their whole and sole righteousness by faith so the 
correct it's not found in them whether in whole or in part but 
it is found wholly in Christ his active and passive obedience 
the act so again the important marks of biblical justification 
the author the ground or cause and thirdly the act of How is 
it that a sinner is justified? Is it by infusion of righteousness 
in them? No. as the confession rejects, 
but rather positively it is by imputing Christ's act of obedience 
unto the whole law and his passive obedience in his death for their 
whole and sole righteousness. So the act in justification is 
a divine, a juridical, legal, or forensic declaration that 
the elect sinner is righteous in the sight of God by virtue 
of what we've already stated is the ground of justification, 
Christ's act of obedience and his passive obedience. And then 
lastly, the instrument we see is by faith, which faith they 
have not of themselves. It is the gift of God, paragraph 
two. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, 
is the alone instrument of justification. So the instrument of justification 
is faith, and it is the alone instrument of justification. 
We are justified by faith alone, not by the works of the law. 
For by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified in 
God's sight. So those are the important marks 
of biblical justification, the author, the ground, the act, 
and the instrument. We're going to open that up more 
probably next week and in part as we move along this morning. 
But first off, the definition of justification. We'll look 
at a number of definitions, all of which are synonymous. They're 
restating in their own way the proper biblical doctrine of justification. And the first one that we'll 
look at is simply paragraph 1 of chapter 11. Because herein we 
have a very good statement, a very good definition of what justification 
is. There are some negations or some 
denials, and there are some positive affirmations that are very important 
to understand. Notice what paragraph 1 of chapter 
11 states, 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, not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, 
or any other evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness, 
but by imputing Christ's act of obedience unto the whole law 
and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole 
righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves, 
it is the gift of God." We need to appreciate that statement 
that our confession delivers to us because of its precision. Not that the framers of the confession 
are imprecise elsewhere, but at this important doctrine of 
justification, contrary to many statements of faith that you 
can find on church's websites out there that leave the doctrine 
of justification open to misinterpretation, open to aberrant views. This 
is a blessed straitjacket, if you will, that the conframers 
of the confession have given to us. There is no wiggle room. There is nowhere that we cannot 
come away from this paragraph and say that we have not been 
made known the precise and proper and blessed doctrine of justification 
because it opens it up and discloses, if you will, or elaborates upon 
the Bible's disclosure of what justification means and what 
it is. This is a very blessed paragraph. And as they do elsewhere, as 
they've done before, and as they'll do again, the framers of the 
confession here provide for us rejections In other words, they 
say what justification isn't very simply by these not statements. The first one is not by infusing 
righteousness into them. There is, and we'll get to this 
when we look at some of the theological climate with regards to justification 
and the upholding of the doctrine in the 17th century. But there 
are those out there, there were then and there are those now, 
who teach that justification is an infusing of righteousness 
in the believer. So a progressive making of the 
sinner righteous. So it's not an alien righteousness, 
it's not the righteousness of Christ, but rather it is God 
working in an individual progressively a growth in righteousness. We 
know that, of course, as sanctification. God does, actually. Some of the 
old boys who affirm biblical justification at this point would 
use the language infusion of righteousness, but they would 
use it at the point of sanctification. They would use it at the point 
of progressive sanctification. Justification, biblically understood, 
has no room for the infusion of righteousness, but rather 
rejects it at every stop. Notice there's another not here. 
Not for anything wrought in them or done by them, but for Christ's 
sake alone. So justification, of course, 
they want to reject very clearly any notion that we can be justified 
by deeds done by ourselves, that we can by our own works or our 
own deeds merit this declaration of righteousness. It is not for 
anything wrought in them or done by them. but for Christ's sake 
alone. And then we have another not 
here, not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any 
other evangelical obedience to them. So it isn't our faith that 
justifies us. When we say justified by faith 
alone, we're not saying that our faith or our act of believing 
justifies us. That's not what we're saying. 
There are those within evangelical Christianity There were those 
within the pale of the Protestant Reformation who said that, that 
it is our act of believing that justifies us. That's not what 
the Bible says when we're justified by faith. It is not saying that 
our believing justifies us. As one man says, our psychic 
act of faith, not seeing future events, but rather our mental 
act of assenting to the truth does not justify us. That's not 
what we say when we are saying we're justified by faith. Another definition, of course, 
that you're probably familiar with is the Westminster Shorter 
Catechism, number 33. We are accounted righteous. Excuse 
me. 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." Wonderful, concise 
definition of justification. Backing up a little bit, it's 
important to know, maybe not important to know, but good to 
know, that there is really no substantial difference between 
the Westminster Statement of Faith or Westminster Confession 
of Faith, the Savoy Declaration, as compared with our Baptist 
Confession of Faith here. They're very similar. There are 
some subtle additions or changes to the language, no theological 
changes, no real meaningful terminological changes necessarily. They are 
very, very similar. The 39 articles of the Church 
of England defines justification this way. Article 11 of their 
39 articles is very good at this point of justification. Now, 
Anglicans everywhere would, not all Anglicans would, of course, 
affirm this definition of justifications, some being more papistical or 
popish in their doctrine would reject this particular definition, 
but it is a good one. We are accounted righteous before 
God only for the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 
by faith. and not for our own works or 
deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified 
by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine and very full of comfort 
as more largely is expressed in the homily of justification." 
So they are rejecting works or deservings and they are saying 
that it is only the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 
that is the grounds of our justification. That is a good statement. And 
the Belgic Confession as well, Article 22. In fact, I believe 
it's under the section on faith, which in my own reading, reads 
better than their section on justification as far as the definition 
of justification. And therefore, we justly say 
with Paul that we are justified by faith alone or by faith apart 
from works. However, we do not mean properly 
speaking that it is faith itself that justifies us. For faith 
is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness 
in making available to us all his merits and all the holy works 
he has done for us in our place. And faith is the instrument that 
keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. It's 
a very good statement. It speaks to the substitutionary 
nature of Christ's provision. It speaks to Christ being our 
righteousness. And it speaks to the fact, of 
course, that faith is only the instrument. It is not that which 
justifies us. So some good definitions there 
with regards to justification. Now get your Bibles at the ready 
here because we want to look at the importance of justification. The importance of justification. And we want to look at five things 
under this. This isn't exhausting, you know, 
those things that constitute or, you know, sort of help us 
understand the importance of justification, but five things 
that we want to consider with regards to the importance of 
justification. The first thing is a denial of 
the biblical doctrine of justification is a damnable position. The importance 
of justification is that if we are found to be in error at this 
point, then we are outside of saving religion. You can turn 
to the book of Galatians for a moment, and you no doubt know 
where I'm going to with this particular point, because the 
doctrine of justification is central to Paul's letter to the 
churches of Galatia. What was going on, you'll remember, 
is that there were those who were perverting the gospel of 
grace by saying that a man must be circumcised according to the 
law of Moses to truly be justified before the sight of God. Adherence 
to the Mosaic institutions as a means of being justified. Christ, 
it is good to believe in him, But you need these X, Y, and 
Z elements of the Mosaic codification to enter into bliss and be accepted 
before God. Circumcision being primarily 
in view with regards to this aberrant view of justification. And notice Paul's condemnation. 
Let's begin reading in Galatians 1 at verse 6. Because this stresses, 
no doubt, the importance of justification by faith alone. Galatians 1, 
beginning in verse 6, I marvel that you are turning away so 
soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different 
gospel, which is not another. But there are some who trouble 
you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or 
an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what 
we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said 
before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel 
to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. What is 
at stake here are the eternal souls of sinners. If we have an aberrant view of 
justification, if we are in error at this blessed doctrine, then 
we are damned, we are accursed, we are devoted to destruction. Galatians 2 and verse 16 gives 
us this clear Pauline doctrine of justification. rejecting any 
notion of men's works, rejecting any notion of importing deeds 
wrought in holiness of heart, whether in whole or in part, 
we read in 2.16, knowing that a man is not justified by the 
works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. even we have 
believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith 
in Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of 
the law no flesh shall be justified." The repetition of rejecting works 
and affirming faith alone is should be quite clear to us here 
not by works of the law but by faith in Christ and then the 
implication notice verse 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, 
for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in 
vain." That's where the rubber meets the road. That's where 
we really get down to the heart of the matter. If justification, 
whether in whole or in the smallest part, is from or through the 
law, then Christ died in vain. The work of Christ, messianic 
undertaking, all that he did in the stead of the elect is 
in vain if we can somehow garner divine favor by deeds done in 
holiness of heart, by our own works, by our own merit. So a denial of the biblical doctrine 
of justification is a damnable position. One quote on the importance 
of justification, John Calvin, if the purity of this doctrine 
is in any degree impaired, the church has received a deadly 
wound and brought to the very brink of destruction. Whenever 
the knowledge of it is taken away, the glory of Christ is 
extinguished, religion abolished, the church destroyed, and the 
hope of salvation utterly overthrown. To tamper in the smallest way 
with justification is to lead the church in that direction. 
A togetherness at the point of justification to somehow water 
down the definition that we have been delivered to us, what the 
Bible discloses to us, to water that down and to accept others 
in fellowship for whatever purpose. is to betray our Christ, to betray 
our God, and to bring the church to the brink of destruction. 
Departures. Secondly, departures from the 
biblical doctrine of justification diminish the holiness and justice 
of God. There's so many things at stake 
with the departure from biblical justification, and one of them 
is if we depart from the biblical doctrine of justification, we 
diminish the holiness and the justice of God. Back up to chapter 
2 for a moment. Chapter 2. In the Confession. Sorry, not in Galatians if you're 
still there. Most of you understood what I said, so that's good. 
If you didn't, that's fine, because I was confusing. Chapter 2. In the Confession. And paragraph 
1. A definition of God contains 
the language of the purity of His holiness and the purity of 
his justice, and the fact that he does not clear the guilty. 
Notice beginning, well, let's see, beginning in, at every way 
infinite. You can see on the left-hand 
margin there, near the middle, God is every way infinite, most 
holy, most wise, most free, most absolute. working all things 
according to the counsel of his own immutable and most righteous 
will, for his own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, 
abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, 
and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, and 
with all most just and terrible in his judgments, hating all 
sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty." You see, God 
is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His holiness and in His justice. We cannot, in the sinfulness 
of our own hearts, whether unregenerate or regenerate, merit or somehow 
bring us to the point before the bar of infinite divine justice 
to where God clears us because of things that we have done. 
He will by no means clear the guilty. His holiness and his 
justice demands purity, perfection, demands a perpetual and perfect 
obedience. And we cannot render that, whether 
in whole and of course certainly not in part. The departure from 
the biblical doctrine of justification diminishes the holiness and the 
justice of God. Language of the of the confession 
is probably coming from two points. We'll read one of them. You can 
turn to Exodus 34. Exodus 34. Nahum 1, 2, and 3 
would be the other text that the confession is echoing with 
regards to the holiness of God, the justice of God, the fact 
that he will not clear the guilty. Notice Exodus 34 and verse 7. that God is keeping mercy for 
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by 
no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the 
fathers upon the children and the children's children to the 
third and the fourth generation. A proper understanding of who 
God is, a proper understanding definition of God must contain 
the fact that he will by no means clear the guilty, that he is 
most holy, most just, and terrible in his judgments. And a diminution, 
a diminishing of justification, a erring at this point, causes 
us to diminish the holiness and the justice of God. Note also, 
in fact, if we turn back to chapter 11, notice something that we see 
in justification when God, the author of justification, imputes 
the righteousness of Christ to those whom he effectually calls, 
there is something that is demonstrated in this. And notice paragraph 
3, right at the end, that our justification is only of free 
grace that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be 
glorified in the justification of sinners. Isn't that glorious? 
We see the justice of God perfectly demonstrated in justification, 
and we see the grace of God perfectly demonstrated in the justification 
of sinners. If we diminish, if we depart 
from this biblical doctrine of justification, then we diminish 
the holiness and the justice of God. Thirdly, departures from 
the biblical doctrine of justification contradict the most free purpose 
of God in his eternal decree. You see, at the point of justification, 
maybe we've understood in part already, but we need to understand 
that there are so many connections to other doctrines. We've just 
looked at one, the doctrine of God. The doctrine of justification, 
to depart from it affects our view of God. and diminishes a 
proper definition of who God is and what he is marked by in 
his perfections. It also affects the decree of 
God. We just stated that departures 
from the biblical doctrine of justification contradict the 
most free purpose of God in his eternal decree. You can turn 
to chapter 3 for a moment in our confession. Chapter 3, specifically 
paragraph 5. Well, paragraphs 5 and 6. Hopefully you can see the connection 
here. If we depart from the biblical doctrine of justification, it 
affects God in the sovereignty of his eternal decree. Notice 
paragraph 5 of chapter 3. Those of mankind that are predestinated 
to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid according 
to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret counsel 
and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ unto everlasting 
glory out of his mere free grace and love without any other thing 
in the creature as a condition or cause moving him thereunto. You see the blessings, the fruits 
of predestination and election come to us in time and they're 
delivered wholly and completely out of God's mere free grace 
and love without anything in the creature as a condition moving 
him thereunto. So we cannot be justified by 
our own faith. Faith is not a condition, a conditional 
cause of our justification. Works certainly are not the cause 
of our justification or the grounds of our justification, but rather, 
first, the mere free grace and eternal love of God. And of course, 
the grounds being the righteousness of Christ Himself. Notice chapter 
3 in paragraph 6, As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, 
so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will 
foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who are elected 
being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called 
unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season, are justified. adopted, sanctified, and kept 
by his power through faith unto salvation. So you see the predestination 
and election are born out in time and in history in God's 
appointed and accepted time and the fruits of those things come 
in their proper and ordained order. We're effectually called. 
We're regenerated through effectual calling. We're given faith and 
repentance. We are justified, adopted, sanctified, 
et cetera. All of that to say that departure 
from biblical justification contradicts the most free purpose of God 
and his eternal decree. Where do we see this in our Bibles? 
Well, you can turn to Romans 8. Romans 8, among other places 
to be sure, but Romans 8 delivers to us a text that shows that 
glorious chain of salvation with regards to effectual calling, 
justification, glorification, linking it to predestination. In Romans 8, verse 28, beginning 
there, we read and we know that all things work together for 
good to those who love God, to those who are the called according 
to His purpose, for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed 
to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among 
many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, 
these He also called, whom He called, these He also justified, 
and whom He justified, these He also glorified." Any other 
doctrine of justification must have some conception of a theological 
universe where God isn't sovereign over all things and he isn't 
sovereign over the matter of man's salvation. Only in the 
biblical doctrine of justification is God's eternal and free and 
immutable purpose upheld, his sovereignty upheld, and his free 
grace upheld as well. Departures from the biblical 
doctrine of justification lessen the severity of sin and steal 
from the exclusivity of Christ as Savior. One more time. Departures from the biblical 
doctrine of justification lessen the severity of sin and steal 
from the exclusivity of Christ as Savior. You can turn to chapter 
6 for a moment. Chapter 6 in paragraph 3. On this point, again, that the 
biblical doctrine of justification, if departed from, will lessen 
the severity of sin and steal from the exclusivity of Christ 
as Savior. Notice chapter 6, paragraph 3, 
speaking of Adam and Eve, they being the root, and by God's 
appointment, standing in the room instead of all mankind, 
the guilt of the sin was imputed, and corrupted nature conveyed 
to all their posterity descending from them by ordinary generation, 
being now conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, 
the servants of sin, the subjects of death, and all other miseries, 
spiritual, temporal, and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them 
free." So you see, if we are to be set free, We cannot be 
set free or in the case of justification, we cannot be declared righteous 
by our own works, whether in whole or in part. We cannot be 
justified by the exercise of our faith or the act of believing 
because we are in such a state as the paragraph summarizes here. Children of wrath, servants of 
sin, subjects of death, and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal, 
and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free. We are in 
such a state that if we depart from the biblical doctrine of 
justification, we lessen the severity of what the confession 
says at this point. summarizing the biblical data. 
It is only Jesus Christ himself that can set us free. First, 
of course, by the spoils of his blessed redemption coming to 
our souls in regeneration through effectual calling. But as well, 
at the point of justification, it is he alone who can justify 
us by his act of impassive obedience. And so to say that there is anything 
else that justifies us whether works, or whether the act of 
believing, or anything else, is to sully the exclusivity of 
Christ as Savior and to cast soil upon his perfect obedience 
in the cross of his redeeming perfection. Where do we see this? Well, I 
think we could turn to Romans 3 for one place. Romans chapter 3. where we see both the severity 
of sin as well as the exclusivity of Christ as Savior at the point 
of justification. Romans 3, beginning in verse 
21. Remember, we should hear echoes, 
if you will, of Romans 1, 18 here when we now have, but now 
the righteousness of God. Remember in verse 18 of chapter 
1, the wrath of God is revealed Now we have righteousness of 
God. But now the righteousness of God, apart from the law, is 
revealed. Again, this is 321. Being witnessed 
by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God 
through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference, for 
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Being justified 
freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ 
Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through 
faith to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance God 
had passed over the sins that were previously committed to 
demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might 
be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." 
Beautiful statement. Bringing to the fore the law 
of God, man's sinfulness before it, the fact that we all fall 
short of the glory of God, but then the answer to sin's severity 
being found in the free grace of God and the justifying victory 
of Christ in his righteousness. It's a blessed passage that brings 
together so many theological truths. But again, departures 
from the biblical doctrine of justification lessen the severity 
of sin and steal from the exclusivity of Christ as Savior. What are 
we saying when we say we are justified even in part by works, 
we're saying that Christ is not exclusively Savior, but that 
in some measure, in some way, we save ourselves. Christ no 
longer is exclusively the Savior of men if men in some way contribute 
to their own salvation, to their own justification. If we have 
this view that our act of believing justifies us before God, then 
we're saying that Christ isn't exclusively the Savior because 
salvation demands the exercise of our own wills, the exercise 
of our own minds to merit divine favor. Christ is no longer then 
exclusively the Savior. Departures, lastly, from the, 
sorry about that, departures from the biblical doctrine of 
justification steal away the believer's peace. Departures 
from the biblical doctrine of justification steal away the 
believer's peace. We no longer have the proper 
and solid rock or ground of peace if we say that our act of believing 
or our own deeds merit God's divine favor. We could go to 
passages such as, we're in the book of Romans, you could turn 
to Romans 5 for a moment, because there we have clearly justification 
linked to peace. Therefore, having been justified 
by faith, Romans 5, 1, we have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Blessed text that comes to the 
soul of every true believer and brings the greatest of comforts. Therefore, having been justified 
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that wonderful? Romans 
8.1. Romans 8.1. There is therefore 
now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who 
do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 
You see, remember that great statement of victory in 1 Corinthians 
15. Oh, death, where is your victory? 
Oh, Hades, where is your sting? What is the point there that 
Christ has taken away the condemnation for sin for all those who believe? It connects greatly to Romans 
8.1. There is no condemnation for 
those who are in Christ Jesus. The thunderings of Sinai come 
to men, and he is to be terrified. But the believer, the thunderings 
of Sinai come to him, and while there might be a reverential 
awe when the law is opened up for a believer, but there is 
no true terror because Christ the substitute, Christ the true 
vicar, Christ the one who is the grounds for our righteousness, 
for our justification, who is our righteousness, who is our 
peace, brings the greatest of peace to our souls because he 
has bore the wrath he has taken the punishment, he has provided 
the righteousness, and we in him are safe and secure. So again, 
departures from the biblical doctrine of justification steal 
away the believer's peace. And we ought to, we could reverse 
all of these things that we looked at, these five points, and of 
course find their contrary, their blessed contrary. An affirmation 
of the biblical doctrine of justification is an evidence that one is safely 
within the fold of Christ. An affirmation of the proper 
biblical doctrine of justification upholds the holiness and the 
justice of God. We didn't look at that text in 
Proverbs 17, where to acquit the wicked is an abomination 
to the Lord, but also to acquit the wicked and to condemn the 
righteous. Those things are abominations 
before the Lord. Justification answers that divine 
indicative, that divine truth. Justification comes and it answers 
that. Because in Christ Jesus, we have 
the righteous, if you will, punished, but by imputation. And by the 
contrary, for us, We have the wicked acquitted by virtue of 
the imputation of Christ to the elect. But we have justice answered. Departures from the biblical 
doctrine of justification or rather affirmations of the biblical 
doctrine of justification uphold the free purpose of God and his 
eternal decree. Affirmations don't lessen the 
severity but rather uphold the reality of sin and do not steal 
from but uphold the exclusivity of Christ as savior. And then, 
of course, the proper doctrine of justification upholds and 
is a boon to the believer's peace. Now, we want to look at the theological 
climate as we close here. Again, we're going to look at 
it in more detail, open up some of the definitions, what it means, 
and those sorts of things in two weeks' time. But the theological 
climate or landscape with regards to justification and the things 
that are behind the denials and affirmations in the Confession 
of Faith at this particular chapter. First off, positively, the Baptists 
echo the Presbyterians and the Congregationalists before them. 
The Westminster Confession of Faith framed its confession bringing 
out Chapter 11 of justification, the Savoy, declaration, the Congregationalists 
followed them, and the Baptists, to show their affinity with Protestant 
reform doctrine, the biblical doctrine of justification, echoed 
the same chapter on justification. Now, when we get to these points 
where we see not by infusing righteousness, not for anything 
wrought in them, not by imputing faith itself, there are probably 
three things that are in view, three errors that are in view, 
or three contemporary Three contemporary religious approaches to justification 
that are in view. The first is Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism teaching that 
it is by an infused righteousness into us that we are justified 
before God. Canon 9 of the Council of Trent 
wrote or speaks this way. This is bad for anyone listening. 
This isn't a definition of justification. Oh, it is, but it's a bad one, 
and it's Roman Catholic. If anyone saith that by faith 
alone the impious is justified, in such wise as to mean that 
nothing else is required to cooperate in order to the obtaining the 
grace of justification, and that it is not in any way necessary 
that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will, 
let him be anathema. So you see the Council of Trent 
is answering the Protestant Reformation, but you see that their definition 
is in stark contrast to the Pauline condemnation given in Galatians 
1, 6 to 9. They're actually, it's almost 
as if they are speaking with the poison mouths of the heretics 
that Paul is condemning and answering Paul back by saying, no, you're 
wrong, Paul. This is what justification is. 
It's horrible. Canon 12 of the Council of Trent. If anyone shall say that justifying 
faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy, pardoning 
sins for Christ's sake, or that it is that confidence alone by 
which we are all justified, let him be accursed. Canon 24. If anyone saith that the justice 
received is not preserved and also increased before God through 
good works, but that the said works are merely the fruits and 
signs of justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase 
thereof, let him be anathema." You see what they're saying? 
Justification is a process. And if anyone says that works 
do not contribute and that justification is not increased by our own contributions, 
let him be anathema. It's a horrible position, of 
course, standing outside biblical Christianity. Condemning, in 
fact. biblical Christianity, all the while saying that they 
are the true expression of it. Canon 30, if anyone saith that 
after the grace of justification has been received to every penitent 
sinner, the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment 
is blotted out in such wise that there remains not any debt of 
temporal punishment to be discharged, either in this world or in the 
next in purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven 
can be opened to him, let him be anathema. In other words, 
they're saying that Paul was wrong to write, therefore, having 
been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Any regenerate soul would come 
to the Council of Trent and see its horror and see its poison. 
The Anabaptists would also be in view. The Anabaptists would be in view 
at this, in chapter 11, paragraph 1 here, in the denials, saying 
what justification isn't. This is Phil Johnson citing Timothy 
George in the Theology of the Reformers. They denied the forensic 
nature, the Anabaptists did, they denied the forensic nature 
of justification and insisted that the only ground on which 
sinners can be acceptable to God is a real righteousness wrought 
within the justified person. Menno Simons and Anabaptists 
generally did not accept Luther's forensic doctrine of justification 
by faith alone because they saw it as an impediment to the true 
doctrine of a lively faith which issues in holy living. We'll 
spend more time on this next time, but the improper, well 
it's always improper, the confusion of justification and sanctification, 
the blurring, if you will, of justification and sanctification, 
bringing them together in a sense, mingling them so that both justification 
really and sanctification are lost. But you see the Anabaptists 
were not just a little wrong, they were off on justification, 
really off. Armenians are also in view. You see, very often I think we 
can as Calvinists assume that Armenians just got sovereignty 
wrong. or that Armenians, you know, they just get, you know, 
they get effectual calling and they, I mean, these are all bad, 
but they get effectual calling and, you know, faith flip-flopped 
or faith and regeneration and that sort of thing, all of which 
are bad in and of themselves, but they get justification wrong 
as well. These are, the first is Maccobius 
speaking of an Arminian tenet that we are not justified before 
we believe. Or excuse me, this is actually 
a statement with regards to, yeah, with regards to that statement. The act of believing, which is, 
or excuse me, let me back up, let me back up, let's clarify, 
let's delete that, let's pretend I never said that. This is John 
Gill. speaking with regards to justification and what Arminians 
believe. The act of believing which is a part of sanctification 
is not imputed to us for justification as Arminius and his followers 
have asserted, endeavoring to establish this notion from passages 
in Romans 4, 3, 5, and 9, where faith is said to be counted for 
righteousness. particularly the faith of Abraham, 
by which the apostle means not the act, but the object of faith, 
even the righteousness of Christ, which God, in verse six, is said 
to impute without works. And then he notes that Maccobius 
spoke of the Arminian tenet, which was that we are not justified 
before we believe. So the idea here, though, as 
Gil is saying, that Arminius and his followers asserted that 
it is the act of believing that is imputed to us. That's why 
the confession here says, not by imputing faith itself or the 
act of believing. And then the biblical commentator 
and Arminian, Adam Clark, wrote this with regards to justification. To say that Christ's personal 
righteousness is imputed to every true believer is not scriptural. to say that he has fulfilled 
all righteousness for us in our stead, if by this is meant his 
fulfillment of all moral duties is neither scriptural nor true. 
In no part of the book of God is Christ's righteousness ever 
said to be imputed to us for our justification." What a horrible 
statement. You see, Arminians don't just 
get a little bit of sovereignty and a little bit of salvation 
wrong, they get justification wrong, and that is grave error. 
More on the importance of justification, Francis Turretin writes in his 
Institutes of Olympic Theology, this must be handled with the 
greater care and accuracy as this saving doctrine is of the 
greatest importance in religion. It is called by Luther the article 
of a standing in a falling church. By other Christians, it is termed 
the characteristic and basis of Christianity, not without 
reason, the principal rampart of the Christian religion. This 
being adulterated or subverted, it is impossible to retain purity 
of doctrine in other places. Hence, Satan, in every way, has 
endeavored to corrupt this doctrine in all ages, as has been done 
especially by the papacy. Thomas Watson in A Body of Divinity, 
justification is the very hinge and pillar of Christianity, An 
error about justification is dangerous, like a defect in a 
foundation. Justification by Christ is a 
spring of the water of life. To have the poison of corrupt 
doctrine cast into this spring is damnable." And then finally, 
Archibald Alexander and his treatise on justification. But a sound 
view of this point is intimately connected. with correct opinions 
on all other articles of primary importance. And an error here 
cannot but vitiate the whole system of theology of which it 
forms a part. This is a central and a cardinal 
point of theoretical as well as practical religion. And the 
degree of error on other articles may be inferred from the degree 
of departure from the truth in regard to this. You see the importance 
of justification as we go through a study of this doctrine as we 
continue it in two weeks' time, hopefully we've got a little 
bit of the understanding, no doubt you knew already, the importance 
of justification. It is not something that we can 
take or leave. A proper definition and a precise 
definition of justification, lest we imbibe the toxic poison 
of Romanism, of Arminianism, of the Anabaptist theology, of 
anybody who errs at the point of justification, We must see 
it as of vital importance to Christianity as a characteristic 
in the perfect rampart of our high and holy profession. Let's 
close in prayer and then if there are any other questions afterwards, 
feel free to ask away. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 
we pray that you would help us as we study this doctrine to 
rejoice in it, to know it, to see its importance, to glory 
in the fact that Christ is our righteousness and our peace. 
We thank you that we are justified, not by the deeds of the law, 
but by faith in Christ Jesus, that by faith we receive and 
rest upon Christ his righteousness, seen in his active and his passive 
obedience. We know that our righteousness 
does not come from works. It does not come from our act 
of believing, but rather we have an alien righteousness, the righteousness 
of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone. And we pray that 
we would rejoice in salvation from such a God, secured from 
such a Christ. We would sing the praises of 
our triune God as we move into worship. We would rejoice in 
the gospel and that we would sing the praises of your grace. 
And it's in Christ's name that we pray. Amen.