REPENTANCE RENOUNCES; FAITH GOES OUT

 THOMAS WATSON Self-renunciation. Faith is going out of one's self, being taken off from our own merits, and seeing we have no righteousness of our own. "Not having my own righteousness." Self-righteousness is a broken reed, which the soul dares not lean on. Repentance and faith are both humbling graces; by repentance a man abhors himself; by faith he goes out of himself. As Israel in their wilderness march, behind them saw Pharaoh and his chariots pursuing, before them the Red Sea ready to devour; so the sinner behind sees God's justice pursuing him for sin, before, hell ready to devour him; and in this forlorn condition, he sees nothing in himself to help—but he must perish unless he can find help in another.

Quotes from Luther

 Luther: We, on the other hand, teach and comfort an afflicted sinner this way: “Brother, it is impossible for you to become so righteous in this life that your body is as clear and spotless as the sun. You still have spots and wrinkles (Eph. 5:27), and yet you are holy.” But you say: “How can I be holy when I have sin and am aware of it?” “That you feel and acknowledge sin—this is good. Thank God, and do not despair. It is one step toward health when a sick man admits and confesses his disease.” “But how will I be liberated from sin?” “Run to Christ, the Physician, who heals the contrite of heart and saves sinners. Believe in Him. If you believe, you are righteous, because you attribute to God the glory of being almighty, merciful, truthful, etc. You justify and praise God. In short, you attribute divinity and everything to Him. And the sin that still remains in you is not imputed but is forgiven for the sake of Christ, in whom you believe and who is perfectly righteous in a formal sense. His righteousness is yours; your sin is His.”

Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 26 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 233.

THE SERVER NOT THE CHEF

 The preacher needs to realize that God’s Word is not the preacher’s word. He is to recognize himself as a messenger, not an originator. He is a sower, not the source. He is a herald, not the authority, He is a steward, not the owner, He is the guide, not the author. He is the server of spiritual food, not the chef.

~John MacArthur

Possession of Faith versus of Profession of Faith

 You are not justified by a profession of

faith. You are justified by a possession

of it. You can't manipulate that. Only the

Holy Spirit can convert. Only the Holy

Spirit can change the disposition of the

soul and regenerate that person who is

dead in sin and trespasses. We can't force

that. And when we do? We put people

at everlasting peril by giving them a false

sense of security! RC Sproul

Faith is not giving but receiving.

 Cast away all idea of work, or merit, or doing or performing, or paying, or giving, or buying, or labouring, in the act of believing on Christ.

Faith is not giving, but taking, — not paying, but receiving— not buying, but being enriched. —JC Ryle, Old Paths, Pg. 160

Predestination Must Be Taught

 

"..the doctrine of God's eternal predestination is

so necessary to the Church of God, that, without

the same, can faith neither be truly taught,

neither surely established: man can never be

brought to true humility and knowledge of

himself: neither yet can he be ravished in

admiration of God's goodness, and so moved to

praise him as appertaineth."

John Knox

Another Kovach Post on Justification

 SUMMARY OF THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION

The Scripture doctrine of justification may be briefly summed up in the following particulars.

1. It is God who justifies.

2. Justification is wholly gratuitous, without merit and without any works of our own, as its ground.

3. The merit of Christ, as Mediator, expressed in Scripture by his righteousness, his obedience, his blood, his death, his life, his sacrifice—is the true and only meritorious ground of a sinner's pardon and acceptance.

4. The justification of the ungodly includes the remission of sins, by which often it is expressed in Scripture; but it also includes their acceptance as righteous, for the sake of Christ's perfect righteousness reckoned to their account.

5. Justification is by faith, as the instrument of union to Christ, and the reception of his righteousness.

6. The faith which justifies is always a living, operative, fruitful faith. No one is justified by a faith which is alone, or unattended with good works.

7. Justification and sanctification, though inseparably connected, and equally necessary to salvation, are nevertheless distinct blessings of the new covenant; and the latter is the only certain evidence of the possession of the former.

8. Justification takes place at the moment of believing, and is as perfect at once as it can ever be, and there can be no place for a second justification in the sight of God, and in relation to his law; but there is a manifestation of the genuineness of our faith and sincerity of our profession, both in this world and at the day of judgment, which is also sometimes called justification.

9. No plan of justification which does not make a complete provision for the satisfaction of all the demands of law and justice, is honorable to God or agreeable to Scripture. By this single test may all erroneous theories of justification be tried and condemned.

The importance of the doctrine of a sinner's justification before God, is not exceeded by that of any other in the whole circle of divine truth. Without justification it is evident that no man can be saved. It is then a vital subject. Eternal life is involved in it. For let it be considered, that there is here no middle ground. He who is not in a state of justification must be in a state of condemnation; and if he continues in that state, he must perish forever. One unpardoned sin will sink the soul to hell. What then must be the condition of sinners who are pressed down with the guilt of innumerable transgressions? Justification must never be considered without reference to the believer’s union with Christ. The justified person is found “in Christ” (Phil 3:8-9). Union with Christ is central to the believer’s whole salvation from effectual calling to glorification and justification is one of the crucial elements and must never be isolated from the rest (Rom 8:30). This does not make superfluous the truth concerning the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. The imputation of Christ’s righteousness not union with Christ is the ground of our justification. Justification is based not only upon the Spirit’s work of regeneration and renewal but more importantly on the person and work of Christ. He is the Suffering Servant of whom Isaiah prophesied. The guilt of God’s people was transferred to him and he paid the price by receiving the punishment due, and the obedient Servant’s righteousness was transferred to them so that they were accounted righteous (Isa 53:5-6,11). This is the wondrous exchange that Luther found so precious: Christ takes our sins and he gives us his righteousness. God is able to pardon the ungodly on the grounds of Christ’s redemptive death. (Rom 3:24-26). He paid the penalty and made full satisfaction for every believer’s sins. God considered their sin as belonging to Jesus, his Son, who was sinless, and on the cross he endured the awful consequences (1Pet 2:24). God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us (2Cor 5:21a). Secondly, he is able to pronounce the ungodly righteous because they are given Christ’s righteousness. This is the righteousness from God which consists of Christ’s obedience to the Father in life and death (2Cor 5:21b; Phil 2:7-8; 3:9). As all humanity were constituted sinners in Adam so in Christ believers are constituted righteous (Rom 5:18-19). The clothing metaphor is often used in Scripture to signify the believer’s standing in the righteousness of Christ (Gen 3:21; Isa 61:10; Matt

Quotes on Justification

 Thomas Watson quotes on justification by faith:

* "God does not justify us because we are worthy, but by justifying us make us worthy."

* "It is absurd to imagine that God should justify a people and not sanctify them, He should justify a people whom He could not glorify."

* "Justification is not an act of making us righteous, but of declaring us righteous."

* "Faith is the hand that receives Christ, and the eye that sees Him."

* "Justification is the work of God, not the work of man."

* "We are justified by faith alone, not by faith plus works."

* "Justification is the foundation of our salvation, and it is the ground of our assurance."

* "Justification is the beginning of our sanctification, and it is the source of our hope."

These quotes highlight the importance of justification by faith in the Christian faith. They emphasize that justification is not something that we earn by our own works, but is something that is given to us by God through faith in Christ. This justification is the foundation of our salvation and the source of our assurance.

Here are some A. W. Pink quotes on justification by faith:

* "Justification is not a process, but an instantaneous act of God whereby He declares the ungodly righteous in His sight, not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone."

* "Justification is not the making of us righteous, but the declaring us righteous. It is not the imparting of a new nature, but the reception of a perfect righteousness into our account."

* "Justification is not a matter of degree, but of absolute perfection. We are either justified or not justified; there is no middle ground."

* "Justification is the ground of our acceptance with God. It is the basis upon which we stand before Him as His children."

* "Justification is the foundation of our hope of eternal life. It is the assurance that we have been forgiven our sins and will one day be with God in heaven."

These quotes emphasize the importance of justification by faith in the Christian life. They teach that justification is an act of God's grace, not something that we can earn or achieve. It is the basis of our acceptance with God and our hope of eternal life.

Some quotes on justification by faith:

* **John Calvin:** "We are justified, not by works, but by faith in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for our sins, and rose again for our justification."

* **John Owen:** "Justification is God's act of declaring us righteous, not on the basis of our own works, but on the basis of the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to us by faith."

* **Thomas Watson:** "Justification is not the making of us righteous, but the accounting of us righteous; not the infusion of righteousness into us, but the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to us."

* **William Gurnall:** "We are justified, not by giving anything to God, but by receiving from God what Christ has done for us."

* **Richard Sibbes:** "Justification is the greatest act of God's grace, whereby He makes us righteous in His sight, not for anything in us, but for the sake of Jesus Christ."

These are just a few examples of the many quotes on justification by faith. These quotes emphasize the importance of faith in Christ as the only means of justification before God. They also stress that justification is a gift of God's grace, not something that we can earn by our own works.

Some quotes on justification by faith from John Owen:

* "Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

* "We are justified by faith alone, but not by that faith which can be alone. Alone respects its influence unto our justification, not its nature and existence." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

* "Justification is not only the forgiveness of sins, but also the communication of Christ's righteousness unto us, so that we are reputed righteous in God's sight, as if we had never sinned." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

* "Justification is not a work of man, but a work of God; it is not something that we earn or deserve, but something that is freely given to us by grace through faith." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

* "Justification is the foundation of all Christian life and experience. It is the basis of our assurance of salvation, and it is the source of our strength to live a holy life." (The Doctrine of Justification by Faith)

These quotes highlight the importance of justification by faith in Owen's theology.

Spurgeon quotes on justification by faith in a professional tone:

* "Justification by faith is the grand central artery of the Christian system. It is the mainspring of all our hopes, the foundation of all our joy, and the root of all our comfort."

* "Justification by faith is the most glorious truth that ever shone upon a darkened world. It is the sun of righteousness, which brings light and life to the soul."

* "Justification by faith is not a mere legal fiction, but a real and substantial change in the condition of the sinner. It is a change from guilt to innocence, from condemnation to acquittal, from death to life."

* "Justification by faith is not a work of our own, but a free gift of God's grace. It is not something that we earn, but something that we receive by faith."

* "Justification by faith is the only way to be saved. There is no other way to be reconciled to God and to obtain eternal life."

These quotes highlight the importance of justification by faith in the Christian faith. Spurgeon emphasizes that justification is not a work of our own, but a free gift of God's grace. It is the only way to be saved and to obtain eternal life.

Concise Meaning of Justification

Justification is not something that occurs in man, nor is it a process. It refers to the legal, judicial and forensic declaration of God. “It is to declare forensically that the demands of the law as a condition of life are fully satisfied with regard to a person, Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1, 9; 8:30-33; I Cor. 6:11; Gal. 2:16; 3:11.”2 The ground of justification is Christ’s sacrificial death and perfect obedience to the law (i.e., “the righteousness of God,” Rom. 3:21).

When a man by faith lays hold of Jesus Christ and His merits, God imputes that person’s guilt for sins past, present and future upon Christ on the cross. God also imputes Christ’s perfect righteousness to that sinner. The Father then declares that man righteous or just in the heavenly court. Because Christ has removed the guilt of that man’s sins past, present, and future legally before God, it is as though that man never committed sin. He is white as snow (Isa. 1:18). His record is perfect. Judicially, he is just as righteous and perfect as Jesus Christ. Since Christ’s perfect obedience is imputed to him, he has eternal life because Christ merited it for him."

Here is the explanation of our justification by faith alone: faith is the instrument which receives Jesus Christ and, consequently, which receives His righteousness, that is to say, all perfection. When therefore, after St. Paul (Rom 1: 17 ; 3:21-27 ; 4:3 ; 5:1 ; 9:30-33 ; 11:6 ; Gal 2:16-21 ; 3:9 ,10 ,18 ; Phil 3:9 ; 2 Tim 1:9 ; Titus 3:5 ; Heb. 11:7 we say that we are justified by faith alone, or freely, or by faith without works (for all these ways of speaking give the same sense), we do not say that faith is a virtue which makes us righteous, in ourselves, before God. For this would be to put faith in the place of Jesus Christ who is, alone, our perfect and entire righteousness.

But we speak thus with the Apostle, and we say that by faith alone we are justified, insomuch as it embraces Him who justifies us, Jesus Christ, to whom it unites and joins us. We are then made partakers of Him and the benefits which He possesses. These, being imputed and gifted to us, are more than sufficient to make us acquitted and accounted righteous before God.

Theodore Beza (1519-1605) FAITH---------------------------------------------------------------

FAITH...the "Hand that Receives"...

...Faith is essential as it alone unites a sinner to Christ, but faith is not conditional in any meritorious sense.. is it proper to regard faith as the "hand" that receives Christ? Isn't the natural man being attributed some ability by this metaphor? since faith is always both God's gift (Ephesians 2:8) and God's work ("This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath seen" [John 6:29]), how can faith be designated as a "hand"?

The natural man indeed has no ability to reach out to accept the salvation of God in Christ. The natural man is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). He will never "accept Christ" of his own free will (Matthew 23:37; John 5:40). Scripture teaches that a sinner does not first move toward God, but God first moves toward a sinner to unite him with Christ by faith, for a sinner would never of his own will or desire turn to Christ in faith (Romans 9:16). Even when tormented with the terrors of divine judgment, the natural man cannot be persuaded to flee to God by saving faith for salvation ((Proverbs 1:24-27).

But in regeneration the Holy Spirit grants the gift of a living, empty hand that can turn nowhere else than to Jesus. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" (John 1:12-13; cf. Psalm 110:3).

Faith is not called a hand because it works or merits justification in any way, but because it receives, embraces, appropriates Christ upon divine imputation. Faith is not a creative hand, but a receptive hand. As Abraham Booth notes, "Hence,in justification we read of the precious faith in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1) and of 'faith in His blood' (Romans 3:25), and believers are described as 'receiving the atonement' and receiving 'the gift of righteousness' (Romans 5:11, 17)...

UNDERSTANDING LEADS TO PRAYER

 The ultimate test of my understanding of the scriptural teaching, is the amount of time I spend in prayer. As theology is ultimately the knowledge of God—the more theology I know, the more it should drive me to seek to know God. Not to know "about" Him—but to know Him! The whole object of salvation is to bring me to knowledge of God. If all my knowledge does not lead me to prayer, then there is something wrong somewhere. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Seeing God's Justice on Display: How God Forgives.

 "So the cross does not merely tell us that God forgives, it tells us that that is God’s way of making forgiveness possible. It is the way in which we understand how God forgives. I will go further: How can God forgive and still remain God? – That is the question. The cross is the vindication of God. The cross is the vindication of the character of God. The cross not only shows the love of God more gloriously than anything else, it shows His righteousness, His justice, His holiness, and all the glory of His eternal attributes. They are all to be seen shining together there. If you do not see them all, you have not seen the cross. The Cross, Martyn Lloyd-Jones"

Jones on Penal Substitutionary Atonement

 Martyn Lloyd Jones Penal Substitutionary Atonement.

“It is therefore, quite fitting to say that no-one really begins to understand the love of God and the love of the Lord Jesus Christ who does not believe the substitutionary and penal doctrine of the Atonement.

Think it out. Where do you see the love of God, if God’s Son is simply suffering the cruelty and all that men are doing to Him, in a useless manner? What is the point of it? If it achieves nothing, if it is not substitutionary, if it is not penal, if He is not really dealing with sins, it is useless suffering. It is pointless, it is sheer cruelty, there is no love there. Oh, the tragedy, that men should think that they are exalting the love of God in that way, whereas in reality they are evacuating it of its real essence and of its endless and eternal profundities!

Here is where you see the love of God, that ‘God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all’! He did not spare Him anything; He poured upon Him the vials of His wrath against sin. He did not spare Him anything. And it was for us, and because of His love for us! Not what men did to Him, but what God did to Him as the Judge of the world, the righteous Judge eternal, the Holy Father—that is the supreme issue in the ‘death of the cross’! And the Son gave Himself willingly, there was no compulsion. He set His face steadfastly. His one desire was to do His Father’s will and thus to bring about our salvation.

And it is only as you see Him as the innocent Victim, the Substitute, who has voluntarily put Himself in our place to receive our punishment, that you even begin to understand and to measure the eternal love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. And the Apostle Paul confirms all that we read elsewhere in Scripture—‘as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.’” “The Atoning Work of Christ”, Darkness and Light, An Exposition of Ephesians 4:17-5:17, 310-311.

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30 Reasons for a Christian's Joy.

 I asked chatgpt for 30 reasons why Christians are joyful. Here is the reply.

1. Salvation: Christians rejoice in the knowledge of their salvation through Jesus Christ.
2. Forgiveness: Experiencing God's forgiveness brings joy and relief from guilt.
3. God's love: Christians find joy in knowing they are deeply loved by God.
4. Eternal life: The hope of eternal life with God fills Christians with joy.
5. Peace: Trusting in God's sovereignty brings a sense of peace and joy.
6. Purpose: Christians find joy in knowing they have a divine purpose in life.
7. Prayer: The privilege of communicating with God brings joy to believers.
8. Community: Fellowshipping with other Christians brings joy and support.
9. Worship: Expressing love and adoration for God through worship brings joy.
10. God's presence: Experiencing God's presence fills Christians with joy and awe.
11. Answered prayers: Seeing prayers answered brings joy and strengthens faith.
12. God's faithfulness: Christians find joy in knowing that God is always faithful.
13. Hope: Christians find joy in the hope they have in God's promises.
14. Changed lives: Witnessing lives transformed by God's grace brings joy.
15. God's guidance: Trusting in God's guidance brings joy and assurance.
16. Miracles: Experiencing or witnessing miracles fills Christians with joy.
17. Serving others: Christians find joy in serving and making a positive impact.
18. Growth: Experiencing personal growth and transformation brings joy.
19. God's provision: Trusting in God's provision brings joy and contentment.
20. God's Word: Studying and meditating on the Bible brings joy and wisdom.
21. God's creation: Enjoying and marveling at God's creation brings joy.
22. Hope in difficult times: Christians find joy in knowing God is with them during trials.
23. God's strength: Relying on God's strength brings joy in times of weakness.
24. Spiritual gifts: Using and developing spiritual gifts brings joy and fulfillment.
25. God's grace: Experiencing God's grace and mercy brings joy and gratitude.
26. Sharing the gospel: Seeing others come to know Christ brings joy.
27. Unity: Christians find joy in the unity and fellowship of the body of Christ.
28. Freedom from sin: Experiencing freedom from the power of sin brings joy.
29. Assurance of salvation: Christians find joy in the assurance of their salvation.
30. Anticipation of heaven: The joy of looking forward to eternity with God.

Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of God

 According to God’s Word:

Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death effective by bringing the elect to faith and repentance, thereby causing them to willingly obey the Gospel. The entire process (election, redemption, regeneration) is the work of God and is by grace alone. Thus God, not man, determines who will be the recipients of the gift of salvation.

- Martyn Lloyd-Jones

FAITH IS NOT OUR SAVIOR

 Christ is All in All, not His Gifts or Blessings. (They're wonderful but they flow from Jesus.)

"Faith is not our physician; it only brings us to the Physician. It is not even our medicine; it only administers the medicine, divinely prepared by Him who healeth all our diseases. In all our believing, let us remember God's word to Israel: I am Jehovah, that healeth thee (Exod. 14:26). Our faith is but our touching Jesus; and what is even this, in reality, but His touching us?" - Horatius Bonar

"Faith is not our saviour. It was not faith that was born at Bethlehem and died on Golgotha for us. It was not faith that loved us, and gave itself for us; that bore our sins in its own body on the tree; that died and rose again for our sins. Faith is one thing, the Saviour is another. Faith is one thing, and the cross is another. Let us not confound them, nor ascribe to a poor, imperfect act of man, that which belongs exclusively to the Son of the Living God." - Horatius Bonar

"...the cross saves completely, or not at all. Our faith does not divide the work of salvation between itself and the cross. It is the acknowledgment that the cross alone saves, and that it saves alone. Faith adds nothing to the cross, nor to its healing virtue." - Horatius Bonar

Justification Quotes from Ken Kovach

 “God shatters our self-confidence and self-righteousness, so that we will put our faith in Jesus Christ. Luther goes on to say that “hunger is the best cook. As the dry earth thirsts for rain, so the Law makes the troubled heart thirst for Christ. To such hearts Christ tastes sweetest, to them He is joy, comfort, and life. Only then are Christ and His work understood correctly.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

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. It was a saying of Luther, "that after his death, the doctrine of justification would be corrupted." In these latter times, the Arminians and Socinians have cast a dead fly into this box of precious ointment.

--Thomas Watson Justification is one of the central benefits of redemption that God applies to believers on the basis of Jesus’ sinless life, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead. In justification, ungodly and guilty men and women are counted righteous before God (Rom. 4:5). This means that God forgives their sins and accepts them as righteous in His sight on the basis of the saving work of Jesus alone (Rom. 4:6–8). Scripture is clear that individuals are justified by faith alone in Christ alone (Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9).

-- RC Sproul

Concise meaning of Justification

Justification is not something that occurs in man, nor is it a process. It refers to the legal, judicial and forensic declaration of God. “It is to declare forensically that the demands of the law as a condition of life are fully satisfied with regard to a person, Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1, 9; 8:30-33; I Cor. 6:11; Gal. 2:16; 3:11.”2 The ground of justification is Christ’s sacrificial death and perfect obedience to the law (i.e., “the righteousness of God,” Rom. 3:21).

When a man by faith lays hold of Jesus Christ and His merits, God imputes that person’s guilt for sins past, present and future upon Christ on the cross. God also imputes Christ’s perfect righteousness to that sinner. The Father then declares that man righteous or just in the heavenly court. Because Christ has removed the guilt of that man’s sins past, present, and future legally before God, it is as though that man never committed sin. He is white as snow (Isa. 1:18). His record is perfect. Judicially, he is just as righteous and perfect as Jesus Christ. Since Christ’s perfect obedience is imputed to him, he has eternal life because Christ merited it for him."

Justification by Faith (Reformation Study Bible Notes.)

Martin Luther declared that justification by faith alone is the article upon which the church stands or falls. This cardinal doctrine of the Protestant Reformation was seen as the battleground for nothing less than the gospel itself.

Justification may be defined as that act by which unjust sinners are made right in the sight of a just and holy God. The supreme need of unjust persons is righteousness. It is this lack of righteousness that is supplied by Christ on behalf of the believing sinner.

Justification by faith alone means justification by the righteousness or merit of Christ alone, not by our goodness or good deeds.

The issue of justification focuses on the question of merit and grace. Justification by faith means that the works we do are not good enough to merit justification. As Paul puts it, “By works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight” (Romans 3:20).

Justification is forensic. That is, we are declared, counted, or reckoned to be righteous when God imputes the righteousness of Christ to our account. The necessary condition for this is faith.

Protestant theology affirms that faith is the instrumental cause of justification in that faith is the means by which the merits of Christ are appropriated to us.

Roman Catholic theology teaches that baptism is the primary instrumental cause of justification and that the sacrament of penance is the secondary, restorative cause. (Roman Catholic theology views penance as the second plank of justification for those who have made shipwreck of their souls—those who have lost the grace of justification by committing a mortal sin.) The sacrament of penance requires works of satisfaction by which human beings achieve congruous merit for justification. The Roman Catholic view affirms that justification is by faith, but denies that it is by faith alone, adding good works as a necessary condition.

The faith that justifies is a living faith, not an empty profession of faith. Faith is a personal trust that clings to Christ alone for salvation. Saving faith is also a penitent faith that embraces Christ as both Savior and Lord.

The Bible says that we are not justified by our own good works, but by what is added to us by faith, namely the righteousness of Christ. In a synthesis, something new is added to something basic. Our justification is a synthesis because we have the righteousness of Christ added to us. Our justification is by imputation. God transfers to us, by faith, the righteousness of Christ. This is not a “legal fiction” because God ascribes to us the real merit of Christ, to whom we now belong. It is a real imputation. Galatians 3:2

"It is forgiveness that sets a man working for God. He does not work in order to be forgiven, but because he has been forgiven, and the consciousness of his sin being pardoned makes him grateful to God for his mercy and his love for him abounds.”

~ Horatius Bonar 1808-1889

"God chooses us, not because He foresees that we would choose Him, or that we would believe, but for the very opposite reason. He chooses us just because He foresees that we would neither choose Him nor believe in ourselves at all. Election proceeds not upon foreseen faith in us, but upon foreseen unbelief." -- HORATIUS BONAR

“Wherefore it ought to be the first concern of every Christian to lay aside all confidence in works and grow in the knowledge, not of works, but of Christ Jesus, who suffered and rose for him.” — ​Martin Luther”

“The Triune God was alone when He made His decrees, and His determinations were influenced by no external cause. He was free to decree or not to decree, and to decree one thing and not another. This liberty we must ascribe to Him who is Supreme, Independent, and Sovereign in all His doings.”

~ Arthur Pink, “The Attributes of God”

My trials increase with my years, they come from new and unexpected quarters, they often bewilder my mind, and harass my soul — but, "O Lord, You know" them! They do not come unobserved by You. May every trial drive me to the feet of Jesus — that I may soothe my troubled spirit with a view of His beauty and glory. "O Lord, You know" my TRIALS! In every trial, Lord, sympathize with me, give me special grace, and help me to endure temptation as a disciple of Jesus should.

James Smith

“Believers in Jesus Christ are “not guilty” by virtue of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Rom 4:25). Since they are “in Christ” (Eph 1:3 – 14) and united to him by faith, they are no longer in Adam (Rom 5:12 – 19; 1 Cor 15:21 – 22). Hence, Jesus’ vindication at his resurrection is their vindication, his status is their status. Believers, even now, enjoy by faith the status of the resurrected one.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

“We live by faith alone, casting ourselves entirely on the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is our righteousness; his cross is our only hope in the day of judgment.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner, Galatians

“We should not interpret this to mean that repentance is another thing a person has to do to receive salvation in addition to faith. Rather, genuine faith includes repentance. Faith that doesn’t include repentance is false faith, for those who truly believe turn away from evil.”

― Thomas R. Schreiner

“O the sweet exchange, O the incomprehensible work of God, O the unexpected blessings, that the sinfulness of many should be hidden in one righteous man, while the righteousness of one should justify many sinners!”

― Thomas R. Schreiner, Faith Alone---The Doctrine of Justification: What the Reformers Taught...and Why It Still Matters

When God works in us, the will, being changed and sweetly breathed upon by the Spirit of God, desire and acts, not from compulsion, but responsively.

-Martin Luther "God has surely promised His grace to the humbled: that is, to those who mourn over and despair of themselves. But a man cannot be thoroughly humbled till he realizes that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, counsels, efforts, will and works, and depends absolutely on the will, counsel, pleasure and work of Another -- God alone. - Martin Luther

"As long as a man is persuaded that he can make even the smallest contribution to his salvation, he remains self-confident and does not utterly despair of himself, and so is not humbled before God. Such a man plans out for himself a position, an occasion, a work, which shall bring him final salvation, but which will not."

- Martin Luther How dangerous it is to join anything of our own to the righteousness of Christ, in pursuit of justification before God! Jesus Christ will never endure this; it reflects upon His work dishonorably. He will be all, or none, in our justification. If He has finished the work, what need is there of our additions? And if not, to what purpose are they? Can we finish that which Christ Himself could not complete? Did He finish the work, and will He ever divide the glory and praise of it with us? No, no; Christ is no half-Savior. It is a hard thing to bring proud hearts to rest upon Christ for righteousness. God humbles the proud by calling sinners wholly from their own righteousness to Christ for their justification. -John Flavel For Owen, the imputed perfect righteousness of Christ is the ground of the believer’s justification and salvation because imputation, not inherent righteousness, gives right and title unto eternal life.

Those whom God effectually calls, he also freely justifies, 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 believer, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ’s active obedience to the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole and sole righteousness, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God (emphasis).

John Owen It pleased God, in his eternal purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his only-begotten Son, according to a covenant made between them both, to be the Mediator between God and man; the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Head and Savior of his church, the Heir of all things and Judge of the world; unto whom he did from all eternity give a people to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified. -John Owen Now the life which grace confers upon the saints at the moment of their quickening is none other than the life of Christ, which, like the sap from the stem, runs into us, the branches, and establishes a living connection between our souls and Jesus. Faith is the grace which perceives this union, having proceeded from it as its firstfruit. It is the neck which joins the body of the Church to its all-glorious Head. -Spurgeon Without an understanding of justification by faith alone, we cannot truly perceive the glorious gift of grace—God’s “unmerited favor” becomes “merited” in our minds, and we begin to think we deserve salvation. The doctrine of justification by faith helps us maintain “pure devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). Holding to justification by faith keeps us from falling for the lie that we can earn heaven. There is no ritual, no sacrament, no deed that can make us worthy of the righteousness of Christ. It is only by His grace, in response to our faith, that God has credited to us the holiness of His Son. Both Old and New Testaments say, “The just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). -Got Question's The perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers so that their righteousness is not inherent but is theirs because they are united to Jesus Christ. ― Thomas R. Schreiner

Justification may be defined as that act by which unjust sinners are made right in the sight of a just and holy God. The supreme need of unjust persons is righteousness. It is this lack of righteousness that is supplied by Christ on behalf of the believing sinner.

Justification by faith alone means justification by the righteousness or merit of Christ alone, not by our goodness or good deeds. -RC Sproul

“When we trustfully resign ourselves, and all our affairs into God’s hands, fully persuaded of His love and faithfulness, the sooner shall we be satisfied with His providences and realize that “He doeth all things well.”

~ Arthur Pink, “The Attributes of God” The true Christian carries the cross in his heart. And a cross inside the heart is one of the sweetest cures for a cross on the back. If you have a cross in your heart—Christ cruci­fied in you—all the cross of this world's troubles will seem to you light enough, and you will easily be able to sustain it. -Spurgeon

CONVINCED OF OUR SALVATION

 Philaathus

Isn't it mere presumption and excessive self-trust to be convinced of our salvation?

Theolgus:

Not at all. The basis of this conviction does not lie within ourselves or anything within or outside of us, but solely in the righteousness of Christ and the merciful promises of God. Is it presumptuous for us to believe what God has promised, Christ has obtained, and the Holy Spirit has sealed? No, it is not presumption but a duty we are all bound to fulfill, as we will be held accountable on the dreadful day of judgment. As for ourselves, we freely admit that in God's sight we are nothing but sinful and miserable beings, incapable of doing anything to contribute to our own salvation. However, through faith, we are justified and find peace with God, fully persuaded of His love and favor towards us in Christ.

- Arthur Dent, The Plain Man's Pathway to Heaven

Confession, What is.

 "One of the genuine marks of being a Christian is not sinless perfection. One of the greatest marks of Genuine Christianity is that when we sin we are sensitive to it, and that sensitivity leads us to contrition and brokenness and ultimately confession. Christians are confessional people, and that does not just mean that we confess Jesus as Lord, but we are constantly agreeing with the Lord about our selves. The word confession, homologeo means, “to speak the same thing.” That God speaks to you through His Word and says, “You have anger in your heart.” Confession is not “Lord forgive me for my sins.”

Confession is “Lord I hear you and I speak the same thing.” “You say I have anger in my heart. You say I was proud at that moment. Lord I speak back to you the same thing. I agree with you about me. I confess that what you tell me is right and I repent.”

~ Paul Washer

Thirteen Things the Unsaved Cannot Do

 13 THINGS AN UNSAVED PERSON CANNOT DO

1. HE CANNOT THINK AS GOD DOES:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

2. HE CANNOT UNDERSTAND GOD:
"You thought that I was just like you..." (Psalm 50:21). "Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above--what can you do? They are deeper than Hell below--what can you know?" (Job 11:7-8)

3. HE CANNOT SEE SPIRITUAL THINGS:
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3)

4. HE CANNOT KNOW HIS OWN HEART:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

5. HE CANNOT PROPERLY DIRECT HIS OWN PATHS:
"I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps." (Jeremiah 10:23).
"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12)

6. HE CANNOT FREE HIMSELF FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW:
"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Galatians 3:10)

7. HE CANNOT RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT:
"...the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him." (John 14:17)

8. HE CANNOT HEAR (receive & understand) GOD'S WORDS:
"He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God." (John 8:47)
"The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:14)

9. HE CANNOT BIRTH HIMSELF INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD:
"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God." (John 1:13)
"For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.' It does not depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy." (Romans 9:15-16)

10. HE CANNOT PRODUCE REPENTANCE AND FAITH IN CHRIST:
"For by grace are you saved through faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
". . . for all men have not faith." (2 Thessalonians 3:2)
"For unto you it is given . . . to believe on him . . ." (Philippians 1:29)
"...in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 2:25)

11. HE CANNOT COME TO CHRIST:
"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him . . . Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." (John 6:44, 65)

12. HE CANNOT BELIEVE ON CHRIST:
"But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep." (John 10:26)

13. HE CANNOT PLEASE GOD:
"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires....Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God....if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." (Romans 8:5, 8-9)

We are nothing.

 

"We are nothing with all our gifts be they ever so great, except God assist us."  -- Martin Luther.

Both Limits

 "Unless one is a universalist, one’s doctrine of the atonement is "limited" either in intention (Christ died to save His elect) or in application (Christ died for all, yet not all are saved)."

Sinclair Ferguson