1Rom 3:22, 24–25; 4:5; ²2 Cor 5:19, 21; Rom 3:22, 24–25, 27–28; ³Tit 3:5, 7; Eph 1:7;
⁴Rom 5:17–19; 4:6–8; ⁵Acts 10:43; Gal 2:16; Phil 3:9

The doctrine of justification holds the most important place in Christian life and faith. Martin Luther declared it the articulus standis vel cadentis ecclesiæ—the article on which the Church stands or falls. It was the key issue that led to the Reformation. It is the touchstone that distinguishes true Christianity from false Christianity.

Several things may be noted from the brief summary of the doctrine given in our answer.

Firstly, the author of justification is God Himself, not the Church, or anyone else, great or small. And the justified contributes nothing whatsoever to it. It is not based upon "any thing… done by them".

Secondly, as to the price, justification is entirely gratuitous, "of God’s free grace unto sinners". We do not deserve it at all. In fact, we deserve His condemnation. Thus the apostle Paul declares that we are: "justified freely by [God’s] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom 3:24). This means that we are justified not by our own works or righteousness, "otherwise grace is no more grace" (Rom 11:6).

Thirdly, in regard to the nature of justification: It is an act of God rather than a work of God (as in sanctification; see WLC 75). It is a judicial declaration on God’s part as the Justifier, and is not a change of nature on the part of the justified. Thus our Catechism declares that justification is "not for any thing wrought in them". A Christian is simul justus et peccator—simultaneously just and sinner (Luther). Thus, Paul declares that God "justifieth the ungodly" (Rom 4:5).

Fourthly, as regards to its substance, in Justification, God "pardoneth all [the] sins [of the sinners], [and] accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in His sight". Justification is the opposite of condemnation (Rom 5:16; cf. Rom 8:33, 34). Justification is a declaratory act of God by which God makes it known that we are just in His sight and would not be dealt with after our sins.

Fifthly, the ground of justification is "the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ." Christ, as the second Adam, kept the covenant of works on our behalf by obeying the moral law of God perfectly. Then He died to pay our debt due to our own sin and to our guilt as children of Adam. These merits procured by Christ "imputed to [us]" in our justification. We are pardoned of our sins because of Christ’s "full satisfaction" in His propitiatory sacrifice. We are accepted and accounted as righteous in God’s sight on account of Christ’s "perfect obedience" as our covenant head.

The means or instrumental cause of justification is faith. The merits purchased by Christ are "received by faith alone" by those who are justified. Faith is the alone instrument of a sinner’s justification.

When the Scripture speaks of the elect being "justified by faith" (Rom 3:28; 5:1) or "the just shall live by faith" (Rom 1:17; Hab 2:4), it does not mean that faith is the meritorious cause of justification. The meritorious cause or the ground of justification is the righteousness of Christ. Believers are justified by faith and through faith but never on the account of faith. This must be carefully understood as it is one of the most common errors even among Christians who claim to be Calvinistic today. Our Catechism is careful to add the qualifier alone. Faith is the alone instrument of justification. This refutes the Romish doctrine that we are justified by faith and works together. When James says that "by works a man is justified and not by faith only" he is not speaking of "justified" in the technical sense of the word, but in the sense of "proved to be true" (Lk 7:35). James is saying that good works prove that a Christian is for real. W