1Gal 3:11; Rom 3:28; ²Rom 4:5; cf. Rom 10:10; ³Jn 1:12; Phil 3:9; Gal 2:16

Many modern believers studying our Larger Catechism will wonder at why so many questions are devoted to the doctrine of justification and justifying faith. The answer is not only that the believers in the days of the Westminster Assembly probably thought more deeply about spiritual things, but also that it was the core issue that divided the Protestant Church from Roman Catholicism (which true Protestants do not regard as being Christians). The reason why many today are ready to embrace Roman Catholics as brothers in the faith is surely due in part to the failure of understanding the issues that divide the two bodies.

This question seeks to clarify one such issue—namely, the position of faith in justification. The fundamental error of Rome and indeed of many modern evangelicals is to confuse justification with what God does in us (sanctification).

All evangelicals will agree that we are ‘justified by faith.’ Rome agrees with that too. They may even agree that faith is a gift of God. However, what Rome and many evangelicals mean is that faith is an evangelical righteousness. That is to say, faith is accepted in place of works for righteousness. They cite Romans 5:1 that Abraham’s "faith is counted for righteousness." "This means that God accepts his faith and therefore count him righteous on the merits of his faith," they say.

But that cannot be the right interpretation of the text, for it would make faith a work of the sinner. But Paul says, "Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt" (Rom 4:4). "But it is grace-work rather than law-work," they counter. Whatever kind of work it may be, is it not work nevertheless if it is to merit salvation? And if it is a work, how can it be good enough when all our righteousness are as filthy rags in the sight of God (Isa 64:6)?

What Paul is saying rather, is that Abraham believed Christ and the righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and he is counted righteous. The righteousness by which we are justified is not our own but Christ’s. Elsewhere he says:

If that is not clear enough, the apostle John declares:

Faith is but "an instrument by which [the believer] receiveth and applieth Christ and His righteousness" to himself. Believers are justified by faith and through faith but never on account of faith.

This debate must be carefully understood as it is one of the most common errors even among Christians who claim to be Calvinistic today. Robert Haldane is surely right when he says:

The error of Rome is to confuse the inherent or infused righteousness of the regenerate with the imputed righteousness of the Redeemer. The merits of Christ, according to Rome, were for the procuring of the ‘grace of faith’ by which we are made righteous. For them, God’s righteousness in Christ is not the sole and all-sufficient ground for our justification. Faith, suffering and obedience on the part of the believer are necessary for justification. This is why they will not agree to justification by grace through faith alone.

This is why we must never give up the little word ‘alone.’ If we are justified on the merit of our own faith, we are doomed, and we can have no assurance of salvation. W