Great Doctrines - Grace Church of DuPage

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D OCTRINAL OCTRINAL LLESSON
L ESSON SSECTION
S ECTION 18 JJUSTIFICA
J USTIFICA USTIFICATION
USTIFICA TION BY BY FFAITH
F AITH
DOCTRINAL SUMMARY
The instrumental cause of our justification is faith. An instrumental cause is the
“means by which” something takes place ~ as the chisel is the instrumental means
to generate a sculpture. So faith is the means by which we are linked to Christ and receive
the benefits of His saving work, i.e. by faith we receive the transfer or imputation of the
righteousness of Christ. Faith is a necessary condition for Christ’s righteousness to be
imputed to us, and true faith in Jesus Christ is all that is required to be justified by His
righteousness.
“ J ustification by faith alone” is merely shorthand for “justification by the
righteousness of Christ alone”. His merit is sufficient to satisfy the demands of God’s
justice, and this is given to us by God when He clothes his filthy creatures with the coat of
Christ’s righteousness. As Martin Luther said, “A Christian is righteous and holy by an
alien or foreign holiness ~ by the mercy and grace of God. It is a divine blessing, given us
through the true knowledge of the gospel when we believe that our sin has been forgiven
through the grace and merit of Christ.” This alien righteousness is the righteousness of
Christ, which does not adhere in us but was earned for us.
Our salvation rests not only in Christ’s death, but also in his life of perfect obedience.
If to secure our redemption Christ needed only to make propitiation for our sin, He
could have come from heaven and gone straight to the cross. But He also had to fulfill all
righteousness by submitting to every point of God’s law. By His sinless life He achieved
positive merit, which is imputed to all who place their faith in Him. Therefore, Christ not
only died for us, He lived for us as well. (Romans 5:6-11)
AS YOU PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER YOUR RESPONSE:
Jeremiah 23:6 ~ “In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is
the name by which He will be called: The Lord our Righteousness.” (NIV)
HOMEWORK:
Read the central passages daily.
Read Grudem chapter 36.
Notes
GREAT DOCTRINES II ~ MAN AND SALVATION PART 2~SECTION 18~PAGE 3
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