1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter 11.2 How Does God Justify Sinners? God Gives Faith

Table of Contents

• The Text
• The Chapter
• The Confession
  • Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification;
  • yet is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.

The Text

James 2:22-24 (CSB) You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Ephesians 2:8–10 (CSB) For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

The Chapter

Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.

The Confession

When we speak of justification, right from the get go, we have to deal with the supposed contradiction between Paul and James.

Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification;

Paul says:

Romans 3:28 (CSB) For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

James says:

James 2:24 (CSB) You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.

Therein lies the apparent contradiction. It is apparent if, again, we read and engage the Bible by elevating passages above and apart from other passages in the Bible. This is what we call Biblicism. You might hear defenders of this type of engagement or hermeneutic by saying something like, "It clearly says it right here" as they point to the text in the Bible.

On the other hand, those who hold to sola Scriptura will say, "The whole counsel of God says this" as they take all the passages of the Bible to interpret this one particular passage. In other words, no passage, no verse, no word, no book of the Bible stand alone and apart from the rest of the Bible.

So take Paul and James' apparent contradiction and cross examine by the whole counsel of God. Let us go back and see what Paul says:

Romans 3:28 (CSB) For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Why is that?

One, we have broken all of the law.

James 2:10 (CSB) For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.

Two, when we try to do any good works to please God, it is rightfully judged as filthy rags in the sight of God:

Isaiah 64:6 (CSB) All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind. ¹

yet is not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.

Galatians 5:6 (CSB) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.

James 2:17–26 (CSB) In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder. Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete, and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

If we have been saved by God--that is, if we have the indwelling of the Triune God within you--you are not saved by anything that you have or will ever do. However, because you have God, you get to do good works.

Salvation of man is a packaged deal--that the person chosen by God gets God for the glory of God. As the people of God, we get all of God. There is Evangelical language of "fully surrendering" and "part of my heart" that is really not so much about the will of the person but rather the lifetime work of the Holy Spirit in us.

John 3:8 (CSB) The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

Philippians 1:6 (CSB) I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

In ourselves and in the lives of others, we never see what the Spirit is doing until he actually does it. It is a similar way in the way James is contending for works that proceed because you have been saved by God.

James gives the right example of Abraham:

James 2:21 (CSB) Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar?

Now, legalistic and pietistic religions like the Catholics, Mormons, and Churches of Christ will debate that works are proof of your salvation. But remember sola Scriptura. What is the context of James 2?

James 2:14-17 (CSB) What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

Now examine that with what Paul says in Ephesians:

Ephesians 2:10 (CSB) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

Our good works don't prove anything. Both the unbeliever and the believer can do the same good works. Take it one step further: the Mormon will out-good work the believer every day of the week and twice on Sunday. What is the difference? The Mormon's and every single son of Adam's self-righteous works are as filthy rags in the sight of God. The believer in Christ must know that their own self-righteous works are filthy rags before God and yet, the righteousness that they possess is not their own but Christ's alone. The believer knows that they cannot love God enough or love their neighbor enough to please God. We know that we cannot repent hard enough. We know even when we try to do good, it isn't good enough. And again and again, I tell you that God knew that. God knew that from before Genesis 1:1. He isn't surprised at your failure to do good. He sent his Son to do the good perfectly for you so that all you have to do is believe in him, trust in him, and rest in him.

Now go, do good works for your neighbor. The Lord God who in himself needs nothing because he has everything never ever needs your good works. But your neighbor, co-worker, gym buddy, barista, waiter, spouse, kid, girlfriend, boyfriend, friend, student or even your enemy will always need your good works.