Justifying Faith: Receiving Christ (Owen)

When the Westminster Confession explains justifying faith, it uses the term "receiving."  Here's chapter XI.2: "Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification..." (emphasis mine).  The Heidelberg Catechism also uses this word in answer 30: "For either Jesus is not a complete Savior, or they who by…

“Receiving” in Article IV of The Apology of the Augsburg Confession

Article IV of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession (1531) uses the terms "receive" or "received" (etc.) well over thirty times (I lost count!). This is very significant because Article IV is on justification sola fide. I don't have time and space to explain all the details here and now, but this article uses the…

Excluding Our Righteousness (Buchanan)

 When it comes to justification, the terms "the righteousness of God" and "his righteousness" are very important (Rom 3:21-22, 2 Cor 5:21, etc.).  These phrases have to do with the fact that an ungodly sinner is not justified by his own righteousness, but by the righteousness of Another that is given by grace alone and…

Justification and Double Imputation

Romans 5:19 and 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 are two places in Scripture that teach the twin truths of justification and double imputation: “For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” “…He made Him who knew no sin to…

Justified By Faith(fulness)??

 (This is a slightly edited repost from August, 2008) Today, many people like to talk about a “living faith” or a “faithful faith” or “obedient faith” which justifies.  Though some of these terms may be new, this discussion is not.  The Reformers rejected this type of language when they clearly taught (echoing Scripture) that a…