Faith and Justification

                                                                                                                                                                     Vol. XXIII, No. 7, August 2010

Faith, therefore, has no reality of its own apart from its object. Faith is a disposition of the mind and affections produced in conjunction with a true understanding of one's own deserved misery in sin and the supreme exclusive excellence of Christ's righteousness. The Father's pleasure in the Son, along with the display of the Son as the Savior, engenders a longing for the knowledge of him and his benefits. Faith is that act of pressing to union with Christ, the first benefit of which is justification.

Justification does not consist of inward renewal but in the imputation of Christ's own obedience. His death, purposefully embraced for the glory of God's law, procures our forgiveness; and his perfect obedience to the law constitutes justifying righteousness. Apart from this, no sinner can ever justly be acquitted from the verdict of eternal death. By the same token, because of his death in conformity with the Father's grace and good pleasure, sinners certainly will be acquitted and declared righteous.

[Tom Nettles, Ready for Reformation? (Nashville, Broadman & Holman, 2005) pp. 88-9]