In this series, Dr. R.C. Sproul examines justification—the way in which we are declared righteous by God—as he explains the biblical teaching regarding justification. Demonstrating that Christ’s righteousness is reckoned to us by faith alone, Dr. Sproul joins with Martin Luther in calling the church to proclaim boldly that this doctrine is integral to the gospel of God.

In this series, Dr. R.C. Sproul examines justification — the way in which we are declared righteous by God — as he explains the biblical teaching regarding justification. Demonstrating that Christ’s righteousness is reckoned to us by faith alone, Dr. Sproul joins with Martin Luther in calling the church to proclaim boldly that this doctrine is integral to the gospel of God.

One of the classic works on this question was written by a man by the name of James Buchanan. It was simply titled Justification, which addressed the chief issue of the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. One of the great values of Buchanan’s contribution is that he traced the doctrine of justification by faith alone through the patristic period and all the way through church history, showing that it was never totally extinguished within the Roman system that had radically departed from the biblical doctrine. So, that information is available.

This is a critical matter. I wrote a book recently titled Are We Together? We’re not. Rome has never changed her view of the condemnation of the gospel of justification by faith alone that occurred at the sixth session of the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. That condemnation was repeated as recently as the Catholic Catechism in the 1990s.

In the Tridentine view of the sixteenth century, not only were there canons against the Protestant view, but the beginning part of the session carefully articulated the Roman understanding of justification, or what we would call the Roman understanding of the gospel. If you compare Trent’s understanding of the gospel with the Reformation understanding of the gospel, you have to see that they cannot both be right. One of them has to be a false gospel, and only one of them can be the true gospel. That’s what the issue was then, and that issue continues even now.

This question is not critical only today, but it was in the eye of the storm we call the Protestant Reformation that swept through and divided the Christian church in the sixteenth century. Martin Luther declared his position: Justification is by faith alone, our works add nothing to our justification whatsoever, and we have no merit to offer God that in any way enhances our justification. This created the worst schism in the history of Christendom.

In refusing to accept Luther's view, the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated him, then responded to the outbreak of the Protestant movement with a major church council, the Council of Trent, which was part of the so-called Counter-Reformation and took place in the middle of the sixteenth century. The sixth session of Trent, at which the canons and decrees on justification and faith were spelled out, specifically appealed to James 2:24 to rebuke the Protestants who said that they were justified by faith alone: "You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone." How could James say it any more clearly? It would seem that that text would blow Luther out of the water forever.

Of course, Martin Luther was very much aware that this verse was in the book of James. Luther was reading Romans, where Paul makes it very clear that it's not through the works of the law that any man is justified and that we are justified by faith and only through faith. What do we have here? Some scholars say we have an irreconcilable conflict between Paul and James, that James was written after Paul, and James tried to correct Paul. Others say that Paul wrote Romans after James and he was trying to correct James.

I'm convinced that we don't really have a conflict here. What James is saying is this: If a person says he has faith, but he gives no outward evidence of that faith through righteous works, his faith will not justify him. Martin Luther, John Calvin, or John Knox would absolutely agree with James. We are not saved by a profession of faith or by a claim to faith. That faith has to be genuine before the merit of Christ will be imputed to anybody. You can't just say you have faith. True faith will absolutely and necessarily yield the fruits of obedience and the works of righteousness. Luther was saying that those works don't add to that person's justification at the judgment seat of God. But they do justify his claim to faith before the eyes of man. James is saying, not that a man is justified before God by his works, but that his claim to faith is shown to be genuine as he demonstrates the evidence of that claim of faith through his works.

of grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. (Rom. 5:15)

Paul’s doctrine of justification shows clearly (1) that all humans are sinners, helpless to save themselves; (2) that only the perfect work of Jesus saves sinners; (3) that only faith—not works at all—receives the saving effect of Jesus’ work; (4) that God in Christ receives all the glory for justification; (5) that this justification brings peace to the heart and mind of the believer.

In the midst of our celebrations of the Reformation, let us not lose the crucial and simple center: “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. . . . For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:19–21). This message is the gospel that the whole world needs. It is also the message that every church and every Christian heart needs. Let us celebrate and teach it clearly and faithfully this year and every year.

The doctrine of justification by faith alone was at the center of the Reformation debates. The Reformers declared that justification is by faith alone, not by faith and works. The biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone is absolutely essential to the Gospel, and Christians must beware of ever compromising any element of it.

The doctrine of justification by faith is so significant that it provoked the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century. In this lesson, Dr. Sproul defines justification and its necessary components.

Without the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, all the merits we present to God are as filthy rags. In this message, Dr. R.C. Sproul reminds us that the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the article upon which the church stands or falls. As he compares the Roman Catholic teaching on justification with the biblical doctrine recovered by the Reformers, Dr. Sproul urges pastors to preach the true gospel boldly and clearly.

No discussion of the atonement could be complete without a consideration of the obedience of our Savior to His Father. After all, Jesus saw His death as fulfilling His Father's will (Luke 22:39–46; John 19:28–30). Moreover, when we talk about Christ's obedience, we normally distinguish His passive obedience from His active obedience.

The atonement manifests Christ's passive obedience because in His death He receives in His person the actions of others—His Father's wrath and the torture of earthly authorities. Let us be careful here, for our Savior is not entirely passive in the atonement. He willingly allows the authorities to execute Him, actively submitting Himself to them as He lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:1–18). Still, the term passive obedience is useful because it emphasizes that Jesus offers no resistance in the atonement.

Christ's active obedience describes His complete faithfulness to God's commands, His living a perfect, sinless life in flawless obedience to His Father. We find an allusion to this unwavering obedience when Jesus asks, "Which one of you convicts me of sin?" in today's passage. Clearly, Jesus expects the answer to be "No one." Other passages, such as 1 Peter 2:21–25, teach that our Savior always kept God's law perfectly.

Our Lord's life of active obedience reminds us that His death was not all that was required to redeem us. If that were so, He could have become incarnate as an adult and gone straight to the cross. By itself, Christ's death for our sins only cleanses us from evil, restoring us to a position of neutrality before God in regard to His law, much as Adam was before the fall. Adam was free of sin when He was created, but He had no positive obedience of His own. He still had to obey God perfectly, taking dominion of the earth, multiplying and covering the earth with offspring, and not eating the forbidden fruit (Gen. 1:28; 2:16–17). Adam had to do these things to receive eternal life. We see this in that the obedience of Christ, the last Adam, secures eternal life (Rom. 5:12–21).

Except for Jesus, all human beings are born in Adam. That makes us subject to God's demand for perfect obedience for eternal life. Jesus rendered such obedience, and when we rest in Him by faith alone, God credits His righteousness to our account, and we prove that God imputed our sins to Christ on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Therefore, the Father sees us as having the perfect active obedience needed for eternal life.

It was not inconsequential for Peter to go from eating with the Gentile Christians at Galatia to avoiding believers who did not keep circumcision, kosher, or other similar parts of the Law (Gal. 2:11–13). Such actions divided Jesus’ followers according to their fidelity to the Mosaic law, thereby removing Christ and His work as the defining mark of the new covenant community. Plainly, this was not Peter’s intent; still, his acts called into question Christ’s sufficiency, and so Paul rebuked him publicly lest others be led astray (v. 14; 1 Tim. 5:19–20). Augustine says Paul did this “that everyone might be bettered by his rebuke” (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT vol. 8, p. 37).

The English Standard Version ends Paul’s rebuke at Galatians 2:14, but since the original Greek has no quotation marks, his words to Peter may not end until verse 21. Either way, today’s passage begins a transition from Paul’s defense of his office (1:11–2:14) to his exposition of faith (chap. 3–4). Of central import here is justification — being declared righteous in God’s sight. The Judaizers said we are right before our Creator through faith in Jesus and our obedience to the Law, but for Paul this amounts to our being justified by our own efforts. As John Calvin comments, 2:15–16 shows that “either nothing or all must be ascribed to faith or to works.”

For Peter to imply in his actions that Gentiles must live like Jews to be true Christians was hypocritical because even he, a Jew, did not live like a Jew (v. 14). He actually knew from experience that all who rely on their own works of the Law for justification will fail every time (Acts 15:6–11). If even Paul and Peter, Jews who had the oracles of God (Rom. 3:1–2), could not obey these oracles, how could they rightly lay the burden of the Mosaic law — the yoke of the Torah — upon Gentiles? But Paul does not argue merely from experience, all of Scripture points to the inability of Israel to be declared righteous through the Law (Josh. 24:19; Acts 7:51–53), an inability rooted in sin, not in the Torah itself (Rom. 7:7).

A more detailed look at the works of the Law, the ground of justification, and so on will come in due time. Before we press on, however, we see clearly that we are declared righteous before God through faith in Jesus alone (Gal. 2:15–16).

belongs properly to somebody else. It's a righteousness that is extra nos, outside of us. Namely, the righteousness of Christ. And Luther said, "When I discovered that, I was born again of the Holy Ghost. And the doors of paradise swung open, and I walked through."

Here's an excerpt from Justification by Faith Alone, W. Robert Godfrey's contribution to the May issue of Tabletalk:

Celebrations in 2017 of the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation will return again and again to the subject of justification by faith alone, one of the Reformation’s most critical rediscoveries. That subject is so important that in one sense we cannot study it enough. On the other hand, part of me wonders why we seem to have so much trouble understanding and holding on to a doctrine so vital. Is the doctrine so complicated that we cannot remember it? Is the Bible’s teaching so obscure that we cannot penetrate it?

Continue reading Justification by Faith Alone, or begin receiving Tabletalk magazine by signing up for a free 3-month trial.

Eden, the first way justification entered the world was how God saved Adam and Eve by covering their nakedness; by hiding their sin. The whole system of atonement in the Old Testament when the blood came into the holy of holies and was sprinkled on the mercy seat, it was to cover the sin of the people. That's what the cloak of the righteousness of Christ does for all who put their trust in Him. His righteousness is my covering. And that's how I can stand before a holy God.

Again, if I have to wait until, through the machinations of the church, and the sacraments, and all the rest, and purgatory, to make me pure before I can be justified, I'm going to sleep in tomorrow morning. Because without sola Fide, you're without the gospel. And without the gospel, you're without hope. But thanks be to God who gives us the glorious gospel of justification through trusting in the work of Jesus and the work of Jesus alone, who alone is not only able, but willing to save all who put their faith in Him.

“Luther asserted that the doctrine of justification by faith alone is the article on which the church stands or falls, and that this issue touches the very core of the biblical teaching of salvation.” —R.C. Sproul ——— Today, Martin Luther is known as the man who stood against popes and emperors in defense of the gospel. What drove this lone German monk to defy the Roman Catholic Church? It wasn’t arrogance or ignorance. Luther knew what it meant to live in the darkness of unresolved guilt. Once he discovered that his acceptance before God is a gift received by faith alone in the merits of Christ alone, Luther was set free, and he would not rest until the light of this truth went out to the world. In this book, Dr. R.C. Sproul guides us through several crisis moments in the life of Martin Luther that led to his recovery of the gospel revealed in Scripture. Justification by faith alone was a liberating truth for Luther and the other Protestant Reformers, and it is good news for us to cherish today.

God is holy, and we are sinful. God cannot stand to look upon sin. But the gospel of Jesus Christ reveals how sinful people can be right with God.In this booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul delves into Scripture and church history to explore the doctrine of justification by faith alone. In so doing, he explains that by faith alone in Christ alone, sinful men and women can be justified and stand forgiven before a holy God.The Crucial Questions booklet series by Dr. R.C. Sproul offers succinct answers to important questions often asked by Christians and thoughtful inquirers.

The doctrine of justification by faith alone is at the center of Reformation theology, and remains critical for all believers today. This doctrine is continually under assault, yet without it, there is no gospel. In this lecture series, Dr. Sproul explores the doctrine of justification historically and theologically. He carefully defines each term in the phrase "justification by faith alone" while pointing to the imputation of a perfect righteousness found only in Jesus Christ.

Faith alone is the foundational answer to the question, "What must I do to be saved?" The doctrine of justification by faith alone is at the center of Reformation theology, and remains critical for all believers today. This doctrine is continually under assault, yet without it, there is no gospel. In this lecture series, Dr. R.C. Sproul explores the doctrine of justification historically and theologically. He carefully defines each term in the phrase "justification by faith alone" while pointing to the imputation of a perfect righteousness found only in Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul exhorts us from the book of Romans, saying, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." Christians are not to be cantankerous and difficult to get along with. Instead, we are to be people who seek harmony and relational peace whenever we can. That does not mean, however, that we compromise the truth for the sake of peace. Peace that is not grounded in God's truth is no peace at all. There comes a time when we must draw a line in the sand, when we must stand firm for the foundational doctrines of our faith. In these messages, Drs. John MacArthur and R.C. Sproul speak on the theme of "Standing Firm" exploring several doctrines that define true Christianity, including biblical authority, the Trinity, the resurrection of Jesus, the exclusivity of Christ, justification by faith alone, the mortification of sin, and the existence of God. We must stand for these doctrines and refuse to give ground to those who deny these essential truths.

What happens when Christians take the Lord's Supper? Throughout the history of the church, there has been debate over the meaning of Holy Communion. Even today there is much disagreement about the purpose and significance of the sacrament. As Dr. R.C. Sproul demonstrates, a proper understanding of the Lord's Supper can be found only in Scripture.

In considering various opinions about this sacrament, Dr. Sproul helps to clarify the view held by the sixteenth-century reformer John Calvin. Dr. Sproul also examines related biblical themes, such as the Passover, the kingdom of God, the person and work of Christ, and justification by faith alone.

What happens when Christians take the Lord's Supper? Throughout the history of the church, there has been debate over the meaning of Holy Communion. Even today there is much disagreement about the purpose and significance of the sacrament. As Dr. R.C. Sproul demonstrates, a proper understanding of the Lord's Supper can be found only in Scripture. In considering various opinions about this sacrament, Dr. Sproul helps to clarify the view held by the sixteenth-century reformer John Calvin. Dr. Sproul also examines related biblical themes, such as the Passover, the kingdom of God, the person and work of Christ, and justification by faith alone.

If you get the gospel wrong, you get everything wrong. In first-century Galatia, false teachers infiltrated the church, claiming that faith in Jesus Christ is not enough to be justified in God's sight. Responding to this distortion of the gospel, the Apostle Paul wrote a passionate letter defending the doctrine of justification by faith alone, for he knew what was truly at stake. In this teaching series, Dr. Derek Thomas walks us through the background, teaching, and importance of Paul's letter to the Galatians. While false gospels drive people to despair, the true gospel frees us to rest in Christ alone for our salvation.