Justification by Faith Alone
The Deception: Justification by Works
As the belief in Biblical truth is replaced by the beliefs of the modern culture, many people accept false teachings over the clear teachings of the Christian faith. Justification by Faith is one of those teachings that has been taught by the Church since the time of the Apostles. This doctrine which clearly states that mankind is saved by faith and not by works as shown in the above verse, (Eph. 2:8-9), has always been the accepted teaching of the faith. So why is it very common to hear people say that the reason that they will be granted entry into heaven is because they are a good person? In other words, many people believe that they will be saved because they are good persons that have performed good deeds throughout their life. In this formula of salvation, there is no need for redemption of sin and no need of a savior–which is a rejection of the sacrifice of Christ. If a person can save themselves by their own merits, then why did Jesus need to die on cross at Calvary? The point is that the belief in justification by good works is a great heresy because it rejects Christ as the savior and redeemer of His people. Unfortunately, many people today accept this heresy which is a grand deception and will lead them on the road to eternal damnation.
Since there is an abundance of Bible verses that state that we are saved by the work of Christ through faith then this begs the question; “Why do so many people believe that they will be saved by their own good deeds?” Among the many people that believe this are self-proclaimed Christians. While it may be accepted that unbelievers believe this because they are lost in darkness and blind to the truth, the same cannot be said of persons who claim to be believers and therefore are without excuse for denying the Gospel of Christ. Here are some statistics to support the depth of this false belief. According to recent surveys by the Pew Research Center and the Barna Research Group, approximately 40% of Americans believe that it is not necessary to have a belief in God to go to heaven, and 50% believe that salvation is through a person’s good works or deeds. Further bad news is that 45% of Christians believe in salvation without God. (Note: the data indicates that this is the combined average of 68% of Catholics plus 34% of Protestants who hold this view).
Biblically grounded Christians should be shocked by these numbers. The primary concern should be that so many people including Christians are clueless as to the teachings of Scripture regarding salvation. The second concern is how has the Church, both Protestant and Catholic, been so negligent in their responsibility to teach truth and identify error. The truth is that salvation is through faith in Christ and not by works. (Protestant and Catholic theology are in agreement in this teaching, they differ in other aspects in relation to faith and works).
The meaning of salvation is that the sinner is delivered from the penalty of sin. Sin properly understood, is disobedience and rebellion against a holy God and is considered a violation of God’s law. Violation of the law requires a penalty, and the penalty for sin is death. Considering the gravity of sin, and that it is committed against the infinite God; the penalty can only be infinite in scale. This is why the notion that good deeds can somehow compensate for sin is insulting to God’s holy nature. The following verse from Isaiah displays the biblical view of mankind’s good deeds in relation to his sinful actions. Our good deeds or works are seen as filthy garments because the deeds of an unrighteous person are done for selfish reasons and not because of their love of God. Those who are unsaved are in a state of rebellion against God and their hearts have not been turned toward God by the work of the Holy Spirit. Until they have become righteous through faith in Christ, then their righteous deeds are seen as corrupted and filthy garments.
For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6)
Justification
So, we have discussed good deeds and how they don’t get you into heaven. We have also touched on justification by works and justification by faith. These are theological terms commonly used inside the Church to help explain the teachings of the faith. Those outside the faith, and unfortunately many inside the faith may be left scratching their heads upon hearing these terms. Fear not, since this is a teaching ministry there will be some teaching on these terms. Justification is defined theologically as God’s judicious declaration whereby, because of the redeeming work of Christ, he freely pardons sins and judges believers as righteous and worthy of eternal life.1 The believer is not righteous on his own merit but is given the righteousness of Christ at the moment of his/her acceptance of Christ by faith. The person who accepts and believes in Christ is forgiven and cleansed of their sins, then they are presented with His righteousness as their own because of their new relationship with Him and their status of being in Christ.
Here is a biblical example of justification from the book of Zechariah which beautifully illustrates the concept of justification. It is presented below to assist in understanding.
Joshua, the High Priest
Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.
(Zec. 3:1-5)
Here we see Joshua the high priest of Jerusalem who is being accused of sin by Satan in the heavenly courtroom. The sin of Joshua is displayed by his filthy garments which make him unclean and defiled. Joshua’s condition is symbolic of all unbelievers who are polluted by sin and are unrighteous. Here Zechariah shows God’s action in cleansing Joshua by removing his filthy garments which are identified as his iniquity(sins) and replacing them with clean ones. The clean garments represent the righteousness of God which is given as a gift and is not based on Joshua’s merits. Joshua had no part in his cleansing, it was done entirely at the command of God and given by His grace. This heavenly courtroom drama is a foreshadowing of the future where believers would be cleansed of sin and justified by faith in the work of Christ.
The Truth: Justification by Faith
Justification by Works is the attempt by the lost sinner to try and make themselves righteous by their own efforts. True righteousness proceeds only from God who is the source of Holy righteousness. Righteousness is not extended to those who are unrepentant and still under the curse of sin. It can only be accessed by true faith in Christ and acceptance of His death as the payment for the penalty of sin on their behalf. Good deeds, or being a good person does nothing for the forgiveness of sin and therefore cannot merit righteousness. The work of redemption has already been accomplished, and the righteousness of the redeemer is made available to those who embrace Him as Lord and Savior. Just before Jesus died on the cross and knowing that He had accomplished all the things necessary to fulfill the Scripture, He said, “It is finished,” then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit, (John 19:28-30). Jesus’s work of redemption has brought forgiveness of sin and righteousness to all those who believe and have faith in Him. Sinners are justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, as a gift of God by His grace, as it is written in the above verse, (Rom. 3:22-24). For a person to declare that they are justified by their own merits is an insult to the sacrifice of Christ and a deep offense against God’s grace. This is the reason that the belief in justification by works is such a heresy and why the forces of darkness encourage this deception.
Verses that Support Justification by Faith
- “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” (Romans 3:28).
- “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,” (Rom. 4:2-5).
- “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy,” (Titus 3:4-5).
- “but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works,” (2Tim. 1:8-9).
Closing Thoughts
The belief in Justification by Faith rests on the faith that is in the redemptive work of Christ. This redemptive work is something that must be considered by all persons, believer and unbeliever, because of the pain, suffering, humiliation, and death endured by the redeemer because of His love for all those who believe and will believe in Him. For those who are lost and still covered in filthy garments consider this gift of redemption that is available to you if only you embrace this truth and accept Christ through faith. For those who are believers, do not take the redeemers work for granted but consider it every day and proclaim it as often as you can. This fallen world is full of lost people who believe that they will receive eternal life because they are a good person. They need to hear the truth that they headed toward eternal judgment because they have rejected the redeemer. Consider also, that justification is gift of God’s grace for you. As you endure the hardships and wickedness of this fallen world meditate on the redeemer and His precious gift which was given to you by His grace. Remember also that the message of the Gospel needs believers to go out and proclaim it because there are not enough workers to harvest the fields of unbelief.
Definition of Grace– The unmerited love and favor of God toward mankind. The condition of a person brought to God’s favor through divine influence. A special virtue, gift, or help given to a person by God.
- Demarest, B.A., The Cross and Salvation: The Doctrine of Salvation, Crossway Books, 1997, pg, 358. ↩︎
Hosea 4:6 Teaching Ministry 