Chapter 6: Evangelical Personal Righteousness, Its Nature and Use; Final Judgment and Justification
THe things which we have discoursed concerning the first and second justification, and concerning the continuation of justification, have no other design, but only to clear the principal subject whereof we treat, from what does not necessarily belong unto it. For until all things that are either really heterogeneous or otherwise superfluous, are separated from it, we cannot understand aright the true state of the question about the nature and causes of our justification before God. For we intend one only justification, namely, that whereby God at once freely by his grace justifies a convinced sinner through faith in the Blood of Christ. Whatever else any will be pleased to call justification, we are not concerned in it, nor are the Consciences of them that believe. To the same purpose we must therefore briefly also consider what is usually disputed about our own personal righteousness, with a justification thereon, as also what is called sentential justification at the day of judgment. And I shall treat no farther of them in this place, but only as it is necessary to free the principal subject under consideration, from being intermixed with them, as really it is not concerned in them. For what Influence our own personal righteousness has into our justification before God, will be afterwards particularly examined. Here we shall only consider such a notion of it, as seems to enterfere with it, and disturb the right understanding of it. But yet I say concerning this also, that it rather belongs unto the difference that will be among us in the Expression of our conceptions about spiritual things whilst we know but in part, than unto the substance of the doctrine it self. And on such differences no breach of charity can ensue, whilst there is a mutual Grant of that liberty of mind, without which it will not be preserved one moment.
It is therefore by some apprehended that there is an Evangelical justification, upon our Evangelical Personal righteousness. This they distinguish from that justification which is by faith through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, in the sense wherein they do allow it. For the righteousness of Christ is our Legal righteousness, whereby we have pardon of sin, and acquitment from the sentence of the law, on the account of his satisfaction and merit. But moreover they say, that as there is a Personal inherent righteousness required of us, so there is a justification by the gospel thereon. For by our faith and the plea of it, we are justified from the charge of Unbelief; by our sincerity and the plea of it, we are justified from the charge of Hypocrisie; and so by all other Graces and duties from the charge of the contrary sins in Commission or Omission, so far as such sins are inconsistent with the Terms of the covenant of grace. How this differs from the second justification before God, which some say we have by works on the supposition of the pardon of sin for the satisfaction of Christ, and the infusion of an habit of grace enabling us to perform those works, is declared by those who so express themselves.
Some add, that this inherent personal Evangelical righteousness, is the condition on our part of our legal righteousness, or of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ unto our justification, or the pardon of sin. And those by whom the satisfaction and merit of Christ are denied, make it the only and whole condition of our absolute justification before God. So speak all the socinians constantly. For they deny our obedience unto Christ to be either the meritorious or efficient cause of our justification; only they say it is the condition of it, without which God has decreed that we shall not be made partakers of the benefit thereof. So does Socinus himself, De Justificat. pag. 17. Sunt opera nostra, id est, ut dictum fuit, Obedientia quam Christo praestamus, licet nec efficiens nec meritoria, tamen causa est (ut vocant) sine qua non, Justificationis coram Deo, atque aeternae nostrae. Again, pag. 14. inter Opuscul. Ut cavendum est ne vitae sanctitatem atque innocentiam effectum Justificationis nostrae coram Deo esse credamus, neque illam nostrae coram Deo Justificationis causam efficientem aut impulsivam esse affirmemus; sed tantummodo causam sine qua eam Justificationem nobis non contingere decrevit Deus. And in all their discourses to this purpose, they assert our personal righteousness and holiness, or our obedience unto the commands of Christ, which they make to be the Form and essence of faith, to be the condition whereon we obtain justification or the remission of sins. And indeed considering what their Opinion is concerning the person of Christ, with their denial of his satisfaction and merit, it is impossible they should frame any other Idea of justification in their minds. But what some among our selves intend by a compliance with them herein, who are not necessitated thereunto by a prepossession with their Opinions about the person and mediation of Christ, I know not. For as for them, all their notions about grace, conversion to God, justification, and the like Articles of our religion, they are nothing but what they are necessarily cast upon by their Hypothesis about the person of Christ.
At present I shall only inquire into that peculiar Evangelical justification which is asserted to be the effect of our own Personal righteousness, or to be granted us thereon. And hereunto we may observe.
1. That God does require in and by the gospel a sincere obedience of all that do believe, to be performed in and by their own persons, though through the Aids of grace supplied unto them by Jesus Christ. He requirs indeed obedience, duties, and works of righteousness in and of all persons whatever. But the consideration of them which are performed before believing, is excluded by all from any causality or interest in our justification before God. At least whatever any may discourse of the necessity of such works in a way of preparation unto believing (whereunto we have spoken before) none bring them into the verge of works Evangelical, or obedience of faith, which would imply a contradiction. But that the works enquired after are necessary unto all believers, is granted by all; on what grounds and unto what ends, we shall inquire afterwards; they are declared, Ephesians 2:10.
2. It is likewise granted that believers, from the performance of this obedience, or these works of righteousness are denominated righteous in the scripture, and are personally and internally righteous, Luke 1:6. John 3:7. But yet this denomination is no where given unto them, with respect unto grace habitually inherent, but unto the effects of it in duties of obedience, as in the places mentioned. They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. The latter words give the reason of the former, or their being esteemed righteous before God. And he that does righteousness is righteous; the denomination is from doing. And Bellarmine endeavouring to prove that it is habitual not actual righteousness, which is as he speaks, the formal cause of our justification before God, could not produce one testimony of scripture wherein any One is denominated righteous from habitual righteousness. De Justificat. lib. 2. cap. 15. but is forced to attempt the proof of it with this absurd argument, namely, that we are justified by the sacraments, which do not work in us Actual but Habitual righteousness. And this is sufficient to discover the insufficiency of a Pretence for any Interest of our own righteousness from this Denomination of being righteous thereby, seeing it has not respect unto that which is the principal part thereof.
3. This Inherent righteousness, taking it for that which is habitual and actual, is the same with our sanctification; neither is there any difference between them, only they are divers names of the same thing. For our sanctification is the inherent Renovation of our natures, exerting and acting it self in newness of life, or obedience unto God in Christ, and works of righteousness. But sanctification and justification are in the scripture perpetually distinguished, whatever respect of causality the one of them may have unto the other. And those who do confound them, as the papists do, do not so much dispute about the nature of justification, as endeavour to prove that indeed there is no such thing as justification at all. For that which would serve most to enforce it, namely, the pardon of sin, they place in the exclusion and extinction of it, by the infusion of inherent grace, which does not belong unto justification.
4. By this inherent Personal righteousness, we may be said several ways to be justified. As (1) In our own Consciences, in as much as it is an evidence in us and unto us, of our participation of the grace of God in Christ Jesus, and of our Acceptance with him, which has no small Influence into our peace. So speaks the apostle; Our rejoycing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our Conversation in the world, 2. Cor. 1:12. who yet disclaims any confidence therein as unto his justification before God. For says he, although I know nothing by my self, yet am I not thereby justified, 1 Corinthians 4:4. (2) Hereby may we be said to be justified before men; that is, acquitted of evils laid unto our charge, and approved as righteous and unblameable. For the state of things is so in the world, as that the Professors of the gospel ever were and ever will be, evil spoken of as evil doers. The rule given them to acquit themselves, so as that at length they may be acquitted and justified by all that are not absolutely blinded and hardened in wickedness, is that of an holy and fruitful walking in abounding in good works, 1 Peter 2:12. chap. 3:16. And so is it with respect unto the church, that we be not judged dead, barren Professors, but such as have been made partakers of the like precious faith with others. Shew me your faith by your works, Jam. 2. Wherefore (3) This righteousness is pleadable unto our justification against all the charges of Satan, who is the great Accuser of the Brethren, of all that believe. Whether he manage his charge privately in our Consciences, which is as it were before God, as he charged Job, or by his instruments in all manner of reproaches and calumnies, whereof some in this Age have had experience in an eminent manner, this righteousness is pleadable unto our justification.
On a supposition of these things, wherein our personal righteousness is allowed its proper place and use (as shall afterwards be more fully declared) I do not understand that there is an Evangelical justification whereby believers are by and on the account of this personal inherent righteousness justified in the sight of God; nor does the imputation of the righteousness of Christ unto our absolute justification before him depend thereon. For,
1. None have this personal righteousness but they are antecedently justified in the sight of God. It is wholly the obedience of faith, proceeding from true and saving faith in God by Jesus Christ. For as it was said before, works before faith, are as by general consent excluded from any Interest in our justification, and we have proved that they are neither conditions of it, Dispositions unto it, nor Preparations for it, properly so called. But every true believer is immediately justified on his Believing. Nor is there any moment of time wherein a man is a true believer, according as faith is required in the gospel, and yet not be justified. For as he is thereby united unto Christ, which is the foundation of our justification by him, so the whole scripture testifis, that he that believes is justified; or that there is an infallible connection in the Ordination of God between true faith and justification. Wherefore this personal righteousness cannot be the condition of our Justificaion before God, seeing it is consequential thereunto. What may be pleaded in exception hereunto from the supposition of a second justification, or differing causes of the beginning and continuation of justification, has been already disproved.
2. justification before God is a freedom and absolution from a Charge before God, at least it is contained therein. And the instrument of this charge must either be the law or the gospel. But neither theLaw nor the gospel, do before God, or in the sight of God, charge true believers with Unbelief, Hypocrisie, or the like. For who shall lay any thing unto the charge of Gods elect, who are once justified before him? Such a charge may be laid against them by Sathan, by the church sometimes on mistake, by the world, as it was in the case of Job, against which this righteousness is pleadable. But what is charged immediately before God, is charged by God himself, either by the law or the gospel; and the judgment of God is according unto truth. If this charge be by the law, by the law we must be justified. But the plea of sincere obedience will not justify us by the law. That admits of none in satisfaction unto its demands, but that which is compleat and perfect. And where the gospel lays any thing unto the charge of any persons before God, there can be no justification before God, unless we shall allow the gospel to be the instrument of a false Charge. For what should justify him whom the gospel condemns? And if it be a justification by the gospel from the charge of the law, it renders the death of Christ of no effect. And a justification without a Charge, is not to be supposed.
3. Such a justification as that pretended, is altogether needless and useless. This may easily be evinced from what the scripture asserts unto our justification in the sight of God by faith in the Blood of Christ. But this has been spoken to before on another occasion. Let that be considered, and it will quickly appear, that there is no place nor use for this new justification upon our personal righteousness, whether it be supposed antecedent and subordinate thereunto, or consequential and perfective thereof.
4. This pretended Evangelical justification has not the nature of any justification that is mentioned in the scripture; that is, neither that by the law, nor that provided in the gospel. justification by the law is this; The man that does the works of it shall live in them. This it does not pretend unto. And as unto Evangelical justification, it is every way contrary unto it. For therein the Charge against the person to be justified is true; namely, that he has sinned, and is come short of the glory of God. In this it is false, namely, that a believer is an unbeliever; A sincere person an Hypocrite, one fruitful in good works, altogether barren. And this false charge is supposed to be exhibited in the name of God, and before him. Our Acquitment in true Evangelical justification is by absolution or pardon of sin; here by a Vindication of our own righteousness. There the plea of the person to be justified is, Guilty, all the world is become guilty before God; but here the plea of the person on his trial is not Guilty, whereon the proofs and evidences of Innocency and righteousness do ensue; But this is a Plea which the law will not admit, and which the gospel disclaims.
5. If we are justified before God on our own personal righteousness, and pronounced righteous by him on the account thereof, then God enters into judgment with us on something in our selves, and acquits us thereon. For justification is a juridical Acts in and of that judgment of God which is according unto truth. But that God should enter into judgment with us, and justify us with respect unto what he judgs on, or our personal righteousness, the Psalmist does not believe, Psalm 130:2, 3. Psalm 143:2. nor did the Publican, Luke 18.
6. This personal righteousness of ours cannot be said to be a subordinate righteousness, and subservient unto our justification by faith in the Blood of Christ. For therein God justifies the ungodly, and imputes righteousness unto him that works not. And besides it is expressly excluded from any consideration in our justification, Ephesians 2:7, 8.
7. This Personal inherent righteousness wherewith we are said to be justified with this Evangelical justification, is our own righteousness. Personal righteousness and our own righteousness, are expressions equivalent. But our own righteousness is not the material cause of any justification before God. For (1) It is unmeet so to be. Isaiah 54:6. (2) It is directly opposed unto that righteousness whereby we are justified, as inconsistent with it unto that end, Philippians 3:9. Romans 10:3, 4.
It will be said that our own righteousness is the righteousness of the law; but this Personal righteousness is Evangelical. But (1) It will be hard to prove, that our Personal righteousness is any other but our own righteousness; and our own righteousness is expressly rejected from any Interest in our justification, in the places quoted. (2) That righteousness which is Evangelical in respect of its efficient cause, its motives and some especial ends, is legal in respect of the formal reason of it, and our obligation unto it. For there is no instance of duty belonging unto it, but in general we are obliged unto its performance by virtue of the first commandment, to take the Lord for our God. acknowledging therein his essential verity and soveraign authority; we are obliged to believe all that he shall reveal, and to obey in all that he shall command. (3) The Good works rejected from any Interest in our justification, are those whereunto we are created in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 2:8, 9. the works of righteousness which we have done, Titus 3:5. wherein the gentiles are concerned, who never sought for righteousness by the works of the law, Romans 9:30. But it will yet be said that these things are evident in themselves. God does require an Evangelical righteousness in all that do believe. This Christ is not, nor is it the righteousness of Christ. He may be said to be our legal righteousness, but our Evangelical righteousness he is not. And so far as we are righteous with any righteousness, so far we are justified by it. For according unto this Evangelical righteousness, we must be tried; if we have it we shall be acquitted, and if we have it not, we shall be condemned. There is therefore a justification according unto it.
I answer. (1) According to some authors or Maintainers of this Opinion, I see not but that the Lord Christ is as much our Evangelical righteousness as he is our Legal. For our Legal righteousness he is not in their judgment, by a proper imputation of his righteousness unto us, but by the communication of the fruits of what he did and suffered unto us. And so he is our Evangelical righteousness also. For our sanctification is an effect or fruit of what he did and suffered for us. Ephesians 5:25, 26. Titus 2:14.
2. None have this Evangelical righteousness, but those who are in order of nature at least, justified before they actually have it. For it is that which is required of all that do believe, and are justified thereon. And we need not much inquire how a man is justified, after he is justified.
3. God has not appointed this Personal righteousness in order unto our justification before him in this life, though he have appointed it, to evidence our justification before others, and even in his sight, as shall be declared. He accepts of it, approves of it, upon the account of the free justification of the person, in and by whom it is wrought. So he had respect unto Abel and his offering. But we are not acquitted by it from any real charge in the sight of God, nor do receive remission of sins on the account of it. And those who place the whole of justification in the remission of sins, making this personal righteousness the condition of it, as the socinians do, leave not any place for the righteousness of Christ in our justification.
4. If we are in any sense justified hereby in the sight of God, we have whereof to boast before him. We may not have so absolutely and with respect unto merit, yet we have so comparatively, and in respect of others, who cannot make the same plea for their justification. But all boasting is excluded. And it will not relieve to say, that this personal righteousness, is of the free grace and Gift of God unto some, and not unto others; for we must plead it as our duty, and not as Gods grace.
5. Suppose a person freely justified by the grace of God through faith in the Blood of Christ, without respect unto any works, obedience, or righteousness of his own: we do freely grant; (1) That God does indispensably require personal obedience of him, which may be called his Evangelical righteousness; (2) That God does approve of, and accept in Christ this righteousness so performed; (3) That hereby that faith whereby we are justified is evidenced, proved, manifested, in the sight of God and men. (4) That this righteousness is pleadable unto an acquitment against any charge from Satan, the world, or our own Consciences; (5) That upon it, we shall be declared righteous at the last day, and without it none shall so be. And if any shall think meet from hence to conclude unto an Evangelical justification, or call Gods acceptance of our righteousness by that name, I shall by no means contend with them. And whereever this inquiry is made, not how a sinner guilty of death and obnoxious unto the curse, shall be pardoned, acquitted and justified, which is by the righteousness of Christ alone imputed unto him; but how a man that professs Evangelical faith, or faith in Christ, shall be tried, judged, and whereon as such he shall be justified, we grant that it is and must be by his own personal sincere obedience.
And these things are spoken, not with a design to contend with any, or to oppose the opinions of any; but only to remove from the principal question in hand, those things which do not belong unto it.
A very few words will also free our inquiry from any concernment, in that which is called sentential justification, at the day of judgment. For of what nature soever it be, the person concerning whom that sentence is pronounced, was (1) actually and compleatly justified before God in this world; (2) made partaker of all the benefits of that justification, even unto a blessed resurrection in glory; (it is raised in glory; 1 Corinthians 15.) (3) The souls of the most will long before have enjoyed a blessed Rest with God, absolutely discharged and acquitted from all their labours, and all their sins; There remains nothing but an actual admission of the whole person into eternal glory. Wherefore this judgment can be no more but declaratory unto the glory of God, and the everlasting Refreshment of them that have believed. And without reducing of it unto a new justification, as it is no where called in the scripture; the ends of that solemn judgment, in the manifestation of the wisdom and righteousness of God, in appointing the way of salvation by Christ, as well as in giving of the law; the public conviction of them, by whom the law has been transgressed and the gospel despised; the vindication of the righteousness, power and wisdom of God in the rule of the world by his providence, wherein for the most part, his paths unto all in this life are in the deep, and his footsteps are not known; the glory and honor of Jesus Christ, triumphing over all his Enemies, then fully made his footstool; and the glorious exaltation of grace in all that do Believe, with sundry other things of an alike tendency unto the ultimate manifestation of Divine glory in the creation and Guidance of all things, are sufficiently manifest.
And whence it appears, how little force there is in that argument which some pretend to be of so great weight in this cause. As every one (they say) shall be judged of God at the last day, in the same way and manner, or on the same ground is he justified of God in this life. But by works and not by faith alone, every one shall be judged at the last day; Wherefore by works and not by faith alone every one is justified before God in this life. For
1. It is no where said that we shall be judged at the last day, ex operibus; but, only that God will render unto men secundum opera. But God does not justify any in this life secundum opera; being justified freely by his grace, And, not according to the works of righteousness which we have done. And we are every where said to be justified in this life, ex fide, per fidem, but no where propter fidem; or that God justifies us secundum fidem; by faith; but not for our faith, nor according unto our faith. And we are not to depart from the expressions of the scripture where such a difference is constantly observed.
2. It is somewhat strange that a man should be judged at the last day, and justified in this life, just in the same way and manner, that is with respect unto faith and works, when the scripture does constantly ascribe our justification before God unto faith without works; and the judgment at the last day is said to be according unto works, without any mention of faith.
3. If justification and eternal judgment proceed absolute-on the same grounds, reasons, and causes, then if men had not done what they shall be condemned for doing at the last day, they should have been justified in this life. But many shall be condemned only for sins against the light of nature, Romans 2:12. as never having the written law or gospel made known unto them. Wherefore unto such persons, to abstain from sins against the light of nature, would be sufficient unto their justification, without any knowledge of Christ or the gospel.
4. This proposition, that God pardons men their sins, gives them the adoption of Children with a right unto the Heavenly Inheritance according to their works; is not only foraign to the gospel, but contradictory unto it, and destructive of it, as contrary unto all express testimonies of the scripture both in the old testament and the new, where these things are spoken of. But that God judgs all men, and rendrs unto all men at the last judgment according unto their works, is true and affirmed in the scripture.
5. In our justification in this life by faith, Christ is considered as our propitiation and Advocate, as he who has made atonement for sin, and brought in everlasting righteousness. But at the last day, and in the last judgment he is considered only as the judge.
6. The end of God in our justification is the glory of his grace; Ephesians 1:6. But the end of God in the last judgment is the glory of his remunerative righteousness, 2 Timothy 4:8.
7. The Representation that is made of the final judgment, Matthew 7. and Chap. 25. is only of the visible church. And therein the plea of faith as to the profession of it is common unto all, and is equally made by all. Upon that plea of faith, it is put unto the trial whether it were sincere true faith or no, or only that which was dead and barren. And this trial is made solely by the fruits and effects of it, and otherwise in the public declaration of things unto all, it cannot be made. Otherwise the faith whereby we are justified comes not into judgment at the last day. See John 5:24. with Mark. 16:16.
Everything we have discussed about the first and second justification, and about the continuation of justification, has had one purpose: to clear away what does not necessarily belong to the main subject. Until everything that is either foreign to the topic or simply unnecessary is set aside, we cannot properly understand the true state of the question about the nature and causes of our justification before God. We have in view one justification only — the justification by which God freely and by His grace justifies a convicted sinner at once, through faith in the blood of Christ. Whatever else anyone wishes to call justification is not our concern here, nor is it the concern of the believing conscience. For the same reason, we must briefly consider what is commonly debated about our own personal righteousness and any justification based on it, as well as what is called the sentential justification at the day of judgment. We will not go further into these matters here than is necessary to show that they are not truly mixed up with the main subject — they simply do not belong to it. The question of what role our own personal righteousness plays in our justification before God will be examined separately later. Here we will only consider the way that concept seems to interfere with our main topic and obscure a right understanding of it. On this matter too, I would say that the differences among us more likely belong to the realm of how we express our ideas about spiritual things — since our knowledge is partial — than to any disagreement about the substance of the doctrine itself. Such differences need not lead to any breakdown of charity, as long as there is mutual willingness to grant each other the freedom of mind without which charity cannot be maintained for a moment.
Some hold that there is an evangelical justification based on our evangelical personal righteousness. They distinguish this from the justification that comes by faith through the imputation of Christ's righteousness — at least as they understand that imputation. In their view, the righteousness of Christ serves as our legal righteousness, giving us pardon of sin and acquittal from the sentence of the law on the basis of His satisfaction and merit. But beyond this, they say, since personal inherent righteousness is required of us, there is also a justification by the gospel based on that righteousness. By our faith and its pleading, we are justified from the charge of unbelief; by our sincerity and its pleading, we are justified from the charge of hypocrisy; and so on for every other grace and duty — we are justified from the charge of the corresponding sins of commission or omission, insofar as such sins are incompatible with the terms of the covenant of grace. How this differs from the second justification before God — which others say we have by works, on the assumption of pardon through Christ's satisfaction and the infusion of a habit of grace enabling those works — is explained by those who use this language.
Some add that this inherent personal evangelical righteousness is the condition on our part for our legal righteousness — that is, for the imputation of Christ's righteousness to our justification, or for the pardon of sin. Those who deny the satisfaction and merit of Christ make it the only and complete condition of our absolute justification before God. This is the consistent position of all the Socinians. They deny that our obedience to Christ is either the meritorious or efficient cause of our justification; they say it is only the condition — without which God has decreed that we will not share in its benefit. Socinus himself states this: "Our works — that is, the obedience we render to Christ, as was said — are neither the efficient nor the meritorious cause, yet they are (as they call it) the sine qua non cause of our justification before God and of our eternal life" (De Justificatione, p. 17). He also writes: "We must be careful not to believe that the holiness and innocence of our life is the effect of our justification before God, nor to affirm that it is the efficient or motivating cause of our justification before God; but only that it is the condition without which God has decreed that this justification will not come to us" (p. 14, among the Opuscula). Throughout all their writings on this subject, they assert that our personal righteousness and holiness — our obedience to the commands of Christ, which they treat as the very form and essence of faith — is the condition on which we obtain justification or the remission of sins. Given their view of the person of Christ and their rejection of His satisfaction and merit, it is impossible for them to form any other idea of justification. I cannot understand, however, why some among ourselves would align with them on this point, when they are not compelled to do so by the Socinians' prior commitments about the person and mediation of Christ. For all the Socinian ideas about grace, conversion to God, justification, and related doctrines are simply the necessary conclusions of their hypothesis about the person of Christ.
For now, I will only examine that distinctive evangelical justification which is said to be the effect of our own personal righteousness, or to be granted to us on account of it. On this point we may observe the following.
1. God does require by the gospel a sincere obedience from all who believe, to be performed in their own persons — though through the aid of grace supplied to them by Jesus Christ. Indeed, He requires obedience, duties, and works of righteousness from all persons without exception. But any works performed before believing are excluded by all parties from having any causal role in our justification before God. Whatever anyone may argue about the necessity of such works as preparation for believing — a matter addressed earlier — no one brings them within the category of evangelical works or the obedience of faith, which would be a contradiction. That the works in question are necessary for all believers is agreed by all; the grounds and purposes of that necessity will be examined later, as declared in Ephesians 2:10.
2. It is likewise granted that believers are called righteous in Scripture on account of this obedience and these works of righteousness, and that they are personally and inwardly righteous (Luke 1:6; 1 John 3:7). Yet this designation is never given to them with respect to grace as a habit dwelling within them, but to its effects in actual works of obedience, as in the passages cited. Zechariah and Elizabeth "were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord." The second clause gives the reason for the first — why they were considered righteous before God. Similarly, "he who practices righteousness is righteous" — the designation comes from doing. When Bellarmine attempted to prove that it is habitual rather than actual righteousness that is, as he put it, the formal cause of our justification before God, he could not produce a single scripture where anyone is called righteous because of habitual righteousness (De Justificatione, lib. 2, cap. 15). He was forced to try to prove it with the absurd argument that we are justified by the sacraments, which work habitual rather than actual righteousness in us. This is enough to expose the weakness of any claim for our own righteousness based on this designation — since the designation does not have in view the principal part of that righteousness.
3. This inherent righteousness — taking it as both habitual and actual — is the same thing as our sanctification; the two are not different realities but different names for the same thing. Sanctification is the inward renewal of our nature, expressing itself in newness of life — that is, in obedience to God in Christ and in works of righteousness. But Scripture consistently distinguishes sanctification from justification, whatever causal relationship one may have to the other. Those who confuse them, as the Roman Catholics do, are not really disputing about the nature of justification — they are effectively arguing that there is no such thing as justification at all. For what ought to be central to justification — namely, the pardon of sin — they locate instead in the removal and extinction of sin through the infusion of inherent grace, which has nothing to do with justification.
4. There are several ways in which we may be said to be justified by this inherent personal righteousness. First, in our own consciences — since it serves as evidence within us and to us that we have received God's grace in Christ Jesus and are accepted by Him, which is no small source of peace. The apostle speaks of this: "Our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world" (2 Corinthians 1:12). Yet he also disclaims any confidence in this as the basis of his justification before God: "For I am not aware of anything against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted" (1 Corinthians 4:4). Second, by this righteousness we may be said to be justified before other people — that is, acquitted of the evil charges laid against us and approved as righteous and blameless. The reality is that those who profess the gospel have always been, and always will be, spoken of as evildoers by the world. The rule given to them for clearing their name — so that in the end they may be vindicated in the eyes of all who are not completely blinded and hardened in wickedness — is a holy, fruitful life filled with good works (1 Peter 2:12; 3:16). This also applies within the church, so that we may not be judged as lifeless, fruitless professors but as those who have shared in the same precious faith as others — "Show me your faith by your works" (James 2). Third, this righteousness can be pleaded to our justification against all the charges of Satan, who is the great accuser of all who believe. Whether he presses his accusations privately within our consciences — as if before God, as he charged Job — or through his instruments in all kinds of slander and reproach (which some in this age have experienced in a notable way), this righteousness is a valid plea for our justification.
Given all of this — in which our personal righteousness is given its proper place and use (as will be more fully explained later) — I do not find that there is an evangelical justification by which believers are justified in the sight of God on the basis of this personal inherent righteousness. Nor does the imputation of Christ's righteousness for our absolute justification before God depend on it. The reasons are as follows.
1. No one possesses this personal righteousness without already being justified in the sight of God. This righteousness is entirely the obedience of faith — it proceeds from true and saving faith in God through Jesus Christ. As was noted earlier, works done before faith are by general agreement excluded from any role in our justification, and we have shown that they are neither conditions of it, preparations for it, nor dispositions toward it in any proper sense. But every true believer is justified immediately upon believing. There is no moment when a person holds the faith the gospel requires and is not yet justified. Through faith a person is united to Christ — which is the foundation of our justification by Him — and all of Scripture testifies that the one who believes is justified, or that God has ordained an unfailing connection between true faith and justification. Therefore this personal righteousness cannot be the condition of our justification before God, since it comes after justification, not before. Whatever objections might be raised from the notion of a second justification or from different causes for the beginning and continuation of justification has already been answered.
2. Justification before God is a release and acquittal from a charge brought before God — at least it includes this. The instrument that brings such a charge must be either the law or the gospel. But neither the law nor the gospel, before God or in His sight, charges true believers with unbelief, hypocrisy, or the like. "Who will bring a charge against God's elect" who are already justified before Him? Such charges may be brought against believers by Satan, sometimes by the church in error, and by the world — as in Job's case — and against those charges this righteousness is a valid plea. But what is charged immediately before God is charged by God Himself, through the law or the gospel, and God's judgment is according to truth. If the charge comes by the law, we must be justified by the law. But a plea of sincere obedience will not justify anyone before the law. The law accepts nothing short of complete and perfect conformity to its demands. And where the gospel brings a charge against a person before God, there can be no justification before God — unless we are willing to say that the gospel is the instrument of a false charge. For what could justify someone the gospel condemns? And if this is supposed to be a justification by the gospel from the charge of the law, it renders the death of Christ without effect. A justification without any charge to answer is simply incoherent.
3. This kind of justification is entirely unnecessary and pointless. This is easily seen from what Scripture asserts about our justification in the sight of God by faith in the blood of Christ — which has already been addressed on another occasion. Let that be considered, and it will quickly become clear that there is no place or use for this additional justification based on personal righteousness — whether it is supposed to come before our justification by faith and support it, or to follow it and perfect it.
4. This proposed evangelical justification does not resemble any justification mentioned in Scripture — neither justification by the law nor justification provided in the gospel. Justification by the law is this: the person who does its works will live by them. This evangelical justification makes no such claim. And as for evangelical justification properly understood, this proposal is contrary to it in every way. In true evangelical justification, the charge against the person to be justified is true: he has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But in this proposed justification, the charge is false — that a believer is an unbeliever, a sincere person a hypocrite, a fruitful person utterly barren. And this false charge is supposed to be brought before God and in His name. In true evangelical justification, our acquittal comes through the pardon of sin; here it comes through a vindication of our own righteousness. In true evangelical justification, the person's plea is "guilty" — all the world is guilty before God — and acquittal comes through pardon. But here the person pleads "not guilty," which is followed by proofs and evidence of innocence and righteousness. This is a plea the law will not admit, and one the gospel disowns.
5. If we are justified before God on the basis of our own personal righteousness — pronounced righteous by Him on account of it — then God enters into judgment with us regarding something within ourselves and acquits us on that basis. For justification is a legal act within God's judgment, which is according to truth. But that God should enter into judgment with us and justify us based on what He examines in us, or on our personal righteousness, is something the Psalmist did not believe (Psalm 130:2-3; Psalm 143:2), nor did the tax collector (Luke 18).
6. Our personal righteousness cannot be called a subordinate righteousness that supports our justification by faith in the blood of Christ. For in that justification, God justifies the ungodly and credits righteousness to the one who does not work. Moreover, our own works are explicitly excluded from any consideration in our justification (Ephesians 2:7-8).
7. The personal inherent righteousness by which we are said to be justified in this evangelical justification is our own righteousness. Personal righteousness and our own righteousness are equivalent expressions. But our own righteousness is not the material cause of any justification before God. First, it is wholly unfit to be so (Isaiah 64:6). Second, it is directly opposed to the righteousness by which we are justified — being incompatible with it for that purpose (Philippians 3:9; Romans 10:3-4).
It may be objected that our own righteousness is the righteousness of the law, whereas this personal righteousness is evangelical. But first, it will be hard to prove that our personal righteousness is anything other than our own righteousness, which is explicitly excluded from any role in our justification in the passages cited. Second, a righteousness that is evangelical with respect to its efficient cause, its motivations, and some of its ends is still legal with respect to the formal reason for it and our obligation to it. For every duty that belongs to it carries with it, at a general level, an obligation grounded in the first commandment — to take the Lord as our God, acknowledging His essential truth and sovereign authority; we are thereby obligated to believe everything He reveals and to obey everything He commands. Third, the good works excluded from any role in our justification are the very works to which we were created in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9), the works of righteousness we have done (Titus 3:5), and the works that concern the Gentiles who never sought righteousness through the works of the law (Romans 9:30). But it may still be objected: God requires an evangelical righteousness from all who believe. This righteousness is not Christ Himself, nor is it the righteousness of Christ. Christ may be called our legal righteousness, but He is not our evangelical righteousness. And insofar as we are righteous with any righteousness, we are justified by it. For we are to be examined according to this evangelical righteousness — if we have it we will be acquitted, and if we do not we will be condemned. There is therefore a justification according to it.
I answer. First, according to some who hold and defend this view, I do not see why Christ is not as much our evangelical righteousness as He is our legal righteousness. In their understanding, He is our legal righteousness not through a proper imputation of His righteousness to us, but through the communication to us of the fruits of what He did and suffered. By the same logic, He is our evangelical righteousness as well — for our sanctification is an effect and fruit of what He did and suffered for us (Ephesians 5:25-26; Titus 2:14).
2. No one possesses this evangelical righteousness unless they have already been justified — at least in the order of nature — before they actually have it. For it is what is required of all who believe and are justified on that basis. We hardly need to inquire how a person is justified after they are already justified.
3. God has not appointed this personal righteousness as the basis for our justification before Him in this life, though He has appointed it to serve as evidence of our justification before others — and even in His sight — as will be explained. He accepts it and approves it on account of the free justification of the person in and by whom it is worked. This is how He regarded Abel and his offering. But we are not acquitted by it from any real charge in the sight of God, nor do we receive the remission of sins on account of it. Those who make justification consist entirely in the remission of sins and treat this personal righteousness as its condition — as the Socinians do — leave no place for the righteousness of Christ in our justification.
4. If we are in any sense justified before God by this righteousness, then we have grounds for boasting before Him. We may not boast absolutely or with respect to merit, yet we would boast comparatively — in relation to others who cannot make the same plea for their justification. But all boasting is excluded. And it does not help to say that this personal righteousness is a free gift of God's grace to some and not others — for we must plead it as our own duty, not as God's grace.
5. Consider a person freely justified by the grace of God through faith in the blood of Christ, without any reference to his own works, obedience, or righteousness. We freely grant all of the following: first, that God indispensably requires personal obedience from him, which may be called his evangelical righteousness; second, that God approves and accepts in Christ this righteousness so performed; third, that through it the faith by which we are justified is evidenced, proved, and made visible before God and people; fourth, that this righteousness is a valid plea for acquittal against any charge from Satan, the world, or our own consciences; and fifth, that on the basis of it we will be declared righteous at the last day, and without it no one will be so declared. If anyone thinks it appropriate to call God's acceptance of our righteousness an evangelical justification, I will not quarrel with that language. And wherever the question is not how a sinner who is guilty of death and exposed to the curse will be pardoned, acquitted, and justified — which is by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him alone — but rather how a person who professes evangelical faith, or faith in Christ, will be examined, judged, and on what basis he will be justified as such, we grant that it is and must be by his own personal sincere obedience.
These things are said not to argue with anyone or to oppose particular opinions, but only to clear away from the main question what does not properly belong to it.
A very few words will also free our inquiry from any involvement with what is called the sentential justification at the day of judgment. Whatever its nature, the person about whom that sentence is pronounced will have already, first, been actually and completely justified before God in this world; second, received all the benefits of that justification, including a glorious resurrection — "it is raised in glory" (1 Corinthians 15); and third, for most believers, long before that day their souls will have enjoyed a blessed rest with God, fully discharged and acquitted from all their labors and all their sins. Nothing remains at the last day but the actual admission of the whole person into eternal glory. This final judgment therefore can be nothing more than a declaration — to the glory of God and the everlasting joy of those who believed. Without reducing it to a new justification (a term Scripture never applies to it), the purposes of that solemn judgment are evident: the manifestation of God's wisdom and righteousness in appointing salvation through Christ, just as in giving the law; the public conviction of those who transgressed the law and despised the gospel; the vindication of God's righteousness, power, and wisdom in His providential governance of the world — in which for the most part His paths in this life are hidden and His footsteps unknown; the glory and honor of Jesus Christ, triumphing over all His enemies who are then fully made His footstool; the glorious exaltation of grace in all who believed; and many other things that serve equally to display the ultimate glory of God in the creation and governing of all things.
This also shows how little force there is in an argument that some present as being of great weight in this discussion. They say: everyone will be judged by God at the last day in the same way and on the same grounds as they are justified by God in this life. But at the last day everyone will be judged by works, not by faith alone. Therefore, everyone is justified before God in this life by works, not by faith alone. The following replies expose this argument.
1. Scripture never says we will be judged at the last day "by works" (ex operibus); it says only that God will render to each person "according to works" (secundum opera). But God does not justify anyone in this life according to works — He justifies freely by His grace, and "not according to the works of righteousness which we have done." We are consistently said throughout Scripture to be justified in this life "by faith" (ex fide, per fidem), but never "for faith" or "according to faith" (propter fidem, secundum fidem) — we are justified through faith, not on account of faith as such, nor proportionally to our faith. We should not depart from Scripture's own careful and consistent phrasing on this distinction.
2. It is rather strange to argue that a person is judged at the last day and justified in this life in exactly the same way — that is, with respect to faith and works — when Scripture consistently attributes our justification before God to faith apart from works, while the judgment at the last day is said to be according to works, with no mention of faith.
3. If justification and eternal judgment proceed on exactly the same grounds, reasons, and causes, then if people had not done what they will be condemned for at the last day, they would have been justified in this life. But many will be condemned solely for sins against the light of nature (Romans 2:12), having never had the written law or the gospel made known to them. If the argument holds, then for such people, abstaining from sins against the light of nature would have been sufficient for their justification — with no knowledge of Christ or the gospel required.
4. The idea that God pardons people their sins and grants them adoption as children with a right to the heavenly inheritance according to their works is not merely foreign to the gospel — it contradicts and destroys it, standing against every explicit testimony of Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments wherever these matters are addressed. It is true, and affirmed in Scripture, that God will judge all people and render to all at the last judgment according to their works.
5. In our justification in this life by faith, Christ is considered as our propitiation and Advocate — the One who has made atonement for sin and brought in everlasting righteousness. But at the last day, in the final judgment, He is considered only as the Judge.
6. The goal of God in our justification is the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6). The goal of God in the final judgment is the glory of His rewarding righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8).
7. The depiction of the final judgment in Matthew 7 and Matthew 25 concerns only the visible church. In that scene, the plea of faith — as a profession — is common to all and is made equally by all. On that basis, the question is put to the test: was this faith sincere and true, or merely dead and fruitless? This test is conducted entirely by the fruits and effects of faith — for in a public declaration to all, it can be conducted in no other way. Apart from this, the faith by which we are justified does not come into judgment at the last day (see John 5:24 with Mark 16:16).
