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apart from faith, and that faith is an indispensable condition of justification. The name
expresses nothing positive, and is, moreover, liable to misunderstanding.
G. THE GROUND OF JUSTIFICATION.
One of the most important points of controversy between the Church of Rome and the
Reformers, and between Reformed theology and the Arminians, concerned the ground of
justification. With respect to this the Reformers taught:
1. Negatively, that this cannot be found in any virtue of man, nor in his good works. This
position must also be maintained at present over against Rome and the Pelagianizing
tendencies of various Churches. Rome teaches that the sinner is justified on the basis of the
inherent righteousness that has been infused into his heart, and which, in turn, is the fruit of
the co-operation of the human will with prevenient grace. This applies to what is called the first
justification; in all following justification the good works of man come into consideration as the
formal cause or ground of justification. It is impossible, however, that the inherent
righteousness of the regenerate man and his good works should constitute the ground of his
justification, for (a) this righteousness is and remains during this life a very imperfect
righteousness; (b) it is itself already the fruit of the righteousness of Christ and of the grace of
God; and (c) even the best works of believers are polluted by sin. Moreover, Scripture teaches
us very clearly that man is justified freely by the grace of God, Rom. 3:24, and that he cannot
possibly be justified by the works of the law, Rom. 3:28; Gal. 2:16; 3:11.
2. Positively, that the ground of justification can be found only in the perfect righteousness of
Jesus Christ, which is imputed to the sinner in justification. This is plainly taught in several
passages of Scripture, such as Rom. 3:24; 5:9,19; 8:1; 10:4; I Cor. 1:30; 6:11; II Cor. 5:21; Phil.
3:9. In the passive obedience of Christ, who became a curse for us (Gal. 3:13) we find the
ground for the forgiveness of sins; and in His active obedience, by which He merited all the gifts
of grace, including eternal life, the ground for the adoption of children, by which sinners are
constituted heirs of life eternal. The Arminian goes contrary to Scripture when he maintains
that we are accepted in favor by God only on the ground of our faith or evangelical obedience.
H. OBJECTIONS TO THE DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION.
Modern liberal theology, with its rationalizing tendencies, raises several objections to the
doctrine of justification as such, which deserve brief consideration.
1. Some, who still believe in salvation by grace, ostensibly object to justification in the interest
of the recognition of the grace of God. Justification, it is said, is a legal transaction and as such
excludes grace, while the Bible clearly teaches that the sinner is saved by grace. But it can easily