The only condition
By affirming that this faith is the term, or condition, of justification, I mean, first, that there is no justification without it. He who does not believe is condemned already. And so long as he does not believe, that condemnation cannot be removed, but the wrath of God abides on him. As there is no other name given under heaven than that of Jesus of Nazareth, no other merit by which a condemned sinner can ever be saved from the guilt of sin, so there is no other way of obtaining a share in his merit than by faith in his name.
So that, as long as we are without this faith, we are strangers to the covenant of promise. We are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and without God in the world. Whatever virtues, so called, a man may have, whatever good works, so accounted, he may do, it does not profit. I speak of those to whom the gospel is preached, for what have I to judge those who are without? He is still a child of wrath, still under the curse, until he believes in Jesus.
Faith, therefore, is the necessary condition of justification. Yes, and the only necessary condition of it. This is the second point carefully to be observed. The very moment God gives faith, for it is the gift of God, to the ungodly one who does not work, that faith is counted to him for righteousness. He has no righteousness at all antecedent to this, not so much as negative righteousness, or innocence. But faith is imputed to him for righteousness the very moment that he believes.
Not that God, as was observed before, thinks him to be what he is not. But as he made Christ to be sin for us, that is, treated him as a sinner, punishing him for our sins, so he counts us righteous from the time we believe in him. That is, he does not punish us for our sins. Yes, he treats us as though we were guiltless and righteous.
Surely the difficulty of assenting to this proposition, that faith is the only condition of justification, must arise from not understanding it. We mean by it this much. It is the only thing without which no one is justified, the only thing that is immediately, indispensably, absolutely requisite in order to pardon. As, on the one hand, though a man should have everything else, yet without faith he cannot be justified, so, on the other, though he is supposed to lack everything else, yet if he has faith he cannot but be justified.
For suppose a sinner of any kind or degree, in a full sense of his total ungodliness, of his utter inability to think, speak, or do good, and of his absolute fitness for hell-fire. Suppose, I say, this sinner, helpless and hopeless, casts himself wholly on the mercy of God in Christ, which indeed he cannot do but by the grace of God. Who can doubt but that he is forgiven in that moment? Who will affirm that anything more is indispensably required before that sinner can be justified?
Now if there ever was one such instance from the beginning of the world, and have there not been, and are there not, 10,000 times 10,000? It plainly follows that faith is, in the sense above, the sole condition of justification.
1771 text
4. By affirming that this faith is the term or condition of justification, I mean, first, that there is no justification without it. He that believeth not is condemned already; and so long as he believeth not, that condemnation cannot be removed, but the wrath of God abideth on him. As there is no other name given under heaven than that of Jesus of Nazareth, no other merit whereby a condemned sinner can ever be saved from the guilt of sin; so there is no other way of obtaining a share in his merit, than by faith in his name. So that as long as we are without this faith, we are strangers to the covenant of promise, we are aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, and without God in the world. Whatsoever virtues (so call’d) a man may have (I speak of those unto whom the gospel is preached; for what have I to judge them that are without?) whatsoever good works (so accounted) he may do, it profiteth not; he is still a child of wrath, still under the curse, till he believes in Jesus.
5. Faith therefore is the necessary condition of justification. Yea, and the only necessary condition thereof. This is the second point carefully to be observed; that the very moment God giveth faith (for it is the gift of God) to the ungodly, that worketh not, that faith is counted to him for righteousness. He hath no righteousness at all, antecedent to this, not so much as negative righteousness or innocence. But faith is imputed to him for righteousness, the very moment that he believeth. Not that God (as was observed before) thinketh him to be what he is not. But as he made Christ to be sin for us, that is, treated him as a sinner, punishing him for our sins, so he counteth us righteous, from the time we believe in him: that is, he doth not punish us for our sins, yea, treats us as tho’ we were guiltless and righteous.
6. Surely the difficulty of assenting to this proposition, that faith is the only condition of justification, must arise from not understanding it. We mean thereby thus much, that it is the only thing without which none is justified; the only thing that is immediately, indispensably, absolutely requisite in order to pardon. As on the one hand, tho’ a man should have every thing else, without faith, yet he cannot be justified; so on the other, tho’ he be supposed to want every thing else, yet if he hath faith, he cannot but be justified. For suppose a sinner of any kind or degree, in a full sense of his total ungodliness, of his utter inability to think, speak or do good, and his absolute meetness for hell-fire: suppose, I say, this sinner, helpless and hopeless, casts himself wholly on the mercy of God in Christ (which indeed he cannot do but by the grace of God) who can doubt, but he is forgiven in that moment? Who will affirm, that any more is indispensably required, before that sinner can be justified?
Now if there ever was one such instance from the beginning of the world. (And have there not been, and are there not ten thousand times ten thousand?) it plainly follows, that faith is, in the above sense, the sole condition of justification.
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1771 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1771 panel is his own Pine printing of the Works. It is public domain.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 5 in the 1771 Works. Romans 4:5.
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.