Justification by Faith Alone
Luther's conviction that the sinner is set right with God by trusting faith alone
This Reformation teaching, associated with Martin Luther, holds that a sinner is justified, declared right with God, by faith alone, apart from works of the law. It became the material principle of the Reformation. Catholic and Orthodox traditions reject the claim in that exclusive form, holding instead that grace works through faith together with love and good works. The traditions therefore differ sharply on how justification happens.
How it traveled
- RomansCorinth · 67explains
- GalatiansEphesus · 67explains
- A Treatise on the Spirit and the LetterHippo Regius · 430explains
- Commentary on GalatiansWittenberg · 1546explains
- Discussion: Third PartWittenberg · 1546explains
- Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from ItGeneva · 1564explains
- Book Second. of the Knowledge of God the Redeemer, in Christ, as First Manifested to the Fathers, Under the Law, and Thereafter to Us Under the GospelGeneva · 1564explains
- XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvationNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, in Three PartsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758explains
- Seventeen Occasional SermonsNorthampton, Massachusetts · 1758applies
Key passages(20)
Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
11. We must strongly insist on these two things: That no believer ever performed one work which, if tested by the strict judgment of God, could escape condemnation; and, moreover, that were this grant
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
justification by faith alone Rom. iv. 5. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. The following things may be noted in
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
ountability, it rests, what mode they will adopt for obtaining acceptance with God—whether by doing the work themselves, or by believing his testimony and receiving his gift—it fully accounts for just
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
But inasmuch as a sinner, in his first justification, is for ever justified and freed from all obligations to eternal punishment; it hence of necessity follows, that future faith and repentance are be
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
Object. 4. It may be objected against what has been supposed, (viz. That rewards are given to our good works, only in consequence of an interest in Christ, or in testimony of God’s respect to the exce
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
3. It is in this doctrine that the most essential difference lies between the covenant of grace and the first covenant. The adverse scheme of justification supposes that we are justified by our works,
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
5. The contrary scheme of justification derogates much from the honour of God and the Mediator. I have already shown how it diminishes the glory of the Mediator, in ascribing that to man’s virtue and
Tap to expand
Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
OF JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. BOTH THE NAME AND THE REALITY DEFINED. In this chapter and the seven which follow, the doctrine of Justification by Faith is expounded, and opposite errors refuted. The fol
Tap to expand
Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
19. The reader now perceives with what fairness the Sophists of the present day cavil at our doctrine, when we say that a man is justified by faith alone (Rom. 4:2). They dare not deny that he is just
Tap to expand
Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
13. But since a great part of mankind imagine a righteousness compounded of faith and works let us here show that there is so wide a difference between justification by faith and by works, that the es
Tap to expand
Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
16. Scripture, when it treats of justification by faith, leads us in a very different direction. Turning away our view from our own works, it bids us look only to the mercy of God and the perfection o
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
This order, however, is a law to us, and compliance with it necessarily imports moral obedience; though the object received is the obedience of another. No one has room to expect success in his endeav
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
4. It is evident that when the apostle says, we cannot be justified by the works of the law, he means the moral as well as ceremonial law, by his giving this reason for it, that “by the law is the kno
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
8. The apostle in like manner argues against our being justified by our own righteousness, as he does against being justified by the works of the law; and evidently uses the expressions, of our own ri
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
10. The apostle could not mean only works of the ceremonial law, when he says, we are not justified by the works of the law, because it is asserted of the saints under the Old Testament as well as New
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
Third and last thing under this argument, That this doctrine, of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, is utterly inconsistent with the doctrine of our being justified by our own virtue or sincere
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
It having been shown out of the Scripture, that it is only by faith, or the soul’s receiving and uniting to the Saviour who has wrought our righteousness, that we are justified; it therefore remains,
Tap to expand
XIV Five discourses on the soul's eternal salvation · Jonathan Edwards
1. That justification respects a man as ungodly. This is evident by these words,—that justifieth the ungodly; which cannot imply less, than that God, in the act of justification, has no regard to any
Tap to expand
Book Third. the Mode of Obtaining the Grace of Christ. the Benefits It Confers, and the Effects Resulting from It · John Calvin
1. Let us now consider the other arguments which Satan by his satellites invents to destroy or impair the doctrine of Justification by Faith. I think we have already put it out of the power of our cal
Tap to expand
Commentary on Galatians · Martin Luther
Paul did not condemn circumcision as if it were a sin to receive it. But he insisted, and the conference upheld him, that circumcision had no bearing upon salvation and was therefore not to be forced
Tap to expand