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The Philadelphia Confession, 1742
Those whom God effectually calleth, He
also freely justifieth,1 not by infusing righteousness into
them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons, as
righteous;2 not for anything wrought in them, or done by them,
but for Christ's sake alone;3 not by imputing faith itself, the
act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness, but
by imputing Christ's active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in His
death, for their whole and sole righteousness;4 they receiving,
and resting on Him, and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of
themselves: it is the gift of God.5
Faith thus receiving and resting on
Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification:6 yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever
accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.7
Christ, by His obedience and death, did
fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified; and did by the sacrifice of
Himself, in the blood of His cross, undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them,
make a proper, real and full satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf;8 yet, inasmuch as He was given by the Father for them, and His
obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for anything in
them,9 their justification is only of free grace, that both the
exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.10
God did from all eternity decree to
justify all the elect,11 and Christ did in the fullness of
time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification;12
nevertheless, they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in due time
actually apply Christ unto them.13
God doth continue to forgive the sins
of those that are justified;14 and although they can never
fall from the state of justification,15 yet they may by their
sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure;16 and in that
condition, they have not usually the light of His countenance restored unto them, until
they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and
repentance.17
The justification of believers under the Old Testament, was in all these respects one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.18
Footnotes:
1. Ro 3:24; 8:30.
2. Ro 4:5-8; Eph 1:7.
3. 1Co 1:30-31; Ro 5:17-19.
4. Php 3:8-9; Eph 2:8-10.
5. Jn 1:12; Ro 5:17.
6. Ro 3:28.
7. Gal 5:6; Jas 2:17,22,26.
8. Heb 10:14; 1Pe 1:18-19; Isa 53:5-6.
9. Ro 8:32; 2Co 5:21.
10. Ro 3:26; Eph 1:6-7; 2:7.
11. Gal 3:8; 1Pe 1:2; 1Ti 2:6. 12. Ro 4:25.
12. Ro 4:25.
13. Col 1:21-22; Tit 3:4-7.
14. Mt 6:12; 1Jn 1:7,9.
15. Jn 10:28.
16. Ps 89:31-33.
17. Ps 32:5; Ps 51:1-19; Mt 26:75.
18. Gal 3:9; Ro 4:22-24.
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