Chapter 11

1. Those God effectually calls he also freely justifies.(a)  He does this, not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and accounting and accepting them as righteous.(b) He does this for Christ’s sake alone and not for anything produced in them or done by them.(c)  He does not impute faith itself, the act of believing, or any other gospel obedience to them as their righteousness. Instead, he imputes Christ’s active obedience to the whole law and passive obedience in his death as their whole and only righteousness by faith.(d)  This faith is not self-generated; it is the gift of God.(e)

2. Faith that receives and rests on Christ and his righteousness is the only instrument of justification.(f)  Yet it does not occur by itself in the person justified, but it is always accompanied by every other saving grace. It is not a dead faith but works through love.(g)

3. By his obedience and death, Christ fully paid the debt of all those who are justified. He endured in their place the penalty they deserved. By this sacrifice of himself in his bloodshed on the cross, he legitimately, really, and fully satisfied God’s justice on their behalf.(h)  Yet their justification is based entirely on free grace, because he was given by the Father for them, and his obedience and satisfaction were accepted in their place. These things were done freely, not because of anything in them,(i) so that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God would be glorified in the justification of sinners.(j)

4. From all eternity God decreed to justify all the elect,(k) and in the fullness of time Christ died for their sins and rose again for their justification.(l)  Nevertheless, they are not justified personally until the Holy Spirit actually applies Christ to them at the proper time.(m)

5. God continues to forgive the sins of those who are justified.(n) Even though they can never fall from a state of justification,(o) they may fall under God’s fatherly displeasure  because of their sins.(p)  In that condition they will not usually have the light of his face restored to them until they humble themselves, confess their sins, plead for pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.(q)

6. In all these ways, the justification of believers under the Old Testament was exactly the same as the justification of believers under the New Testament.(r)

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1. God has granted that all those who are justified would receive the grace of adoption, in and for the sake of his only Son Jesus Christ. (a)  By this they are counted among the children of God and enjoy the freedom and privileges of that relationship.(b) They inherit his name,(c) receive the spirit of adoption,(d) have access to the throne of grace with boldness, and are enabled to cry “Abba, Father!”(e) They are given compassion,(f) protected,(g) provided for,(h) and disciplined by him as a father.(i)  Yet they are never cast off (j) but are sealed for the day of redemption (k) and inherit the promises as heirs of everlasting salvation.(l)

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1. Those who are united to Christ and effectually called and regenerated have a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the power of Christ’s death and resurrection. They are also further sanctified, really and personally,(a) through the same power, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them.(b) The dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed,(c) and the various evil desires that arise from it are more and more weakened and put to death.(d)  At the same time, those called and regenerated are more and more enlivened and strengthened in all saving graces(e) so that they practice true holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.(f)

2. This sanctification extends throughout the whole person,(g) though it is never completed in this life. Some corruption remains in every part.(h)  From this arises a continual and irreconcilable war, with the desires of the flesh against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh.(i)

3. In this war, the remaining corruption may greatly prevail for a time.(j)  Yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part overcomes.(k)  So the saints grow in grace, becoming increasingly holy in the fear of God. They pursue a heavenly life, in gospel obedience to all the commands that Christ as Head and King has given them in his Word.(l)

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1. The grace of faith, by which the elect are enabled to believe so that their souls are saved, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts.(a)  Faith is ordinarily produced by the ministry of the Word.(b)  By this same ministry and by the administration of baptism and the Lord’s supper, prayer, and other means appointed by God, faith is increased and strengthened.(c)

2. By this faith Christians believe to be true everything revealed in the Word, recognizing it as the authority of God himself.(d)  They also perceive that the Word is more excellent than every other writing and everything else in the world,(e) because it displays the glory of God in his attributes, the excellence of Christ in his nature and offices, and the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit in his activities and operations. So they are enabled to entrust their souls to the truth believed.(f)  They respond differently according to the content of each particular passage—obeying the commands,(g) trembling at the threatenings,(h) and embracing the promises of God for this life and the one to come.(i)  But the principal acts of saving faith focus directly on Christ—accepting, receiving, and resting upon him alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.(j)

3. This faith may exist in varying degrees so that it may be either weak or strong.(k)  Yet even in its weakest form, it is different in kind or nature (like all other saving graces) from the faith and common grace of temporary believers.(l)  Therefore, faith may often be attacked and weakened, but it gains the victory.(m)  It matures in many to the point that they attain full assurance through Christ,(n) who is both the founder and perfecter of our faith.(o)

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1. Some of the elect are converted later in life, having lived in the naturala state for a time and served various evil desires and pleasures. God gives these repentance to life as part of their effectual calling.(a)

2. There is no one who does good and does not sin.(b)  Even the best may fall into great sins and offenses, through the power and deceitfulness of the corruption in them, along with the strength of temptation. Therefore, God has mercifully provided in the covenant of grace that believers who sin and fall will be renewed through repentance to salvation.(c)

3. This saving repentance is a gospel grace(d) in which those who are made aware by the Holy Spirit of the many evils of their sin, by faith in Christ humble themselves for it with godly sorrow, hatred of it, and self-loathing.(e) They pray for pardon and strength of grace and determine and endeavor by provisions from the Spirit to live before God in a well-pleasing way in everything.(f)

4. Repentance must continue throughout our lives, because of the body of death and its activities. So it is everyone’s duty to repent of each specific, known sin specifically.(g)

5. God has made full provision through Christ in the covenant of grace to preserve believers in their salvation. Thus, although there is no sin so small that it is undeserving of damnation,(h) yet there is no sin so great that it will bring damnation on those who repent.(i) This makes the constant preaching of repentance necessary.

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