What is Gospel Clarity?

When it came to the gospel, Martin Luther defined justification by faith alone as “the doctrine on which the church stands or falls,”[1] and John Calvin described it as “the main hinge on which religion turns.”[2] In an era where the gospel message is often diluted or confused, reclaiming the clarity of justification by faith alone remains as crucial as ever.

The Heart of the Gospel: Justification by Faith Alone

Justification by faith alone—sola fide—is the bedrock of the Reformation and the defining mark of orthodoxy, meaning the accepted and traditional belief of the church. It proclaims that our right standing before God is not based on our own righteousness, which is as "filthy rags" (Is. 64:6), but on the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. This means that nothing we do before or after salvation can merit us any better or worse standing before God, because He has already declared us righteous.

This truth stands in stark contrast to the prevalent view that salvation is a cooperative effort (synergistic) between grace and human effort. It is also directly opposed to those who argue for a more synergistic relationship between faith and works, suggesting that final justification incorporates the believer's faithfulness and obedience. This framework attempts to smuggle in new doctrines claiming that human effort can be contributory to one's final standing before God.

However, this directly contradicts the biblical teaching that "a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law" (Romans 3:28). As the Westminster Confession of Faith asserts, faith is the only instrument of justification (WCF XI.2), unequivocally separating justification from human works, which follow as the fruit of faith, never the basis for it.

The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, is unwavering when he writes in no uncertain terms that "by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (Rom 3:20). Instead, righteousness is imputed to us "without works," a righteousness that comes "by faith of Jesus Christ" (Rom 3:22). This declaration is not merely a doctrinal formulation but the lifeblood of the believer's assurance and the foundation of the Christian hope. (Heidelberg Catechism Q. 1)

The Role of Christ’s Active Obedience

Integral to the doctrine of justification by faith alone is the imputation of the active obedience of Christ. This is not a mere theological addendum but a core aspect of gospel clarity. The active obedience of Christ refers to His perfect fulfillment of God’s law on our behalf. From His incarnation to His crucifixion, Christ actively obeyed the law, achieving the righteousness required for our justification.

Sinclair Ferguson rightly emphasizes that Christ’s active obedience is not simply an abstract concept but the very basis of our imputed righteousness. Our Savior did not merely die in our place to cancel the debt of our sins; He lived in our place to secure the righteousness we could never achieve on our own. Consider it like a student who not only pays another’s tuition debt but also completes all assignments perfectly on their behalf. Christ's active obedience, therefore, is as vital to our justification as His passive obedience on the cross.

The Imputation of Righteousness

The doctrine of imputation underscores that the righteousness which justifies us is not infused into us but reckoned or accounted to us. It is "by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous" (Romans 5:19). In this glorious exchange, our sins are imputed to Christ, and His perfect righteousness is imputed to us. This double imputation is the heart of the gospel, providing the believer with a secure standing before a holy God.

Martin Luther famously described this as the "wonderful exchange," where "the sins of the whole world assail Christ and the righteousness of Christ, in turn, justifies those who believe in Him."[3]

This exchange is not based on our merit in any way, shape, or form, but solely on God’s grace, received through faith alone. It ensures that our justification is grounded not in the instability of our works but in the unchanging righteousness of Christ.

Imputed righteousness does not entail God helping us become righteous but involves Him attributing the righteousness of Christ to us through faith alone, as Romans 4:3 demonstrates. It is not a gradual process where God, through Christ, continually purifies us, like cleaning soiled clothing. Nor is it an infusion of grace where sanctification contributes to an ultimate justification. To argue that our justification is somehow incomplete is to argue that God’s work is unfinished, contingent on our faithfulness.

Jesus declared that His work was finished, encompassing both the active work imputed to us (John 17:4) and the passive work done on our behalf (John 19:30). If it were not complete, Jesus would have said, “tag you’re it,” instead of “it is finished.”

Hence, the doctrine of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness lies at the heart of the Gospel. Without it, the Gospel loses its essential message, for it is this doctrine that truly makes it good news.

Gospel Clarity

The doctrine of justification by faith alone, fortified by the imputation of Christ’s active obedience, must be boldly proclaimed and tenaciously defended. This doctrine is not only the crux of the Reformation but the essence of the gospel itself. It must be defended against being diluted by moralism or obscured by legalism.

The clarity of the gospel—salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone—must shine brightly in our preaching, teaching, and witness. This clarity is not an optional theological nuance but the very heartbeat of the Christian faith. It is the clarity that grants assurance, fortifies faith, and magnifies the grace of God.

[1] Martin Luther, quoted by McGrath, Iustitia Dei, 367.

[2] Calvin, Institutes, 3.11.1.

[3] Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians 3:10.