But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
To the one who does not rely on works but believes in God who justifies the ungodly, faith is counted for righteousness, and trusting in Jesus and His imputed righteousness brings eternal life. Justification is wholly of grace as a free gift and not a wage owed as a debt, so no fallen work can procure eternal life or put the Creator under obligation to the creature. To be just and yet the justifier, God laid the punishment of sin upon His blameless Son as Substitute and Surety, and the guilt of the repenting believer is placed on Jesus while Christ's perfect obedience and righteousness are imputed and credited to him, so that at the moment of belief he stands uncondemned and faultless before God. Pardon and justification are one and the same thing, the opposite of condemnation, given through boundless mercy to the wholly undeserving for the sake of Jesus whose sacrifice fully satisfies justice. The faith that is counted does not remain without effect but brings repentance, surrender and sanctification, transforming the soul into the image of Christ into obedience to His law, and it does not cover knowing transgression without a change to stop sinning.
Righteousness Counted Without Works
The verse teaches that righteousness is counted to the one who does not rely on works but believes in God who justifies the ungodly. To believe in Jesus and to trust in His imputed righteousness is to receive eternal life, and to refuse this truth is to refuse Christ Himself. That gift does not compel obedience, for Christ made the infinite sacrifice that people may overcome through Him and have His righteousness imputed to them, yet each must choose whether to accept it. Faith looks away from self to the sinless Christ, and by looking to Him believers become like Him. Those who believe every word of God are accepted through trustful dependence on Him, not through their own works, and justification by faith with the imputed righteousness of Christ belongs to the plan of salvation.
Justification is wholly of grace as a free gift, not a wage owed as a debt for labor. Therefore no one can boast of merit, claim reward as a right, or count himself more privileged than another, for all who are saved share the reward by grace. If faith and works could purchase salvation the Creator would be put under obligation to the creature, and man would stand as doing penance for sins; but the merits of fallen man in good works can never procure eternal life. Justification is placed beyond controversy as wholly of grace and not procured by any works fallen man can do, not even by offerings of money and possessions that breed the false thought of having merited God's favor and laid God under special obligation. God's reward rests on His purpose and mercy, and the sinner who knows his unworthiness receives acceptance with gratitude and serves in a humble, trusting spirit. Service is valuable through the spirit in which it is done rather than its amount or visible results, with love for God and others rather than payment as its motive; God imputes Christ's righteousness to those who humbly rely on Him, their defects are covered by Christ's perfection and fullness, and their humble efforts to obey are accepted by the Father in Christ, who supplies them with His perfection and sufficiency.
The foundation of all faith and hope is only the perfection of Jesus as surety, and the only genuine saving faith is that which lays hold upon the imputed righteousness of Christ. That faith is personal knowledge of God for oneself and faith in Jesus Christ whom God sent, believing every word of God and receiving Christ as the only Saviour and the only source of virtue and of spiritual power and life. It is not performance of outward ceremonies nor satisfaction with the form of godliness without vital connection with God, which leaves souls deceived about their natural corruption and the infinite holiness of God. Salvation comes only by individual belief, with no priest or pope able to take the place of the divine Mediator, for mercy and salvation are granted only through Him to the repentant, believing soul, whose worship is made acceptable to God alone through the perfect righteousness of Christ, His merits and intercession imputed by faith. Repentant, believing sinners who come to Jesus find pardon and peace and have His righteousness imputed to them, the same faith by which souls were saved in the days of the apostles. That living, active faith brings sanctification as its fruit, whose renewing power transforms the soul into the image of Christ, clothes its possessor with humility, causes love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness and goodness to shine forth, and makes the object of life to glorify God day by day.
Justified Through Christ Alone
Pardon and justification are one and the same thing, the opposite of condemnation, given when the penitent sinner, contrite before God, discerns Christ's atonement in his behalf and accepts it as his only hope in this life and the future life. Through boundless mercy exercised toward those who are wholly undeserving, God forgives transgressions and sins for the sake of Jesus as the propitiation for sins, whose sacrifice fully satisfies justice. In this way the guilty transgressor is brought by faith into favor with God and into strong hope of life eternal.
To be just and yet the justifier, God lays the punishment of sin on His only begotten Son. Though blameless and never breaking the law, Christ became sin for humanity, bore human guilt, took the sinner's place as Substitute and Surety, and suffered the penalty for breaking the law for the whole world. This justification rests solely on Christ's imputed righteousness, for God pardons sins, remits the punishment deserved, and receives sinners into favor as righteous through the Son and His atoning sacrifice.
Through faith the believer passes from the position of a rebel, a child of sin, to the position of a loyal subject and adopted child, not because of inherent goodness but because Christ receives him as His child by adoption. Guilt is placed on Jesus while Christ's righteousness, perfect obedience, merits and intercession are imputed and credited to every repenting, believing sinner. So at the moment of belief the sinner stands uncondemned before God, pronounced innocent, faultless, precious and innocent to the Father, with defects covered by Christ's perfection. Pardoned and clothed with the beautiful garments of Christ's righteousness, he has Pardoned, Eternal Life written against his name on the debtor's account, for God does not see in him the vileness of the sinner but recognizes in him the likeness of His Son in whom he believes, and in this way only can take pleasure in him and make his worship acceptable.
The perfect obedience to God's law required of Adam in Eden before the fall is still required of those who follow God today. That righteousness without blemish comes only through the imputed righteousness of Christ, whose provision for forgiveness and restoration enables sinners today to fulfill the same requirement given to Adam. Jesus Christ is the ladder Jacob saw reaching from earth to heaven, bridging the gulf caused by transgression of the law. His sacrifice was made because the law was transgressed, and His death shows the law of God is unchangeable. He takes human sins and imputes His own righteousness, which is a garment of spotless purity to be desired for everyone.
Living Faith Transforms Life
The faith that is counted for righteousness does not remain without effect, but turns the believer from unbelief toward the light in confession of sin and backsliding, repentance toward God, contrition, surrender, loyalty and fear of God, with the will kept conformed entirely to His will. When the believer errs, the only hope remains repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, advancing from strength to strength by faith in the atoning merits of the Redeemer. The one counted righteous comes as a repentant believer who does not rely on works, receives Christ's righteousness and finds peace, since Christ alone is Saviour and no priest can take His place. Living, active faith of this kind brings sanctification as its fruit, whose renewing power transforms the soul into the image of Christ.
That transformation leads into conformity to God's will and obedience to His law, for credited righteousness leads those who follow Christ, who goes before them, to live in obedience, because sin and holiness cannot be united. Through Christ in His humanity grasping divinity and overcoming, human nature can grasp the divine nature, shown in work for unbelievers. Repentance and faith crucify self in a painful death, create hatred for all sin in the heart, and fill the heart with the love of Jesus that teaches truth in righteousness. Repentance and faith thus lead the sinner toward holiness, manifesting themselves in works of righteousness, praise and thanksgiving.
Credited righteousness does not cover knowing transgression of God's unchangeable law without repentance and a change to stop breaking the law, which is to stop sinning. Believers are to make every effort to keep the commandments and seek to obey while trusting in Christ, and to cooperate with divine power by human effort to subdue sin and stand complete in Christ. Those humble, sincere efforts in Christ and through Christ to overcome sin and keep the holy law are wholly acceptable, accepted by the Father in Christ. Defects are covered by Christ's perfection and fullness, who supplies the work with His perfection and sufficiency, since people cannot keep the law in their own strength and could never have kept it unless Christ had died.
This faith clothes its possessor with humility, causes Christian virtues to shine forth with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness and goodness, and makes the object of life to glorify God day by day. The sinner who knows unworthiness receives acceptance with gratitude and serves in a humble, trusting spirit, with love for God and others rather than payment as the motive, since God's reward rests on His purpose and mercy and not on work or merit earned. Service is valuable to God through the spirit in which it is done, not its amount or visible results. Guiltless believers facing humiliation, censure and injustice are to bear it patiently by remembering Christ's exchange, by which the blameless One bore human guilt so the guilty may go free and be presented innocent, trusting God whose way of dealing with His servants is not governed by the world's standards.
To the one who does not rely on works but believes in God who justifies the ungodly, faith is counted for righteousness, and trusting in Jesus and His imputed righteousness brings eternal life. Justification is wholly of grace as a free gift and not a wage owed as a debt, so no fallen work can procure eternal life or put the Creator under obligation to the creature. To be just and yet the justifier, God laid the punishment of sin upon His blameless Son as Substitute and Surety, and the guilt of the repenting believer is placed on Jesus while Christ's perfect obedience and righteousness are imputed and credited to him, so that at the moment of belief he stands uncondemned and faultless before God. Pardon and justification are one and the same thing, the opposite of condemnation, given through boundless mercy to the wholly undeserving for the sake of Jesus whose sacrifice fully satisfies justice. The faith that is counted does not remain without effect but brings repentance, surrender and sanctification, transforming the soul into the image of Christ into obedience to His law, and it does not cover knowing transgression without a change to stop sinning.
Righteousness Counted Without Works
The verse teaches that righteousness is counted to the one who does not rely on works but believes in God who justifies the ungodly. To believe in Jesus and to trust in His imputed righteousness is to receive eternal life, and to refuse this truth is to refuse Christ Himself. That gift does not compel obedience, for Christ made the infinite sacrifice that people may overcome through Him and have His righteousness imputed to them, yet each must choose whether to accept it. Faith looks away from self to the sinless Christ, and by looking to Him believers become like Him. Those who believe every word of God are accepted through trustful dependence on Him, not through their own works, and justification by faith with the imputed righteousness of Christ belongs to the plan of salvation.
Justification is wholly of grace as a free gift, not a wage owed as a debt for labor. Therefore no one can boast of merit, claim reward as a right, or count himself more privileged than another, for all who are saved share the reward by grace. If faith and works could purchase salvation the Creator would be put under obligation to the creature, and man would stand as doing penance for sins; but the merits of fallen man in good works can never procure eternal life. Justification is placed beyond controversy as wholly of grace and not procured by any works fallen man can do, not even by offerings of money and possessions that breed the false thought of having merited God's favor and laid God under special obligation. God's reward rests on His purpose and mercy, and the sinner who knows his unworthiness receives acceptance with gratitude and serves in a humble, trusting spirit. Service is valuable through the spirit in which it is done rather than its amount or visible results, with love for God and others rather than payment as its motive; God imputes Christ's righteousness to those who humbly rely on Him, their defects are covered by Christ's perfection and fullness, and their humble efforts to obey are accepted by the Father in Christ, who supplies them with His perfection and sufficiency.
The foundation of all faith and hope is only the perfection of Jesus as surety, and the only genuine saving faith is that which lays hold upon the imputed righteousness of Christ. That faith is personal knowledge of God for oneself and faith in Jesus Christ whom God sent, believing every word of God and receiving Christ as the only Saviour and the only source of virtue and of spiritual power and life. It is not performance of outward ceremonies nor satisfaction with the form of godliness without vital connection with God, which leaves souls deceived about their natural corruption and the infinite holiness of God. Salvation comes only by individual belief, with no priest or pope able to take the place of the divine Mediator, for mercy and salvation are granted only through Him to the repentant, believing soul, whose worship is made acceptable to God alone through the perfect righteousness of Christ, His merits and intercession imputed by faith. Repentant, believing sinners who come to Jesus find pardon and peace and have His righteousness imputed to them, the same faith by which souls were saved in the days of the apostles. That living, active faith brings sanctification as its fruit, whose renewing power transforms the soul into the image of Christ, clothes its possessor with humility, causes love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness and goodness to shine forth, and makes the object of life to glorify God day by day.
Justified Through Christ Alone
Pardon and justification are one and the same thing, the opposite of condemnation, given when the penitent sinner, contrite before God, discerns Christ's atonement in his behalf and accepts it as his only hope in this life and the future life. Through boundless mercy exercised toward those who are wholly undeserving, God forgives transgressions and sins for the sake of Jesus as the propitiation for sins, whose sacrifice fully satisfies justice. In this way the guilty transgressor is brought by faith into favor with God and into strong hope of life eternal.
To be just and yet the justifier, God lays the punishment of sin on His only begotten Son. Though blameless and never breaking the law, Christ became sin for humanity, bore human guilt, took the sinner's place as Substitute and Surety, and suffered the penalty for breaking the law for the whole world. This justification rests solely on Christ's imputed righteousness, for God pardons sins, remits the punishment deserved, and receives sinners into favor as righteous through the Son and His atoning sacrifice.
Through faith the believer passes from the position of a rebel, a child of sin, to the position of a loyal subject and adopted child, not because of inherent goodness but because Christ receives him as His child by adoption. Guilt is placed on Jesus while Christ's righteousness, perfect obedience, merits and intercession are imputed and credited to every repenting, believing sinner. So at the moment of belief the sinner stands uncondemned before God, pronounced innocent, faultless, precious and innocent to the Father, with defects covered by Christ's perfection. Pardoned and clothed with the beautiful garments of Christ's righteousness, he has Pardoned, Eternal Life written against his name on the debtor's account, for God does not see in him the vileness of the sinner but recognizes in him the likeness of His Son in whom he believes, and in this way only can take pleasure in him and make his worship acceptable.
The perfect obedience to God's law required of Adam in Eden before the fall is still required of those who follow God today. That righteousness without blemish comes only through the imputed righteousness of Christ, whose provision for forgiveness and restoration enables sinners today to fulfill the same requirement given to Adam. Jesus Christ is the ladder Jacob saw reaching from earth to heaven, bridging the gulf caused by transgression of the law. His sacrifice was made because the law was transgressed, and His death shows the law of God is unchangeable. He takes human sins and imputes His own righteousness, which is a garment of spotless purity to be desired for everyone.
Living Faith Transforms Life
The faith that is counted for righteousness does not remain without effect, but turns the believer from unbelief toward the light in confession of sin and backsliding, repentance toward God, contrition, surrender, loyalty and fear of God, with the will kept conformed entirely to His will. When the believer errs, the only hope remains repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, advancing from strength to strength by faith in the atoning merits of the Redeemer. The one counted righteous comes as a repentant believer who does not rely on works, receives Christ's righteousness and finds peace, since Christ alone is Saviour and no priest can take His place. Living, active faith of this kind brings sanctification as its fruit, whose renewing power transforms the soul into the image of Christ.
That transformation leads into conformity to God's will and obedience to His law, for credited righteousness leads those who follow Christ, who goes before them, to live in obedience, because sin and holiness cannot be united. Through Christ in His humanity grasping divinity and overcoming, human nature can grasp the divine nature, shown in work for unbelievers. Repentance and faith crucify self in a painful death, create hatred for all sin in the heart, and fill the heart with the love of Jesus that teaches truth in righteousness. Repentance and faith thus lead the sinner toward holiness, manifesting themselves in works of righteousness, praise and thanksgiving.
Credited righteousness does not cover knowing transgression of God's unchangeable law without repentance and a change to stop breaking the law, which is to stop sinning. Believers are to make every effort to keep the commandments and seek to obey while trusting in Christ, and to cooperate with divine power by human effort to subdue sin and stand complete in Christ. Those humble, sincere efforts in Christ and through Christ to overcome sin and keep the holy law are wholly acceptable, accepted by the Father in Christ. Defects are covered by Christ's perfection and fullness, who supplies the work with His perfection and sufficiency, since people cannot keep the law in their own strength and could never have kept it unless Christ had died.
This faith clothes its possessor with humility, causes Christian virtues to shine forth with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness and goodness, and makes the object of life to glorify God day by day. The sinner who knows unworthiness receives acceptance with gratitude and serves in a humble, trusting spirit, with love for God and others rather than payment as the motive, since God's reward rests on His purpose and mercy and not on work or merit earned. Service is valuable to God through the spirit in which it is done, not its amount or visible results. Guiltless believers facing humiliation, censure and injustice are to bear it patiently by remembering Christ's exchange, by which the blameless One bore human guilt so the guilty may go free and be presented innocent, trusting God whose way of dealing with His servants is not governed by the world's standards.