The Faith of Justification

Sole Fide

"It is not faith that saves, but faith in Jesus Christ.... It is not, strictly speaking, even faith in Christ that saves, but Christ that saves through faith. The saving power resides exclusively, not in the act of faith or the attitude of faith or in the nature of faith, but in the object of faith."
- B. B. Warfield

We are saved ( justified ) through faith and this doctrine is one of the Five Solas that form the basis of the Protestant Reformation.
Paul states rather clearly, “ for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. “ ( Ephesians 2:8-9 )  It is not even an act of our own will that stirs up saving faith within us as, “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…” ( Hebrews 12:2 ) recognizes that faith is from the Lord Himself.

We can never be saved by our works since, “ the righteous man shall live by faith..”
 ( Rom 1:17 ) and that if we are working towards our salvation our wages are not reckoned as favor but to him who believes his faith is accounted as righteousness
( Romans 4:4-5 ).  Our “ salvation is by faith ( man’s total trust ) only, without our being obliged to work for it “ ( J.I. Packer ).  The resources we have are inadequate for escaping from the Law and, “ it is utterly impossible for us to hope that we can ever be just before God, on the footing of our own doing..”
( Spurgeon ).

Why would you place your faith in your ability to please God through your feeble efforts at righteousness?  If you were able to achieve your own justification/salvation according to your efforts what need did Christ have to die on the cross?  If you are working for your justification be sure that you will receive your wages and not the grace that can be found in Christ.

"The confession of divine justification touches man's life at its heart, at the point of its relationship to God. It defines the preaching of the Church, the existence and progress of the life of faith, the root of human security, and man's perspective for the future."  G. C. Berkouwer.