Faith by Justification Alone?

If you've ever studied the theology of the sixteenth century Protestant reformation you will be aware of the doctrine of Justification By Faith Alone.  In this central doctrine we understand that salvation is the gift of God alone, by the grace of Christ alone and received by faith alone, as we know from Scripture alone.  There is no work or goodness of man that contributes to justification, it is completely the work of Christ.  Amen.

But, as the years, decades and centuries have passed the debate has shifted and it may well be said that today the question concerning justification is not whether it is by faith alone, but whether faith is by justification alone.  Is justification all there is to faith?  Does one just need to "believe" to become a Christian and live a Christian life?   Is there a separation between faith and life?  Or does our Christian faith make an influence on the way we live in our culture?

The Scriptures do make it abundantly clear that justification is by God, by his grace, and through the finished work of Christ alone.  Just as we find in Romans 1:17, "For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith.""  Here we see it is the righteousness of God, not man, that is expressed in the gospel.  This righteousness of God is received through faith in Christ as it is emphasized in Romans 3:22, "Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe."

But this justification from God also brings new birth or Spiritual regeneration.  In regeneration we have a whole new Spiritual nature in our hearts so that we can believe, and we do believe irresistibly when we are regenerated.  Regeneration precedes faith just as conception precedes birth.  This is what Jesus meant in John 3:3 when he said we "must be born again," we must have a changed nature in our hearts in order to believe.

We also have a new purpose and desire to live for God, as we see from Habakkuk 2:4, "The just shall live by faith."  We "live by faith" in the sense that we shall have eternal life in heaven one day because of the gift of salvation in Christ.  But to "live by faith" also means in the here and now we turn from the darkness to live by the Light of Christ in every aspect of our lives on earth.  This is the faith and process of sanctification.

Faith then is not just justification, it is much more than justification.  The life of faith involves new birth or regeneration, and we are called to live by faith in repentance and obedience in a life of sanctification.  Jesus himself lived a life of obedience unto His Father for the sake of our salvation, and he calls us to live in the same way in the world as we see from John 17:15ff.  "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth."

The life of faith and sanctification in Christ is also necessarily tied to the Word of God.  However imperfectly we seek after God, we must study the Bible to grow in sanctification.  As we grow individually our lives will influence our families, churches and culture just as Jesus taught that a lamp is "put on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house," Mt 5:15.  We can only live sanctified lives then that are filled with the Holy Spirit and bearing fruit to Christ as we follow after God's truth in his Word.

So, justification is by faith alone, it is the gift of new life and regeneration in Christ.  But faith is not by justification alone, it is also the new life in Christ that must be lived out in the sanctification of good works.  Sanctification is a life long process of repentance, obedience and Spiritual growth into the image of Christ.  It inseparably follows justification for we know that, "The just shall live by faith."  And this brings great Spiritual blessings.  In short, justification is by faith alone, but faith is not by justification alone, it includes regeneration and sanctification, without which there is no salvation.

Consider the people of faith in Hebrews 11: 33-34, "(W)ho through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of aliens."  All this to the glory of God.