What Justifying Faith Is

In the last post from Thomas Watson's justly famous A Body of Divinity I sought to introduce a portion of the book and its broader context. That portion is the fifth chapter entitled "The Application of Redemption." Here, working through key catechetical elements in our redemption, Pastor Watson instructs the flock of God on matters of faith, effectual calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, assurance, peace, joy, growth in grace, and perseverance, each in turn. And each full of matter for meditation and provocation for practice. We look now, first off, at what justifying faith is.

Watson wisely notes first what it is not. This is important, not least when counterfeits go about unchecked and unchallenged. Everyone believes today in the evangelical church. Or they wouldn't be there, right? Wrong. Without going into all the reasons why man (who is incurably religious) might attend an "evangelical" church, it is sufficient to focus on what Watson avers: "There may be assent to divine truth, and yet no work of grace on the heart" (215). That's no doubt right. One may agree that the gospel is true and still not know God or be justified by his grace. This sort of "faith" is the faith of devils. They know the gospel is true, but don't love it or trust it. So, Watson continues: "Many assent in their judgments, that sin is an evil thing, but they go on in sin, whose corruptions are stronger than their convictions. . ." (215). May it never be with us.

Well, what then, you ask, is a justifying faith, or a faith that justifies? What is the sort of faith that saves sinners from the coming wrath? What faith unites to the risen Jesus and puts one right with a holy God, a God who cannot truck with sin? According to our trustworthy physician of the soul for this post, it consists in three things: 1) self-renunciation; 2) reliance; and 3) appropriation.

First, self-renunciation. "Faith is a going out of one's self, being taken off from our own merits, and seeing we have no righteousness of our own. 'Not having mine own righteousness' (Phil. 3:9). Self-righteousness is a broken reed, which the soul dares not lean on. Repentance and faith are both humbling graces; by repentance a man abhors himself; by faith he goes out of himself" (216). For our purposes today, almost certainly the main thing to observe here is that justifying faith does not make much of the self. It's not impressed with the self. The self-serving swollen-self is a thing to be repented of rather than touted and tickled. Faith looks away from this swollen self upward "to him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." And it looks to his goodness, his greatness, his glory, and says: "not having a righteousness of my own." It says: “not impressed with the self.” It says: “no good thing dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.”

Next, Watson speaks of how faith, if it is to be a faith that justifies, includes the element of reliance. Faith relies not on the self, but on another. "Faith rests on Christ's person. Faith believes the promise; but that which faith rests upon in the promise is the person of Christ. . . . Faith is described to be 'believing on the name of the Son of God' (1 John 3:23), namely, upon his person. . . . Faith rests on Christ's person 'as crucified' [and, I'll add, risen and reigning and coming again in great power and glory]. It glories in the cross of Christ (Gal. 6:14)." This is the proper person (not the swollen self) for faith to rely on. And this person—Christ crucified, risen, reigning!—knows nothing of the modern self, which is conceited and self-absorbed. No, the person of the risen Jesus is swallowed up in his Father's glory and will. The person of Christ is swallowed up in diving love, not self-love. And he came to nail the modern self to the cross along with all our other God-belittling sins of self-exaltation. 

Lastly, then, comes appropriation. A justifying faith applies Christ to itself. To illustrate, Watson paints this picture: "A medicine, though it be ever so sovereign, if not applied, will do no good. . . . This applying of Christ is called receiving him (John 1:12). The hand receiving gold, enriches; so the hand of faith, receiving Christ's golden merits with salvation, enriches us" (216). And this receiving or appropriation language is fitting for faith that focuses on another away from the swollen self. The modern self can do nothing for its self, or by its self, or with its self. No, rather, looking up and away from its self, authentic faith receives with the hand of a beggar the free gift of God.

What is worthy here to focus faith's attention on as I end this post is how a justifying faith is not one that merely knows the benefits of redemption or thinks of those benefits as the proper object for faith. Rather, as Watson eloquently puts it, faith fastens itself on Christ himself. It is the person of Jesus faith embraces—as coming in the likeness of sinful flesh, working miracles in our midst, teaching about the kingdom of God, and as crucified and risen and reigning as King of the nations, pouring out his Spirit, coming again in power and glory. Yes, no doubt as working wonders on our behalf and bringing forgiveness and freedom. Yes, no doubt as reconciling the rebel to the Sovereign whose majesty was infinitely offended by the self-satisfied-swollen self. But the benefits of redemption ought never to be held forth for faith except as they come in the person, work, and words of the Christ sent from above. He alone in all his glory is the proper place for faith to fasten its gaze. And when it does so through self-renunciation, reliance, and appropriation, the swollen-self is crucified, and the sinner justified. Forgiven! Freed! Righteous! Loved! Not guilty! No condemnation! Reconciled to a holy heavenly Father. All in the beloved, in whom alone is there redemption. 

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing" (Rev. 5:12).