1689 London Baptist Confession
1. Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth, not
by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and
accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them,
but for Christ's sake alone; not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any
other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing Christ's
active obedience unto the whole law, and passive obedience in his death for their whole
and sole righteousness by faith, which faith they have not of themselves; it is the gift
of God.
( Romans
3:24; Romans
8:30; Romans
4:5-8; Ephesians
1:7; 1
Corinthians 1:30, 31; Romans
5:17-19; Philippians
3:8, 9; Ephesians
2:8-10; John
1:12; Romans
5:17 )
2. Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the alone
instrument of justification; yet it is not alone in the person justified, but is ever
accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love.
( Romans
3:28; Galatians
5:6; James
2:17, 22, 26 )
3. Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are
justified; and did, by the sacrifice of himself in the blood of his cross, undergoing in
their stead the penalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God's
justice in their behalf; yet, inasmuch as he was given by the Father for them, and his
obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead, and both freely, not for anything in
them, their justification is only of free grace, that both the exact justice and rich
grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.
( Hebrews
10:14; 1
Peter 1:18, 19; Isaiah
53:5, 6; Romans
8:32; 2
Corinthians 5:21; Romans
3:26; Ephesians
1:6,7; Ephesians 2:7 )
4. God did from all eternity decree to justify all the elect, and Christ did in the
fullness of time die for their sins, and rise again for their justification; nevertheless,
they are not justified personally, until the Holy Spirit doth in time due actually apply
Christ unto them.
( Galatians
3:8; 1
Peter 1:2; 1
Timothy 2:6; Romans
4:25; Colossians
1:21,22; Titus
3:4-7 )
5. God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified, and although they
can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under
God's fatherly displeasure; and in that condition they have not usually the light of his
countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg
pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.
( Matthew
6:12; 1
John 1:7, 9; John
10:28; Psalms
89:31-33; Psalms
32:5; Psalms
51; Matthew
26:75 )
6. The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one
and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.
( Galatians
3:9; Romans
4:22-24 )
For further study:
"Baptist Roots in America: The Historical Background of Reformed Baptists in America", Samuel E. Waldron, Simpson Publishing Co. (1991)
"A Modern Exposition of the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith", Samuel E. Waldron, Evangelical Press, 1989
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