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Tag: Justification

G. I. Williamson on the Roman Catholic View of Justification

April 30, 2025 / / 0 Comments

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

Rev. G. I. Williamson (1925-2023)

“One of the basic errors of Roman Catholicism is confusion of justification and sanctification, that is, between legal and inherent righteousness. Rome teaches that at certain times (such as immediately after baptism, or reception of one of the other sacraments) a person is “just.” What is meant, however, is that the person is actually made internally holy and not just legally righteous before God. This holiness, according to Rome, can then be partially or even totally destroyed by sin, venial or mortal. A person may cease to be just. He must again be justified through sacramental grace. And on it goes in a constant cycle. Sin nullifies sacramental grace, and then sacramental grace nullifies sin. This is a doctrine that gives no peace (see Rom. 5:1). One can never be certain of his standing with God. But more than this, it does not make sense. For if sacramental grace actually produced inward holiness, then why would that person ever sin again? If justification meant perfect inward holiness, then there could be no further sin, because a “perfect tree will bring forth perfect fruit” (see Luke 6:43-45). This difficulty is removed when we distinguish between justification and sanctification. In justification the sinner is once and for all declared holy, legally absolved from all guilt and punishment of sin, whether original or actual, past or future. In sanctification the sinner is gradually and progressively purged of all pollution and practice of sin, so that sin is progressively weakened (in the long run), and inherent holiness becomes progressively stronger, until finally the person becomes (at death) actually as righteous as he has long been legally.”

— Rev. G. I. Williamson, The Westminster Confession of Faith: For Study Classes, 142

These wise words from G. I. Williamson give me hope in reckoning that justification is true and right according to the Bible.

— Dr. Marcus J. Serven

Resources for Further Study:

Williamson, G. I. The Westminster Confession of Faith: For Study Classes. Second Edition. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2004.

You might also consider…

McGrath, Allister E. Justification by Faith: What It Means to Us Today. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988.

Sproul, R. C. Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995.

Berkhof on Justification

September 20, 2022 /
Prof. Louis Berkhof (1873-1957)

“The doctrine of justification was the great natural principle of the Reformation. With respect to the nature of justification the Reformers corrected the error of confounding justification with sanctification by stressing its legal character and representing it an act of God’s free grace, whereby He pardons our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight, but does not change us inwardly. As far as the ground of justification is concerned, they rejected the idea of Rome that this lies, at least in part, in the inherent righteousness of the regenerate and in good works, and substituted for it the doctrine that it is found only in the imputed righteousness of the Redeemer. And in connection with the means of justification they emphasized the fact that man is justified freely by that faith which receives and rests in Christ only for salvation. Moreover, they rejected the doctrine of progressive justification, and held that it was instantaneous and complete, and did not depend for its completion on some further satisfaction for sin.” (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 512-513)

— Dr. Marcus J. Serven

R. C. Sproul on Justification

July 13, 2022 /
Dr. R. C. Sproul (1939-2017)

“Justification stands at the beginning of the Christian life, at the moment we truly believe in Christ. At that instant, God reckons to us the righteousness of Christ, and we are declared just. Martin Luther expressed this concept with the phrase simil justus et peccator. Those four Latin words mean that we are, at the same time, both righteous and sinful. How can that be? On the surface, it sounds like a contradiction, doesn’t it? But we are indeed just by virtue of the justness or the righteousness of Christ, which is given to us. God imputes the righteousness of Jesus to you. That’s the basis of your justification. But, in and of yourself, you remain a sinner. That’s the whole point of the Protestant doctrine of justification. God doesn’t wait for us to be worthy of salvation. He doesn’t wait for us to become holy before we’re counted as righteous. ‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us’ (Rom. 5:8).” (Sproul, Growing in Holiness: Understanding God’s Role and Yours, 76-77)

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