✚ Soteriology · Justification Ground

Faith-As-Righteousness

Faith itself is counted as the formal righteousness — the Arminian-Socinian reading rejected by XI.1.

This is a contested or rejected alternative.

The Westminster baseline on Justification Ground is Imputed-Righteousness-Of-Christ. Personas and schools listed below hold this alternative position instead — either because they argued for it at the Assembly (like the Erastians on polity) or because they represent a receiving tradition that departed from the Standards on this point.

Cruxes on this attribute

The Assembly navigated 2 cruxes that bear directly on Justification Ground.

The Imputation of Christ's Active Obedience August–October 1645 Is Christ’s law-keeping, as well as his suffering, imputed to the justified believer? Justification and the Antinomian Crisis 1643–1647 How do you secure sola fide without letting the law fall away?

Other positions on Justification Ground

Imputed-Righteousness-Of-Christ WCF Justification is a forensic act of pardon and acceptance grounded in the imputation of Christ's whole obedience and satisfaction, received by faith alone (WCF XI.1–4). Infused-Righteousness Justification is by infused habitual grace making the believer righteous — the Tridentine position rejected by XI.1. Eternal-In-The-Decree Justification is eternal in the decree, only manifested in time — antinomian, rejected by XI.4.