"The grace of God working with us." St. John xv. 5.
To what purpose?
To make our will effectual to do good works. Phil. ii. 13.
Article XI.
What is the subject of the eleventh Article?
"The Justification of Man."
What is meant here by "the justification of man?"
His being "accounted righteous before God."
Prove that we are not justified by our own works or deservings.
It follows from our being unable by our own natural strength to do works acceptable unto God.
Prove it directly from Scripture.
Rom. iii. 20-24. St. Paul says that "no flesh shall be justified in God's sight by the deeds of the law;" and that we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
By what means on the part of man are we justified?
"By faith." Rom. iii. 28; v. 1.
Does not that imply some deserving on our part?
No; we are justified "only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Rom. iii. 24.
When it is said that we are justified "by faith only," what does the Article mean to exclude?
Our own works. Rom. iii. 28.
