Justification by Faith (pt. 1) by John H. Gerstner

From Romans 1:18 to 3:20, the Apostle Paul seeks to demonstrate the universal sinfulness of men. He shows the wrath of God revealed against the heathen because they would not have God in their thinking. He shows that the nominally religious people of Israel, by their condemning other persons for sins of which they were also guilty, were treasuring up "wrath against the day of wrath." In chapter 3 Paul shows that all have gone astray: "There is none that doeth good." With or without the law, men have sinned. Every mouth is stopped; the whole world is shut up under judgment. Then and only then does the apostle come back to this theme:
Now the righteousness of God without [or apart from] the law is manifested [revealed], being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God--to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness, that He might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus (Romans 3:21-26).
Having shown most plainly that no man can be saved by the works of the law, Paul proceeds to show just as plainly that men may be saved by the faith that is in Christ Jesus. Now that he has shown men why they should not trust in themselves, he will show them how suitable it is to trust in Christ. Since their own works only condemn them, he will tell them of one whose works can save them. Furthermore, he says that this is no new or novel way of salvation; it is the only way of salvation in all ages. Abraham was saved in this way, and so was David.
In the beginning of chapter 4, Paul points out that "if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? 'Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.' " Then in verse 5 he gives us a classic statement of justification by faith alone: "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Justification is by faith alone without works.
The Westminster Shorter Catechism has well summarized the abundance of biblical data on this great theme: "Justification is an act of God's grace wherein He pardoneth all our sins and accepteth us as righteous in His sight only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone."
Justification has a positive and a negative element. It consists at once in the removal of guilt and the imputation [or granting] of righteousness. It rescues the sinner as a brand from the burning, and at the same time gives him a title to heaven. If it failed to do either of these, it would fail to do anything; for man, as a sinner against God, must have that enormous guilt somehow removed. But, at the same time, if he had the guilt removed he would still be devoid of positive righteousness and with no title to heaven, and would also be certain to fall again into sin and condemnation. If Christ only canceled our guilt, He would merely return the sinner to Adam's original state without Adam's original perfection of nature. There must be a "double cure" then, as Augustus Toplady wrote in his beloved hymn, "Rock of Ages":
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee; Let the water and the blood, From Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and power.