062. Is faith the only means of salvation?

Is faith the only means of salvation? The Greek word rendered “to justify” in the New Testament according to its etymology means “to make righteous,” but this meaning is extremely rare in Greek usage, if not altogether doubtful, and it certainly is not the New Testament usage of the word. “To justify” in Biblical usage signifies not “to make righteous” but “to reckon, declare, or show to be righteous.” A man is justified before God when God reckons him righteous, that is, when God not only forgives his sins but puts all positive righteousness to his account.

There is one condition upon which men are justified before God: simple faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:26; Romans 4:5; Romans 5:1; Acts 13:39). It is the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross in our place that secures justification for us (Romans 5:9; Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21). His shed blood is the ground of our justification, and simple faith in Him makes that shed blood ours. Provision is made for our justification by the shedding of His blood; we are actually justified when we believe in Him who shed His blood. Faith is the only means of appropriating to ourselves the atoning virtue that there is in the blood of Jesus Christ. If one will not believe, there is nothing he can do that will bring him justification.

If one does believe, he is justified from all things the moment he believes (Acts 13:38-39). Not only are all his sins put out of God’s sight, but in God’s reckoning all God’s own righteousness in Jesus Christ is put to his account. When Jesus Christ died upon the cross of Calvary, He took our place (Galatians 3:10; Galatians 3:13), and the moment we believe on Him we step into His place, and are just as pleasing to God as Jesus Christ Himself is.