1. Those whom God effectually calls, he also freely justifies, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting them as righteous. This is not because anything worked in them or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone. Nor is it by counting faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience, as their righteousness. Rather, it is only by imputing the obedience and full payment of Christ to them, in which they receive and rest on him and his righteousness by faith. They do not have this faith from themselves; it is the gift of God.

2. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the only condition of justification, but is it not the only thing done in the person justified; it is always accompanied by all other saving graces, and is not a dead faith, but works by love.

3. Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are thus justified, and made a proper, real, and full payment to his Father’s justice on their behalf. Yet, because he was given by the Father for them, and because his obedience and payment were accepted in their place, and because both of these were done freely, not because of anything in those who are justified, their justification is entirely of free grace. Therefore both the exact justice and the rich grace of God are glorified in the justification of sinners.

4. From all eternity, God decreed to justify all of his chosen ones, and in the fullness of time, Christ died for their sins and rose again for their justification. Nevertheless, they are not justified until the Holy Spirit, in due time, actually applies Christ to them.

5. God continues to forgive the sins of those who are justified. Although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his face restored to them until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.

6. The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.