Justification by Faith NOT Faithfulness

The Australian Church Record has published the latest essay by Rev. Matt Olliffe concerning the nature of justification by faith alone.

From the essay:

‘It is difficult to determine what Dr Bird thinks justifying faith – meaning the aspect of faith that justifies, rather than what justifying faith also entails – actually is, given that he does not spell out a careful definition in his blogpiece. As stated above, in addition to the possibility that Dr Bird does not understand the difference between ‘passive assent’ and ‘fiduciary faith’, it may be that Dr Bird believes that I should include in the aspect of faith that justifies, obedience, faithfulness and love. It is difficult to understand what Dr Bird means by speaking of ‘the organic unity of faith-faithfulness-obedience’. Does that mean that ‘faithfulness’ and ‘obedience’ justify, because faith includes within it faithfulness and obedience? Or is it still only fiduciary faith that justifies, but that such faith always produces faithfulness, obedience and love?’

Also from the essay:

‘… fiduciary faith produces and results in repentance, dread, love, faithfulness and good works. But these fruits of faith must not be included in the justifying aspect of faith. In this way, faith remains the sole instrumentality for justification, in the way the hymn describes, ‘Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling’.

Download the entire essay here as a 0.28 MB file.

Originally posted on the Australian Church Record website.