Difficulties respecting Justification by Faith
I. It is an important rule to seek for the most exact language on any subject in those writings which treat of it generally and directly, rather than in those where it is spoken of by the way, the notice of it arising out of some other matter which was the writer's particular subject at the time. And, according to this view, we should expect to gain the clearest view of this question of justification from St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, because the very object of that Epistle is to give a clear notion of that very point, as the foundation of Christianity; and, so far as we know, there was nothing in the particular circumstances of those to whom it was written which makes it more applicable to them than to others. It would seem, therefore, to explain St. Paul's language in other Epistles where he may touch upon the same subject incidentally, by his language upon it in the Epistle to the Romans, where he has written upon it expressly.
II. Now, it cannot be denied that the faith on which St. Paul lays so much stress, in the Epistle to the Romans, is opposed to the works of the law in this sense that he who would be justified by the law says to God, "Thou hast commanded certain things, and I have done them, therefore I have earned my wages;" whereas he who would be justified by faith says rather, "Thou hast commanded certain things, and I have not done them, therefore I have earned no wages, but only displeasure, only I throw myself on Thee as on a God who forgavest sin." The essence, then, of justification by works is a reliance on what we have done for ourselves; that of justification by faith is a reliance on what God has done and will do for us.
III. But the difficulty lies beyond. If we look to our holiness of life for assurance, is not that to build upon the quicksand? Or if, without looking to ourselves, we look only to Christ, and hope and believe while we are full of sin, and look to be redeemed from death because Christ has died, although we have never risen with Him again to a new life of holiness is not this to make Christ the minister of sin, and to hope where God says there is no hope? We must see, therefore, how it may be possible to seize the truth of each of these views, and yet escape their error.
T. Arnold, Sermons,vol. v., p. 263.
References: John 6:28; John 6:29. J. Natt, Posthumous Sermons,p. 155; J. Burton, Christian Life and Truth,p. 17 2 John 1:6 :29. G. Brooks, Outlines of Sermons,p. 27. John 6:32; John 6:33. Preacher's Monthly,vol. vii., p. 328.