This particular tract focuses upon the issue of resistance to the fact that God truly does justify a person in response to faith alone.

All too often this is the point at which a person opposes the gospel. The natural tendency of the flesh, along with the numerous perversions of the gospel that exist, team up in a person’s mind to make him balk at the idea that faith, and faith alone, in Christ as one’s all-sufficient Savior is all that God requires for justification in His sight. The thinking is that that’s just too good to be true, and therefore it simply can’t be true. God must require more than that.

This tract deals with 2 of the most common reasons why a person thinks that justification by faith alone is ‘too good to be true’; 1.) his failure to truly understand and appreciate that the Lord Jesus Christ ‘did it all’ when He functioned as our substitute-Redeemer; and 2.) his failure to also understand and appreciate that God’s Perfect Justice can only accept a non-meritorious response for justification in His sight, and that non-meritorious response can only be faith.

Upon dealing with these two issues, this tract concludes with an appeal for the reader to realize that justification by grace through faith alone is not ‘too good to be true’ after all. Instead it is the only way anyone can ever be justified unto eternal life. There is no other way. It then beseeches the reader to acknowledge this truth and to have faith alone in Christ alone.
 

Sometimes when people hear that God is offering to save them from the debt and penalty of their sins if they will simply trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their all-sufficient Savior, they say "It can't be that simple! That's too good to be true!"

And in saying this, they mean that there must be something else that they have to do besides just trust in Christ as their all-sufficient Savior. God must require some works from them in some manner or form. For example, they may think they need to promise to live a good life; or join a church; or be water baptized; or fulfill another rite or ceremony, etc. Whatever it is, they think they must do something else besides just believe.

But though folks commonly balk at the idea that faith alone in Christ alone is really all that God requires, it is true nevertheless.

Two Common Reasons

There are 2 common reasons why folks often resist this truth. The first is the failure to understand that the Lord Jesus Christ really did do all that needs to be done to provide for our justification when He died upon the cross as our substitute-Redeemer. Nothing was left undone, or for us to do. He really did `do it all.' And the second is the failure to realize that legally-speaking justification in God's sight can only be by grace through faith alone. Faith, and faith alone, is absolutely the only thing God's Perfect Justice can accept for justification in His sight.

Christ Really Did `Do It All'

When the Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross at Calvary and died for our sins, He did so as our substitute-Redeemer. This means not only that He took our place as our substitute, but as our Redeemer He died in our place to legally satisfy and abolish every single point of enmity that exists between us and God's Perfect Justice. This is what Redemption and Propitiation are all about. And this is exactly what the Apostle Paul declares is the issue with Christ when he says,

²⁴ Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

²⁵ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood,…(Romans 3:24-25a)

The Lord Jesus Christ was "set forth to be a propitiation." Propitiation refers to the full satisfaction of God's Justice. When propitiation occurs, every single point of offense is dealt with and satisfied. Hence, Christ didn't just do some of what needed to be done for us. He didn't only make a partial payment for our sins, leaving something for us to do on our own. No, He did it all. Otherwise He could not truly be our substitute-Redeemer and there could not be any propitiation at all.

Therefore there isn't any work that God has left for us to do in order to be justified in His sight. Christ really did `do it all.'

God's Justice Can Only Accept Faith

Legally-speaking there is absolutely nothing but faith, and faith alone, that God's Justice can accept when it comes to justification unto eternal life. And this is something that God emphatically points out to us. For example, in Romans 3:27-28 the Apostle Paul says,

²⁷ Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

²⁸ Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:27-28)

"The law of faith" is what God's Justice operates on when it comes to justification in His sight. Works are not permitted. Therefore our ability to boast in any work that we might do to have a part in justification is something God's Justice strictly forbids. It is excluded by "the law of faith."

In addition to this, God has the Apostle Paul confirm to us that He really does justify in response to faith alone by having him cite Abraham and David as examples.

¹ What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

² For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

³ For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

⁴ Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

⁵ But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

⁶ Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

⁷ Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

⁸ Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. (Romans 4:1-8)

Both Abraham and David were justified unto eternal life by faith, and faith alone. And they were not exceptions to the rule. Instead they bear witness to the rule that only "faith is counted for righteousness"; that "God imputeth righteousness without works."

Moreover faith, and faith alone, is the only thing that is compatible with God's grace. Works are contrary to grace. As God has Paul also declare,…

⁴ Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (Romans 4:4)

¹⁶ Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; (Romans 4:16)

⁶ And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Romans 11:6)

God makes it clear and plain that justification unto eternal life really is by grace through faith without works of any kind at any time. Therefore His offer is not too good to be true. It is the absolute truth. God really will justify you "freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," if you will simply trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your all-sufficient Savior. Have you done so?

— K. R. Blades