Justification by faith alone, according to Gerhard Forde, is “the article by which the church stands or falls.”1 He insists that “where the church no longer speaks this word, it has lost its reason for being.”2 That is a powerful claim. The famous cry of the Reformers was by faith alone (sola fide in Latin).

I. Introduction A number of books have been written recently which attempt to harmonize two NT themes: judgment according to one’s works and justification by faith. Sometimes the explanation given is hard to follow. Some authors seem to feel that justification is by faith apart from works and yet final salvation is by faith plus

CHARLES C. BING Pastor Burleson Bible Church Burleson, TX Biblically and historically, justification through faith in Jesus Christ (or salvation by grace through faith) has been the center of the Christian Gospel. Recently, Carl Henry called justification “a doctrine in crisis.”1 Indeed, not only the nature of justification is being challenged (imputed versus imparted righteousness)

JOHN F. HART Professor of Bible Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL I. Introduction Like Psalm 23 or Prov 3:5-6, the simple promise of Phil 1:6 is claimed by many Christians for comfort and encouragement, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until