newly implanted spiritual life. Arminianism also credits sinful man in part for his salvation. It falsely asserts that some have been saved because they chose to receive Christ, while others did not. However, the Triune God alone deserves all praise for a sinner's salvation God the Father who elects, God the Son who redeems, and God the Holy Spirit who applies God's gracious salvation to lost, condemnable, rebellious sinners. The cause of a sinner's justification is totally God's free grace, based upon the merits and application of Christ's righteousness.

Read the following quotations. Explain how each refers to both the imputing and receiving of justification and their relationship.

JUSTIFICATION: IMPUTING AND RECEIVING

Q. 60 How art thou righteous before God?
A. Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; so that, though my conscience accuse me, that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, and am still inclined to all evil; notwithstanding, God, without any merit of mine, but only of mere grace, grants and imputes to me, the perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ; even so, as if I never had had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me; inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart.

Canons of Dordt: Heads III-IV - Article 12

And this is the regeneration so highly celebrated in Scripture, and denominated a new creation: a resurrection from the dead, a making alive, which God works in us without our aid. But this is in no wise effected merely by the external preaching of the gospel, by moral suasion, or such a mode or operation, that after God has performed His part, it still remains in the power of man to be regenerated or not, to be converted, or to continue unconverted; but it is evidently a supernatural work, most powerful, and at the same time most delightful, astonishing, mysterious, and ineffable; not inferior in efficacy to creation, or the resurrection from the dead, as the Scripture inspired by the Author of this work declares; so that all in whose heart God works in this marvelous manner, are certainly, infallibly, and effectually regenerated, and do actually believe. -Whereupon the will thus renewed, is not only actuated and influenced by God, but in consequence of this influence, becomes itself active. Wherefore also, man is himself rightly said to believe and repent, by virtue of that grace received.

Q. 61. Why sayest thou, that thou art righteous by faith only?
A. Not that I am acceptable to God, on account of the worthiness of my faith; but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, is my righteousness before God; and that I cannot receive and apply the same to myself any other way than by faith only.

Reformed Dogmatics - Rev. Kersten - p. 423

This righteousness merited by Christ does not need, nor can it permit, any addition. Neither men's good works, nor the sweetest experiences of God's love and grace, nor even faith which the Holy Ghost works in the hearts of the elect, can come into consideration in the matter of justification as a ground upon which the acquittal of God can rest, either partially or entirely. Outside of the eternally valid righteousness of Christ, nothing has any value before the judgment seat of God. "Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Nevertheless, not one sinner is justified without faith. The indispensability of faith, however, lies in this, that faith is the hand in which Christ and His righteousness are received and accepted. Faith is not a meriting, but a receiving hand; it is passive in justification, and becomes active in accepting Christ after receiving Him.