Is justification by faith necessary for eternal life?

August 18, 2024

Is justification by faith merely a temporal blessing, or is it essential for eternal salvation? How do grace and faith work together in God’s redemptive plan?

One young man writes:

I’ve been wrestling with a theological question, and I was hoping you could help me with it.

I’ve been studying the doctrines of grace and justification, and I recently came across an idea that I’m struggling to reconcile. I understand that we’re saved by grace alone, and I completely believe that. But I’ve also heard people say that justification by faith is a separate matter—that it’s more of a temporal blessing for this life rather than something necessary for eternal salvation. They argue that we’re ultimately justified by God’s grace or Christ’s blood, and faith is just a response we have in this life, but not essential for eternal salvation.

This has left me confused. If we are saved by grace alone, does that mean justification by faith isn’t necessary for eternal life? Or is that missing something important about how grace and faith work together? I want to make sure I’m thinking about this in a biblical way and that I’m not misunderstanding something crucial.

I’d really appreciate your thoughts on this.

Though this question may seem strange to many, it involves fundamental truths about our salvation. Is justification by faith merely a temporal blessing, or is it essential for eternal salvation? And how do grace and faith work together in God’s redemptive plan?

Saved by grace alone

Let’s begin by affirming the central truth of salvation. We are saved by grace alone. Scripture is unequivocal on this point. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8, 9). Salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace. It is his unmerited favor shown to sinners who deserve nothing but his judgment.

The grace of God is the source of our salvation, from beginning to end. We are chosen by grace, redeemed by grace, and sustained by grace. Grace is what makes salvation possible. Apart from God’s grace, no one could be saved.

But how does this grace come to us? How are we made right with God?

What is justification?

Justification is the act by which God declares a sinner righteous based on Christ’s righteousness. It is a legal declaration, a verdict of “not guilty” pronounced over us by God because of what Christ has accomplished. We are “justified by God’s grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith (Ro 3:24, 25).

Notice that (1) justification is by grace alone through the work of Christ, and (2) justification is received by faith. The grace of God is the basis of our justification, but faith is the means by which we receive this grace. Faith is not a work that earns our justification but the empty hand that receives the gift of Christ’s righteousness.

The idea that justification by faith is a mere temporal blessing rather than something necessary for eternal salvation fundamentally misunderstands the nature of justification. Justification is not just a benefit for this life, though it is that. It is a critical part of our eternal salvation. It is the very means by which we are made right with God and granted eternal life.

Justification by faith is essential

Justification by faith is absolutely essential for eternal salvation. Consider the following passages.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

Justification brings us peace with God. This peace is for eternity. Without justification, we remain enemies of God under his wrath. This means justification by faith is not optional. It is how we are reconciled to God.

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

Paul’s argument to the Galatians is that justification by faith is the only way we can be declared righteous before God.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36)

Scripture directly links faith in Christ with eternal life. Those who believe in the Son are justified and granted eternal life, while those who reject him remain under God’s judgment. Faith is essential for escaping condemnation and entering into eternal life.

Justification by faith cannot be just a temporal blessing. Without faith, there is no justification. Without justification, there is no eternal life.

How grace and faith work together

In relatively small circles of Christianity, some people argue we are justified by God’s grace or Christ’s blood and that faith is merely our response, not necessary for eternal salvation. On the one hand, we are justified by grace and the blood of Christ. In Romans, Paul says we are “justified by his grace” and “we have now been justified by his blood” (Ro 3:24; 5:9). Clearly, God’s grace and Christ’s atoning sacrifice are the foundation of our justification. Without them, justification would be impossible.

On the other hand, faith is how we receive this grace and are united to Christ. Faith is not a mere human response that has no bearing on our eternal destiny. It is the appointed means through which God applies the work of Christ to us. “To the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Ro 4:5). Faith is the instrument by which we receive the righteousness of Christ and are declared justified before God.

To think of faith as unnecessary for eternal life would be to miss the way God has ordained our salvation. Grace and faith are not opposed to one another. Grace is the cause of our salvation, and faith is how we receive it. It is the means or the instrument of God’s grace. As one pastor said, faith is the pipeline through which God’s grace flows. We should remember that even our faith is a gift from God.

Conclusion

Justification by faith is essential for eternal salvation. While we are saved by grace alone, through the work of Christ alone, faith is how we receive this grace and are declared righteous before God. The idea that justification by faith is merely a temporal blessing misunderstands the biblical teaching on justification. According to Scripture—Paul’s writings, in particular—justification by faith reconciles us to God.

To be clear, faith is not a work that earns our salvation, but by it, we receive the grace of God and the righteousness of Christ. When we trust in him, we are justified, from which assurance of our salvation grows.