Who is Jesus Christ?

A Summary of "Salvation, Faith and Good Works", extracted by John Wesley from "Book of Homilies"

1. All persons are sinners and therefore can do nothing to make themselves righteous in God's eyes. Yet, everyone
seeks this justification from God. It comes to us only by God's mercy and through the worth of Christ. God's Son
was the fulfillment of the law; and, his sacrificial love and death convinced God that human beings could be
acceptable in his sight.

2. Christ's sacrifice washes away the sins of both a baptized infant and a backsliding baptized adult who
repents. This washing away of sin is the justification St.Paul speaks of when saying, "yet we know that a person is
justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ." [Gal 2.16].

3. God's mercy delivers us from the demand that we do the impossible (justifying ourself) and God's justice is
shown in the giving of his own Son who did what had been impossible. Our redemption is a mystery, tempering mercy
and justice.

5. Three elements make up our justification: (a) God's mercy and grace; (b) Christ's satisfying God's justice by
dying on the cross, completely fulfilling the law; and (c) our faith in both the mercy and justice of God. Faith in the
merits of Christ enables us to believe in God's justice.

7. Faith does not exclude the necessity of good works; but good works in no way produce justification.

8. Paul says to the Ephesians, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it
is the gift of God---not the result of works, so that no one may boast. " [2.8-9].

10. Be clear that justification is something God does, not something we do (and, as a consequence of our "doing" then
" receiving" from God). We do not "earn" justification by believing. No amount of faith, hope or love within us
results in our justification. We can only completely trust in God's mercy, and in the sacrifice Christ made for us on
the Cross. Faith comes as a gift, and justification follows faith.

11. As John the Baptist rightly pointed to the approaching Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God,which taketh away the sins of the world." [John 1.29].

12. It is true the ancient church leaders speak thus, "Only faith justifieth us." And even Paul said "Faith without
works justifieth us." [cf. Gal 2.16] Yet our original sin so corrupts us that we can do nothing to achieve justification.
We simply humble ourselves before God and give glory to our Saviour, Christ.

14. "The right and true Christian faith is not only to believe that Holy Scripture and the articles of our faith are
true, but also to have a sure trust and confidence to be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ, whereof doth
follow a loving heart to obey his commandments." (128)

16. "These (are) the fruits of true faith; to do good, as much as lieth in us, to every man and above all things and
in all things to advance the glory of God, to whom be praise and honour, world without end." (129)

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