No one can earn salvation by their good works (Gal.2:16, 3:11). “For if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Gal.2:21). Moreover, works contribute nothing to God’s gracious act of justification (Titus 3:5-7). Men are justified by faith alone. “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom.3:28). Justification, the act by which unjust sinners are declared righteous in the sight of a just and holy God, comes by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. That is to say that justification is by Christ and Christ alone. We in no way merit nor achieve nor attain nor choose justification. By the amazing grace of God it is bestowed upon us through His ordained means of saving faith in the finished atoning work of His Son. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and not that of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Eph.2:8). We are eternally unworthy of it (Rom.3:23), could never work hard enough to earn it (Isa.64:6), and in no way, in and of ourselves, even desire it (Rom.3:11, 8:7; Eph.2:1). “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one” (Rom.3:10-12). Before we were regenerated, we were dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1-5; Col.2:13). Justification by faith alone means justification by the righteousness and merit of Christ alone, not by our righteousness or good deeds (Gal.2:15-16). Justification is instantaneous (Rom.5:1). At the very moment that God grants us saving faith in Christ alone, God imputes all our sin (past, present, and future) to the account of Christ (Isa.53:5-6, Gal.3:13, 1Pet.3:18) and imputes the righteousness of Christ to our account (Rom.3:21-22, 25-26, 4:3-6; 2Cor.5:21) and seals us as His very own by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (2Cor.1:22; Eph.1:13, 4:30). The saved person is at the same time both just and a sinner (1John 1:8-10). Christ’s righteousness is not infused into him, but rather Christ’s righteousness is imputed to him (Romans 3:21-28, Romans 5:12-19, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Galatians 2:11-21, Ephesians 2:1-10, Philippians 3:7-11).