Belgic Confession, Article 23: The Justification of Sinners
Article 23 of the Belgic Confession presents the foundational Reformed doctrine of justification by faith alone, emphasizing that believers' righteousness before God rests entirely on Christ's obedience and God's sovereign grace rather than human merit or works. This confessional text anchors the assurance of salvation in the forensic declaration of righteousness through faith in Christ crucified, reflecting the core convictions of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation.
Article 23: The Justification of Sinners We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is contained,as David and Paul teach us when they declare those people blessed to whom God grants righteousness apart from works.55And the same apostle says that we are “justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”56 And therefore we cling to this foundation, which is firm...