R.C. Sproul on Justification
Forensic — righteousness imputed, not infused
"The term forensic justification... is a kind of theological shorthand for the idea that God declares people just who in themselves are not just... not because righteousness inheres in us but because God in his mercy has counted the righteousness of Christ for us."
THE POSITION
His sharpest and most emphatic position: justification as God's declaration of the sinner as just by the imputation of Christ's righteousness, not any righteousness infused into or inhering in the believer. Explicitly names and rejects Rome's infused-righteousness view, while insisting the common Protestant claim that "Rome believes in justification by works" is itself a slander — the real dispute, in his framing, is whether faith is a sufficient condition (his view) or only a necessary one requiring additional congruous merit (Rome's, per Trent). Treats sola fide as effectively shorthand for solus Christus, not an independent pillar. Preached this directly from the text in 'Righteousness Revealed' (Rom. 3:21-26). His signature move on propitiation: expiation removes guilt (horizontal), propitiation changes God's disposition toward the sinner (vertical, Godward) — 'Christ's supreme achievement on the cross is that He placated the wrath of God, which would burn against us were we not covered by the sacrifice of Christ.'
21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 And this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand. 26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and to justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
18 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Founder of Ligonier Ministries and teaching elder in the PCA. Chaired the drafting committee for the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy; best known for The Holiness of God and for popularizing Reformed theology — the five solas and TULIP — for a lay audience.
Cite this page
"R.C. Sproul on Justification", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/sproul/justification (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/sproul/justification).