Charles Haddon Spurgeon on Justification
Forensic — righteousness imputed, not infused
"To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Romans 4:5)
THE POSITION
Imputed righteousness on a penal-substitutionary ground, not a transformative or infused category. Frames the problem as "how can a just God justify guilty men" and answers that Christ bears the sentence due to the sinner, so that faith — not works — is what is counted for righteousness. Preached this directly from 3:24-26 in 'Justice Vindicated and Righteousness Exemplified' (Sermon #3038): the law convicts and condemns but cannot justify; Christ's active and passive obedience are both credited to the believer.
5 However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
18 OTHERS HOLD THIS
ABOUT THIS FIGURE
Pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, and the most famous preacher of Victorian England — the "Prince of Preachers." Preached roughly 3,500–4,000 sermons across 63 volumes; All of Grace and A Defence of Calvinism state his soteriology directly.
Cite this page
"Charles Haddon Spurgeon on Justification", Examined Doctrine, July 2026 edition, https://examineddoctrine.com/position/spurgeon/justification (archived at https://examineddoctrine.com/editions/2026-07/position/spurgeon/justification).