Faith Alone

Faith is the alone instrument that God uses to bring justification to the individual believer. This faith that He uses is the real thing, living faith, faith that looks to Christ alone (apart from any defective works that person might have). But a very common form of “defective works” would have to include defective theories of justification by faith alone. Because justification by faith alone is true, it is possible for someone who is screwed up on justification (in his theology) to be actually saved. And because justification by faith alone is true, it is possible for someone with an orthodox theology on the subject to be actually looking at His correct theory instead of to Christ alone, and so he is lost. Rome is wrong on justification, and so Rome is not qualified to teach the saints of God. But precisely because Rome is wrong on justification, it is possible for particular Roman Catholics within her pale to be saved.