Gospel Guidebook: Getting and Keeping It Right 
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Dire State of Reformed and Free Grace Theology
by Robert P. TerryUpdated July 31, 2025
Nearly every denomination of Christianity, including Reformed and Free Grace, teaches that faith is an appropriating instrument that receives or applies the merits of Christ to the believer so that he can be justified. The problem with this is that it leaves justification unaccomplished until the appropriating act is performed, thereby moving the focus from what Christ did for sinners to what the sinner does to be justified. In this scheme, Christ never actually accomplishes justification for anybody, but simply prepares the groundwork for people to be justified if they perform their appropriating act correctly. This is why they refuse to say that Christ's shed blood is their justification, but always say that Christ's shed blood is the "only ground" of their justification. This means that it is impossible for them to believe in Christ for justification, for they don't believe that He accomplished justification. Rather, they believe on Him to qualify them to perform their appropriating act whereby they may be justified. Simply put, for them an unapplied Christ is no Christ at all.
The result is that many Christians live with a sense of uneasiness, wondering if they performed their appropriating act correctly and sufficiently. This is really a sure sign that they are indeed practicing a form of works salvation masquerading under the name of faith. It is quite common for them to ask "How much faith is enough?", to which their pastor or priest will try to assure them that any amount of faith, even if it is as small as a mustard seed, is sufficient for them. However, this answer is incorrect. If faith is an appropriating act, then it engrafts the appropriator into the work of justification, being a strictly necessary element of justification. No faith means no justification. However, if faith is an element of justification that is needed to effect or apply Christ's work, then it must be performed perfectly. Anything less than perfect faith would be unacceptable and an abomination to God (see Deuteronomy 17:1).
In contrast, if faith is a benefit of a justification fully accomplished by Christ, and merely takes the form of being persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, then there is no mixing of faith with the work of Christ. Faith simply gazes upon what was true even before it was believed, and by gazing upon it, the gazer comes to reflect it (2 Cor. 3-4), thereby fulfilling the Scripture that says, "it was reckoned to him as righteousness." This is how the righteousness of God is revealed to His elect (Rom. 1:16-17).