Belgic Confession 

Article 20: The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ

We believe that God—  who is perfectly merciful  and also very just— sent the Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed,  in order to bear in it the punishment of sin  by his most bitter passion and death.

So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of damnation, giving to us his Son to die, by a most perfect love, and raising him to life for our justification, in order that by him we might have immortality and eternal life.

Article 21: The Atonement

We believe that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek— made such by an oath— and that he presented himself in our name before his Father, to appease his Father’s wrath with full satisfaction by offering himself on the tree of the cross and pouring out his precious blood for the cleansing of our sins, as the prophets had predicted.

For it is written that “the punishment that made us whole” was placed on the Son of God and that “by his bruises we are healed.” He was “like a lamb that is led to the slaughter”; he was “numbered with the transgressors”46  and condemned as a criminal by Pontius Pilate,
though Pilate had declared that he was innocent.

So he paid back what he had not stolen,47 and he suffered— “the righteous for the unrighteous,”48 in both his body and his soul— in such a way that when he sensed the horrible punishment required by our sins “his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.”49 He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”50

And he endured all this for the forgiveness of our sins.

Therefore we rightly say with Paul that we know nothing “except Jesus Christ and him crucified”;51 we “regard everything as loss  because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.”52

 We find all comforts in his wounds and have no need to seek or invent any other means to reconcile ourselves with God than this one and only sacrifice, once made, which renders believers perfect forever.

This is also why the angel of God called him Jesus— that is, “Savior”— because he would save his people from their sins.53

46 Isa. 53:4-12
47 Ps. 69:4
48 1 Pet. 3:18
49 Luke 22:44
50 Matt. 27:46
51 1 Cor. 2:2
52 Phil. 3:8
53 Matt. 1:21

Article 22: The Righteousness of Faith

We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faiththat embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him.

For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then those who have Christ by faith have his salvation entirely.

Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified “by faith alone” or “by faith apart from works.”54

However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us— for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness.

But Jesus Christ is our righteousness in making available to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place. And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits.

When those benefits are made ours they are more than enough to absolve us of our sins.

54 Rom. 3:28

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.55

And 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 forever, giving all glory to God, humbling ourselves, and recognizing ourselves as we are; not claiming a thing for ourselves or our merits and leaning and resting on the sole obedience of Christ crucified, which is ours when we believe in him.

That is enough to cover all our sins and to make us confident, freeing the conscience from the fear, dread, and terror of God’s approach, without doing what our first parents, Adam and Eve, did, who trembled as they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves.

In fact, if we had to appear before God relying— no matter how little— on ourselves or some other creature, then, alas, we would be swallowed up.

Therefore everyone must say with David: “Lord, do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.”57

55 Ps. 32:1; Rom. 4:6
56 Rom. 3:24
57 Ps. 143:2