The Church's Redemption

Justification by faith alone is necessary because of how far we have fallen, but faith is not the grounding basis for our righteous status. This basis is the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Strictly speaking, the reason our Father declares a person righteous in His eyes is the work of the Savior, which itself is grounded in the grace of God. Our faith does not earn us God's favor; rather, God's unmerited favor toward those whom He has chosen for salvation motivated the work of Christ, which we benefit from for the sake of our justification when we believe the gospel.