The great truth of justification by faith, however, does not deal with the acts of God within the believer, but with the saving acts of God outside the believer.

First, the ground of a man's acceptance with God unto life eternal is sheer grace. ". . . being justified freely by His grace . . ." Rom. 3:24. The Greek word here translated freely is elsewhere translated without cause. Grace is not conditioned on any quality in the human heart. So far is it from relating to a quality within man that the apostle declares that this "grace ... was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. 1:9. It is a quality in God's heart, His disposition to be kind and merciful to those who are lost and undeserving. Grace means God's attribute of accepting those who are unacceptable – not excepting those whom He has previously sanctified.

Yet God cannot allow His grace to override His justice. The rule of law must be upheld. God must have valid grounds to forgive sinners and to accept them as righteous. Those grounds are also completely outside of us.