Which statement best reflects justification by faith apart from works?

• A. The wages of sin is death.
• B. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
• C. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
• D. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Answer: (D)

Justification by faith apart from works means God declares a person righteous because of faith in Christ, not because of anything they do. The statement that says work is not the path and that believing in the one who justifies the ungodly leads to righteousness directly expresses this idea. It presents faith as the means by which righteousness is credited to the believer—“his faith is counted for righteousness”—instead of any merit from works. This imputed righteousness is the heart of justification by faith alone.

The other ideas touch related truths, like the consequence of sin being death or the general idea that salvation comes through confession or calling on the Lord, but they do not explicitly articulate the principle that righteousness is credited to the believer strictly through faith apart from works.