Faith is the magnificent New Testament treasure of motivating truth, which has not been adequately appreci-ated in many discussions of justification by faith. It means much more than what we call trust, for it has within it no self-centered basis. It is a heart appreciation of God's love [agape] revealed in the sacrifice of Christ. Such faith, being dynamic, enables the gospel to be truly the power of God unto salvation, for it works by love in both justification and sanctification. Justification by faith rests on the legal provisions of the cross, but it is more than a legal declaration: it enables the believer to be obedient to all the commandments of God.

Gold Tried in the Fire addresses many questions about righteousness by faith that have been raised over the last 150 years. Is the "imputed" righteousness of Christ all we need for salvation, or do we also need "imparted" righteousness? If we need the latter, what is it and how do we obtain "imparted" righteousness? Does the human nature Christ assumed in His incarnation have anything to do with our salvation? If Christ "took upon" Himself the fallen nature, did He then have the same propensities to sin as we all have? The book explains what real faith is and how "faith works by love."