“The meritorious ground of justification is not faith; we are not justified on account of our faith, considered as a virtuous or holy act or state of mind.  Nor are our works of any kind the ground of justification.  Nothing done by us or wrought in us satisfies the demands of justice, or can be the ground or reason of the declaration that justice as far as it concerns us is satisfied.  The ground of justification is the righteousness of Christ, active and passive, including his perfect obedience to the law as a covenant, and his enduring the penalty of the law in our stead and on our behalf.” Charles Hodge