72问：什么是使人称义的信心？

答：使人称义的信心是借着上帝的圣灵（林后4:13；弗1:17-19）和圣言（罗10:14，17）在人心里所成就，能叫人得救的恩典（来10:39），使人既借以确知自己的罪恶和祸患，确信自己和其他万有一切都无法令自己恢复所已经失去的地位，就不仅能认同福音所应许的真理之道（徒2:37；徒16:30；约16:8－9；罗5:6；弗2:1；徒4:12），而且也能接受、信靠并根据基督与基督之义，罪得赦免（约1:12；徒16:31，10:43；弗1:13），在上帝眼中被接纳，被算为义，以致得救（腓3:9；徒15:11）。

Question 72: What is justifying faith?

Answer: Justifying faith is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God, whereby he, being convinced of his sin and misery, and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition, not only assents to the truth of the promise of the gospel, but receives and rests upon Christ and his righteousness, therein held forth, for pardon of sin, and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of God for salvation.

73问：信心如何使罪人在上帝眼中得称为义呢？

答：信心之所以能使罪人在上帝眼中得称为义，并非由于经常伴随信心而来的其他恩典，或所结出来种种美善的果子（加3:11；罗3:28），也还不是由于所赐下来使罪人得称为义之信心的恩典或作为（罗4:5，比较罗10:10），而单单是因为信心本身乃是承接并支取基督与基督之义的器皿（约1:12；腓3:9；加2:16）。

Question 73: How does faith justify a sinner in the sight of God?

Answer: Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God, not because of those other graces which do always accompany it, or of good works that are the fruits of it, nor as if the grace of faith, or any act thereof, were imputed to him for his justification; but only as it is an instrument by which he receives and applies Christ and his righteousness.