What is justification?

Response

In simple terms, to justify means to declare someone righteous. Justification is an action of God in which He pronounces a sinner as righteous because of that sinner’s faith in Christ. According to a theologian, “the central concept in justification is God’s declaration, the righteous judge, that the person who believes in Christ, despite being sinful, is righteous—considered righteous because through Christ, they have entered a righteous relationship with God” (Ladd, G. E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1974, p. 437).

When properly understood, justification pertains to God’s pronouncement regarding the sinner, not any internal change within the sinner. Justification, in itself, does not make someone holy; it merely declares them as not guilty before God and consequently treated as holy. The actual transformation towards holiness in the sinner takes place through sanctification, which is connected to justification but, by definition, distinct from it.

A crucial passage that explains justification in relation to believers is Romans 3:21–26: “But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no distinction between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are freely justified by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, . . . so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Several significant points about justification should be highlighted:

• Justification is separate from the law; we cannot achieve justification through rule-keeping or our own good deeds.

• Justification is made possible by the sacrificial death of Christ; it is founded on His shed blood.

• Justification is a free and gracious gift from God given to those who accept by faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

• Justification reveals the righteousness of God.

In connection with God’s justification of the sinner, several aspects are involved:

1) The forgiveness of the penalty of sin, which is death (Romans 3:23;Romans 8:1;1 Peter 2:24).

2) The restoration of God’s favor, which was lost due to our sin «He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.», (John 3:36). Therefore, justification goes beyond mere acquittal; it signifies full acceptance. We are now friends of God «And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. », (James 2:23) and co-heirs with Christ «and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. », (Romans 8:17).

3) The imputation of righteousness, which is the crediting of Christ’s righteousness to our account (Romans 4:5-8). We are declared righteous legally because “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness.

essence of God” «For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.», (2 Corinthians 5:21).

(The preceding three points are adapted from Henry Thiessen’s Lectures in Systematic Theology, revised by Vernon Doerksen, Eerdmans, 1979, pp. 275–277).

We are justified, declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation. Jesus Christ completed the work required for our justification on the cross. “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” «Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. », (Romans 5:9). He was then “raised to life for our justification” «who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.», (Romans 4:25).

The question arises, “Is justification just? If He is holy, how can God forgive a guilty sinner?” The answer is that justification does not excuse our sin, ignore our sin, or endorse our sin. Instead, our sin is fully punished, Christ having taken our penalty for us. He was our substitute «For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: », (1 Peter 3:18). Because the wrath of God is satisfied in Christ (Isaiah 53:4-6), we are free from condemnation « There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. », (Romans 8:1), and God remains both “fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” «to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. », (Romans 3:26, NLT).

Because God justifies us by grace through faith in Christ, we now have peace with God «Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: », (Romans 5:1). Like Joshua the priest, we have been stripped of our “filthy clothes” «And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. », (Zechariah 3:4), and, like the prodigal son in the parable, we are now clothed with “the best robe” «But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: », (Luke 15:22). God the Father sees us as perfect and unblemished, and we are to be devoted “to doing what is good” «And let our’s also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful. », (Titus 3:14).

Romans 5:18–19 in the Amplified Bible sums up the basis and result of justification: “So then as through one trespass [Adam’s sin] there resulted condemnation for all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For just as through one man’s disobedience [his failure

to hear, his carelessness] the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of the one Man the many will be made righteous and acceptable to God and brought into right standing with Him.”