JUSTIFICATION OF BELIEVERS
The elements of Justification are based on Romans 3:21-28.
The first element is forgiveness, which cancels punishment. 1 Corinthians 6:11 defines forgiveness.
- In personal terms, as a stopping of the anger or moral resentment of God against sin.
- In ethical terms, as a release from the guilt of sin which oppresses the conscience.
- In legal terms, as an omission of the punishment of sin, eternal death.
Forgiveness to the believer is a pardon by the Father, who is personally injured and grieved by sin. The Father no longer remembers sin for believers. There is no acquittal for non‑believers, only conviction and punishment. The sinner, now a believer, is no longer exposed to the penalty of the Mosaic Law (John 1:12). A sinner doesn't satisfy the Law's demand. Christ took the penalty to satisfy the Law (Galatians 3:13). The judicial procedure is that Christ secures a new trial for sinners. He appears for the guilty and shows them righteous in Him (Job 16:19; 1 Timothy 2:5).
The second element of justification is “restoration to favor”, a renewal of a broken friendship, and a renewal of the soul's true relation to God as Father (Romans 5:9‑11; 1 Corinthians 1:26-30).
Provisions of justification are acquittal and pardon through Christ. A sinner's restoration is grounded solely in the obedience and righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are acquitted because of Jesus Christ's suffering. He fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17).
Because of Christ's obedience, we receive the rewards of the Mosaic Law. Christ's atonement completely satisfies the holiness of the Trinity.
Justification is a legal term. God conceives us:
- as just in moral character, absolutely holy in nature, disposition and conduct
- as just in relation to the Law, free from all obligation to suffer penalty, and entitled to the rewards of obedience
Although a believer is renewed in moral character and united to Christ, there is still a remnant of the sin nature. A just person does not have unspotted holiness. Justification is upon the ground of Christ’s obedience of objective atonement, not upon subjective cleansing (Romans 5:16).
The life of Christ is a power in the soul which will gradually eliminate the remaining depravity and will continue until the whole physical and moral nature is perfectly conformed to the divine holiness. This is “sanctification” (John 17:15-19). God accepts us and deals with us in Christ in His merits, not ours.
The relation of justification to union with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit is an important topic. Sinners at the moment of justification are not completely transformed in character. They are declared just only because of what Christ has done. They are baptized in the Holy Spirit.
- As Christ manifests the Father, so the Church, through the Spirit, manifests Christ.
- Christ gives us the name “Christians” as the husband gives his name to the wife.
- Adam’s sin is transferred to us, not because Adam is in us, but because we were in Adam because of sin.
- Christ’s righteousness is transferred to us, not because Christ is in us, but because we are in Christ, joined by faith to Christ.
- “We in Christ” is the formula of our justification-- the human side.
- “Christ in us” is the formula for sanctification--the divine side.
- In Christ, humanity for the first time is acquitted from punishment and restored to divine favor. We share in His justification and all He is, and in all He has done for us.
The Godhead (the Trinity) does not justify ungodly people in their ungodliness. He pronounces them just only as they are united to Christ. Justification is possible because it is always accompanied by regeneration and union with Christ (Romans 5:1).
- It is not because faith is a work of obedience by which we merit justification.
- It is not because faith is accepted as an equivalent of obedience.
- It is not the faith that accepts.
- It is the Christ who is accepted that makes obedience possible. We are not justified on account of faith, but only through faith.
Justification is instantaneous, complete, and final, giving the justified person peace.
- It is instantaneous, since otherwise there would be an interval during which the soul was neither approved nor condemned by God. It is completed the moment of the sinner’s first believing and has no degrees.
- It is complete, since the soul is united to Christ by His faith and becomes a partaker of His complete satisfaction to the demands of the Law.
- It is final because the union with Christ is permanent which Jesus states in John 10:28-29.
Justification is not eternal in the past.
- We are to repent unto the remission of our sins.
- Remission comes after repentance.
- Sin is not pardoned before it is committed.
- In justification, God grants us actual pardon for past sins, but only virtual pardon for future sin. Man isn’t justified from his sins before he has committed them, nor is he saved before he is born.
God is the Judge, not people. There are three options:
1. God must condemn the sinner or
2. He must compromise or
3. He can change the sinner into a righteous person.
This must be by God standards and must be actual righteousness. God, of course, uses only the third option by making us righteous of God in Christ. This allows God to remain just.
Here are four misconceptions about justification:
1. That justification makes us righteous instead of declaring us righteous.
2. That our inward state of holiness causes God to rule in our favor.
3. That our good works result in some degree of justification.
4. That justification can grow as we grow more righteous or become more spiritual.
The truth is that righteousness comes only through faith in Christ.
- Christ’s death was payment for our righteousness and is a gift from God and is received through free will.
- God can only justify a righteous person, one who has accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior.
- Righteousness is a gift of grace. It is not a reward.
- Grace is not works. Works would obligate God and justification would not be a gift of grace in that case.
Although a Christian may feel guilty, he or she is not guilty.
- After identifying the root cause of guilt feelings, he or she must be in repentance if there is sin.
- Some feelings are self-punishment for human failure, depression worthlessness, low self-esteem, isolation, rejection, and shame.
- A saved person should not feel guilty as he or she has already been forgiven.
- Christians are righteous through Christ without guilt. We falter and sin and make mistakes, but we are not guilty. Jesus bore our sins in guilt on the cross, so we are justified by His blood, and not guilty.
- As Christians, we must not feel guilt by not trusting God for forgiveness we already have. Guilt from the past must be dealt with in confession and repentance to clear the way to let God work in our lives. We also need to share our problems in prayer with other Christians, preferably in our own local body.
- Our justification does not come because of any reformation or commitment to change. Once justified, we show this by changes in our lives as stated in Romans 6:7-- He who has died is freed [literally, justified] from sin.
We stand acquitted from sin so that it no longer has dominion over us.
Weak faith justifies as perfectly as a strong faith but may not give so strong an assurance of salvation in a person’s mind. Justification before God is demonstrated by changes in our lives here on earth before people. When we see changed lives, we can know that there has been a heavenly verdict, that is, justification. When people do not see changes, then they may question and doubt.
Justification by faith is necessary in the court of Heaven, although justification by works is the only thing people can observe in the court on Earth (James 2:14-17).
James gives an example of non-working faith in the case of someone who sees a fellow believer in need of food and does not help meet that need. Faith that is not moved to relieve the hungry man’s need is non-working faith. James continues with the comparison of faith and works. (James 2:20-26).
Abraham’s faith and works of obedience are seen working together in his life. Abraham’s faith was transferred to him as righteousness without any additional conditions. But that justifying faith was proof some thirty or more years later when Abraham showed the ultimate obedience in offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice.
We are justified in the sight of men. By faith that operates together with good works. Saving faith is made complete, perfected, and carried to its end when it finds fulfillment in good works. We are saved without works through grace.
We are justified in the sight of a holy God, through faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. That gives me, not rewards me with, the gift of righteousness. And it comes freely, without any cause in me, by His grace.
I have presented many scripture references explaining justification. Here is an easy way to remember the meaning: Justification means JUST AS IF I NEVER SINNED.
The unsaved have legitimate guilt and guilt feelings. Until they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, they are guilty. We need to show an unsaved person that he or she is under God’s condemnation for their past sins. Where conviction of sin already exists,
- We are to encourage a person to accept Christ as his or her Savior.
- They must commit themselves and their salvation entirely to Christ and
- become obedient to Christ.
- Christ is the only way as John 14:6 reminds us.
