What does it mean to be justified?
Justification is God's declaration that a person is righteous, not on the basis of who they are or what they have done, but on the basis of Christ. In it, the Judge accepts the sinner for Jesus' sake, pardoning their sins and crediting Christ's righteousness to them.
This question arose from studying Does James contradict Paul? Is it faith or works? and What is grace?.
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Go into the Word
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
It is a legal declaration, not a moral change
Justification is a courtroom word, the verdict of the Judge: 'righteous.' Paul says we are 'justified by faith apart from the works of the law,' and asks, 'Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died… who is at the right hand of God.' God is the one who justifies; the verdict is His, and it is final.
We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Its ground is Christ, not our record
We are 'justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.' God set Him forth as a propitiation, and 'being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God's wrath through him.' The basis is the blood and righteousness of Christ, not anything in us.
being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him.
For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Its instrument is faith: counted, not achieved
'To him who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.' Blessed is the one 'whose sin the Lord will not count against them.' Faith is not the merit; it is the hand that receives what is freely given.
But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”
yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.
It is the great exchange
'God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.' On the cross Christ bore our sin; through faith we receive His righteousness. Our condemnation is transferred to Him; His righteousness is credited to us.
For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
who his own self bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed.
Its fruit is peace and salvation
'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' Those He justifies, He glorifies, and we stand 'heirs according to the hope of eternal life.' Justification is not the end of the story; it is the peaceful foundation of everything that follows.
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.
that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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Verses to meditate on
We maintain therefore that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;
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