1.  The Nature of Justification

As we begin a study on the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith, we need to understand precisely what the word “justify” means.  It is a judicial term meaning “to acquit,” “to declare righteous,” to pronounce sentence of acceptance.”  It comes from a Greek word dikaioo, and is seen in Acts 13:39–

Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

Romans 1:9–

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:16–

[K]now that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Because it is a legal word, a legal illustration shows how justification works:

The guilty one stands before God, the righteous judge; but instead of a sentence of condemnation, he receives a sentence of acquittal. (Myer Pearlman, p. 226)

The classical definition of justification by faith is quoted by Pearlman–

Justification is an act of God’s free grace wherein He pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone.

Justification is primarily a change in position on the part of the sinner; once pardoned, he is now acquitted; once under God’s righteous condemnation, he is now the subject of God’s commendation.

However, justification is more than just pardon of sins and removal of condemnation; part of this process involves God placing the offender in the position of a righteous man.  God blots out the the past with its sins and offenses, and then treats the person as if he had never committed a sin in his life.

Someone has said this–

The miracle of the Gospel is that God comes to the ungodly, with a mercy which is righteous altogether, and enables them through faith, in spite of what they are, to enter into a new relationship with Himself in which goodness becomes possible to them.  The whole secret of…Christianity is that marvelous paradox, “God justifies the ungodly.”

2.  The need for justification

How can a man be right with God and win God’s approval?  This is a question man has asked for as long as he has been able to ask questions.  Job asked it–

[H]ow can a mortal be righteous before God?  (Job 9:2b)

And the Philippian jailor asked Paul–

[W]hat must I do to be saved? (Acts 16:30)

The answer to that question is found in the New Testament, especially in Romans 1:16-17, and may be summarized like this:  The Gospel is God’s only power for man’s salvation, because it tells how sinners can be changed in position and condition so as to be right with God.  In Romans, Paul talks about a righteousness that is acceptable to God.  Man without Christ is under condemnation.  The downward spiral of the sinner’s life (the Gentile, in Romans)  looks like this–

•     they once knew God, 1:19, 20
•     they failed to worship and serve Him, their minds became darkened, :21, 22
•     spiritual blindness led to idolatry, 1:23
•     idolatry led to moral corruption, 1:24-31
•     they are without excuse because they have a revelation of God in nature and a conscience that     guides them, Rom. 1:19, 20, 2:14, 15

Both the Jew and the Gentile stand condemned before God, the Judge of the universe.  They need to made righteous.

3.  Faith and Justification

Faith precedes justification–

What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Rom. 4:3)

Faith, then, is the means by which man is justified–

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Rom 5:1)

[S]ince there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.  (Rom 3:30)

This means that the only way a Jew may be justified is through receiving Christ “by faith,” while faith is the means by which the door of salvation is opened to the Gentiles.

For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all. (Rom. 11:32)

So we are justified by God and made righteous in His sight.  The act by which God makes us righteous is called imputation.  We are given Christ’s righteousness.  1 Corinthians 1:31–

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Christ took away the guilt of our sin, satisfied the law, both by obedience and suffering, and became our substitute, so that being united with Him by faith, His death becomes our death, His righteousness our righteousness, His obedience our obedience.  God then accepts us, not for anything as imperfect as works (Rom. 3:38; Gal. 2:16) or merit, but for the perfect all-sufficient righteousness of Christ set to our account.  For Christ’s sake, God treats the guilty man, when penitent and believing, as if he were righteous.

4.  The need for balance

Justification applies to all sins, past, present, and future, however, to make in include all sins of the future without regard to character or willingness to walk with God, stretches the definition of justification beyond Biblical proportions.

The active obedience of Christ is imputed to the sinner who believes, but does justification extend to those who, having been justified, choose to indulge in sin and take the course of unrighteousness?   Biblically, the answer is no.  Being forgiven and being the recipients of God’s grace and mercy is not a license to sin.  Paul anticipated human nature, so after setting forth the complete work of Christ for us, he immediately follows up by stating in no uncertain terms–

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Rom. 6:1-2)

Instead of making provision for security irrespective of character, Paul admonished–

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  (Rom. 13:14)

John Calvin once said this:

What is ours is given to Him–“The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  And what is His is given to us–“”the righteousness of God in Him.”