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The act of justification.
Justification is really a declaration by Father God that we are 'Not Guilty'.
It's a one-time act by Father God, where He declares believers
to be blameless and thus righteous. It 's not because of what we've done. It's
not because of our obedience. It's because of the death of Jesus being
ascribed to our account.
Justification has a wholly positive meaning as used in the bible. It's telling
us not just of the absence of guilt that we have with regard to the matter of sin but
that we have a positive standing in the right. It's not a question of
'not proven' or 'the charges have been dropped' but that we are 'NOT GUILTY'.
This status is what is termed 'righteousness'. In this context, where we are referring
to Christians before God, it's not speaking of the character or morals of the people
concerned, but simply to his/her status in the court of God on the basis of the judge's
declaration.
Justification then is the judge's verdict that we are in the right; not guilty.
Righteousness is the status we have before the court as a result of that
declaration having been made about us by the judge.
I understand that to a theologian, justification is not the instrument that makes it
possible to declare someone in the right. It is that declaration itself. In other
words, it is not how someone becomes a Christian having eternal life in them,
but simply the declaration that the person is actually a Christian. Having been
given mercy by the court, it is the just declaration on the part of the judge
concerning that person who has already received mercy.
Rom 3:21-25 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been
manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the
righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who
believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace
through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed
publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.
Notice that Paul says here that god is righteous in declaring the sinner
justified and therefore righteous. God is not simply turning a blind eye to
sins committed. Jesus has paid the price in dying for sin. The correct
penalty has been paid. People say that the wrath of God was satisfied. If by
that they mean that whatever wrath was due to fall on the sinner fell on
Jesus instead, then that's true. The measure of wrath/debt was paid. It's not
a question of God being dis-satisfied before and becoming satisfied after
Jesus died on the cross.
A scripture which conveys the same idea is Isaiah 53, verse 10.
But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would
render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will
prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
This passage is not using 'pleased' in the context of finding pleasure, but
rather in the manner of 'willingness' to do something. God was willing to
crush Jesus (His right arm), bringing Him grief, in order to buy our redemption.
Jesus was willing also though to undergo this grief and be our guilt offering.
The upside of this was that He would SEE His offspring; He would see His sons
and daughters (us Christians) into the eternal future, and He would rise again
and prolong His days. The grave could not hold Him and the good pleasure of the
Lord would prosper in His hand as He brings all spiritual blessings to
those who call on His name.
Justification is a righteous legal act on the part of God, wherein He deems the
sinner righteous on the basis of Christ's righteousness and the redemption
which is in Him (in His blood shed for us).
Unlike Sanctification, Justification is not an ongoing process, but it
is a one-time act by God, complete in itself, definitive and of eternal
effect.
Paul made the same point as Isaiah in his letter to the Romans with reference
to Abraham, the father of the faithful.
Rom 4:22-25 That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness.
23 But the words it was counted to him were not written for his sake alone,
24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised
from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and
raised for our justification.
Abraham, who had the gospel preached to him, put his faith in the sacrifice of
Jesus to come, that he would be justified. And when we exercise the same faith,
it is counted to us as righteousness and we also are justified because Jesus
has died for us and has been raised from the dead, just as Isaiah said!
Paul also says ---
Rom 5:15-17 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if
by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace
of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound
to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who
sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression
resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose
from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the
transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more
those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
Jesus' work of redemption stretches back in it's efficacy to Adam because
we die as a result of the sin of the first Adam and in like manner we live
because of the justification brought by the second Adam; Jesus.
This justification is for all time because, just as Adam's sin cannot be
laid asside by our efforts or our declaration, so Jesus' righteousness cannot
be laid asside by our efforts or our declaration either. If it could then
Adam's actions and sin would be of greater power than Jesus' actions and
righteousness!
So as Paul continues...
Rom 5:18-21 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation
to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted
justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s
disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience
of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that
the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded
all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would
reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Therefore we have an eternal redemption when we accept Jesus' sacrifice,
as grace reigns through righteousness, to eternal life through Jesus Christ.
This is because as we've seen, by grace through faith in Jesus, we have been
'Justified', declared 'Not Guilty' and clothed in the righteousnes of Jesus
which has been inputed to us.
What a 'Good' and 'Gracious' God we revere and worship.
Attlee.
Look out for more on Justification and Imputation soon.
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