Justification
The meaning of the word "Justify" is an action by a Judge, a forensic term to "Justify" a person or "Acquitting" of the charge or more often "declared righteous", it has the opposite meaning to "condemned" or "guilty"
God is the "Judge of the earth"
Genesis 18:25
"25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
The forensic term is often used to describe the action of the "Judge of all the earth", God. He requires righteousness from all men, that involves a conformity with His Laws, and anyone who does not obey will be punished, thus showing His righteousness as the Judge.
The justification of the sinners is simple the passing of a simple and favourable verdict.
People can also "Justify" God by just confessing Him,
Luke 7:29
"29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John."
Or can Justify themselves,
Luke 10:29
"29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? "
However, when Paul and the other disciples speak of justification they are referring to the work of God in making a person righteous by the personal, inner renewal and the forgiveness of their sins.
In the New Testament, there are thirty-nine occurences of the word "Justify," of these, twenty-nine occurred in the Pauline Epistles, for example,
Romans 3:22-25.
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Romans 5:18-21.
"18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."
The believing sinner has been justified, that means they are treated as being righteous because Jesus "Who knew no sin", took all the sins of the world upon himself on the cross, Jesus was made sin for each of us so that He would make us righteous in the eyes of God.
We have to really accept the offer of forgiveness or God believes that we are rejecting His offer of forgiveness.
The action of justification does not make a person righteous, it is a divine action or reckoning by God. Our sin is covered by the blood of Christ. Justification originates in the grace of God,
Romans 3:24.
"24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"
The justified Believer has been declared to have nothing which can be laid to his charge by the judge Himself, it is all covered by the blood of Christ.
Romans 8:1-17.
"1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 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 8:29-36.
"29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." |
