This is part 4 of a 6-part series. View the entire series here.
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” – Luke 18:13-14 NLT
What Is Justification?
Justification is to declare one as righteous or without fault. In the Christian faith, justification is God’s declaration of a person’s righteousness and holiness through faith in Jesus Christ.
Justification is distinct from––though connected to––the ideas of propitiation and sanctification. Justification is not involved in making one righteous, nor is it responsible for changing the sinner by making them act holier. Justification is God’s declarative statement that He views us as innocent and righteous before Him.
The Bible gives a clear picture that God’s justification goes beyond simply clearing sin from our account. In justifying us, God looks at us as righteous through Christ, thereby accepting us as His own. We are not to walk away from God as neutral parties after we are justified. Justification draws us into an ongoing, functional relationship with God forever.
Why Do We Need Justification?
Justification is only necessary if one has been convicted of wrongdoing. In relation to God’s law, the Bible labels these acts of wrongdoing as sin. Any thought, action, or inaction that does not align with God’s character and commandments is a sin. There is no one, other than Jesus Christ, who has lived a completely sinless life. Everyone else has sinned against God (Romans 3:23).
It’s important to acknowledge the universal sinfulness of humanity, because we read in the first half of Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death….” Now we see where we find the need to be justified. Our sin (read: guilt) prevents us from inheriting eternal life with God and leads to eternal separation from the Creator and Sustainer of Life. In short, we’ve been convicted of spiritual crimes against God. As the righteous judge, God must punish the sinner with the penalty of death.
If we are to receive eternal life with God, we must first be justified––declared innocent of our sins that lead to death, and imputed with righteousness that we could not attain out of moral good deeds.
How Can Someone Be Justified?
God cannot overlook sin, and justification doesn’t mean He chooses to ignore ours. God found a way to remain just in the judgement of sins while also justifying us (Romans 3:25-26). The Apostle Paul told the church, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT).
The second half of Romans 6:23 reads, “...but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Justification is not earned through good works. Just as a guilty person cannot undo their crime, the sinner cannot undo their sin. Sin must be punished. When Jesus lived a sinless life, He set Himself up to be a sacrifice for our sins. On the cross, He became our sins and paid the wages of sin through His death.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, He rose from the dead and placed His righteousness on our account so that God could declare us holy and blameless before Him. This is justification. It is a free gift that can only be received through Jesus by confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).
Does Justification Mean We Can Keep Sinning?
While justification doesn’t relate to the sinner behaving more holy or righteously, it is received through a faith that desires the transformation promised through sanctification (c.f. Philippians 1:6). Paul gives a good thought exercise to unpack this idea:
“So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Christ Jesus. Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of His wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined Him in His death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives” (Romans 5:21-6:4 NLT).
Justification is not offered for those who want to live apart from God. It is granted to those who lay down their lives and desire new life with Jesus––identifying with both His death (and the death of sins) and His life (the kind of life that reflects God’s holiness).
Justification is the launching point for a fruitful and fulfilled life with Jesus, where we trust in Him to lead us and guide into life everlasting. We have been saved by grace through faith, and now have the blessing of living as God’s innocent children, robed in the righteousness of Christ.
