Reference: JUSTIFICIATION
American
The being regarded and treated as if innocent; or acquittal from the consequences of guilt before the tribunal of God. "Justification by faith" means that a person, on account of true and living faith in Christ as manifested by good works, will be delivered from condemnation on account of his sins; that is, his sins will be forgiven, and he be regarded and treated as if innocent and holy. Thus, besides the remission of sins and their penalty, it includes the restoration and everlasting enjoyment of the favor of God.
We obtain justification by faith in Christ. Yet neither this nor any other act of ours, as a work, is any ground of our justification. In acquitting us before his bar, God regards not our works, in whole or in part, but the atoning work and merits of Christ. He was treated as a sinner, that we might be treated as righteous. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus;" the moment we believe, our justification is as perfect as the infinite worthiness of our Redeemer. Its validity does not depend on the measure of our assurance of hope, nor on spotless holiness of life. Sanctification, indeed, or progressive growth in holiness, commences simultaneously with justification, and must in the end reach the same perfectness. Yet it is important to distinguish between the two, and to observe that, could the believer's holiness become as perfect as an angel's, it could not share with the atoning merits of Christ in entitling him to admission to heaven.
The best obedience of my hands
Dares not appear before thy throne;
But faith can answer thy demands,
By pleading what my Lord hath done."
True justification, by the gratuitous gift of the Savior, furnishes the most powerful motive to a holy life. It is followed by adoption, peace of conscience, and the fruits of the Spirit in this life; and by final sanctification, acquittal in the day of judgment, and admittance to heaven, Ro 3:20-31; 5; 8:1-4; 10:4-10; Ga 2:16-21; Eph 2:4-10.
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Wherefore, by works of law, no flesh shall be justified in his sight; for by law is the knowledge of sin. But now, God's plan of justifying men without law is revealed, being attested by the law and the prophets; read more. I repeat it, God's plan of justifying men through faith in Jesus Christ, which is for all, and on all that believe; for there is no difference; for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God, yet may be justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God has set forth as a propitiatory sacrifice, through faith in his blood, in order to manifest his righteousness, in passing by the sins that were formerly committed through the forbearance of God; in order to manifest his righteousness at the present time, that he might be just, while he justifies him who believes in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No; but by the law of faith. For we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without deeds of law. Is he the God of the Jews only? Is he not also the God of the Gen tiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: since there is one God, who will justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through the faith. Do we, then, make law void through the faith? It can not be. On the other hand, we establish law.
There is now, therefore, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed me from the law of sin, and of death. read more. For what the law could not do, because it was weak through the flesh, God has done, who, sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for a sin-offering, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
For Christ is the end of the law for justification, to every one that believes. For Moses describes the justification which is by the law: That the man who does these things shall live by them. read more. But the justification by faith speaks thus: Say not in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down; or, Who shall descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ again from the dead. But what says it? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach; that if you will confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord, and will believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart we believe, in order to justification; and with the mouth we make confession, it order to salvation.
knowing that a man is not justified by works of law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed on Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of law: because, by works of law no flesh shall be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified in Christ, we ourselves are also found sinners, is Christ, there fore, the minister of sin? It can not be. read more. For if I build again those things which I have destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For, through law, I have died to law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, yet I live; no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God: for if righteousness be through law, then Christ has died in vain.
but God, being rich in mercy, on account of his great love with which he loved us, made alive with Christ even us, being dead to our offenses, (by grace you are saved,) read more. and raised us up, and made us sit together in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus; that he might show, in the ages to come, the exceeding riches of his grace by his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through the faith; and this matter is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not by works, lest any one should boast. For we are his workman ship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God before prepared, that we should walk in them.