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.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
Wherefore by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified before Him: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now, without the law, righteousness before God is manifested, being attested by the law and the prophets; read more. and this righteousness of God is by faith in Jesus Christ unto all and upon all believers; for there is no difference; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace, because of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath appointed to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, in the remission of past sins, according to the forbearance of God; for a demonstration, I say, of his righteousness at this time: that He might be just, and the justifier of him, that believeth in Jesus. Where then is boasting? it is excluded: by what law? of works? no: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith, without the works of the law: or is He the God of the Jews only, and not also of the Gentiles? surely of the Gentiles also: seeing it is one God who will justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision also through faith. Do we then make the law of none effect through faith? God forbid: yea we establish the law.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath set me free from the law of sin and death. read more. For that which was impossible for the law to do, and in which it was weak through the corruption of the flesh, God by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sacrifice for sin, hath done; that is, hath condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.
For Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness to every believer. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, "That the man who doth those things shall live by them." read more. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh thus, "Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven, (that is, to bring Christ down) or, who shall descend into the deep, (that is, to bring up Christ from the dead)" but what saith it? "The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart." This is the word of faith which we preach: that if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart, that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore the minister of sin? read more. God forbid. And if I build again the same things which I demolished, I shew myself a transgressor: for I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ; yet I live, though no longer I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave up himself for me. I do not frustate the grace of God: for if righteousness be by the law, then Christ died in vain.
But God being rich in mercy, through his great love wherewith He loved us, hath made us alive in Christ, even when we were dead in trespasses, (for by grace ye are saved) and hath raised us up together, read more. and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come He might shew the superabundant riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. For by grace ye are saved, through faith: and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not by works, that no one may boast: for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, for which God before prepared us, that we might walk in them.