Justification: what does this really mean?

Justification. This is a loaded word. A word that for Christians has seemed to put more of what "we" want it to mean rather than what its original meaning entailed. The debate came to a head during the reformation when Martin Luther said that one was justified (declared righteous) by faith and only by faith. The Catholic church didn't like that much to the point where they wrote in the Council of Trent...that the"main object was the definitive determination of the doctrines of the Church in answer to the heresies of the Protestants..."(This taken directly from Catholic Encyclopedia). Justification is also coming under attack from within the Protestant group from people like James Dunn, N.T. Wright and J.P Sanders. (**Hence why it is important for those buying commentaries to know where that person stands in their viewpoints in justification.) I wrote about the importance of justification by faith alone already in an earlier blog so I will not dive into it here. What I want to do is provide you with a comprehensive biblical explanation of what justification is and how important it is.

BUt a question that should be asked in order for us to appreciate the magnitude of justification is:
How can sinful man be right in the eyes of a holy God?
Answer: justification

So then what is justification?
The word justification or to justify appears in the New Testament several times
(Romans 3:24, 3:30, 4:1, 4:25, 5:1, 5:16-18, 8:30, 10:10, Galatians 2:16-18, 3:8, 3:11, 3:24, 5:4; Acts 13:39; 1 Corinthians 6:11; and Titus 3:7--the list is endless but this covers a majority)

Justified is from the Greek word dikaioo (dik-ah-ya-oo) which means to render righteous or to declare, to pronounce, one to be just, righteous.
(Note:Justification (dikaioma) is just a derivative of dikaioo.

Its primary definition is an act of someone being made into a right relationship with God. The term was used in a legal sense--in a court room where one was legally declared righteous. So our legal status changes from "children of wrath" to righteous. (Note it doesn't MAKE you righteous just as someone who is pronounced not guilty is a perfect loving human being.)

For example:
Romans 3:24-"[we]...are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."
Notice we are declared (in the legal sense of a judge declaring us guilty or not guilt) righteous---Therefore God declares those righteous, they are not made righteous by any work or merit but rather declared from an outside source:--HIS grace, HIS redemption through CHrist Jesus!!

Heres another:

Romans 8:30--"And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."
Again Paul contextually here is speaking of the preservation of the election or elect (8:28-30) (I'm not going to focus on this debate for now) and God's sovereignty within it. But he uses the term again--those he declared righteous, made in right standing before God.

Justification or to be justified can also mean to be liberated or freed. An example of this is in Acts 13:39:
"and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could be freed by the law of Moses."

Paul is giving a speech to those in Antioch in Pisidia, about the gospel, JEsus Christ and their need for redemption. He argues using the Old Testament as his basis for Jesus as Messiah. Appealing through the prophets (13:20), the judges (13:20), the 2nd Psalm (13:33-34) and David (13:35-36) as examples of those who came, and died yet spoke of the good news coming. Where as Jesus did not death, nor corruption--rather the forgiveness of sins comes through this man--and everyone who believes is freed (dikaioo).

We are not only declared righteous but liberated from the bounds of sin. Freed from "everything that the law of Moses..." could not free us from.

We know that justification is a one-time only act (not to be confused with sanctification --the progress towards becoming more holy)

We know justification is of no work on our own (faith alone)

So what?
KNowing this great doctrine has taken place in the hearts of believers, a right relation with a holy God, vindicated from the complete and total enslavement to sin, by the grace and mercy of our great God should do something to us.

It should remind us that we are worth something. (this is esp. handy when we fall and feel like complete failures)

It should move us to action. Meaning that the works we perform are out of this change in our legal standing, NOT to gain God's favor (Eph. 2:8; Titus 2:14-16)

There is such great joy in the doctrine of justification. Even now as I write it excites me to know that this simple yet complex doctrine not only makes my relationship with God right (from wrath to righteousness-Eph. 2:2,5,8) but vindicates me from the sin that would have executed the wrath of God upon me.

Be Blessed