1 PETER 2:24-25 EPHESIANS 2:8-10
RECOMMENDED READING: the book of Romans chapters 1-5 & Galatians
A. Development of the Doctrine
Justification is a judicial (forensic) act of God's free grace, in which He declares the believing sinner to be just (righteous).
Deuteronomy 25:1-2 -- "If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked, then it shall be if the wicked man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall then make him lie down and be beaten in his presence with the number of stripes according to his guilt."
Exodus 23:7 -- "Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty."
Isaiah 5:22-23 -- "Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine, And valiant men in mixing strong drink; Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away the rights of the ones who are in the right!"
Proverbs 17:15 -- "He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord."
In the New Testament (dikaiow)
Luke 7:29 -- "And when all the people and the tax-gatherers heard this, they acknowledged God's justice (lit. justified God), having been baptized with the baptism of John."
Luke 16:15 -- "And He said to them, 'You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God."
Romans 5:1 -- "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Matthew 12:36-37 -- "And I say to you, that every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned."
Romans 8:33-34 -- "Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."
As a term used frequently in legal or judging contexts in Scripture, "to justify" does not mean to make someone subjectively righteous. Rather it means to declare someone to be righteous or to display someone as being righteous.
a. The language of imputation in Scripture
(1) In the Old Testament the verb shacove is used 123 times. The following meanings are given: "account, reckon, regard, think, impute, consider."
(2) In the New Testament the verb logizomai is used 41 times. This word is used in the following Scriptures:
Acts 19:27 -- "And not only is there danger that this trade of ours falls into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship should even be dethroned from her magnificence."
Romans 2:26 -- "If therefore the uncircumcised man keep the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?"
II Corinthians 5:18-19 -- "Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation."
Galatians 3:6 -- "Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."
II Timothy 4:16 -- "At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them."
Hebrews 11:19 -- "He (Abraham) considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type."
Also in the New Testament the verb ellogeo is used twice.
Romans 5:13 -- "for until the Law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law."
Philemon 18 -- "But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account;"
It does not mean to impart something -- some stuff or quality -- to someone. It does not mean to treat someone in a certain way.
It is declaratory. It is a judgment made in the mind that may or may not be expressed outwardly. It means to charge or credit something to someone.
For example, to impute wicked motives to someone does not mean to impart those motives to that person, but to charge him with having wicked motives.
To impute selfishness to someone does not mean to make that person selfish, but to make a judgment that that person is selfish.
To impute greediness to someone does not mean to make that person greedy in character or conduct, but simply to look at a person's behavior and say, "That person is greedy."
Romans 3:21-22 -- "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction."
Philippians 3:9 -- "and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith."
II Corinthians 5:21 -- "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
I Corinthians 1:30 -- "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption."
Romans 5:17-19 -- "For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men; even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous."
God does not make the sinner subjectively holy and then declare him to be objectively righteous.
a. Such a scenario would admit of degrees of justification relative to the degree of sanctification experienced up to a given moment.
Justification would then be relative until the sinner is made perfect. No human being could then be declared perfectly righteous until he or she became perfectly holy.
b. Justification is spoken of as an act, whereas subjective sanctification includes progress (a process).
Romans 5:1 -- "Therefore having been justified (dikaiwqejnte") by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 5:9 -- "Much more then, having now been justified (dikaiwqejnte") by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."
Titus 3:7 -- "that being justified (dikaiwqejnte") by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
c. Justification includes the imputation of a righteousness which is not the sinner's own, one that is not based on his goodness or moral excellence or holiness, but on the righteousness of Christ Himself.
In justification Christ's righteousness is not imparted but imputed. Christ's perfect life of obedience to the Law of God and His perfect sacrificial death to expiate the guilt and penalty of the transgressed Law are not imparted to us (in some fashion!) but imputed or credited to us. Christ's holy character is not infused in us, or poured into us; rather His righteousness is imputed to us.
Romans 4:5 speaks of the "one who trusts in the One who justifies the ungodly." God declares legally righteous the one who is morally unrighteous. He does this by crediting Christ's righteousness to the believing sinner and on that basis declaring him to be righteous before God.
a. Because works in this context have to do with fulfillment of the Law, and the Law cannot justify sinners
(1) The Law was not given to justify sinners, and it cannot have this effect
Galatians 3:19, 21-24 -- "Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made. . . . Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith."
(2) The Law demands perfection
James 2:10 -- "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."
Galatians 3:10 -- "For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed is every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.'"
(3) The Law is extrinsically weak through the flesh
Romans 8:3, 7-8 -- "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, . . . because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."
b. Because if justification were based on works, then justification would always be relative to the quality and quantity of good works performed.
c. Because the Scriptures represent justification as springing from the grace of God through faith, with no condition of human works attached.
Ephesians 2:8-9 -- "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."
Titus 3:5-7 -- He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
a. Because the Scriptures represent justification as based on the obedience and blood of Christ
Romans 5:9 -- "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him."
Romans 5:18-19, 21 -- "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men; even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. . . . that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
b. Because the Scriptures represent faith as the means, the instrument, but not the basis of justification.
In Romans 1:17 ("a righteousness that is by faith"),
3:22 ("this righteousness from God comes through faith"),
Romans 3:28 -- "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith (pivstei) apart from the works of the Law."
Romans 5:1 -- "Therefore having been justified by (ejk) faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Galatians 2:16 -- "Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith (diavpistew") in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith (ejk pistew"), and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified."
Christ's righteousness includes His obedience to the Law in all respects, and His penal substitutionary death of expiation of the guilt and penalty of the transgressed Law, and all in our behalf and stead. This righteousness is imputed to every believing sinner, and then that believing sinner is declared righteous by God Himself!
B. Objections to the Doctrine
1. This doctrine of a legal righteousness leads to licentiousness. . The Bible knows of no justified persons who are not also new creatures led by the Holy Spirit who are experiencing progress in their conformity to the likeness of Christ.
2. This doctrine is inconsistent with the grace of the gospel.
This objection forgets that, although salvation is all of grace for the believing sinner, it was nevertheless purchased by Christ at awful cost, in order that God might be just at the very time that He freely justifies the one believing in Jesus.
3. This doctrine has God declaring a contradiction, in declaring the unjust to be just.
Rather, the doctrine holds that God declares a person to be legally just who is morally unjust. That is not a contradiction! God declares righteous the one who trusts in Christ as Savior, imputing Christ's righteousness to him by grace, and then He begins to make him morally righteous (holy).
1. The source of justification -- the triune God
2. The moving cause of justification -- the unmerited grace of God in Christ
3. The basis or ground in justification -- the substitutionary earned righteousness of Christ
a. Perfect obedience to the perfect Law in behalf of sinners
b. Perfect satisfaction to the broken Law in behalf of sinners
4. The instrument of justification -- faith in Christ's atonement
5. The nature of justification
a. Imputation of Christ's substitutionary earned righteousness to believing sinners
b. Declaration of righteousness (a righteous standing before the Law of God) on believing sinners
a. Peace with God through forgiveness of sins
b. Eternal life (spiritual life maintained by God eternally)
c. Subsequent justification (justification of a righteous life; the validation of saving (justifying) faith by righteous actions)
d. Final justification (a final declaration of righteousness, made by God on the day of His righteous judgment, upon a life that has been lived by justifying faith, which faith has manifested itself by an overall tendency toward and pattern of righteousness in character and conduct)
1. The Nature of Faith
In orthodox theology, faith has traditionally been seen to include three elements: knowledge, assent or conviction, and trust.
The first element of faith is knowledge. Knowledge is apprehension of truth, acquaintance with fact, recognition of information as factual, personal or factual familiarity with a person. This is a difficult concept to communicate to people today, chiefly because the biblical terms have lost their significance in the English language. The words "belief" and "faith" and "hope" have all changed in meaning.
Biblical Christianity does not distinguish between belief and faith. Belief is a response to truth, a human response to divine revelation. FAITH IS A BELIEVING RESPONSE TO A WORD FROM GOD. Biblical faith believes (accepts as true) only what it knows (apprehends via revelation) on the basis of divine authority. Faith (belief) grasps truth; thus faith (belief) includes knowledge.
Accepting a statement as true by faith for many amounts to believing what one does not know, but wishes were true, or hopes is true, or wills to be true, but is not true (or at least there is insufficient evidence for its truth).
The second element of faith is assent, persuasion, conviction, assurance. It is a persuasion of truth. This appears to be the sense in Hebrews 11:1, where we read, "Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, conviction of things not seen." It is a conviction that is wrought in me by the Holy Spirit by means of the truth. It is an assurance so great that it becomes the dominant influence in my life.
The third element of faith is trust, or confidence. It is a resting, a reposing in the truth. This appears to be the meaning in a number of Old Testament references to faith, as well as the leading element of the Greek words for faith PISTIS and PISTEUO in the New Testament.
2. The Ground or Basis of Faith
The ultimate ground is the truthfulness, faithfulness and immutability of God.
3. The Agent of Faith
The agent of faith is the Holy Spirit
a. The Word of God -Romans 10:17 "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
b. Human instruments
(1) Communicating truth - Romans 10:14 -- "How, then, can they call on the one the have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"
(2) Exemplifying truth - I Thessalonians 1:5-6-- "Because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."
Sin is any transgression of, or lack of conformity to, the law of God (which at any given time is the will of God addressed to the obedience of moral beings). I John 3:4, Romans 3:19-20 The Law of God not only tells us what sin is; it also uncovers the workings of sin in us. Thus the Law makes sin known to us, both cognitively and experientially., James 2:8-11-If we regard the wealthy and disregard the poor we show partiality; thus even lack of conformity to the Law of God is sin (in this case, failure to show love to our poor neighbor). And James reminds us that whether we break one or all of the Ten Commandments, we are guilty of transgressing God's Law and thus have sinned., James 4:17
Repentance is that change wrought in the life of a sinner by which he turns away from sin. Being essentially a change of direction, it involves a change of view, a change of feeling, and a change of purpose. It therefore includes three elements:
a. An intellectual element
Repentance involves a change of view -- a recognition of sin as involving personal guilt, defilement, and helplessness. If unaccompanied by the emotional and volitional elements, this recognition may manifest itself in fear of punishment, without an accompanying hatred of sin.
b. An emotional element
Repentance involves a change of feeling -- sorrow for sin as committed against goodness and justice, and therefore hateful. If accompanied by the volitional element, sorrow for sin is repentance. If not, it is remorse, which is sorrow for the consequences of sin. Remorse may lead to despair.
c. A volitional element
Repentance involves a change of purpose -- an inward turning from sin, and a disposition to seek pardon and cleansing. This element includes the two preceding elements, and is therefore the most important aspect of repentance.
1. God's characteristic (attribute) of righteousness,
2. God's standard of righteousness (His perfect Law)
3. God's gift of righteousness, which we see is a gift of
a right standing before the Law of God (legal righteousness).
4. Defining and understanding Romans Chapter 3:21-26
| 21 a. righteousness of God | God's gift of righteous standing (legal righteousness) |
| b. apart from the Law | our fulfillment of the Law |
| c. the law and the Prophets | reference to OT |
| 22 d. righteousness of God | God's gift of righteous standing |
| e. faith in Jesus Christ | trust in JC and His redemptive work |
| f. believe | trust in JC and His redemptive work |
| g . no distinction | between Jew and Gentile |
| 23 h. have sinned | transgressed God's Law |
| i fall short of the glory of God | Attributes of righteousness in the law of God's righteous standard |
| 24 j. justified | declared righteous |
| k. grace | unmerited favor |
| l. redemption | purchased our release from our slavery to sin and its results |
| 25 m. displayed publicly | publicly in His crucifixion |
| n. propitiation | appeased the wrath of God with respect to all of our liability to His Law |
| o. faith | trust in JC redemptive work |
| p. blood | by His sacrificial death |
| q. His righteousness | Attribute of righteousness |
| r. forbearance passed over the sins
previously committed |
patiently He permitted men's sins to go unpunished |
| 26 s. His righteousness | Attribute of righteousness |
| t. just | Attribute of righteousness |
| u. justifier | declared righteous |
| v. faith in Jesus | trust in JC and His redemptive work |
Ch 4 an example of justification by faith. What does imputation mean?
Negatively, it does not mean to change someone's character or conduct.
Positively, it means to charge or to credit something to someone. This idea is expressed in verse 5, where Paul says that it is "God who justifies the wicked," and in verse 6, where we read that "God credits righteousness apart from works."
Faith is portrayed as the means or instrument through which God joins us to Christ's atoning work, on the basis of which atonement He declares us righteous. God uses our faith instrumentally to join us to Christ. Since Christ's righteousness and death, not our faith, is the basis of our justification.
Thus this fourth chapter is a chapter on imputation, specifically the crediting of righteousness to those who believe in the Savior and salvation that God provides.
The basis of salvation was Christ's redemption, and the instrument of salvation was faith.
Imputation is a judicial act of God in which He mentally transfers and charges the guilt of one person to another, or mentally transfers and credits the righteousness of one person to another. It changes the way God legally views a person who stands before Him (a person's legal standing).
Jn 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw {it} and was glad."
Gal 3:16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.
Acts.7:2 To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.
Gal 3:8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."!
ARGUMENT #1 ABRAHAM THE MODEL (PROTOTYPE) OF FAITH FOR ALL BELIEVERS - ROMANS 4 AND GALATIANS 3:6-9.
ARGUMENT #2 A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT BY GOD WITH ABRAHAM THAT CANNOT BE CHANGED - GALATIANS 3:15-18. Chronological and total in scope.
ARGUMENT #3 PURPOSE OF THE LAW NEVER INTENDED TO JUSTIFY ANYONE - GALATIANS 3:19, 21; AND CANNOT ROMANS 3 & GALATIANS 2:15-3:29: ACTS 13:38,39, 15:1-2, 5-11, 13-19, 24: PHILIPPIANS 3:9.
Romans 5:1-11 discribes some of the blessings that accompany justification by faith.
Romans 5:12-21 compares and contrasts the condemnation which falls upon those who are in Adam, and the justification which comes upon those who are in Christ
1. Deliverance from the guilt of sin (liability to transgressed Law) to the merit of Christ's righteousness imputed, and to the declaration of a right standing before God.
2. Deliverance from the penalty of sin (death) to the reward of Christ's righteousness, the gift of eternal life.
3. Deliverance from the power of sin (the power of innate depravity) to the controlling power of Christ's righteousness, the prevailing principle of innate righteousness, communicated and sustained by the Holy Spirit.
4. Deliverance from the presence of sin (innate depravity) to the complete presence of Christ's righteousness, the total presence of innate righteousness, established and maintained by the Holy Spirit.