Justification and the Christian

What is Justification?

Justification is a legal or forensic term used to describe your relationship to a given law. Every nation has its own laws and each citizen is expected to abide by them. Should you break the law, you are now considered a lawbreaker. As a lawbreaker, you may be summoned to a courtroom (depending on the severity of the offense in our society); in the courtroom, you will be met with one of two verdicts: guilty, or not guilty.

Now, we’re each tempted to think, “good thing that’s not me!” (myself especially). The problem of the Christian religion is this: we are guilty. This sentence is inherited by our relationship to Adam, who broke the law before us. His condemnation, according to Paul, has accordingly spread to every person (Rom. 5:12-21

To reveal our sinfulness, God gave His law to Israel. We see throughout the gospels those who try to justify themselves (the Pharisees). Their thought was “by my moral exertion I can make God think I’m good.” And how like this are we? I myself had a terrible week; and during this week I remember constantly shaming myself for my sin which I cannot seem to be rid of. My moral efforts were not enough to cleanse my conscience of what I knew to be true: I cannot justify myself, nor can I make myself righteous.

If that is you this morning, hear the word of the Lord to you, 1 Timothy 1:15

“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”

The breathtaking reality here is this: we are guilty for breaking God’s law; but God, in the greatness of His mercy, sent Jesus to do what you could not. It is written, “[He] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

Our doctrine here then is great medicine! This doctrine is a cornerstone of Christian faith. Namely, that God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself. Our pardon for breaking God’s law is secured by Jesus Himself! It is dispensed to those who repent and believe. No longer do you need to labor under the weight of your lawbreaking. You have been set free: “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Justification clears us of our legal standing before God. Where we stood condemned, we now stand accepted. This terminology should not be conflated with a different doctrine, namely, sanctification. Our sanctification is a lifelong process of following the Master; our justification is the once for all offering of Jesus in our place to pardon our sin.