Righteousness of God through Faith

When it comes to the righteousness of God, God acts according to a perfect internal standard of right and wrong. All God’s actions are within the limit of this standard.

Righteousness is the form, the structure of God’s goodness, and His goodness is the concrete active embodiment of His righteousness.

People are completely unable to do this, Romans 1:18-32; 3:10-12,23.

To say that God is good, is to say that God is righteous. God’s goodness includes His righteousness.

God’s righteousness is not just a moral standard, and an active agent bringing salvation, God’s goodness and righteousness are dynamic actions saving people.

In simple terms, God has a righteous standard, God knows I cannot in way meet this standard, in His goodness He has provided a way for me to become righteous or reach the standard, 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

What is Justification?

There are three effects of sin; guilt, corruption, and punishment.

Justification deals with our guilt.

Adoption deals with our punishment, cf. Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:15, 23; 9:4.

Subjective salvation (regeneration, conversion, and sanctification) deals with our corruption.

There are three forms of moral predication; goodness, righteousness, and holiness.

In redemption, God restores to sinners these moral qualities, although we are totally separated from sin entirely until death and the final judgment.

“Good” is the most general term, it refers to God’s benevolence —providing benefits to others.

Righteousness is God working in accord to His standard Holiness deals with God’s otherness or transcendence.

Goodness has to do with adoption.

Righteousness has to do with justification.

Holiness has to do with subjective salvation (regeneration, conversion, and sanctification).

What is justification?

Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners, in which he pardons all their sins, accepts and accounts them as righteous in his sight; not for any thing wrought in them or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience of Christ, and God imputed to them, and received by faith.

Justification is forensic language. It is the language of the law court where God is the Judge, and sinners are on trial for their sins —Adam’s sin and our own individual sin.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. In spite of the fact that we all deserved to die for our sin and that of Adam’s, Christ Jesus died in our place.

Based on Jesus taking our place, God the Judge declares us not guilty, and even goes beyond a not guilty verdict to declare us righteous because of Jesus.

Justification, God declares us righteous.

Sanctification, God is making us righteous.

Romans 4:5 And to the one who does not work but believes in[a] him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

Romans 8:33-34 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Justification of sinners unto salvation

Romans 3:20, 26, 28.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Romans 10:10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

The grounds of our justification.

Why should God declare us to be just? Jesus is the answer. His work on the cross, the sinner is united to Him, and God declares us righteous in Him.

God declares us righteous in Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:21. In all Jesus does, his perfect life and atoning death. It is Jesus’ righteous character, sinlessness, is ours by united to Christ by faith.

Jesus’ perfect life is essential to His atonement for sinners, Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 1 Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

The instrument of justification, Romans 3:24, 28.

Justification is by faith alone, but faith is not the ground of our justification. Faith is what receives the grace of God in Christ.

Faith makes no claim to itself.

Faith makes no claim to deserve the gift of God’s righteousness.

Faith confesses that only Christ can save, and only His righteousness justifies.

Romans 3:27-28; 4:5-6; 9:32; Galatians 2:16; 3:2, 5; Ephesians 2:8-9. Justification is not by works.

Salvation is not through work, but through trust.

Salvation is a free gift, we cannot work for it, but only trust the One who gives it.

Closing thoughts on justification

Justification includes a legal declaration by God.

“Justify” is the Greek verb which denotes, “to declare righteous.” God declares us to be just in His sight. (This involves two aspects.)

God declares that we have no penalty to pay for sin; past, present, and future, Romans 4:1-5:21.

God declares us to have the merits of perfect righteousness before Him, Romans 3:21-22. We have the merits of perfect righteousness before God.

God can declare us to be just because He imputes Christ righteousness to us.

God regards Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, Romans 4:3, 5-6.

Christ’s righteousness is freely given to us, 1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:9; Romans 3:21-22.

God declares us to be righteous on the basis of Christ’s sinless life, this is the heart of the gospel, Romans 1:17

Justification is by Grace Alone.

No person can make themselves righteous before God, Romans 1:18-3:20.

All have sinned and come short of God’s standard, Romans 3:23.

Romans 3:23-24, sinners are justified by grace as a gift, through redemption that is in Jesus.

God justifies us through Faith Alone.

Good works give evidence to being justified, James 2:17-18; 1 John 2:4-5.

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