Biblical Words Matter - Justification

Introduction

This morning I have been tasked with bringing to your attention another Biblical word that definitely matters. And that word is Justification.

The definition of Justification from the oxford dictionary is simple.

It is the action of showing something to be right or reasonable. That feels pretty simple. When I try to take that definition and apply it to my spiritual life I begin to think how can I make myself look right or reasonable in the eyes of God. After all the goal within my spiritual life is to be right in the eyes of God right? What Christ follower wouldn’t want that?

In fact I can do this for myself right now, I will tell all of you why I know I am a good person.

My name is Jacob Hoover and I know I am a good person for the following reasons.

I tithe 10% of my income.

I invest in the lives of the next generation.

I help my neighbors when I can, most would say I am kind to those around me.

I know I am a good person for these reasons.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary Justification

JUSTIFICATION—a forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (

Scripture

Now in order for us to understand the true weight of the word Justification we must first understand why we need something like this in the first place.

Romans 3:9–20 ESV

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 5:1–5 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.