Justification and Jesus Christ’s work

Justification is grounded in the death of Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ’s death shields believers from God’s wrath

Romans 5:9 ESV

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

See also Ro 3:24; Ro 4:25; Ro 5:18; 1 Pe 2:24

Jesus Christ’s death fulfils the demands of the law of God

Romans 8:3–4 ESV

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

See also Ro 3:25–26; Ga 3:13; 1 Jn 2:2

Justification is grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ

Romans 4:25 ESV

who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

See also Ac 2:22–39; Ac 4:10–12; Ac 17:30–31; 1 Pe 3:18–21

Justification means believers are reckoned as righteous through the death of Jesus Christ

Ro 5:19; 1 Co 1:30; 2 Co 5:21

See also 1 Co 6:9–11; Php 3:8–9 The term “imputation” is used to refer to the process by which God treats believers as being righteous in his sight on account of Jesus Christ’s death.

Justification is received by faith

Romans 1:17 ESV

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

See also Hab 2:4; Ro 5:1; Eph 2:8

The example of Abraham

Genesis 15:6 ESV

And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

See also Ro 4:1–5; Ro 4:9–22; Ga 3:6–9; Ga 3:16–18

The example of David

Ro 4:6–8; Ps 32:1–2

Apostolic teaching on the need of faith for justification

Acts 13:39 ESV

and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

See also Ro 3:22; Ro 3:25; Ro 3:27–30; Ro 4:5; Ro 5:1; Ro 9:30–32; Ro 10:10; 1 Co 6:11; Ga 2:16; Ga 3:8; Ga 3:14; Eph 2:8

Justification is a gift of God’s grace

Romans 3:24 ESV

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

See also Ro 5:15–17; Ro 8:33; Tt 3:7

Not by works or the law

Galatians 3:11 ESV

Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

See also Ro 3:20; Ro 4:5; Ga 2:16; Ga 2:21; Ga 3:2–5; Ga 3:24; Ga 5:4–6; Eph 2:8–9