JUSTIFICATION In this article I’d like to take a look at the word JUSTIFICATION and its meaning in Christian theology. It is God’s act of declaring or making a sinner (like myself) righteous before God. God pardons, accepts and declares a sinner to be “just” on the basis of Christ’s righteousness (Rom.3:24-26; 4:25; 5:15-21) which results in God’s peace (Rom.5:1), His Spirit (Rom.8:4) and salvation. Justification is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, apart from all works and merit of the sinner (Rom.1:3: 28). The doctrine of justification by grace through faith in the merits of Christ is not something new. Men who were honest with the scriptures have taught it throughout history. This truth can be traced back to our Church Fathers throughout the first period of church history, and through them to the Apostle Paul. Ask Clemet of Rome and he replies; “We also, being called through his (God’s) will in Christ Jesus, are not justified through ourselves, neither through our own wisdom or understanding, or piety, or works which we have done in holiness of heart, but through faith…” Let’s ask Polycarp (died AD155), “I know that through grace you are saved, not of works, but by the will of God, through Jesus Christ.” In a letter (written about AD150) addressed to a person called Diognetus, who seemed to be inquiring about Christianity, these are the following sentences: “God gave His own Son the ransom for us…for what, save His righteousness, could cover our sins? In whom was it possible that we, transgressors and ungodly as we were, could be justified, save in the Son of God alone?…O unexpected benefit, that the transgression of many should be hidden in one righteous Person and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors.” Augustine said, “Grace is given to you, not wages paid to you…it is called grace because it is given gratuitously. By no precedent (previous) merits did you buy what you have received. The sinner therefore received this grace first, that his sins should be forgiven him…good works follow after a justified person; they do not go before in order that he may be justified…good works, following after justification, show what a man has received.” Of Origen, a great Christian teacher, thinker and writer (died AD253) comes the following, “Through faith, without the works of the law, the dying thief was justified; because…the Lord inquired not what he had previously wrought, nor yet waited for his performance of some work after he should have believed; but…he took him unto Himself for a companion, justified through his confession alone.” Jerome, the great translator of the Bible into Latin (died AD420), has written, “When an ungodly man is converted, God justifies him through faith alone, not on account of good works which he possessed not.” Reader if you desire pardon of your sin and forgiveness from guilt and punishment, an act of free grace which God will pardon you and accept you as righteous on account of the atonement of Christ Jesus His son. Study the scripture references I’ve given you. If you have an honest, seeking heart He can make you “just,” just as if you had never sinned. The Scripture says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
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