Justification

I’m reading the epistle of Paul to the Romans. I’ve read it before, several times. Still, I’m trying to read it as the first time, asking of the text, “What is he saying?” rather than, “Yeah, yeah, I know all this.”

I am doing this with another brother. We were both amazed at the judgment theme in chapters 1 and 2. Then comes the good news in chapters three, four, five: Justification.

I know a little about justification from a theological standpoint, but it is refreshing to listen to Paul with a fresh ear. Paul doesn’t exactly define justification, as in “justification is the act of God whereby He…”, yet he does describe it’s results.

3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
3:22  Even the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
3:25  Whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
It is always interesting to keep in mind that righteousness is the noun and justification is the verb of the same word. Obviously then, justification is related to righteousness. Are you already impressed by my insight?

There seem to be two thoughts in 3:21-25 associated with justified:
(1) the righteousness of God    – Just-as-if-I’d-always-obeyed
(2) the remission of sins           – Just-as-if-I’d-never-sinned

In Romans 4 Paul adds another aspect to justification

4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
He brings forth Abraham as an example of and support for justification by faith and not by works. Paul says Abraham’s faith was counted unto him for righteousness. His faith was imputed to him, was credited to his account, as righteousness.

4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
This is not only true of Abraham, but true of each of us who believe on him that justifieth the ungodly” our faith is counted for righteousness.
Is this not interesting? Righteousness is what God demands of me, what I am unable to produce, and what God gives me through faith in Christ. That is justification. Paul tells me that God counts my faith as the righteousness he demands, just like He did for Abraham.

4:6  Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
4:7  Blessed [are] they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
4:8  Blessed [is] the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
And then he falls back on this, imputing righteousness is the forgiveness of sins. (Imputing and counting are the same word.) Again, justification seems to me to be:
† the forgiveness of my sins
† the counting of my faith as righteousness
And thus God imputes righteousness to me or justifies me. And it is the very righteousness of God that is imputed to me (3:21-22).

And if we did not get this, he sums it up again in 4:23-25

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Amen! I am a sinner, condemned, unclean; with nothing to offer God. Yet I am justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood.

And he sums up this glorious good news in 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
This is the death knell of any hope of righteousness by my own works or efforts. If justification consists of forgiveness of sins and imputed righteousness, and is already mine by faith, how can I do anything to be justified more? If justification is God imputing to me His own righteousness, how can I improve on that by my own good works?

What love! What grace! What a blessed state indeed!

Not the labor of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;

Could my zeal no respite know,

Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone;

Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification