Justification
Regeneration
Sanctification
Propitiation
Reconciliation
Redemption
Today: Justification
English is a funny language, it has it own vocabulary, but also absorbs words from other languages (vocabulary is from Latin!). Justification came to English from Latin via French. It has to do with righteousness. Righteousness is from Old English, rihtwis (Romans 1:17 in the 1395 Wycliffe Bible, For the riytwisnesse of God is schewid in it, of feith in to feith; the 1535 Tyndale Bible still has, For by it the rightewesnes which cometh of God is opened fro fayth to fayth).
We can chart it like this:
Justice has a slightly different connotation than righteousness. Romans 1:17 in the Latin is, For the justice of God is revealed therein. This is what gave Luther problems, he did not see the gospel as good news until he learned it revealed the righteousness of God, not the justice of God. If you noticed, justify completely replaced rihten (rihtlecen). I have been unable to find any equivalent for justification.
All this means justification has to do with righteousness: to justify is to rihten; or as I like to say it, to righteoufy, that is to declare righteous.
How does justification work? When God justifies us he does two things:
- he forgives our sins: it's just-as-if-I’d-never-sinned
- he imputes righteousness: it's just-as-if-I’d-always obeyed
As we read in Romans 4:4-7, Now to him who works is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describes the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputes righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
And what righteousness is imputed to us? Why, the righteousness of God!
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Justification is amazing! Awesome!! What a gospel!!!
So, how are we justified? What do we do to have the righteousness of God imputed to us?
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
We are justified when we believe in Jesus Christ. Yes, when we repent (confess our sins and abandon all hope of being good enough), believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior, and trust him to save us, we are justified - the righteousness of God is imputed to us. Hallelujah! What a gospel! What a gift! What I don’t deserve and cannot earn, God freely gives to me through Jesus Christ! Have you been justified?
Actually, righteousness may be another $5 word, I mean, what exactly is righteousness? Simply put, righteousness is that which God demands of us, and which we don’t have. Paul says of the gospel, For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. So the gospel declares, That which God demands of us, he freely provides for us through Jesus Christ. This means justification is his gracious act whereby he imputes righteousness to us when we believe in Jesus Christ, and because of this we can be right with God, our sins forgiven, fellowship restored.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
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