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When we talk about the Doctrine of Justification, we’re talking about something fundamental to the Christian faith. At its core, justification is God’s act of declaring a person “justified,” or just as if they had never sinned. This happens the moment God sees a sinner believe by faith alone in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
In other words, when God looks at a person who has put their faith in Jesus Christ and the finished work of the cross, He sees them as righteous, not because of anything they have done, but because of what Christ did on the cross. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, our sins are paid for in full, and we are reconciled to God.
This is the message of Romans 3:24: “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” And in Romans 3:28, we read, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”
It’s important to understand that this is a legal term, a judicial act by which God declares us “justified.” This means that no matter what sins we may have committed in the past or may commit in the future, we are still justified in God’s eyes.
This is not something we can earn through our own good works or efforts. Galatians 2:16 makes it clear that “a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” When we put our faith in Christ, His righteousness is imputed to us, and we are declared “justified” by God.
This is an immediate process that happens the moment we put our faith in Christ. It’s beautifully explained in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
It’s amazing to think that Christ suffered so much on our behalf, even though we were living in sin (Romans 5:8) and completely undeserving of anything from God. But because of God’s great love and mercy, He poured out His grace on all of us.
As believers, it’s important to study this doctrine, not just for the highly educated or seminary grad, but for all of us. It is a truth that can help build and strengthen our faith. And as we dig into the Doctrine of Justification, we will better understand what it really means to be justified by a Holy God.
So let us praise God for His amazing grace and mercy, and for the Doctrine of Justification that reminds us of His incredible love for us.
Bible Reading:
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
‘Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.‘
yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:’
‘For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.’
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