66 JUSTIFICATION God’s Pardon Modern courts use DNA evidence to convict or acquit the accused. We even hear of inmates acquitted and released based on newly discovered DNA evidence. That legal picture illustrates the doctrine of justification, but with one caution. Our modern sense of acquittal usually means the accused did not commit the crime. Biblical justification is more like a pardon that doesn’t hint that we never sinned, but still frees us because someone else paid the penalty we rightly deserve. In other words, God did not err by charging us with sin we’re not guilty of. We rightly stand before His justice, but He commutes our sentence because Christ paid it. Justification is God’s declaration that we are righteous in His sight. The Greek legal word dikaioo means “justify,” the opposite of “condemn.” Paul makes that contrast in Romans 8:33–34, “It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?” Justification is more than forgiveness, which would make us only neutral in God’s eyes; it declares us righteous as well. The basis for this divine pronouncement is God’s placing our punishment on Christ and imputing Christ’s righteousness to us. Because Christ’s righteousness really is credited to us, justification is not a word game whereby God pretends we’re something we’re not. God did not ignore His righteous demands, but met them in Christ. He remains just while justifying us (Romans 3:25–26). We receive God’s gracious justification by faith alone (Romans 3:22; 5:1; Galatians 2:16). “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (Romans 3:28). Our faith is not a meritorious act that deserves justification from God. Such “faith” would be a work, and works obligate God to pay us the wages we earn (Romans 4:4). Faith is merely the instrumental means by which we accept Christ’s meritorious work (Romans 4:23–25). What about the alleged contradiction between Paul and James regarding faith and works? (Romans 3:28, “A man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” James 2:24, “A person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”) Because they are refuting opposite attacks on the gospel, we sometimes confuse ourselves by comparing those passages. Paul is condemning legalism that says we’re saved by keeping the Law. James is denouncing spiritual anarchy that ignores Christian ethics. So Paul and James use the word “works” for different concepts. Paul means works as in obeying the Law of Moses to gain salvation. Since we’re not saved that way, he condemns “works.” James means works that result from our saving faith. Because they verify that our faith is real, he praises “works.” The apostles complement rather than contradict one another. Our claim to saving faith (Paul) is verified by our visible works (James). Justification is the most practical issue of all because it addresses how we can be acceptable to God. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Justification is God’s announcing His irrevocable judgment day verdict now. “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:9). God has traded our guilt and punishment for Christ’s righteousness, and we are forever secure with a hope, joy, and confidence we can never lose. Cornish, R. (2004). 5 Minute Theologian: Maximum Truth in Minimum Time (pp. 219–221). Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 11:54:04 +0000
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