Theology and doctrine are often viewed today as “irrelevant” or “unimportant” subjects of discussion. I’ve been told that the reason is that people see these terms as “taking the focus off the moving of the Holy Spirit.” They have become associated with “legalism” and “head knowledge”, rather than with who God is and what God does. We rarely hear justification taught from the pulpit anymore because it is considered a “theological” term. According to some, our focus should not be on theology and doctrine, but on what God and His Spirit are doing now in us and in our culture.

On the surface, this appears to be a legitimate argument. What many fail to realize, however, is that theology is the study of God. Not merely for intellectual purposes, but to instruct us in His ways and teachings (doctrine). The object of theology is not the self, religion, morality, or culture, but God.^[1] Knowing this, when we look at Paul’s teaching in Romans on the doctrine of justification by faith, we must remember that justification is first and foremost about God. It is God who justifies the ungodly: “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

God would be perfectly within His right to glorify Himself by displaying His justice and allowing every one of us to receive the judgment we deserve. Yet, in His grace and mercy, He grants faith that justifies, bringing every believer into right standing with Him. In this, God receives all the credit and glory.

Why Justification Matters

Now that we know justification is about God, how important is justification? Martin Luther said that justification is, “Articulus stantis et cadentis ecclesiae”, which means, “The article upon which the Church stands or falls.”^[2] Likewise, John Calvin agreed that justification by faith is the hinge on which everything turns.^[3] Our being justified before God is central to salvation. If we are not justified before God and are found guilty of even the smallest sin, we deserve death (Romans 6:23). Yet, despite our deserving God’s wrath and judgment, Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). It is by faith alone that we are justified, having peace with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Faith is the instrument by which we are declared justified and found righteous before God.

Defining Justification

When defining biblical terms, we tend to confine them within English categories. Many fall into the notion that God delivered His Word through the leather-bound King James Scofield Reference Bible. We must remember that Scripture was not written in English. To understand justification as Paul defined it in Romans, we must look to the Greek text.

While scholarly definitions of justification are helpful, Scripture itself defines the term. It is important to distinguish between “justification” and “righteousness”. Why? Dr. James White, a Greek scholar, explains that in English we see righteousness as something done in us and justification as something done for us. Righteousness is moral and internal; justification is legal in nature. In Greek, however, there are not two distinct terms but one “family of terms”: Dikaios (adjective), dikaiosune (noun), and dikaioo (verb). It is up to the translator to determine whether to render dikaiosune as “righteousness” or “justification,” depending on the context.^[4]

Justification is where God declares a sinner innocent of sin. It is the work of God whereby the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the transgressor, so that the sinner is declared righteous under the law.^[5]

Charles Hodge, in his work titled, Systematic Theology, asserts that justification is: “An act, and not, as sanctification, a continued and progressive work. It is an act of grace to the sinner. In himself he deserves condemnation when God justifies him.”

As to the nature of the act, it is—in the first place—not an efficient act, or an act of power. It does not produce any subjective change in the person justified. It does not effect a change of character, making those good who were bad, or those holy who were unholy. That is done in regeneration and sanctification.

In the second place, it is not a mere executive act, as when a sovereign pardons a criminal, and thereby restores him to his civil rights, or to his former status in the commonwealth.

In the third place, it is a forensic or judicial act, the act of a judge, not of a sovereign. That is, in the case of the sinner, or, in foro Dei, it is an act of God—not in His character of sovereign, but in His character of judge. It is a declarative act in which God pronounces the sinner just or righteous—that is, declares that the claims of justice, so far as He is concerned, are satisfied—so that the sinner cannot be justly condemned, but is entitled to the reward promised or due to perfect righteousness.

The meritorious ground of justification is not faith; we are not justified on account of our faith—considered as a virtuous or holy act or state of mind. Nor are our works of any kind the ground of justification. Nothing done by us satisfies the demands of justice or can be the grounds for—or reason of—the declaration that justice has been met. We are justified because of Christ alone, by His perfect obedience to the law as a covenant and His enduring the penalty of the law in our stead and on our behalf.

The righteousness of Christ is in justification imputed to the believer. That is, is set to His account, so that he is entitled to plead it in the courtroom of God, as though it were personally and inherently His own.

Faith is the condition of justification. That is, so far as adults are concerned, God does not impute the righteousness of Christ to the sinner, until and unless, he (through grace), receives and rests on Christ alone for His salvation.^[6]

While Hodge, White, Sproul, Piper, and other faithful teachers agree on justification, N. T. Wright attempts to redefine it by saying, “Justification in the first century was not about how someone might establish a relationship with God. It was about God’s eschatological definition, both future and present, of who was, in fact, a member of His people.”^[7]

Eschatologically, because of justification, we have eternal life with God. Biblically, however, “God’s justifying act does not make somebody a member of the covenant, but confirms the person’s already existing status within the covenant.”^[8] We are not justified into something such as a group; rather, we are declared innocent of sin.

Justification is often summarized as “just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned.” While true, this does not capture the full depth of the term. In light of the New Testament, it could also be said, “just-as-if-I-had-always-obeyed.” God not only treats us as if we had never sinned, but as if we had always obeyed. If God merely canceled our sin, we would still lack righteousness. Yet, God not only forgives our sin, but He also grants us righteousness that is not our own, so that we may have peace with Him.

Jonathan Edwards said it this way: “A person is justified when he is judged by God as being free from the guilt of sin and its deserved punishment, and as having that righteousness that entitles him to the reward of life.”^[9]

Means

Faith is the means by which we obtain justification. It is the instrument, not the basis. Faith itself is a gift from God, for “it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29). During the Reformation, justification was summarized as per fidem propter Christum (“through faith on the basis of Christ”). Faith looks outside itself to Christ as its object.^[10] Saving faith looks to Christ, not to the works of the law.

Paul writes, “The righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law… the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:21–22a). “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28). Likewise, the Apostle explains, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Paul cites Abraham as the example of justification by faith: “If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God” (Romans 4:2). It was Abraham’s faith, not his works, that was “counted to him as righteousness.” He was justified before circumcision. Before any covenant sign or law was instituted. Showing that justification is by faith alone. Paul also references David: “Blessed is the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works” (Romans 4:6).

This sharply contrasts with the Roman Catholic view, where justification is conferred through the sacraments, beginning with baptism, and can be lost and regained through further works. Such a system makes justification dependent on works, not faith, contrary to Paul’s teaching, “The saving power of faith resides not in itself, but in the Almighty Savior on whom it rests… It is not strictly speaking even faith in Christ that saves, but Christ that saves through faith.”^[11]

Basis

The basis of our justification is Christ’s atoning work on the cross. “He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). This is the gospel message: God’s redemption plan for saving sinful people. Justification by faith alone is necessary and essential to both the gospel and salvation.^[12]

Sin deserves judgment, but God promised a Savior (Isaiah 53). Christ was born without sin, lived without sin, and perfectly fulfilled the law of God. We, being fallen, cannot achieve this righteousness. To stand righteous before God, Christ’s righteousness must be imputed to us. Through imputation comes justification; through justification comes propitiation; and through propitiation comes reconciliation.

By denying ourselves, repenting of sin, and trusting in Christ, His righteousness is imputed to us, while our sin is imputed to Him. This is the “Great Exchange”. The imputed righteousness of Christ “is the basis, the cause, the source of all our own actual righteousness.”^[13] Christ’s righteousness is now what God sees when He looks at us. Jesus bore the full weight of God’s wrath for our sin, nailing it to the cross.

With the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, we are now viewed as righteous before God, “just-as-if-we-had-always-obeyed.” This removes the wrath of God due to us and brings us into peace with the Father. Because we have sinned, we deserve judgment; yet another has stood before the Judge in our place and paid our fine. We are vindicated and pronounced “not guilty”.^[14] Justification is not a process but a declaration that occurs in an instant.^[15]

Time Factors

Charles Spurgeon, in his sermon “Pardon and Justification”, notes that one blessing of justification is its instantaneous nature.^[16] Paul references this in Romans 4: “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Likewise, Genesis 15:6 states, “And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness.” Abraham believed and it was credited immediately.

Augustus Hopkins Strong writes, “Since justification is an instantaneous act of God, complete at the moment of the sinner’s first believing, it has no degrees.” Weak faith justifies as fully as strong faith.

He continues by saying, “Justification is instantaneous, complete, and final: instantaneous, since otherwise there would be an interval during which the soul was neither approved nor condemned by God (Matt 6:24); complete, since the soul, united to Christ by faith, becomes partaker of His complete satisfaction to the demands of the law (Col 2:9-10); and final, since the union with Christ is indissoluble (John 10:28-29).”^[17] This work of God is instantaneous because it is not a process, but a declaration.

Results

Justification brings great benefits. Romans 5 outlines these blessings. First, “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). This peace signifies the end of hostility between sinners and God, whose wrath once rested on them (Romans 1). Through justification, that enmity is removed.

Second, we receive “access by faith into This grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2). God now deals with us by grace, not works. When we sin and repent, “He is faithful and just to forgive” (1 John 1:9). Justification also allows us to “rejoice in hope of the glory of God”, assuring us of His blessings.

Third, justification enables us to endure suffering. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials… for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2–3). “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Paul tells the Romans to rejoice in suffering because their endurance produces character. As John MacArthur notes, “The more like Christ you are, the more the world will treat you like they treated Christ.”

Assurance

One of the greatest truths about justification is that it is irreversible. When God pardons, He never un-pardons. Jesus said, “This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day” (John 6:39). He speaks a man into a justified condition, and He will never speak him out of it again.

Jonathan Edwards writes:

The sinner, in His first justification, is forever justified and freed from all obligations to eternal punishment. Because justification is forever, it follows that future faith and repentance are contained within that justification. Repentance of those future sins, faith in the Redeemer, and continuance in one whose heart is repentant and faithful are now made sure by God’s promise.^[18]

Justification is a once-for-all act. We do not need to be re-justified. As believers, we are continually sanctified, but never re-justified. Though we still sin, “if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). The repentance of future sins is already encompassed in our justification. This provides unshakable assurance: when Jesus saves His people, they are truly saved. God has granted us faith to believe, making us Christ’s sheep—and no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). Glory to God, who not only saves but justifies us, granting eternal communion with Him.