In this entry, I will discuss "Justification" and what it means. The basic secular definition means "to defend a cause and make it reasonable in the eyes of others." For example, one might try to justify his case for stealing a cookie from the jar: "I didn't know that Mom said such a thing forbidding me from taking that cookie without her permission." Ignorance, positive evidence, witnesses, and even the use of one's speech are common tools used in attempting a justification of a particular action. A courtroom is probably the most visible place in which justifications are attempted, but justification is actually an everyday part of life, from both the big things to the small things.
Theologically, when the Bible speaks of Justification, it refers to our standing in the eyes of God. Why do we need to be justified before Him? Because we have all sinned and greatly dishonored our Creator. We have broken His commandments which He benevolently gave to us to show us how to live rightly. Because God is perfect, we cannot satisfy Him in any way, sin-stained and unholy as we are. Therefore, it is impossible for us to justify ourselves before Him, to provide a good reason for why He should not condemn us to the eternal fires of hell forever.
Yet, God still decided to justify us - to give Himself a good reason why we should be with Him forever in close friendship and in great splendor. That was through His sending of Jesus Christ to take the place of sinners and bear their punishments as He suffered and died on the Cross, then rose again to demonstrate His victory over both the devil and the last enemy, death. Christ suffered as a "propitiation" - He died to satisfy the just wrath of God upon sinners so that they might be justified in His sight. For those of us who are saved, this is a splendrous and almost inconceivable truth.
The Biblical definition of justification is much more precise than the secular definition. It means, in relation to God, to be declared and accounted righteous in His sight. It's much like what happens in a courtroom. A judge is giving sentence upon an accused criminal. The evidence has been given and it is determined that the person is innocent of the crime. The Judge then says, "This person is hereby exonerated of the crime. He is now accounted completely righteous and innocent before the eyes of the law." In relation to God, it is not that the evidence proves that we are innocent; actually, all of us are condemned by His Law. But because the Son of the Judge came forward and said, "I will take the punishment deserved for this sinner," the Judge thereby declares the sinner to be righteous based on the flawless life that His Son lived. Thus, the righteousness of Jesus Christ is transferred to the sinner whom He died for, and Christ Himself took the sinner's punishment yet was too great for Death and Hell to claim Him. Romans 4:25 says, "[Jesus] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification." And thus it is as the same book says, "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (5:1). Justification is made active as we exercise faith and trust upon Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.
I want to address one common misconception many people have about justification. They believe that we are justified by not only Christ's sacrifice, but also by our good efforts. Feeding the poor in a soup kitchen, being nice to one's neighbor, going to church weekly, etc, are seen as activities that strengthen our standing before God. But the Bible says that this type of thinking is wrong. NOTHING we do makes God look upon us any better. Christ's sacrifice is either applied wholly to us, or it is not applied to us at all. Any human effort to earn salvation is a mockery of what God has done, actually. Isaiah 64:6 makes it clear: "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." In other words, our good works in the eyes of God are dirt-stained scraps of cloth and garbage!
In contrast, Paul says in Romans concerning Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'" (Rom. 4:2-3). Abraham simply trusted in God to save him from his sins and restore him into a right relationship with Himself. It is that simple. Galatians 2:16 backs this up: "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." We are declared righteous (justified) before God because we trust in the One who saved us from our sins by taking our punishment. What a tremendous truth this is, and one that gives total glory to our Creator and Savior!
I really want people to be able to understand the Biblical doctrine of Justification, because it makes a world of difference. It helps us to comprehend what really happened in our salvation, and gives us assurance that we are indeed saved. As we explore these astounding truths, our love for God will be continually renewed and will keep growing as we see the amazing things He has done to draw us closer to Himself. For those of you who may not be saved, I wanted you to see more closely the wonderful truth of how God works in salvation. Trusting in Christ's finished work on the cross is how our justification comes alive and the Judge's pardon is granted to us. For a more detailed understanding of how justification interacts with other vital truths of the Bible, the books of Romans and Galatians are unparalleled.
Time for me to sign off. Next time, I'll be discussing Sanctification and how it naturally follows Justification. Let me know (via the comment section) if there are any ways I can better express myself in this blog, since writing is a talent that must always be worked on and improved. Thanks!
No comments:
Post a Comment