ECT Everything about justification?
- Thread starter Jacob
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Jamie Gigliotti
New member
This describes what justified is.
"and are justified by His Grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put foward as an appropriation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteouness because in His divine forbearence he had passed over former sins." Romans 3:23-24
Justified is being made clean/righteous by the blood of the lamb by faith/believing in/trusting. So it is now of our power by by hand of God that we are cleaned. The cleansing brings reconciliation/fellowship with God.
"Since now therefore since we have been justified by His blood, much more SHALL WE BE SAVED By Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled SHALL WE BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE." Romans 5:9-10
So cleaned by blood, made righteous, reconciled to fellowship to God clearly by Grace and faith and now 'WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE.' Is the story over? Some say yes. Scripture says no.
"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead, by the Glory of the Father, we too MUST WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE. For IF we have been United with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurection like his. We know that OUR OLD SELF WAS CRUCIFIED so that the body of sin might be brought to nothing..." Romans 6:4-6
In the NEWNESS of Christ's life with our old self crucified.
"SO NOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM SIN AND HAVE BECOME SLAVES TO GOD, THE FRUIT YOU GET LEADS TO SANCTIFICATION AND ITS END ETERNAL LIFE." Romans 6:22
Justied is the beginning of a life made to be new in the image of Christ with and ending of eternal life.
Jerry Shugart
Well-known member
Justified by Blood
"Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him!" (Ro. 5: 9).
The sentence upon sin is death: "For the wages of sin is death" (Ro. 6: 23).
When a man sins the sentence upon him is death. No amount of good deeds can bring him righteousness after he sins. If he is ever to be justified in the sight of God it must be by the penalty being paid. He must be justified by death, "justified by blood" (Ro. 5: 9).
The sins of the Christian have already been judged on the Cross so now the Lord can declare him righteous despite the fact that personally he is not righteous:
Justified by Grace
If no amount of good works can bring about a sinner being made "right" with God then he must be made right by some method independent of himself. The Apostle Paul says that the believer is "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Ro. 3: 21).
Paul says that the reward comes "to him that worketh not, but believeth" (Ro. 4: 5). The religions of the world teach that before a man can be "right" with God that he must be worthy by his "works" or "deeds". But the Scriptures declare that the sinner is "without strength": "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Ro. 5: 6).
Since the sinner is without strength then he cannot save himself and therefore if he is going to be saved then salvation must come to him as a "free gift": "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Ro. 6: 23).
Justified by Faith
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Ro. 5: 1-2).
Sir Robert Anderson writes, "But grace implies that there is no merit in him who is the object of it, no reason whatever in him why he should be blessed. How then, if the blessing be not arbitrarily limited, if it be really unto all, can a difference be made? how can one be justified and another not? It cannot depend on merit; it cannot depend on effecting a change in one's self; it cannot depend on doing. It must be simply that one accepts and another rejects a righteousness which is perfect independently of the sinner. How accepts ? how rejects ? accepts by believing, rejects by disbelieving, the testimony of God. 'Unto all and upon all them that believe.' 'It is of faith that it may be by grace:' any other ground would be inconsistent with grace. A sinner must be 'justified by faith.'"
There is nothing meritious in believing something that is absolutely true, especially since that truth comes in the power of the Holy Spirit.
"Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him!" (Ro. 5: 9).
The sentence upon sin is death: "For the wages of sin is death" (Ro. 6: 23).
When a man sins the sentence upon him is death. No amount of good deeds can bring him righteousness after he sins. If he is ever to be justified in the sight of God it must be by the penalty being paid. He must be justified by death, "justified by blood" (Ro. 5: 9).
The sins of the Christian have already been judged on the Cross so now the Lord can declare him righteous despite the fact that personally he is not righteous:
Justified by Grace
If no amount of good works can bring about a sinner being made "right" with God then he must be made right by some method independent of himself. The Apostle Paul says that the believer is "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Ro. 3: 21).
Paul says that the reward comes "to him that worketh not, but believeth" (Ro. 4: 5). The religions of the world teach that before a man can be "right" with God that he must be worthy by his "works" or "deeds". But the Scriptures declare that the sinner is "without strength": "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Ro. 5: 6).
Since the sinner is without strength then he cannot save himself and therefore if he is going to be saved then salvation must come to him as a "free gift": "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Ro. 6: 23).
Justified by Faith
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Ro. 5: 1-2).
Sir Robert Anderson writes, "But grace implies that there is no merit in him who is the object of it, no reason whatever in him why he should be blessed. How then, if the blessing be not arbitrarily limited, if it be really unto all, can a difference be made? how can one be justified and another not? It cannot depend on merit; it cannot depend on effecting a change in one's self; it cannot depend on doing. It must be simply that one accepts and another rejects a righteousness which is perfect independently of the sinner. How accepts ? how rejects ? accepts by believing, rejects by disbelieving, the testimony of God. 'Unto all and upon all them that believe.' 'It is of faith that it may be by grace:' any other ground would be inconsistent with grace. A sinner must be 'justified by faith.'"
There is nothing meritious in believing something that is absolutely true, especially since that truth comes in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Shalom.
You have presented some useful information and scripture that helps someone to understand the word justification. Thank you.
May your understanding and teaching be refined. May you come to understand the truth of God's word in exactly the way that God wants you to understand it.
Shalom.
Jacob
Interplanner
Well-known member
If you are going to do a thread, you need to have a clear position or proposition. You can't just quote 10 passages and see what happens. Your title seems to be asking: is everything in the Bible about justification? Is that what you meant?
SaulToPaul 2
Well-known member
The irony...
Shalom.
Thank you for your comments here. You have spoken well.
The Bible speaks of justified or justification, etc.... How it speaks of these and what we do when we speak of these with our Theology, especially when it is based on what the Bible or scripture says, is important. It is this that is important to me here.
Shalom.
Jacob
Interplanner
Well-known member
OK, and what do you mean by everything? Justification will not answer questions about brushing your teeth.
Shalom. I mean that in studying justification we should be able to talk about or study all that pertains to it, and learn everything that has to do with it. Shalom.
Jacob
Interplanner
Well-known member
So you want this thread to all about justification.
It is the fact that God can declare a person to be righteous because of what Christ did, no matter what they are like.
It is not a change in that person , although it will produce such. Instead it is a crediting or imputing of righteousness to their account as far as God keeps accounts. This means that they gain the benefit of the Holy Spirit who helps them do their part in the mission of God.
Another term for this non-experiential righteousness is 'reckoned' or 'counted.'
It is not quite accurate either, to say that it is 'the initial experience' of a Christian because all believers need it to their last day. God does not justify those who don't think they need it. which is an amazing dynamic that makes us humble and stops boasting, Rom 3.
It is the fact that God can declare a person to be righteous because of what Christ did, no matter what they are like.
It is not a change in that person , although it will produce such. Instead it is a crediting or imputing of righteousness to their account as far as God keeps accounts. This means that they gain the benefit of the Holy Spirit who helps them do their part in the mission of God.
Another term for this non-experiential righteousness is 'reckoned' or 'counted.'
It is not quite accurate either, to say that it is 'the initial experience' of a Christian because all believers need it to their last day. God does not justify those who don't think they need it. which is an amazing dynamic that makes us humble and stops boasting, Rom 3.
SaulToPaul 2
Well-known member
How much change proves that one was justified?
Shalom. I believe you are implying that there is not an experience to being justified, but that you must change in order to be justified. Shalom.
Jacob
Interplanner
Well-known member
The reverse cause and effect. Because God accepts you in Christ you are motivated to change a lot!
SaulToPaul 2
Well-known member
How much change proves that one was justified?
Shalom.
I do not know what you mean. But you have the opportunity to explain. What do you mean by the reverse cause and effect? It is true that once a person becomes a Christian or is justified they may understand God's grace and whether or not they have the power to overcome sin or have done so already they always want to obey and not sin, in so far as they understand sin is not for them any longer, having been saved and born again.
Shalom.
Jacob
Jamie Gigliotti
New member
Thank you. The same prayer for you, for His love and glory!
Jamie Gigliotti
New member
Could a murderer keep murdering? Of course not. Should you or I be the judge then? No.
The Judge will reveal the secrets of our hearts.
Interplanner
Well-known member
The gift of justification motivates them.
Cp. Mt 18's steward parable. Why did that guy go out and be nasty to the first person he found? Because he thought he had been given TIME TO WORK OFF HIS OWN DEBT. He completely misunderstood that his debt was erased which is how justification is about sin. Time to work vs erasure create two different kinds of people.
You do not change in order to be justified (to have your debt removed). It is removed (for a believer) and they are different in how they treat others because of that.
We are justified in order to be different, and happily so. That is the reverse of cause and effect I meant.
Justification takes place outside of time. Until the guilty sinner is justified the process of salvation, in time, cannot begin. Regeneration and conversion happen at the same time. Repentance and trust are also granted, as gifts, during the process. In the entire process of conversion man is passive. The forgiven sinner only discovers his repentance and can only exercises trust after he has been saved.
If anyone bases their salvation on anything they have done or acted upon then they are under an energised seduction that they should trust a lie. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 KJV
To the praise of the glory of His grace, amen.