What is justification?

[tonychanyt]

The following is from GotQuestions:

Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous. Justification is an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner’s faith in Christ. According to one theologian, “the root idea in justification is the declaration of God, the righteous judge, that the man who believes in Christ, sinful though he may be, is righteous—is viewed as being righteous, because in Christ he has come into a righteous relationship with God” (Ladd, G. E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1974, p. 437).

Properly understood, justification has to do with God’s declaration about the sinner, not any change within the sinner. That is, justification, per se, does not make anyone holy; it simply declares him to be not guilty before God and therefore treated as holy. The actual change toward holiness in the sinner occurs with sanctification, which is related to justification but, for definition’s sake, distinct from it.

 

[fhansen]

The following is from GotQuestions:

Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous. Justification is an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner’s faith in Christ. According to one theologian, “the root idea in justification is the declaration of God, the righteous judge, that the man who believes in Christ, sinful though he may be, is righteous—is viewed as being righteous, because in Christ he has come into a righteous relationship with God” (Ladd, G. E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1974, p. 437).

Properly understood, justification has to do with God’s declaration about the sinner, not any change within the sinner. That is, justification, per se, does not make anyone holy; it simply declares him to be not guilty before God and therefore treated as holy. The actual change toward holiness in the sinner occurs with sanctification, which is related to justification but, for definition’s sake, distinct from it.

Actually at justification man is not only forgiven of sin and declared righteous but he's given the "gift of righteousness" spoken of in Romans and elsewhere at the same time. He's a new creation, with the seed of God's life implanted in him and now finally enabled to walk in true justice and righteousness, by and with the Holy Spirit. And he's obligated to continue to walk in that holiness as he's obligated to remain in Christ, the source of all true holiness for man, holiness which results in eternal life (Rom 6:22) and without which he won't see the Lord (Heb 12:14).

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Properly understood, justification has to do with God’s declaration about the sinner, not any change within the sinner.

Are we not regenerated by His Holy Spirit? This is an immediate inner change upon converstion. From there we continually walk with Him while the process of sanctification takes place.
Blessings.

 

[Clare73]

The following is from GotQuestions:

Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous. Justification is an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner’s faith in Christ. According to one theologian, “the root idea in justification is the declaration of God, the righteous judge, that the man who believes in Christ, sinful though he may be, is righteous—is viewed as being righteous, because in Christ he has come into a righteous relationship with God” (Ladd, G. E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1974, p. 437).

Properly understood, justification has to do with God’s declaration about the sinner, not any change within the sinner. That is, justification, per se, does not make anyone holy; it simply declares him to be not guilty before God and therefore treated as holy. The actual change toward holiness in the sinner occurs with sanctification, which is related to justification but, for definition’s sake, distinct from it.

Yes, justification is a forensic righteousness, in good standing with the Court, not an actual righteousness, as in sanctification.
In justification, forensic righteousness is imputed to the believer through faith (Ro 3:28, 4:1-11).

 

[Soyeong]

The following is from GotQuestions:

Simply put, to justify is to declare righteous. Justification is an act of God whereby He pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of that sinner’s faith in Christ. According to one theologian, “the root idea in justification is the declaration of God, the righteous judge, that the man who believes in Christ, sinful though he may be, is righteous—is viewed as being righteous, because in Christ he has come into a righteous relationship with God” (Ladd, G. E., A Theology of the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1974, p. 437).

Properly understood, justification has to do with God’s declaration about the sinner, not any change within the sinner. That is, justification, per se, does not make anyone holy; it simply declares him to be not guilty before God and therefore treated as holy. The actual change toward holiness in the sinner occurs with sanctification, which is related to justification but, for definition’s sake, distinct from it.

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

For someone to practice righteousness through faith is to constitute what is means for them to be righteous, so the declaration that someone is righteous is simply recognizing the reality that they are someone who practices righteousness through faith, while it would be contradictory to declare that someone is righteous if that were not the case, just as it would be contradictory to declare that someone is courageous if they did not practice courage. We should not interpret Paul as saying contradictory things in Romans 3:28, so while the way to gain a character trait is through faith apart from having done anything to earn it, becoming someone who practices a character trait through faith is nevertheless what constitutes becoming someone who has that trait, which is why the same faith by which we are declared righteous is also practiced as obedience to God’s law (Romans 3:31).

 

[fhansen]

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

For someone to practice righteousness through faith is to constitute what is means for them to be righteous, so the declaration that someone is righteous is simply recognizing the reality that they are someone who practices righteousness through faith, while it would be contradictory to declare that someone is righteous if that were not the case, just as it would be contradictory to declare that someone is courageous if they did not practice courage. We should not interpret Paul as saying contradictory things in Romans 3:28, so while the way to gain a character trait is through faith apart from having done anything to earn it, becoming someone who practices a character trait through faith is nevertheless what constitutes becoming someone who has that trait, which is why the same faith by which we are declared righteous is also practiced as obedience to God’s law (Romans 3:31).

Yes, in Rom 3 Paul was objecting to the notion that circumcision actually made one righteous/holy. He was not separating the need for moral obedience (righteousness) from the act of faith, which explains why the law only testifies to a righteousness that is now made known (Rom 3:21) but a righteousness that the law, on its own, apart from faith, could never deliver or accomplish in us.

IOW, apart from grace, apart from God, man remains lost, in a state of disorder, injustice. Faith appropriates or makes real our reconciliation with Him-and justice/righteousness are intrinsic to that relationship or communion.