Justification

Greg Dietrich·March 24, 2025·0 comments

Those whom God effectually calls, he also freely justifies,1 not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting them as righteous.2 This is not for anything done in them or done by them but for Christ’s sake alone.3 God justifies them not by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other gospel obedience to them. God justifies them by imputing Christ’s active obedience to the whole law and passive obedience in his death, and he does this through faith.4 This faith they have is not of themselves. It is the gift of God.5

Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness is the only instrument of justification.6 Yet it is not alone in the person justified but is always accompanied with all other saving graces. It is not a dead faith but works by love.7

Christ by his obedience and death fully paid the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice in the blood of his cross in their place, he underwent the penalty due to them and so made a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice on their behalf.8 Since His obedience and satisfaction were accepted in their stead, their justification is wholly of free grace, for he was given freely by the Father for them, not for anything in them.9 This was so that both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.10

From all eternity God decreed to justify all the elect,11 and Christ, in the fullness of time, died for their sins and rose again for their justification.12 Nevertheless, they are not justified personally until the Holy Spirit actually applies Christ to them in due time.13

God continues to forgive the sins of those who are justified,14 and although they can never fall from the state of justification,15 yet they may by their sins fall under God’s fatherly displeasure.16 In that condition, they will not usually have the light of his countenance restored to them until they humble themselves, confess their sins, seek pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.17

The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.18

    1. Romans 3:23–24 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. ↩︎
    2. Romans 4:5–8  And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,  just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:  “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. ↩︎
    3. 1 Corinthians 1:30–31 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,  so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Romans 5:17–19  For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. ↩︎
    4. Phiippiansl 3:8–9  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. Ephesians 2:8–9 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. ↩︎
    5. Ephesians 2:8–9  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. ↩︎
    6. Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. ↩︎
    7. Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.  James 2:17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  James 2:22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.  James 2:26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. ↩︎
    8. Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.  1 Peter 1:18–19 You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  Isaiah 53:5–6 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ↩︎
    9. Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?  2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  Romans 5:8 God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ↩︎
    10.  Romans 3:26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. ​​ Ephesians 1:5–7 He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. Ephesians 2:4, 5, 7  God…made us alive together with Christ…so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ↩︎
    11. Galatians 3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” Ephesians 1:4 Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. 1 Peter 1:1–2 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Timothy 2:6 [He] gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. ↩︎
    12. Romans 4:25  [He] was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. ↩︎
    13. Colossians 1:21–22 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.  Titus 3:4–7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. ↩︎
    14. Matthew 6:12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ↩︎
    15. John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ↩︎
    16. Psalm 89:31–33 If they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. ↩︎
    17. Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 51:1–12 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. ↩︎
    18. Galatians 3:9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.  Romans 4:22–24 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord. ↩︎

    Greg Dietrich

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