JUSTIFICATION
By Bibleman
In today’s “Laodicean†church era of the last days are many false concepts concerning the important cardinal doctrine of Justification. Some believe that justification comes from strict adherence to established religious ordinances or to the Ten Commandments. Others believe that God will justify anyone who is a good person. The Roman Catholic church teaches justification can only be achieved through a combination of works, sacraments and ones own suffering for his sins. Then there are the carnal security Calvinistic doctrines that go to the other extreme by teaching that Christians are justified by a simple belief in Christ without the necessity of living a life of holiness. Can we be saved by believing in such false doctrines and carnal securities? It is very important that Christians truthfully understand how they can be justified before God and how God expects those justified to live. Hopefully this brochure can shed some Biblical light on the subject of Justification.
WHAT IS JUSTIFICATION?
Justification will determine the destiny of the soul of every person. All people are born with an inherited sin nature passed down from Adam. The sin nature, that each of us inherits from Adam, at birth, separates us from God. The only way that sinful man can be reconciled to God is to be pardoned of his sins and freed from this inherited sin nature. This life we now live is a probationary period given to us by God in order to prepare our soul for its eternal destiny. We must believe in and accept God’s plan for our salvation if we want eternal happiness. Either the justice of God (hell) or His justification will claim the souls of all mankind. At the end all will be declared just or unjust, righteous or unrighteous (Rev. 20:12,13). Justification, then, is God’s plan to pardon and free those saved from the penalty of sin and the power of its enslavement or dominion.
GOD’S PLAN OF RECONCILIATION
We cannot obtain justification from God by just being a good person (Lk. 10:29) or by being a religious person (Lk. 16:15; Gal. 4:9,10). Neither can strict adherence to the law of Moses or religious duties bring salvation from sin (Acts 13:39; Rom. 3:20-28, 4:1-8; Gal. 2:16, 3:10,11; 5:4). God’s justification can only be accomplished through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only through His shed blood can forgiveness of sin be possible (Rom. 4:24,25, 5:9; Eph. 1:7). God sacrificed His only beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ as a ransom for each of us. Jesus’ severe punishment and death on the cross of Calvary is the price God paid to purchase our redemption (Acts 20:28; Eph. 1:14). The justification that reconciles one to God can only be accomplished by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:5, 5:1; Gal. 2:16, 3:11-14,22,24). “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:†(Rom. 3:24).
GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION
Justification can only be accomplished through God’s plan of salvation. The atoning blood of Christ can only be appropriated through a born again experience (Jn. 3:3). Jesus explained this plan of salvation that brings justification by saying “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God†(Jn. 3:5). Justification is the result of being cleansed and sanctified by the Spirit of God after repentance and water baptism (Acts 2:38; 1 Cor. 6:11). This is also known as being baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27). The apostle Paul declares that our justification is accomplished “Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life†(Tit. 3:5-7). The blessing of Abraham is to be redeemed from the curse of the law by redemption in Christ, receiving the Holy Spirit of promise through faith (Gal. 3:13-22).
IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS
Baptist Doctrine (Calvinism) falsely teaches that God justifies the unworthy sinner and declares him righteous after he has accepted Jesus as his Saviour. God, they teach, simply does not see your sinful condition anymore but sees only Christ. This position is not Biblical because it ignores true repentance and the holiness that God requires from his saints (Rom. 6:4, 6-7). For Christians to continue to live a carnal lifestyle suggests that they have never been born again or cleansed and set free from the power of sin (Rom. 8:1-9). An unsanctified, unholy and carnal way of life for a Christian is totally unacceptable with God (1 Cor. 6:9,10; 1 Jn. 2:4-6). The Bible teaches that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to all who are justified. This is possible only through the indwelling Spirit of God who resides in all those who are born again and sanctified (Rom. 8:1-9). The righteous qualities and characteristics of Christ become evident in those who have a Spirit-filled relationship with Christ (Rom. 6:1-4, 8:1-9,13). Holiness can only be achieved when Christ lives inside of us through His Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:13, 14, 29; Gal. 2:20). If we believe God will justify us in our sinful disobedience we are sadly mistaken (Tit. 1:16). It is required that we stop sinning because we are not under the law but under grace (Rom. 6:1,2, 14-23). Is Christ the minister of sin? NO! (Rom. 6:1,2; Gal. 2:17) Those who have been born again and freed from their old sin nature must never seek to resurrect it or they become a transgressor (Gal. 2:17,18). The born again Christian is one who is crucified with Christ from a life of sin, having His righteousness imparted in his life through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5, 21; Gal. 2:20; Tit. 3:5; 1 Cor. 6:11).
THE JUSTIFIED LIFE!
Those who are justified before God will not use grace as permit enabling them to live a sinful and lawless life (Rom. 6:1,2). As sanctified saints they will live a life that reflects God’s moral and righteous standards and practice love for others by fulfilling the law of Christ (Rom. 3:31; Gal. 5:14, 6:2). Sanctified and justified Christians establish and maintain the righteousness of Christ in their lives by: 1) being Christlike (Gal. 3:27) 2) living the Spirit-filled life (1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:5, 16-26, 6:8) 3) living a consecrated and dedicated life devoted to God (Gal. 6:14 4) having a sanctified life in Christ (Gal. 6:15) 5) living in obedience to the Lordship of Christ (Rom. 2:6-13, 3:31; 1 Jn. 1:6,7; Rev. 22:14) 6) living a mortified and self-disciplined life (Rom. 8:13; Gal. 5:24) 7) exhibiting holy and blameless conduct (Eph. 1:4) 8) being humble and penitent (Lk. 18:4; Gal. 5:26, 6:1; 1 Jn. 1:9; Rev. 3:1-5) 9) being a good servant of Christ who serves and helps others in faith and love (Gal. 3:11, 5:6, 13, 14; Tit. 3:8) 10) glorifying God in their body and spirit being a victorious overcomer of the flesh, the world and the devil (1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Jn. 2:14-17; Rev. 3:5, 21:7)
THE RESTORATION PRINCIPLE
The Lord will not violate his own principles. At the judgment seat of Christ, God will not declare someone, even if they claim to be a Christian, righteous if they are unrighteous (Mt. 7:21-23). God will never declare a carnal Christian or sinful person righteous because His mercy and redemption does not claim any who practice sin. Any who do not live a sanctified life in Christ do not belong to Christ (1 Jn. 3:1-10). It will be God’s justice that will claim all unprofitable and unworthy souls (Mt. 25:30, 46). Your way of life and your deeds will determine your eternal destiny—not what you claim to be or who you think you are (Job 4:8; Pr. 22:8; Gal. 6:7,8). The resurrection will restore all men to their same spiritual condition (Rev. 22:11). If they were righteous and holy when they died then all will be well but if they were unrighteous and unholy then they will be unholy at the judgment. Only the righteous can be saved by grace (Rom. 5:17,21), therefore, only the overcomers (1 Jn. 2:14-17; Rev. 21:7) those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28), those who are conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29), those who obey the truth (Rom. 2:6-13; Gal. 3:1), those who have a personal relationship with Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit and who abandon fleshly desires (Rom. 5:17-26, 8:1-9,14; Gal. 3:2,3), and those who remain righteous will be justified by God (Ez. 18:20-32).
