The Lord Jesus Christ, by His Atoning Death on the Cross purchased our Salvation. How is this salvation applied by God and experienced by man? The Truths relating to Salvation may be grouped under three headings: Justification; Regeneration and Sanctification. Man’s acceptance of God’s Provision of Salvation may be grouped under: Repentance, faith, and Obedience. Notes from Myer Pearlman: p.217
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Justification : Divine acquittal by the Judge.
The word “to Justify” is a judicial term mean to acquit, to declare righteous, to pronounce a sentence of acceptance. The guilty one stands before God the righteous judge; but instead of a sentence of condemnation he received a sentence of acquittal. The noun, ‘Justification’ means a state of acceptance into which a person enters by faith. This acceptance is a free gift of God made available to us through faith in Christ.
Rom 1:17 For in the Good News a righteousness which comes from God is being revealed, depending on faith and tending to produce faith; as the Scripture has it, "THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."
Rom 3:21 But now a righteousness coming from God has been brought to light apart from any Law, both Law and Prophets bearing witness to it--
Rom 3:22 a righteousness coming from God, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ and extends to all who believe. No distinction is made;
It is a state of acceptance in which the believer in Christ now stands.
Rom 5:1 Standing then acquitted as the result of faith, let us enjoy peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Rom 5:2 through whom also, as the result of faith, we have obtained an introduction into that state of favour with God in which we stand, and we exult in hope of some day sharing in God's glory.
Regardless of our sinful past and of our Present imperfections, we have a complete and secure position in relation to God; “justified” is God’s verdict and none can gainsay it.
Rom 8:34 Who is there to condemn them? Christ Jesus died, or rather has risen to life again. He is also at the right hand of God, and is interceding for us.
The doctrine of Justification has been defined as follows: “Justification is the act of God's free Grace wherein He pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only because of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us and received by faith alone.
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Justification is primarily a change of position on the part of the sinner. Once we were condemned, but now in Christ we are acquitted.
Justification includes even more than pardon of our sins and removal of our condemnation Romans 8:1. Now God places us in the position of a righteous man.
Illustration: The Governor of a state can pardon a criminal but he cannot reinstate the criminal to the position of one who has not broken the law. God can do both. He blots out our past with all its sins and offences, and then treats the person as if he had never committed these sins ever in his life.
A pardoned criminal is not considered as an honest and righteous man; but when God justifies the sinner He declares Him justified, i.e. righteous in His sight.
Praise God He does not justify good people, then there would be no Good news for sinners.
God Justifies the Ungodly person who believes in Jesus. Hallelujah. Myer Pearlman: Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible Pps 227-228
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