Justified by Faith

"Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."—Romans 5.1

Leonard Griehs

The book of Romans is Paul’s masterpiece on justification and must be the basis for any understanding of doctrine. According to Will and Ariel Durant, when Martin Luther read "The just shall live by faith," in Romans 1:17, he concluded that salvation is obtained through the merit of Christ’s sacrifice and not through the works of the church (The Reformation, p. 342). Our discussion of justification begins with highlights from the first six chapters of Romans.

"For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (1:20).

Paul begins by saying that men before the flood knew God existed but failed to glorify him properly. Each generation after Adam descended further into sin and thus further from God’s image. The communication Adam had enjoyed with God was gone. "For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law; and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law" (2:12).

Even the nation of Israel, which believed in God, was condemned because of sin. Despite having the Law written by God’s own hand, they were unable to overcome inherited sinful tendencies and thus were subject to judgment under the Law, which requires complete obedience.

"Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus" (3:22-24).

The work of Jesus Christ in the flesh was the means for escaping the downward path of sin. Justification is a gift of God through his son, Jesus. Sin is removed through the sacrifice of his life, and all men can once again have a relationship with God.

"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account …he who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification" (4:7, 8, 25).

The word for justification is Strongs #1347, dikaiosis, meaning "acquittal." Young defines "to justify," #1344 as "to make, or declare, right." The sinner has a standing before God once again.

"But the free gift is not like the transgression …for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification" (5:15-21).

The sacrifice of Jesus means release from condemnation, which came through Adam’s disobedience—for the church now and for all humanity in Christ’s kingdom.

"But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart and having been freed from sin …you derive your benefit …and the outcome, eternal life" (6:17, 22).

Paul introduces a class of individuals who receive the benefit of this settlement by expressing faith in Jesus. They obtain access to the grace of God through repentance and recognition of the sacrifice of Jesus.

In this introduction to Romans, Paul shows that it is through Jesus as the sinless one that we find the means for justification. He provides the opportunity to restore man’s standing with God.The benefit is granted first to those who accept the gift, repent and are converted. They not only receive a justified standing before God, but they have the opportunity of leading others to justification through their own example.

The Importance of Faith Illustrated in Abraham

"Then he believed in the Lord; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness" (Gen. 15:6).

Abraham sought to be as nearly perfect in conduct as he could be. Abraham believed in God, and he believed that what God said was true. When he left his homeland of Ur to set out for Haran, his faith so touched God that Abraham was given a promise that he would receive the land to which he ventured.

"For all the land which you see I will give it to you and to your descendants forever" (Gen. 13:15). Abraham’s faith was so great that he was even called God’s friend (James 2:23). Imagine what it would be like to have the greatGod of the universe refer to you as his friend! For that tremendous faith, Abraham received the news of eventual justification for "all the nations shall be blessed in you" (Gal 3:8).

Although the heroes of faith, such as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, received the good news of salvation in the promises given to them, their ability to act upon the promises was limited. They had a standing with God because of their strong faith, and they turned their lives from their old ways and made a commitment to follow God wherever he led them. Their example of faith was especially noted by the writer to the Hebrews (11:39). They had no written word on which to meditate—only promises passed on by word of mouth.

What was it that set Abraham apart as far as God was concerned? When God called him from a land of images and idols, Abraham responded with a fierce commitment to follow God. He acted in faith. Abraham committed himself to God and God accepted his faith and counted it as righteousness.

Faith Alone Insufficient

Abraham was never called a son of God. He could never go beyond friendship and servitude (Heb. 3:5). Abraham’s great faith could not reverse the effect of inherited sin so that he could stand before God as Adam did. Without Jesus’ sacrifice, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could never be fully justified to life or to sonship. They remained servants.

This was shown by Jesus in the final discussion with his disciples in the upper room on the night before his death. He knew that those eleven left with him would form the nucleus of his church once he was taken from the scene. Their time with him would be solidified by a commitment to follow him, and they would be the first to enter into the new and living way. "I do not call you servants any longer" (John 15:15).

Sonship: The Outcomeof Justification

Following Jesus’ death, God receives those who come to him in faith as sons (John 1:12). Now, when the servant turns the knowledge of God’s plan of salvation into action, he gains a standing with God that was not possible before Jesus. While the great faith of Abraham could be "counted" to him as righteousness, it is only after the death of Christ that one can stand before God as though he had no sin, "and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ" (Rom. 8:17). Those who gain justification through Christ have the privilege to share in all that Christ has. Abraham could only look for that day (John 8:56).

The whole purpose of the Gospel age is to seek those who will hear the plan of God and respond to this privilege of becoming a joint-heir with Christ in the promises first given to Abraham.

Christ’s Merit Essential

Those who respond to the call and present their bodies in sacrifice (Rom. 12:1, 20) also gain the privilege of having Jesus as their personal advocate(1 John 2:1). Abraham had great faith, but his opportunities were limited because he died before Jesus’ sacrifice could benefit him. Similarly, all those who lived before Christ and exhibited great faith could not achieve the Gospel age rewards stemming from justification by faith. Jesus referred to this when he said of John the Baptist, "he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he" (Luke 7:28).

Justification By Faith, A Great Privilege

Justification signifies a righteous condition, acceptable to God. God’s provision for the world through Christ is justification—that so many as desire may come back to harmony with the Creator. The time for this return to divine favor, as respects the world in general, will be the next age; and the way of return will be through the process of physical, mental and moral restitution. Before that happens, God designs the selection of a class to be associated with Jesus in that work of restitution and he declares them righteous based on their faith in the blood of his son. They are now at peace and harmony with God. God’s object in providing this now is to permit those who will to present themselves to him in sacrifice. They are not merely a "friend" of God as Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were, but they become "children" and "joint-heirs" with God’s son Jesus and unite with him to fulfill the promise spoken to Abraham that through him and his seed would all the families of earth be blessed.