Justification

Making the Church Righteous

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.—Romans 5:1.

What does it mean to be justified? This is a question that has been pondered by biblical scholars for almost 2,000 years. Yet, to the spirit begotten, our theme text provides the beautifully simple key of the pathway to approach God. An understanding of justification provides many insights into the harmony and beauty of God’s plan.

What is justification? The word means to be "made right" or "made righteous." Righteousness means being perfectly right, justification has to do with being made right. Vines Expository of New Testament Words defines justification as "an acquittal from guilt." Justification comes from the same root as the legal term "justice." We might appropriately think of being justified as being "legally righteous." This legal standing provides the only basis at the present time for a relationship with God. Fallen man can only be made righteous through the merit of Jesus Christ which was applied for the fallen children of Adam. Only through this mechanism can mankind be made right in God’s sight.

Why is legal righteousness necessary before one can have such a relationship? The key lies with father Adam who was perfect and righteous when God walked with him in the garden. God gave Adam a simple commandment: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17). The measure of Adam’s righteousness was based on the simple proposition obey and live, disobey and die. Because Adam willfully disobeyed God’s commandment (1 Timothy 2:14), he and all of his seed have had to live under the penalty of death. God imposed a righteous and just penalty upon Adam and all his progeny. We know God cannot deal with unrighteousness. Thus an immovable barrier had been erected between God and mankind because of the corruption caused by the willful sin of a man who was created perfect. As a result since Adam’s fall, all flesh (except for Christ) has been imperfect and unrighteous.

How could mankind escape the endless spiral of death and destruction? God had already pronounced his sentence upon mankind and it was not possible for God to revoke or change this judgment. Mankind was forced to learn the painful lesson of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. However, because of the merit of Christ’s sacrifice (a perfect life given for a perfect life lost, called a "ransom" in 1 Timothy 2:6), an avenue for redemption was opened through the resurrection of the dead. This is why the son was the Father’s delight when he said, "Here am I, send me" (Isaiah 6:8). Just as father Adam caused the death penalty to be imposed upon the whole human family, Christ’s willing sacrifice provides a mechanism to redeem all mankind. Only a perfect being who was separate from God could accomplish the task of removing the death penalty upon Adam and his race and providing a way for mankind to beredeemed from the power of the grave. If Jesus were merely an extension or a part of Jehovah God, it could not be legally accomplished. Thus Christ’s sacrifice provided an "acquittal from guilt" on behalf of his church and later on behalf of the world. Thus we see how the separation of the Father and the son, and the ransom, play an integral part in understanding justification.

God loves each and every human who ever lived. We cannot imagine the sorrow and pain that God experienced when Adam fell. We can only get some idea of this feeling when we observe the grief of parents when their children go astray. God not only provided a mechanism to rescue his precious creation, but fully authorized his son to execute this plan for their redemption. This is revealed in Isaiah 53:11 where the heavenly Father provides his remedy for dealing at the present time with the church: "By his knowledge the righteous one, my servant, will justify the many, as he will bear their iniquities" (NAS). Not only did God provide this mechanism for their redemption, he empowered this Righteous One to justify those whom he had chosen. The apostle Paul affirms this in his letter to the Galatians where he tells us "that God would justify the heathen through faith" (Galatians 3:8). It is clear God has empowered his son to justify and redeem.

The whole purpose of justification is to make the members of the church legally righteous so they can come back into a relationship with God. Our flesh is not actually righteous, it is legally righteous through the merit of Jesus Christ. Pastor Russell wrote: "Our justification, represented by the `Wedding Garment,’ put on when we are accepted of the Lord, covers not the New Creature, but merely the flesh, which is legally reckoned dead, sacrificially. In other words, justification does not signify a process of being made right, but a right condition already attained. The putting on of the `Wedding Garment’ signifies our entrance into the family of God as members of the church; the putting of it off would mean our rejection of the grace of God, and would imply second death." (Reprints, page 5960)

Elsewhere the concept of the wedding garment is referred to as the robe of righteousness. Without it, imperfect and unrighteous men could have no relationship with God. This is affirmed in the parable of the wedding garment when the man who was not wearing a wedding garment is cast out. "Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:13,14). This aptly illustrates that God does the choosing and it is God who justifies.

The robe of righteousness is provided not to cover the New Creature for it is already perfect. It is the flesh that requires justification or legal righteousness. The robe covers our unrighteous flesh in the same way that a coat covers a natural body. Should a consecrated believer ever remove the garment, come out from under the righteousness of Christ and personally reject the ransom, second death would be the result. The apostle explains: "For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put him to open shame" (Hebrews 6:4-6, NAS). This heavenly gift spoken of by the apostle is justification. It is the entry gate for coming into a relationship with God. Christ’s merit can be applied only once, so, if a justified believer takes himself out from under the robe of righteousness, there is no other sacrifice available, there is no way back. This is why consecration is so serious. There can be no turning back once God accepts it.

The scriptures do not teach the thought of putting on the robe on a trial basis, for the robe is given by God only once. To suppose that it could be taken off if later deemed unsuitable would embrace the erroneous thought that coming out from under the robe of Christ’s righteousness does not result in second death. Offering a consecration vow and receiving the robe of righteousness (i.e., becoming justified) means giving up earthly life rights. There can be no turning back as illustrated in what happened to Lot’s wife.

Some have supposed that because "sanctification" is a life-long process, "justification" is also a process. The Scriptures do not bear this out. The term "justification," supporting the thought of a process, is used only three times in the Bible, all in the book of Romans. "Jesus our Lord . . . who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:24,25). The apostle’s thoughts continue into the fifth chapter: "But the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life" (Romans 5:16-18). Here the apostle Paul is speaking about justification of men collectively. Only in describing the collective experience of the church is the term "justification" used to describe a process in the Scriptures. Forty three times the word justified is used in the Bible. We are told that "we are justified by faith" (Romans 3:28, 30; 5:1; Galatians 2:16; 3:11,24); "we are justified by his grace" (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7); "we are justified by his blood" (Romans 5:9); "we are justified in his name" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Each of these texts conveys the thought that we (the church) are justified (past tense), a process which is finished. The article on justification from the pen of Pastor Russell previously quoted concurs with this thought: "Justification is an instantaneous work." Justification is the gift of God when he accepts a prospective body-member’s consecration. God does the choosing. This marks the sealing on a consecration. God makes an offer. The unrighteous believer hears the call, and grows in knowledge and faith to the point of consecration. A consecration vow to sacrifice one’s all in service of the Lord is made by a believer. Finally, God chooses the believer, justifies him, and provides the robe of righteousness. From this moment forward a miraculous change occurs. "Our justification, represented by the `Wedding Garment,’ [is] put on when we are accepted of the Lord." God does the accepting.

As church members willingly give up their earthly life rights, their unrighteousness (sin) is covered that they might have a relationship with God. This justified condition affords them tremendous benefits. They are immediately blessed with the power of the holy spirit. This enlightens their hearts and minds to grow in understanding the heavenly Father. It has a transforming effect on their lives as they are invited to become sons of God. Then they have the privilege of going boldly to the throne of grace in prayer. This communication with God has a transforming effect on their lives. As a result they grow in knowledge and peace. This peace is strengthened by an ever-increasing faith. All of this is only possible when they answer the consecration call and are justified by God. These are the benefits for justified believers that allow them to be faithful in their life-long Christian walk. By being justified and receiving these benefits, God gives consecrated followers all the tools necessary to be more than overcomers that they might remain faithful even unto death.

We look forward to the day foretold in Isaiah when those who are faithful will have an incredible privilege to glorify God: "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations" (Isaiah 61:10,11). We look forward to that day when The Church (head and body) will be privileged to cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before ALL the nations. In accordance with the plan of the master architect, justified believers are integral to the fulfillment of this great work, not by necessity, but by the grace of God. Then shall Jehovah’s master plan bring all his creation into at-one-ment; once again the Mighty One shall be known and loved by all his redeemed children.