The Justified

In theology, justified means God’s legal declaration that a sinner is righteous and acquitted of all guilt, based solely on faith in Jesus Christ’s atoning work, not personal merit.Justification is God pronouncing a sinner to be righteous, not because of the good he or she has done but because of his or her faith in the atoning work of Christ. It is not earned but it is given to man as a gift by grace.

Justification comes apart from the law, that is to say that it cannot be earned through rule-keeping or been good. There is no good one can ever do that can earn him justification. The law was not given so that man can be justified by observing it. It was given for the purpose of making man to realize that he needed a justifier. Unfortunately, man held unto the law as the means of justification before the Lord.

Justification is by faith in the atoning work of Christ. Therefore, one cannot mix the law and grace and have a product called ‘Justification.’ It is not impossible to preach both grace and the law and expect people to receive justification by faith. One will struggle to receive from the Lord because of the way God has been presented to the people. Justification is by faith in Christ alone. It does not matter what one has done, it is the atoning work of Christ that matters.

So often, Romans 3: 23 has been used to batter non-believers and instead produced condemnation. The scripture is not necessarily used in the condemning context. Apostle Paul talked about righteousness before he got to talk about the fall of man. The idea of God was to save man by His grace and not by works. Paul mentioned the prophets and the law as witnesses of the righteousness of God through shadows and types. Grace was revealed and fully made manifest through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. God demonstrated His love for mankind through His Son, Jesus. He loves man, who has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. He loves every man regardless of what one has done in life. He forgives sinners. He does not look at the kind of sin one has committed to see if one deserves forgiveness. God forgives murderers, drunkards, thieves, rapists, satanists, witches and all. God does not have such a list like one I have just listed. God has only one list, the justified.

God does not keep a record of wrongs against anybody. If you happen to go to hell then you have chosen to go there. Though you have sinned, God has His arms open to receive whosoever comes to Him. You have been justified the day Jesus died and rose from the dead. It is now up to you to accept His justification or reject it. In God’s perspective, you have been justified who is yet to accept and receive it. If you have already accepted and received justification, do not drift into condemnation and begin to doubt whether you are justified or not.