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By Hank Walker | Pastor at Peach City Fellowship

As we observed in our last article (Conversion: Repentance and Faith), God providentially orchestrates the delivery of the Gospel—through another Christian—in such a way that the hearer’s heart and affections are redirected from this world to Christ.

Following conversion, in LOGICAL ORDER, is the righteous and legal declaration by God that the previous sinner is now JUSTIFIED.

So, what does JUSTIFICATION mean, and what does it accomplish?

First, justification results from God’s legal judgment (assessment) of the new believer’s faith and repentance. God DECLARES the new believing one to be [not only] “not guilty,” [but also] positively righteous! He does so—not based on any good works or deeds performed by the new convert—but, based on the finished work of Christ. Moreover, to be “declared” righteous does not mean the convert has his/her own internal righteousness; God declares one righteous based on the proven righteousness of His Son. It is through Jesus’ perfect life under the law, perfect obedience to the Father, willing self-sacrifice on the cross, and physical death, burial, and resurrection, that God can justly declare sinners to be justified. Faith and repentance place us IN Christ—so that the Father accepts us AS IF WE WERE Christ.

Second, justification entails the SUBSTITUTIONARY work of Christ, resulting in the IMPUTATION (assignment of) of His righteousness to believers. When we think about “substitution,” we must understand that TWO things are substituted: (1) Christ is substituted for sinners, and (2) sinners are substituted for Christ. Sound confusing? Here is how the Bible articulates it, “For our sake He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin so that in Him we (believers) might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). On the cross, ALL that is sinful and wrong about us was imputed to Christ—hence, He “became sin” on our behalf, dying the death WE deserved. Through the resurrection, however, all of Christ’s positive righteousness was applied to His elect (chosen ones), so that through faith they may be accounted AS IF they were the ones who had actually done Christ’s work.

Finally, justification is NECESSARY for any to be saved. For a sinner to be reconciled to the Father, it must be on HIS terms. Those terms are established soundly in justification. Have you been justified?

Grace and peace, y’all!

Soli Deo Gloria