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Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Justified, justification are nice religious words, aren’t they? We read them in the Bible, but do we know what they mean? Does our understanding of our justification change our lives, our thoughts, our psyche? Does it change the way we approach God, each other? Does it change the way we think of ourselves and our place before God?
In this study, we’ll take a look at the word itself, then at its spiritual truth, then at its practical import in and for our lives.
The word for justify in the Greek is dikaioo. Related words are justification, righteous, righteousness. The root word for all of these words is dikaios, translated just and righteous. At its root, to be justified means to be made or to be judged as just. Let’s take a look at the very first time that word is used in the New Testament.
Matthew 1:19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privately.
In ancient Israel, the consequence (“public example“) for a newly married woman being found by her husband to have lost her virginity before they consummated their marriage could be as severe as stoning her to death in front of the door of her father’s house! (Deuteronomy 22:13-29). I say “could” because it was contingent upon her new husband “hating” her….meaning he had withdrawn all feelings of affection for her, and wanted her to suffer.
So behavior and consequence are totally wrapped up up in this word “just.” Mary was found to be pregnant before Joseph had had sex with his new wife, and Joseph was just, therefore, there had to be consequence. But Joseph had affectionate feelings for Mary, and didn’t want to have her stoned to death…..but there had to be consequence, so he was going to “put her away.” Send her to another part of the country, if not abroad, and pretend he’d never married her.
In our culture, as well as others, the idea of justice is represented by a woman holding a set of balancing scales. And that is the root of the word justify…..to bring things into moral or spiritual balance
Here’s an example of justification. I’m a house painter. A couple of weeks ago, I painted a bathroom in the home of a middle aged couple, who both worked during the day, who had recently refinished their entire kitchen, including brand new sink. That evening, after my first day on the job, the woman called me to tell me that she was angry because I’d washed my equipment in her brand new kitchen sink. It was true, I had! But, I told her, I’d asked her husband before he left for work if they had a utility sink I could use, and he’d said no, but that I could just use the kitchen sink. I was justified! It was true, I’d done it. But I was justified in doing it! The woman’s anger could now be turned upon her husband!
The truth of the matter was that this couple did have a utility sink. Maybe the man had been distracted when I asked, but the truth was that he did not tell me the truth, and he did indeed have the authority to okay my using of the kitchen sink. My reason for using the sink justified my behavior. The argument was between the woman and the man, even though I was the “culprit.”
I was “off the hook” as far as having to pay a consequence.
So it is with sin. In Christ, we are “off the hook” of having to pay any consequence for sin, including death. The devil is, and has been judged as, responsible for all sin. We partake of that sin (we are the culprit!) but our reasons for sinning are justified in Christ, because in Christ the devil is to blame for our sin. Why then was God so “angry” with sin and sinners in the Old Testament? The same reason the woman was so angry with me before I’d been justified.
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
This word “knowledge” is epignosis, meaning intimate or thorough experiential knowledge. We sin, and know it’s sin, due to the law saying, “Don’t do that.” No one’s mind which deals with the flesh and having the epignosis of sin can be justified.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Not by doing good, neither by not doing evil, is a man justified, but by believing on what Jesus accomplished.
The spirit of the risen and glorified Christ is just, and is the justifier of all those who receive that spirit, by faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus. When we believe, we receive a new life, a justified life.
Romans 6:6, 7 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him (Jesus), that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is justified (KJV Bible reads “freed”) from sin.
Jesus came to save mankind…..by exposing, defeating and judging the devil. You cannot have the one without the other. The devil was defeated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (see The Unforgivable Sin), exposed as the one to blame for sin. Until then, the consequences of sin (the anger, or wrath of God) provided the balance for sin. But now the balance for sin lies with the devil being judged as the guilty party. The devil’s guilt is found in Christ, and that is the same place our justification lies.
Romans 4:24, 25 But for us also, to whom it (righteousness) shall be imputed, if we believe on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ involved the judgment of Satan as the guilty party for the sins of the whole world. In that judgment, we are absolved of all blame for sin. We are, quite literally, justified from sin. Someone has to be blamed and suffer the consequences. Praise the Lord that in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are justified and the devil is discovered, or uncovered, as the offending party.
Romans 5:12, 17-19 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they who 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. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
The spirit of the risen Christ makes known Satan as the guilty party for all the sins of the world, which is why man can justly be forgiven for them all. That is our justification….Satan is the guilty party.
John 16:7-11 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is beneficial for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
The prince of this world was not judged guilty of the sins of the world until the death and resurrection of Jesus. Until then, he stayed hidden as the guilty party, and man bore the condemnation. But now, in Christ, every man is justified from sin, the devil having been found guilty for all sin.
What are the ramifications of this justification? Rest easy, no one would choose that which does not work over that which does work. No one would choose malice and hate over love and joy. The only reason we do is because of Satan’s deception. God knows that, and Jesus proved that.
Romans 831-34 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not by means of him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect (charge God’s elect with a crime worthy of condemnation)? God, who justifies? Who is he that condemns? Christ, who died, yeah rather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us?
Do you really think that after God has gone to all the trouble of providing a way to justify you of all sin, putting the blame and judgment squarely on the devil, that He is now going to be in a big hurry to club you over the head for that same sin?
Yes, we are responsible for the decisions we make, but before God we are blameless for that which seeks to separate us from God. Being justified freely by Jesus Christ, we can stop thinking about guilt and blame, and start seeking righteous paths that lead us into the blessed, fruitful life God has always intended for us all along.
Ephesians 1:4 According as He has chosen us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the cosmos, that we should be holy and without blame (it doesn’t say “sinless”) before him in love.
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See other related studies:
Why do we get Tempted?
Satan’s Justification
The Gift of God’s Righteousness
The Need To Be Right.
Freedom from Sin’s Domination
Great stuff!