In this message we shall see that, as redeemed ones, the believers have been justified and then reconciled to God in the first step. Because we have been bought, forgiven, freed, washed, and sanctified, we have no problems before God. Thus, God is fully positioned to justify us.
For us to be justified by God means that we are approved by God according to His standard of righteousness. No matter how righteous we may be in ourselves, we cannot be approved by God according to our righteousness. Our righteousness will never justify us before God. We may justify ourselves according to our standard of righteousness, but this does not enable us to be justified by God according to His standard. However, when God justifies us, we are approved by Him according to His standard of righteousness.
The believers are justified by God both objectively and subjectively. To be justified objectively is to be justified outwardly and positionally.
Romans 3:24 says, “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus.” Here we see that we are justified freely by God’s grace. Grace is something freely given of God or done by God, and it is the expression and manifestation of God’s love. By His grace God has freely justified us. Hence, justification is a free gift.
Although we are justified by God’s grace, we are justified through Christ’s redemption. This means that because God is righteous, He must have a proper ground to justify us by His grace. Apart from Christ’s redemption, God would not have the ground to justify us. For this reason, Christ’s redemption is needed. God’s love caused Him to have grace on us, and His righteousness caused Him to accomplish redemption for us through Christ. Therefore, our being justified is a matter both of God’s grace bestowed on us and God’s righteousness accomplished for us. Justification, then, is the grace of God to save us according to His righteousness.
God can justify us, approving us according to the standard of His righteousness, because the work of justification is based on the redemption of Christ. When the redemption of Christ is applied to us, we are justified. If there were no such redemption, it would be impossible for us to be justified by God. Christ’s redemption is the basis of God’s justification.
God’s righteousness has been shown to the New Testament saints in His justifying them because Christ has paid the price for our sins and has accomplished the full redemption to meet all of God’s requirements. Because of Christ’s redemption, God, in order for Him to be just, must justify us. On God’s side justification is by His righteousness; on our side justification is by His free grace as compared with justification by the work of the law. To be justified by the work of the law we need to work, but to be justified by the redemption in Christ there is no need of our work, for it is freely given by His grace. We do not deserve it, but God is bound by His righteousness to justify us because of the redemption of Christ, which meets all His requirements.
The believers are justified by the faith of Christ, that is, by believing in Christ (Gal. 2:16; Rom. 3:26, 28, 30). Although Christ died to accomplish redemption and God has the ground to justify us and is ready to forgive us, we cannot be justified unless we believe in Christ. Just as a child needs to eat the food prepared by his mother, so we need to receive all that God has prepared for our justification. We receive this by believing in Christ.
Galatians 2:16 says, “Knowing that a man is not justified by works of law, but through the faith of Christ Jesus; we also have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by works of law, because by works of law no flesh shall be justified.” Under God’s New Testament economy, we are not to keep the law. On the contrary, we are to be justified by faith in Christ. No flesh, no fallen human being, can be justified by works of law. The requirement of God’s law is perfect, but the works of man are imperfect and defiled. Therefore, no one can be justified according to his own works. However, the redemption of Christ is entirely according to the requirement of the law, and Christ’s redemption also satisfies the requirement of the law. This means that the redemption of Christ enables us to be justified by God. Because the works of the law are not dependable, but the redemption of Christ is dependable and sure, justification must not depend on our works but upon the redemption of Christ. In order for us to depend on the redemption of Christ, we must believe in Christ and His redemption. In other words, we must receive Christ and His redemption. This is to be justified by faith in Christ.
Romans 3:26 says, “For the showing forth of His righteousness in the present time, that He should be just and justify the one who is of the faith of Jesus.” Verse 28 goes on to say, “We reckon that a man is justified by faith without works of law.” Verse 30 says, “Since it is one God who shall justify the circumcision out of faith and uncircumcision through faith.” Faith is the source for the circumcision to be justified by God, so it is out of faith. But for the uncircumcision to be justified by God, faith is the way, so it is through faith. These verses clearly reveal that the believers in Christ are justified by faith.