God's righteousness justifies us through the death of Christ (Rom. 10:3; 3:21-22; Gal. 2:16, 21). This is to save us, the sinners, from God's condemnation (Rom. 5:16b, 18a) and also from Satan's death (Rom. 5:12, 21a; John 5:24). As sinners, we have condemnation over us from God and also death within us from Satan. The condemnation of God is dissolved by Christ as the covenant, and the death that comes from Satan is annulled by Christ as the light that issues in life (John 8:12). This is to bring us, the believers, into the divine life that we may become God's heirs to inherit God with all His riches as our divine inheritance (Rom. 5:18b; 8:17a; Gal. 3:29b; Acts 26:18b). These items constitute the substance of the gospel according to the ministry of the apostle Paul in the three books of Romans, Galatians, and 1 Corinthians.
God's life germinates us by Christ as the life-giving Spirit (Eph. 2:5; 1 Cor. 15:45b). This is to beget us unto the divine sonship, that we may have the sonship of God and be the sons of God (John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:15). As sons of God, we are also heirs who will inherit God (Rom. 8:17a; Eph. 1:13-14a). For us to inherit God as our inheritance, we need Christ to satisfy the requirements of God's righteousness. Also, we need Christ to be the light that issues in the divine life so that we can be regenerated to be God's heirs to inherit Him as our inheritance.
God's life also germinates us to renew us, the old man (Titus 3:5). We were not only sinful and dead, but also old. So, we need to be renewed. We need to be renewed not merely by being washed but by being germinated with God's life.
God's life also germinates us to transform and conform us into the glorious image of God's firstborn Son, making us, the many sons of God, like the Firstborn. This is accomplished by life. Begetting, renewing, transformation, and conformation are all carried out by life.
Finally, God's life germinates us to glorify us with the divine glory (Rom. 8:30b). The divine glory is the expression of God's divine life. When God's life is expressed, it becomes the shining glory.
The above matters are the substance of the gospel according to the ministries of the apostles John and Paul. First, John ministered on life, and then Paul ministered on righteousness and life. In his Gospel and in the beginning of his first Epistle, the apostle John did not touch the matter of righteousness. Later in 1 John, he did touch God's righteousness (2:28—3:10). But Paul was different. Paul touched God's righteousness first, then God's life. Romans 5:18 says that God justifies us unto life. Thus, justification brings us into life. When we receive God's justification according to Christ as God's righteousness, the issue in us of this justification is the divine life. Therefore, justification is unto life.