In this lesson we shall cover another aspect of redemption, that is, justification. After the believers are forgiven, freed, washed, and sanctified, they have no more problems before God. Hence, God has the position, the ground, to justify them. In the Bible, justification means that God, according to His righteousness, declares that man is righteous. Therefore, when God justifies man, He justifies man according to His standard of righteousness.
Since justification means that God, according to His righteousness, declares that man is righteous, how can man be justified by God through his own works? God’s righteousness is perfect and supreme. But no one is perfect in works before the law of God. The Bible, therefore, definitely tells us that by the works of law no flesh shall be justified before God (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16). Man’s righteousnesses simply cannot stand before the righteousness of God; they are even like a filthy garment (Isa. 64:6), being unable either to match the requirement of God’s righteousness or be justified before God. Therefore, man can never be justified by works before God.
Man is justified first by God’s grace. Because of man’s own weakness, no one can be justified before God by works of law. Everyone, however, can be justified by the grace of God (Rom. 3:24; Titus 3:7). Justification by law requires man to be perfect. This is a requirement which no one can meet. Justification by grace is God’s approving man by fulfilling for man freely all the requirements of His righteousness. This is a gift we all can receive and obtain. Because God has done everything that we may be justified freely, there is no need for us to do anything, neither to use any effort nor pay any price. God has done it all for us. Hence, this is grace. What we cannot obtain by law we can receive by grace.
We are justified by God’s grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24). If the Lord Jesus had not shed His blood on the cross and accomplished redemption to satisfy all the requirements of God’s righteousness for us, God would have no ground and no way to justify us by His grace even if He desired to do so. Hence, without the redemption in the Lord Jesus, the grace by which God justifies us cannot reach us. The Lord Jesus, however, has shed His precious blood and paid the price on the cross, thus satisfying all the requirements of God’s righteousness (Rom. 5:9). Therefore, God can justify us by His grace according to His righteousness that we may be justified according to His standard of righteousness.
Man is justified by God’s grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus and also by believing into Christ.
The Bible clearly and definitely indicates that a man is not and cannot be justified before God by works; he is and can only be justified by faith (Gal. 3:8; 2:16; Rom. 3:22, 28; Acts 13:39). “By works” is to rely on our own doing, whereas “by faith” is to trust in what Christ has done for us. “Works” require our effort to do, to perform; “faith” is our receiving, obtaining, without effort. No one has the strength to do, but everyone can believe.
Acts 13:39 says, “And from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses, in this One [Christ] everyone who believes is justified.” Christ has died for us and shed His blood to accomplish redemption, satisfying God’s righteous demand, so that God can justify us according to His righteousness. But if we do not believe, Christ and what He has done have nothing to do with us, and we still cannot be justified by God. Therefore, we must be joined to Christ through faith; we must believe into Him and by faith receive Him and what He has done for us. Only then can we participate in Him and in His redemption, and only then can we be in Him and be justified through His redemption.