About a year ago, in the middle of working on a book for those struggling with perfectionism in their spirituality, I finished a writing session, bowed my head to pray, and wept. What brought this flood of gratitude, praise, and tears? It was the doctrine of justification.
I know that for some people, justification sounds like a ten-dollar theological word, and the idea of it causing tears of thanksgiving may seem strange, but true Christian doctrine is not stale and dry. The doctrine of justification in particular is not only absolutely essential to the Christian faith (the Reformer Martin Luther has said that the church stands or collapses based on this doctrine), but it is a source of deep comfort and help for every follower of Jesus.
What Is Justification?
Most simply, the doctrine of justification is the Christian’s answer to the question “How can you be right with God?” or “How are you righteous before God”?
Scripture teaches that God created humanity to be perfect. Adam and Eve were not only morally pure; they had the power to keep God’s law completely—in other words, they were righteous. Our first parents enjoyed communion with their Creator, a world without sin and guilt, and the blessings of right standing before the One who judges hearts and minds. However, when they disobeyed God, all of humanity fell with them. We fell from our perfect righteousness, and our natures were corrupted, so that now we not only disobey but are unable to obey God. Thus, God’s law condemns us as unrighteous—sinners alienated from Him and deserving of His wrath.
Romans 3:23 famously says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But the good news, which the apostle Paul goes on to say in the next verse, is that we “they are justified freely by his [God’s] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (v. 24). The Greek word for “justify” means to “declare righteous.” So how is it that God, the perfect Judge, can declare sinners righteous without shirking His law? He accomplishes this “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (v. 24).
Jesus was the only human ever to obey God perfectly. He was righteous when He lived on earth, obedient to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). Yet instead of enjoying the blessings and rewards of His perfect obedience on earth, He bore the punishment we deserved for our sin. His death on the cross purchased our pardon. But it is not only Christ’s death that benefits us; His perfect obedience benefits us too.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says:
“for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (ESV).
In Christ, we are not only forgiven; we are credited with Christ’s righteousness. Theologians call this the “wonderful exchange”—our sins given to Christ, His righteousness to us. The incredible news of the gospel is that God has made a way to justify sinners. He is able to treat them as though they are righteous, declaring them innocent and blessing them with the rewards of Christ’s obedience. We are cleansed from sin by Jesus’s blood, and His perfect record of obedience is given as a gift to all who trust in him.
Some Implications of Justification
Admittedly, to talk about the implications of the doctrine of justification is a bit of an understatement—the whole of our salvation hinges on our being made righteous by grace through faith. Nonetheless, here are three quick thoughts on what justification means for Christians, especially for those who struggle with guilt, anxiety, and scrupulosity in their relationship with God.
1. We have confidence on judgment day.
The Christian hope of eternal life rests on our being justified by God’s grace. Titus 3:4-7 says:
But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
Our confidence when we stand before the Judge on the final day is that in His goodness, kindness, and mercy, God saved us apart from our own works of righteousness. We are “justified by his grace” (v. 7). So, as we trust in Christ’s work, we have confidence at His coming (1 John 2:28).
2. We have help when our consciences testify against us.
One of my favorite hymns, “Before the Throne of God,” expresses beautifully what the doctrine of justification means for those who struggle with condemnation and accusations about their sinfulness. One of the verses reads:
When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see him there who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free,
For God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me.
Likewise, the Heidelberg Catechism, when answering the question “How are you righteous before God?” says:
Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, of never having kept any of them, and of still being inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without any merit of my own, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, and as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me.
All I need to do is accept this gift with a believing heart.1
Christ, the sinless One, died so that I, a sinner, may be “counted free.” God, who is perfectly holy and just, looks at Christ’s work so that I, guilty as I am, might receive full pardon. Out of grace, God “grants and credits” to me the righteousness of Christ so that my relationship with Him is no longer defined by my disobedience but by Christ’s obedience for me. This is sweet balm to those of us whose consciences accuse us of past wrongs or unknown mistakes to come.
3) We are at peace with God.
Sometimes Christians can know we are forgiven but still feel that God is always distant or angry with us. We have a sense that things between us and God are not good. But one of the incredible implications of our justification is that we are at peace with God.
Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our justification implies more than acquittal before a holy Judge or entrance into heaven; it is a relational drawing near to God through the work of Christ. God not only forgives us, but He reconciles us to Himself, restoring us to Himself as His beloved children.
For the Never-Good-Enough Christian
For the weary, anxious, never-good-enough Christian—unsure if God accepts you in His presence or if He’s keeping a record of your sins—know that your justification means peace with God. You are clothed in Christ’s righteousness, and He defends you from the accusations of Satan and your conscience. When He returns, He will declare you righteous before all His saints and angels. And on that day, you will rejoice in the One who is both the just and the justifier of all who believe (Rom. 3:26).
ABOUT FAITH CHANG
Faith Chang is the author of Peace over Perfection: Enjoying a Good God When You Feel You’re Never Good Enough. Faith (B.S. Human Development, Cornell University; Certificate in Christian Studies, Westminster Theological Seminary) serves at Grace Christian Church of Staten Island, where her husband is a pastor. She is an editorial board member of the SOLA Network and co-hosts the Westminster Kids Digest Podcast at WTS Books.
Work Cited
- The Heidelberg Catechism, English Translation (Faith Alive Christian Resources, 2011). https://www.crcna.org/sites/default/files/HeidelbergCatechism.pdf