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 An online correspondence course A prisoner is brought forth to hear the verdict of the jury. The foreman says, "We find the defendant not guilty." The accused has been acquitted of the charge against him. He has been justified, pronounced free from guilt. The term "justify" with its variant forms is often used in the New Testament, particularly in Romans, to denote that through Jesus Christ the sinner may be absolved of his transgressions. This freeing from sin is called "justification." In this lesson we shall study how we are justified, especially as this relates to man's part in securing this acquittal. HOW GOD MIGHT JUSTIFY MAN. In considering justification, God is the judge, his word is the law, and our sin is the transgression of that law. Theoretically, there are two ways that God might justify man. He might justify him because of innocence. In this case man would be justified because he was good and deserved it. He would have a right to demand justification as belonging to him in the same way that an innocent person against whom charges have not been proved can demand release. However, no one who has reached the age of accountability can be justified in this way because none of us is innocent. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23.) If a man could live a perfect life, never speaking an unkind word, never doing a wrong deed, never thinking an evil thought, he would need neither forgiveness nor Christ. But such is a human impossibility, so we must find our justification on some other ground than innocence. The second way that God might justify man, in fact, the way that he does justify him, is to pardon him. Since man is actually guilty of sin, he must depend for his justification upon the grace of God rather than his own merit. The pardon is extended because the debt of sin has been paid by the blood of Jesus Christ. Justice requires that sin be punished. Christ bears that punishment for us, and in light of that, God forgives us, justifies us, finds us not guilty. However, justification must be accepted to be of any value. A number of years ago there was a prisoner who was pardoned by the president. He refused to accept the pardon, and the matter was carried to the high court which declared that a pardon must be accepted to be valid. Similarly, although Christ died for all men, his sacrifice will not save all men because all men are not willing to accept his offering. All are not willing to comply with the conditions attached to such acceptance, and God will not justify those who do not meet the conditions. WE ARE NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW. Many Jews in the time of Christ and his apostles thought they could be saved by keeping the law of Moses. In his Roman epistle Paul refutes this idea by showing that no man ever kept the law perfectly, and since perfection was required if one hoped to be justified by the law, he concludes, "By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight." (Romans 3:20 -- A.S.V.) Again he teaches, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Gal. 2:16.) If a man could have kept the works of the law perfectly, he could have demanded justification as belonging to him. He would have earned it, and would not have had to depend upon divine grace. Such was clearly impossible, so Paul affirms that we are not justified by works. However, notice that he uses "works" in the sense of works of merit, works by which a man might earn salvation. WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH. The great theme of Romans is that we attain justification by our faith. Paul states, "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." (Romans 3:28.) He takes Abraham as a case in point and shows that had not Abraham believed God he would not have received the promise. His faith, he concludes "was imputed (or counted) to him for righteousness." (Romans 4:22.) That is, Abraham was considered righteous or justified by God because of his faith, not because of his works or because he was actually without sin. His conclusion is, of course, that we also are justified by our faith in God. DOES JAMES CONTRADICT PAUL? Some have found a seeming contradiction between Paul and James in regard to justification. James teaches, "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:21-24.) James clearly states that we are justified by works and mentions the case of Abraham as an example. But Paul takes the same man and cites the same Old Testament scripture and draws another conclusion. He says, "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." (Romans 4:1-3.) Are these conclusions contradictory? Not at all. Paul and James were speaking of two different kinds of works. Paul, as already shown, was thinking of works of merit or the law. He was demonstrating that we cannot by our own goodness earn salvation. James, on the other hand, was refuting the teaching that justification is procured by faith only, and he shows that any faith to be saving must also be working. We must have works of faith. He concludes that we are not justified "by faith only" (James 2:24) because a faith that will not work is dead. But he is not teaching that we can earn salvation by works of merit or works of the law. Once the distinction is clearly made between the two kinds of works considered by Paul and James, an understanding of the biblical teaching of justification is not hard to grasp. THE MANY ELEMENTS OF JUSTIFICATION. A common difficulty in studying this subject is the supposition that if we are justified by one thing all other factors are necessarily excluded. Thus, some teach that man is justified by faith only, which implies that nothing else enters into man's justification. But this does not follow. Consider the building of a house. Who builds it? The architect? Yes, because he draws the plans. The contractor? Yes, because he directs the construction. The laborer? Yes, because he does the physical work. The owner? Yes, because he makes the arrangements for building the home. Each man plays a part in building the house; each is necessary. It would be incorrect to state that the house is erected by either the contractor or the laborer alone. The same principle applies to justification from sin. We are justified by God's grace. "That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7.) We are justified by the blood of Christ. "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:9.) We are justified by our faith. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1.) We are justified by works. "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified. and not by faith only." (James 2:24.) We are justified by all of these things, all are necessary, but none alone will justify man. Without God's grace, the blood of Christ would never have been shed to pay the price for sin. Without the blood, faith in Christ would be of no avail. Without faith, our works would be mere empty actions, yet without works our faith would be dead and of no value in securing salvation from sin. The doctrine of justification by faith only is wrong because it not only denies that works play a part in our justification, but it also denies that the blood of Christ has anything to do with salvation. If we grant that we are justified by the blood, then it is obivously wrong to state that we are justified by faith only. The real key to understanding the part that faith plays in justifying us is in the biblical meaning of saving faith. The faith that justifies is that which trusts, and that which trusts, in turn, obeys. One may factually believe in Christ and still not trust him. "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12:42, 43.) We are informed, "The devils also believe, and tremble." (James 2:19.) Certainly neither these Jewish rulers nor the devils were justified because of their belief as that faith is not the proper kind. The faith that justifies is the faith that obeys. In Romans 1:5 and 16:26 Paul speaks of the "obedience of faith." It is obedience which stems from our faith and without which faith is valueless. The man who says, "I believe in Christ," but will not obey him may have faith, but assuredly not saving faith. In Hebrews 11 we are told of the great things accomplished by the heroes of the Old Testament through faith. In each case that faith obeyed. By faith "Abel offered...," "Noah prepared...," "Abraham obeyed..." Had these men not done the things which God required they would not have been acceptable to him. Likewise if we do not obey the commands of the Lord, we are not acceptable to him and our faith does not justify us because it is not trusting. BAPTISM AND JUSTIFICATION. Many deny that baptism plays any part in justification becaase they consider it a work of merit. Baptism is not a work. In the first place, the person being baptized is passive and does no work. Baptism is an act of faith. One is baptized because he has faith in Christ and realizes that baptism is a divine command which he must carry out to express that faith. Baptism, then, is the expression of our faith which puts as into Christ. When we are baptized into him, we are justified by faith because our faith has led us to be baptized. But until we are baptized, our faith does not justify us because we have not yet obeyed. Circle the correct letter: 1. One who is justified from sin is: (c) acquitted of his transgressions. 2. If a man could live a perfect life God would justify him because of: (a) innocence; 3. We cannot be justified by: (c) the works of the law. 4. In apostolic times many Jews thought they could be justified by: (b) keeping the law of Moses; 5. We are justified by faith, but not by: (b) faith alone; 6. Saving faith requires: (c) trusting obedience. 7. Baptism is: (c) an act of faith necessary for justification. Read James 2:14-26 and fill in the blanks: If a man says he has faith and not works ,can that faith save him? If we tell the naked and hungry to be warmed and filled, what does it profit? Faith, if it does not have works , is dead. We may show our faith by our works. We know that the devils are not saved even though they believe and tremble. The faith of Abraham was made perfect by the offering of Isaac upon the altar. Furthermore, his faith was imputed unto him for righteousness. He was called the friend of God. Man is justified by works and not by faith only. The body without the spirit is dead, and so is faith without works. Romans 5:1-11 mentions several results of justification by faith. Place an (X) before those statements which express a result of justification taught in this passage: BECAUSE WE ARE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH--
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