Justification: A forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is
the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those
who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as
righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its
demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification
declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of
the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The
law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in
the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be
entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect
obedience to the law
(Romans 5:1-10) It proceeds on the imputing or
crediting to the believer by God himself of the perfect
righteousness, active and passive, of his Representative and Surety,
Jesus Christ
(Romans 10:3-9) Justification is not the forgiveness of a man
without righteousness, but a declaration that he possesses a
righteousness which perfectly and for ever satisfies the law, namely,
Christ's righteousness
(2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 4:6-8) The sole condition on which
this righteousness is imputed or credited to the believer is faith in
or on the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith is called a "condition," not
because it possesses any merit, but only because it is the
instrument, the only instrument by which the soul appropriates or
apprehends Christ and his righteousness
(Romans 1:17; 3:25,26; 4:20-22)
(Philippians 3:8-11; Galatians 2:16) The act of faith which thus secures our
justification secures also at the same time our sanctification (q.v.);
and thus the doctrine of justification by faith does not lead to
licentiousness
(Romans 6:2-7) Good works, while not the ground, are the
certain consequence of justification
(Romans 6:14; 7:6)
