Topical Bible: Faith: Through It Is: Justification

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Definition and Importance

Faith, in the Christian context, is the confident belief and trust in God and His promises as revealed in Scripture. It is a fundamental aspect of Christian doctrine and is central to the believer's relationship with God. Justification, a key theological concept, refers to the act by which God declares a sinner to be righteous on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ. This entry explores the connection between faith and justification, emphasizing the transformative power of faith in the believer's life.

Biblical Foundation

The doctrine of justification by faith is rooted in the teachings of the New Testament, particularly in the writings of the Apostle Paul. In Romans 3:28, Paul asserts, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law." This verse underscores the principle that justification is not achieved through human effort or adherence to the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith and Righteousness

The relationship between faith and righteousness is exemplified in the life of Abraham. Romans 4:3 states, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Abraham's faith was counted as righteousness, setting a precedent for how believers are justified before God. This righteousness is not inherent but is imputed to the believer through faith.

Role of Jesus Christ

Central to the doctrine of justification is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1 declares, "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Through His sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus provides the means by which believers are justified. Faith in Christ's atoning work is the basis for receiving God's grace and being declared righteous.

Faith and Grace

Ephesians 2:8-9 further elucidates the relationship between faith and grace: "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." Justification is a gift of God's grace, accessed through faith. It is not earned by human merit but is a divine act of grace that transforms the believer's standing before God.

Living by Faith

The justified believer is called to live by faith, as stated in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." This life of faith is characterized by a continual trust in God's promises and a commitment to follow Christ.

Faith and Works

While justification is by faith alone, true faith is never alone; it is accompanied by works as evidence of genuine belief. James 2:17 affirms, "So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead." The works of a believer are not the basis for justification but are the fruit of a living faith that naturally expresses itself in obedience and good deeds.

Conclusion

The doctrine of justification by faith is a cornerstone of Christian theology, emphasizing that salvation is a gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ. This faith results in a transformed life, marked by peace with God and a commitment to live according to His will.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 13:39
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
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Romans 3:21,22,28,30
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
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Romans 5:1
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
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Galatians 2:16
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Our Justification through Faith in Jesus Christ...
... Article XXII Our Justification Through Faith in Jesus Christ? Our
Justification Through Faith in Jesus Christ We believe that, to ...
/.../various/the belgic confession /article xxii our justification through.htm

Justification by Faith.
... faith; hut when I speak of our justification before men ... good works; for grace, Christ,
and faith are things ... to be seen by another, otherwise than through a life ...
/.../bunyan/the riches of bunyan/ix justification by faith.htm

Justification by Faith
... believe and understand the gospel of justification by faith ... own experience, "Therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 60 1914/justification by faith.htm

On the Justification of Man as a Sinner, but yet a Believer ...
... to him before he justifies him through faith? 9. Or, which is the same thing, Is
the object about which God is occupied in the act of justification, an elect ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/on the justification of man.htm

Justification
... are excluded from our justification, and that our justification is thus ... all worthiness
is taken away from faith, except that which is through the gracious ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/justification.htm

Justification by Faith
... The only instrument of salvation" (whereof justification is one ... that we do not halt
with God, through an inconstant, wavering faith: Peter, coming to ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 5 justification by faith.htm

On Justification
... But we have yet to consider justification, both about the ... all preceding sins are
for, given, and through the whole ... they repent and flee by true faith to Christ ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xlviii on justification.htm

On the Justification of Man Before God
... And though Bellarmine, by confounding the word "justification," by distinguishing
faith into that ... and those performed by renewed persons through the virtue ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 19 on the justification.htm

Justification.
... There are in Switzerland and in Bohemia groups of men who have heard, for the first
time, of the necessity of justification by faith, through the labors of ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/cxxx justification.htm

Of Justification by Faith. Both the Name and the Reality Defined.
... 4. Another confirmation from a comparison with other expressions, in which
justification means free righteousness before God through faith in Jesus Christ. ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 11 of justification by.htm