We have already discussed how we are reconciled to God and set apart as His special people (sanctified). This means we can be in a right standing before God. Yet it is important to understand how this comes about. Paul used the example of Abraham to explain this.
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness…” (Romans 4:1-5).
The Greek word for justification (dikaiosis), which is used in verses that follow our text (Romans 4:25; 5:18), refers to God declaring man to be free from guilt and right before Him. The word in our text (dikaioo) means that one is declared to be acceptable to God. The words translated righteous (dikaios) and righteousness (dikaiosyne) are related to this. God can declare us to be right before Him because of Jesus’ death on the cross. Without His sacrifice, we could not be right (justified) before God.
Understanding the Concept
Before considering Abraham’s example in the passage above, let us consider some other passages that teach us about justification.
First, we cannot justify ourselves. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and said, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts…” (Luke 16:15). Not only did God know their hearts, but He also would judge them based upon His perfect standard. The Pharisees were the classic examples of those who justified themselves by living up to a standard that they created. Yet we must submit to God’s standard, and Paul told the Corinthians that he willingly did this: “For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord” (1 Corinthians 4:4). Rather than trying to use human reasoning to justify his actions, he submitted himself to the judgment of God. Of course, we will all be judged by the Lord’s standard whether we agree to it or not (John 12:48), but he humbly accepted this, and we must also.
Second, God is the one who justifies. Paul wrote to the saints in Rome, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (Romans 8:31-34). God choosing to justify us is not dependent upon the approval of anyone. The Lord is the “one Lawgiver and Judge” (James 4:12). This means that we have no right to judge or condemn others based on a human standard. It also means we do not need to worry about God condemning us because others used a human standard against us.
In a passage we examined in our study on propitiation, Paul explained that we are justified by grace. He wrote, “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 3:24). This justification is possible through the blood of Christ, which He shed in His death (Romans 5:9). We did nothing to “earn” this. Remember, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). If anything, we have “earned” death because of our sin (Romans 6:23). Yet Paul wrote, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5).
In addition to being justified by grace, we are also justified by faith. After speaking of us being “justified as a gift by His grace” (Romans 3:24), Paul wrote, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Romans 3:28). The phrase “works of the Law” refers to the works they performed in keeping the Law of Moses. That Law was not designed to bring justification; instead, it pointed to Christ, where justification would be found. The Law was their “tutor to lead [them] to Christ, so that [they] may be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). This is important for us to understand because many have the misconception that justification by faith means that works of obedience, while good, are unnecessary for salvation. Yet James used the same example of Abraham that Paul used in our text to show that we are “justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:21-24). This means that being “justified by faith” (Romans 3:28) necessarily includes doing the works the Lord has instructed us to do.
Understanding This in Context
Let us now return to our text and see what we can learn about justification from the example of Abraham:
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness…” (Romans 4:1-5).
Paul was addressing the misconception that works give one a reason to boast. What we do may impress others, but they do not give us anything to “boast about…before God” (Romans 4:2). God sees the whole picture, including our hearts and faults. The Hebrew writer said, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). And Paul reminded the saints in Rome that God will “judge the secrets of men” (Romans 2:16).
Paul explained that God is the one who credits us as being righteous. Abraham’s belief was “credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3), and our faith is counted the same way today (Romans 4:5). The Greek word for credited (logizomai) means reckoned or counted. When does God “count” us as righteous? In other words, when does God justify us and declare us to be righteous? It happens when we are in Christ where all spiritual blessings are found (cf. Ephesians 1:3). Paul told the Corinthians that they were “sanctified” after being “washed,” which means they were born again and had a new life in Christ (cf. John 3:3, 5; Romans 6:3-6), and then they were “justified” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Justification is based upon our belief in God. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). In the same way, if one believes God, “his faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:5). Nothing we do apart from faith can help us be right before God. However, while we are “justified by faith” (Romans 5:1), we are not justified by faith alone. As we noticed earlier, our faith must necessarily include obedience: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). We cannot separate the two without being left with a dead faith (James 2:26).
Finally, as we think about being “credited” for something, we do not want to receive what we are due. Paul explained that one receives a “wage” for his work (Romans 4:4). In the previous chapter, Paul had “already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin” (Romans 3:9) and that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, the “wage” we have earned is death: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). By faith we can receive the gift of God’s grace (cf. Ephesians 2:8). As we have already discussed, this faith must lead to obedience. James wrote, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works’” (James 2:17-18). However, the obedience we offer to God does not “earn” us His favor or the reward of eternal life. It is still by His grace that we can stand justified before Him.
Conclusion
Through Jesus’ death on the cross, we can be justified before God. This is a gift of God’s grace through the blood Jesus shed in His death. Although we need to faithfully obey the Lord, we do not earn the designation of being “righteous.” It also does not matter what others say about us; God is the one who justifies.
Let us take advantage of the sacrifice of Christ so we can be right before God.
