Romans 3:24 – “justified” (Greek: dikaiow - dikaioo)

• Justification is a court term. It is a legal verdict issued by God, the judge in which He pronounces the person in question free from sin or guilt and completely acceptable to Himself.

• It is used in the Bible to denote acceptance of anyone as righteous in the sight of God.

• In the Scriptures, as in contemporary society, if a person was tried in a court of law and found to be guilty, he was condemned.

• If, however, he was found to have fulfilled the demand of the law, he was justified (i.e. acquitted, declared not guilty).

• These two court terms (“justify” and “condemn”) were placed in opposition to one another in Biblical times, even as they are in our day:

– Deuteronomy 25:1 (NASB) - If there is a dispute between men and they go to court, and the judges decide their case, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked . . .

– Matthew 12:37 - For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

– Romans 5:18 - Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

– Romans 8:33- 34 - Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-- more than that, who was raised to life-- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

• When God “justifies” a person, He pronounces, accepts, and treats him as just or righteous. He acquits him; He declares that he is not guilty, that he is free from condemnation!

• There are two methods of justification set forth in the Bible:

– Justification by Works

– Justification by Faith

Justification by Works (The Law Method)

• This method requires that men perfectly obey (i.e., keep) God’s Law:

– Romans 2:13 (RSV) - For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

• Paul does not say whether or not anyone can (i.e., has the ability to) keep the Law but rather if anyone does keep it , he will be justified (declared righteous) and receive his just reward, eternal life!

• In Romans 3:9-20 Paul shows that no one can keep the Law for all men are under the power of sin and without any righteousness whatsoever

– Romans 10:5 - Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."

– Galatians 3:10-11 - All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith.”

– James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Justification by Faith (The Gospel or Grace Method)

• Beginning in Romans 3:21 and continuing through chapter 10, Paul explains, illustrates, and defends justification by grace through faith.

• Paul shows that:

– The ground on which God justifies sinners is the twofold substitutionary work of Christ

• Jesus took the sins of His people upon Himself (on the cross) and paid for them. Their sins were imputed or charged to Him and punished in Him

• Christ’s righteousness (i.e., His entire life of perfect obedience to God’s Law) is imputed or credited to His people, so that they are treated by God as though they themselves had kept the Law and done all the good works which Christ did (for them)

– The means by which sinners receive the benefits of Christ’s substitutionary work is through faith in Him as the crucified and resurrected Lord

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 - God made Him [Christ] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him [Christ] we might become the righteousness of God.