Overview

Welcome to Lifecycles Revealed, Part 4, the beginning of your discovery of the Lifecycles album which is based on the doctrine of salvation. The key elements of your discovery experience in Part 4 are:

†  Specific Greek words associated with justification

†  Biblical scripture associated with justification.

†  A working definition of justification.

Mind Prep

†  Has justice been served if a depraved killer is acquitted because of a legal technicality?

†  Has justice been served if a depraved sinner is acquitted because of God's grace?

Greek

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= dikaiosis (literal Greek)

The act of God declaring men free from guilt and acceptable to him.

= dikaioo (literal Greek)

To declare one to be just, righteous, or such as he ought to be.

Scripture

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†  Romans 5:18 (ESV): "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men."

Scripture

(continued)

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†  Galatians 2:16 (ESV): "…yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."

Definition

Part 3 emphasized that Jesus Christ's sacrifice was completely sufficient in appeasing God's wrath, addressing the sins of every man and woman, and paying the exact penalty--death--for sin.

In this part, we focus on God's final dilemma--which was also resolved through Christ's sacrifice--in restoring His relationship with humanity: man's righteousness.

Definition

(continued)

Just as man, in and of himself, is incapable of rectifying sin, Romans 5:18 demonstrates that man, in and of himself, is "condemned" and similarly inadequate to obtain righteousness.

†  "…yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified."

Through His sacrifice and subsequent resurrection, Romans 5:18 also reveals that Jesus Christ is fully qualified to serve as man's "defense attorney" and advocate for man's righteousness.

Definition

(continued)

Galatians 2:16 stipulates that man must take only one action to retain the Advocate's services: profess faith in Him as the Son of God.

†  "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men."

Definition

(continued)

Justification represents what most Christians typically consider "being saved" for eternal life through a profession of faith.

†  The belief in this one-time event of salvation is absolutely true in that justification transitions a believer into the present phase of salvation.

†  Of course, justification remains in the future for God's elect who have not yet professed faith.

Definition

(continued)

However, it is more truthful to state that justification enables a believer to receive the full complement of salvation's past, present, and future blessings.

†  Past: God's election and reconciliation through Christ established mankind's way to God through justification.

†  Present: A new believer is inherited immediately into God's family through justification.

†  Future: A new believer's eternal destiny in God's Kingdom is irrevocably secured through justification.

Definition

(continued)

Given the biblical, historical, and doctrinal context, we can define justification as God's declaration of righteousness upon a believers' profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

Wrap Up & Quiz

You can continue to Part 5 using the sliding left menu, or refresh your mind with the quiz below. Hopefully, your discovery time has provided a fundamental foundation of justification and encouraged you to explore this doctrine further in this discovery unit and beyond. Whether you're a believer or non-believer, you should now have a keen awareness of the following take-aways:

†  There's only one Judge--God--who can declare you righteous.

†  There's only one Advocate--His Son, Jesus Christ--who can defend you.

†  There's only one court cost:  faith.