Having discussed calling, regeneration, and faith, we shall now proceed to justification, which is the soul of Christianity and the fountainhead of all true comfort and sanctification. He who errs in this doctrine errs to his eternal destruction. The devil is therefore continually engaged in denying, perverting, and obscuring the truth expressed in this chapter and, if he does not accomplish this, to prevent exercise concerning this truth. When new errors appear on the horizon, even when they initially do not pertain to justification at all, they in time will eventually culminate in affecting this doctrine. One must therefore be all the more earnest to properly understand, defend, and meditate upon this doctrine.
In our consideration of this doctrine we shall first speak of the term, considering what is expressed by the words “righteousness,” “righteous,” and “justification.”1 Then we shall present the matter itself by considering the description, nature, moving cause (that is, why justification either does or does not transpire), and mediate cause of justification, as well as the time when it occurs.
The Terms “Righteousness,” “Righteous,” and “Justification” Defined
Concerning the term it should first of all be noted that the word righteousness expresses conformity to the law. Since there are civil and divine laws, there is likewise civil righteousness (which is acceptable to man and not under discussion here), as well as divine righteousness. It is the latter which we shall discuss here; this can be either the righteousness of the law or the righteousness of the gospel.
The righteousness of the law pertains to man’s perfect conformity to the divinely ordained law as far as his disposition, deeds, objectives, and manners are concerned. “For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them” (Rom 10:5).
The righteousness of the gospel pertains to perfect conformity to the law which becomes man’s portion by righteous, divine imputation. The Surety Jesus Christ has merited this righteousness in the believer’s stead by bearing the punishment and fulfilling the law. This righteousness, upon being offered in the gospel, is embraced by faith. This righteousness will be as valid in the righteous judgment of God as the righteousness of the law. “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Rom 3:21-22).
This righteousness is generally referred to as the righteousness of faith, it being a righteousness received in response to it being offered (cf. Rom 4:11; 10:6). Both law and gospel righteousness have in common that they fully conform to the law. They differ however, in that the first requires perfection from man himself, and the latter is merited by the Surety, becoming man’s portion by imputation and acceptance. They are mentioned together in Phil 3:9, where we read, “… not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
Secondly, a person who fully conforms to the law is considered righteous, this being true either in himself or in the Surety. After the fall no one can be righteous before God by the righteousness of the law. “… that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight … for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:19-20, 23). Although no one can personally be righteous before God, one can nevertheless be innocent in a matter whereof he is accused by man, so that in this respect he can say, “Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me” (Ps 7:8). Therefore in order for someone to be righteous before God, he must be righteous by way of the righteousness of the gospel; this is true for believers. “… that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21).
We shall next consider the words to justify, or “to make righteous.” The meaning of these words must be derived from the original text. In Hebrew we have הצדיק (hitsdiq), in Greek δικαιοῦν (dikaioun), and in Latin justificare, all of which are translated into our language as to justify or “to make righteous.” The Latin and Dutch words could be interpreted to mean, “to change someone,” that is, to change him from a sinful to a virtuous person. This resembles the words sanctificare , that is, to sanctify or “to make holy,”2 and glorificare, that is, to glorify or “to make glorious.”3 However, the words in the original text never refer to the infusion of righteousness, that is, the transformation of someone from being ungodly to being virtuous. Instead, its meaning is of a legal nature, and it is therefore frequently translated as “to justify.”4 It would have been good if it had been translated as such at every occurrence. It would better express the meaning of the original text and avoid all ambiguity.
The act of justification is at times attributed to man and at times to God. Man justifies:
(1) God when he knows and acknowledges Him for what He is, praising and glorifying Him accordingly. “… that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest” (Ps 51:4); “And all the people … justified God” (Luke 7:29);
(2) himself when he considers and declares himself righteous. He wants to be esteemed and acknowledged as such, either without being compared to others, “Ye are they which justify yourselves before men” (Luke 16:15); or when someone, though he is ungodly, behaves himself in such a manner that when compared to others who excel him in ungodliness, he appears to be virtuous and is esteemed as such. “And the Lord said unto me, the backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah” (Jer 3:11);
(3) other people, when he is used as a means to bring other people to Christ, and to faith in Him, by which they are justified. “And they that be wise5 shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever” (Dan 12:3).