Justification (Contra-RCC)

The following paper was written for a weekly meeting I used to have with some local Roman Catholics. Most of the content is taken from a paper written by J.I. Packer and changed to fit a Roman context. Any direct quotes from Dr. Packer are noted, however, the rest is heavily dependent on his work.
Justification

Justify (Heb., sadaq; Gr. dikaioo)

Definition: A forensic term meaning to acquit; declare righteous; the opposite of condemn.

Deuteronomy 25:1

"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,

‘Justify’ in this passage is translated from the Hebrew sadaq and is clearly juxtaposed with condemnation (Heb., rasha) 

See also Proverbs 17:15

He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

See the Greek word dikaioo also in 

Matthew: 11:19, 12:37

Luke: 7:29, 7:35, 10:29, 16:15, 18:14

Acts: 13:39 

Romans: 2:13, 3:4, 3:20, 3:24, 3:26, 3:28, 3:30, 4:2, 4:5, 5:1, 5:9, 6:7, 8:30, 8:33 

1Corinthians: 4:4, 6:11 

Galatians: 2:16, 2:17, 3:8, 3:11, 3:24, 5:4

1Timothy: 3:16 

Titus: 3:7 

James: 2:21, 2:24, 2:25

God is described throughout scripture as the “Judge” of the all the earth (Gen. 18:25), and his dealings with mankind are consistently described in forensic (legal) terms.  Some of the passages noted above use the word “dikaioo” in a non-forensic way, such as in Luke 7:29 or Romans 3:4, however, Paul uses the term forensically in the vast majority of instances that he refers to justification.  As Paul is the main contributor to the doctrine of justification (29 of the 39 occurrences of the verb ‘justify’ are in the epistles or the recorded words of Paul), we will focus on his writings in general and as the Epistle to the Romans is his greatest treatise on justification we will focus on this book in particular.  

"Paul believed, as evidenced in his writings, that justification is a judgement passed on man, not a work wrought within man.  Justification means to Paul; God’s act of remitting the sins of guilty men, and accounting them righteous, freely, by his grace, through faith in Christ, on the ground, not of their own works, but of the representative law-keeping and redemptive blood-shedding of the Lord Jesus Christ, on their behalf."  JIP

This statement is summed up nicely in Romans 3:23-26, Romans 4:5-8, and Romans 5:18.

Romans 3:23-26

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Paul uses the term propitiation in verse 25, indicating that the Father displayed Christ as the expiatory sacrifice, turning away the wrath of the father from all those who would believe.  This excludes the RCC teaching that the condemnation for sins committed after the legal declaration of justification continues, and requires a continuing sacrifice.  If the cross was not sufficient to expiate for all transgressions, a further sacrifice would be necessary, but as we will see in Romans 5:18 there was only “one act” necessary for the justification of all men, including those who were not yet alive and sinning. 

Romans 5:18

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

The above verse clearly, without a doubt states that by one forensic action (the transgression of Adam) condemnation was credited/imputed to men (original sin).  The second statement has the same structure as the first.  By one forensic action (the death and resurrection of Jesus) righteousness was credited/imputed to men (justification).

Romans 4:5-8

But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: "BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. "BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT."

In verse five, Paul contrasts works with believing, showing that God justifies the ungodly through his faith, and specifically not through his works.  The RCC teaches that our works must maintain our justification before God, as if verse six did not follow verse five.  In verse 6, Paul uses the Greek word ‘logizomai’ (translated as credits or imputes) in the present tense, indicating that the man who is blessed by the crediting or imputing of righteousness apart from works is forensically seen as righteous before God presently, not as being moved toward that righteousness through works and sacraments, as the RCC would teach.

Romans 1:16-17 says:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

Paul here states that the gospel reveals “the righteousness of God”.  God’s righteousness is made manifest in His judgement and wrath upon transgressors of His Law.  God promised in the OT to send salvation to Israel.  God also said that, “he who justifies the wicked...is an abomination to the LORD” (Pr. 17:15).  The only way to satisfy the required judgement on men for their iniquity required by the LORD himself, and for God to retain his righteousness, is for a substitute to be provided.  Jesus was the perfect substitute to satisfy the forensic requirement of God.  Paul teaches clearly that works are a vain addition to the perfect sacrifice that Jesus provided (Rom. 4:5, Gal. 2:16), and Christ himself teaches in Matthew chapter 7, that works will, if relied upon, cause the damnation of many.

Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? and then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

The standard of God’s judgement is his law.  The violation of his law is sin.  All have sinned (Rom. 3:23), so all fall under the righteous judgement of God (Eph. 2:3).  All someone has to do in order to be justified on their own merit before God, is to be perfect in thought, word, and deed, from cradle to grave.  Romans 3:10-18 makes it perfectly clear that no one is righteous in and of themselves.  In order to be seen as righteous (aka justified) we need the righteousness of Christ.  Paul makes it clear that this justification is received by grace through faith and not of works (Eph.2:8-9).  

Romans 8:1

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

It has been shown that justification is often contrasted with condemnation in scripture.  The entire book of Romans states clearly and repetitively that justification is a one time gift of God that is apart from works.  Romans 8:1 says that those in Christ have no condemnation.  I think when these statements are harmonized, we can easily come to the conclusion that those ‘in Christ Jesus’ are justified, that there is no longer any condemnation for those who are justified, and that those that are justified before God will never be condemned.

In closing, I am convinced that there is no doctrine more important to the Christian church than that of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, because if fallen man is responsible for maintaining his standing before God, there is no hope for me or anyone else.