What is Justification?
By Matthew ShilohPublished Updated
Justification is the legal act of God by which He declares a sinner righteous on the basis of Christ's perfect righteousness. It is the cornerstone of the Gospel and the assurance of our salvation.
By Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone
Historic Baptist theology, aligning with the Reformation, holds that justification cannot be earned. As Paul explains in his letter to the Romans, we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Our good deeds, no matter how noble, do not contribute to our justification. It is a free gift of grace, received entirely through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Great Exchange
The mechanism of justification is often called the Great Exchange, vividly illustrated in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. God made Christ, who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Christ takes our sin and its rightful penalty upon the cross, and in exchange, His perfect, spotless righteousness is credited (or imputed) to our account. When God looks at the justified sinner, He sees the righteousness of His Son.
The Result: Peace with God
The immediate result of justification is objective peace. Because we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Justification removes the wrath of God against the sinner and establishes a permanent state of peace and adoption. It is not a probationary status; it is a final, irrevocable verdict spoken over the believer's life.