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Justification through Faith in Christ in Christian Theology

Justification through faith in Christ is a central theological concept, understood as God's judicial act of pardoning sins and declaring believers righteous [1]. This declaration is not based on human merit or adherence to the law, but on the righteousness of Christ, received by faith [2, 8, 9]. It is distinct from sanctification, which refers to the ongoing process of moral transformation [5].

The concept of justification is presented as a forensic, or legal, term, contrasting with condemnation [1]. It signifies that God, acting as a judge, absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law due to Christ's work, thereby removing the guilt of sin and the liability to eternal wrath [1, 4]. This act of grace frees the sinner from the penalty of their sins [4].

Scriptural passages emphasize that justification is not achieved through works of the law. For instance, it is stated that "a man is not justified" by such works [7]. Instead, justification is "by faith alone" [3]. This is further supported by the idea that righteousness comes "not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith" (Philippians 3:9) [2]. This "righteousness of God" is manifested apart from the law and is attested by the Old Testament Scriptures [13]. It is described as "the righteousness of faith" and "the righteousness of God by faith in Christ" [6].

Different traditions articulate the nuances of justification. The Lutheran Augsburg Confession, for example, states that "men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake" [11]. Similarly, the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles affirm that "we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith, and not for our own works or deservings" [12].

Reformed theology, as articulated by John Calvin, posits that a person is justified by faith when, "excluded from the righteousness of works, he by faith lays hold of the righteousness of Christ, and clothed in it appears in the sight of God not as a sinner, but as righteous" [9]. This perspective highlights the imputation of Christ's righteousness to the believer [6]. John Gill, one theologian, emphasizes that justification is "freely by his grace," stemming from the "free love and favour of God" [10].

The Methodist tradition, represented by Adam Clarke, also stresses that neither Jewish law nor any other law could justify a person, and that "justification by faith, in the boundless mercy of God, is as reasonable as it is Scriptural and necessary" [7]. Clarke further clarifies that this justification is "received by faith through the atonement made by Christ" [8].

In contrast, the Council of Trent, representing Catholic teaching, addressed justification in detail, affirming that while faith is the beginning of human salvation, it is not the sole cause of justification [14]. This perspective emphasizes a cooperative role of human will and good works, enabled by grace, in the process of justification and growth in righteousness.

The distinction between justification and sanctification is crucial. While justification is a singular, declarative act of God, sanctification is an ongoing process of moral transformation by the Holy Spirit, bringing the believer's nature increasingly under the influence of new gracious principles [5]. Justification is God's act of declaring one righteous, while sanctification is the process of becoming righteous in character and conduct [1, 5].

Sources

  1. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Justification — A forensic term, opposed to condemnation. As regards its nature, it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; an”
  2. Philippians “Philippians 3:9 (BSB) — and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Justification Before God — Promised in Christ -- Isa 45:25; 53:11. Is the act of God -- Isa 50:8; Ro 8:33. Under law Requires perfect obedience. -- Le 18:5; Ro 10:5; 2:13; Jas 2:10. Man cannot attain to. -- Job 9:2,3,20; 25:4; Ps 130:3; 143:2; Ro 3:20; 9:31,32. Under the gospel Is not of works. -- Ac 13:39; Ro 8:3; Ga 2:16; 3:11. Is not of faith and works united. -- Ac 15:1-29; Ro 3:28; 11:6; Ga 2:14-21; 5:4. Is by faith alone. -- Joh 5:24; Ac 13:39; Ro 3:30; 5:1; Ga 2:16. Is of grace. -- Ro 3:24; 4:16; 5:17-21. In the name of Christ. -- 1Co 6:11. By imputation of Ch”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Forgiveness of sin — One of the constituent parts of justification. In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of sin, or the sinner's actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. All sins are forgiven freely (Acts 5:31; 13:38; 1 John 1:6-9). The sinner is by this act of grace for ever freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins. This is the peculiar prerogative of God (Ps. 130:4; Mark 2:5). It is offered to all in the gospel. (See [219]JUSTIFICATION.)”
  5. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Sanctification — Involves more than a mere moral reformation of character, brought about by the power of the truth: it is the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature more and more under the influences of the new gracious principles implanted in the soul in regeneration. In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:1”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Righteousness Imputed — Predicted -- Isa 56:1; Eze 16:14. Revealed in the gospel -- Ro 1:17. Is of the Lord -- Isa 54:17. Described as The righteousness of faith. -- Ro 4:13; 9:30; 10:6. The righteousness of God, without the law. -- Ro 3:21. The righteousness of God by faith in Christ. -- Ro 3:22. Christ being made righteousness to us. -- 1Co 1:30. Our being made the righteousness of God, in Christ. -- 2Co 5:21. Christ is the end of the law for -- Ro 10:4. Christ called THE LORD OF OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS -- Jer 23:6. Christ brings in an everlasting righteousness -- Da 9:2”
  7. Galatians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Galatians 2:16: Knowing that a man is not justified - See the notes on Rom 1:17; Rom 3:24 (note), Rom 3:27 (note); Rom 8:3 (note). And see on Act 13:38 (note) and Act 13:39 (note), in which places the subject of this verse is largely discussed. Neither the works of the Jewish law, nor of any other law, could justify any man; and if justification or pardon could not have been attained in some other way, the world must have perished. Justification by faith, in the boundless mercy of God, is as reasonable as it is Scriptural and necessary.”
  8. Philippians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Philippians 3:9: And be found in him - Be found a believer in Christ, not having mine own righteousness - not trusting in any thing I have done or could do, in order to my salvation; relying on no scheme of justification, set up either formerly by myself or by others. But that which is through the faith of Christ - That justification which is received by faith through the atonement made by Christ. The righteousness which is of God - God's method of justifying sinners through faith in his Son. See the notes on Rom 3:21, Rom 3:23 (note), Rom 3:25 (note), where this subject is trea”
  9. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 66: the witness and assertor of his righteousness. In the same manner, a man will be said to be justified by works , if in his life there can be found a purity and holiness which merits an attestation of righteousness at the throne of God, or if by the perfection of his works he can answer and satisfy the divine justice. On the contrary, a man will be justified by faith when, excluded from the righteousness of works, he by faith lays hold of the righteousness of Christ, and clothed in it appears in the sight of God not as a sinner, but”
  10. Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 3:20: Being justified freely by his grace,.... The matter of justification is before expressed, and the persons that share in this blessing are described; here the several causes of it are mentioned. The moving cause of it is the free grace of God; for by "the grace of God" here, is not meant the Gospel, or what some men call the terms of the Gospel, and the constitution of it; nor the grace of God infused into the heart; but the free love and favour of God, as it is in his heart; which is wonderfully displayed in the business of a sinner's justification before him: it appe”
  11. Augsburg Confession (Lutheran) “Augsburg Confession (Lutheran, 1530), Article IV. Of Justification.: Article IV. Of Justification.”
  12. Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), 11.Of Justification.: 11.Of Justification.”
  13. Romans (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Romans 3:21: GOD'S JUSTIFYING RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, ALIKE ADAPTED TO OUR NECESSITIES AND WORTHY OF HIMSELF. (Rom 3:21-26) But now the righteousness of God--(See on Rom 1:17). without the law--that is, a righteousness to which our obedience to the law contributes nothing whatever (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16). is manifested, being witnessed--attested. by the law and the prophets--the Old Testament Scriptures. Thus this justifying righteousness, though new, as only now fully disclosed, is an old righteousness, predicted and foreshadowed in the Ol”
  14. Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent on Justification (Catholic) “Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent on Justification (Catholic, 1547), « Prev The Decree of Pope Pius IX. on the Immaculate… Next » 211: « Prev The Decree of Pope Pius IX. on the Immaculate… Next » 211”
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