Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Romans 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 3:24 and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, |
Bible Question: What is the theological doctrine known as "justification"? |
Bible Answer: Hi Nolan! This a great question because it forces us to examine what Scripture says about our salvation. Justification is the translation of the word 'dikaioo.' It basically means 'to show or declare righteous.' It is sometimes used to refer to someone being proven right. However, most of the time, in the New Testament, it is used in the sense of a believer being declared righteous by God. Gal 2:16 says, "...know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." (NIV) This is a good summary to explain the doctrine of justification. The question which the doctrine of justification deals with is how do we obtain a right standing before God? Do we earn it by keeping the Law? Scripture says this is impossible. Rather, Scripture affirms over and over that we are justified (or declared righteous) through faith, grace, and the blood of Christ. The best modern illustration to use when explaining justification is that of a pardon. When a pardon is granted to someone they are declared free of all penalty. It does not say that they did not commit the crime. It does not say that they are a good person. It only says that there will be no penalty attached to the crime. This is what justification does for us. Because of what Christ did for us on the Cross, we do not have to pay the penalty. Justification does not make us righteous, it only declares us righteous. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit which actually transforms us over time and makes us righteous. I'm looking forward to see other responses to this question. Tim Moran |