Justification

Justification: Justification dikaio,w dikaioo is a divine act whereby an infinitely Holy God judicially declares a believing sinner to be righteous and acceptable before Him because Christ has borne the sinner's sin on the cross and has become "to us . . . righteousness" 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 3:24. Justification springs from the fountain of God's grace Titus 3:4-5. It is operative as the result of the redemptive and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, who has settled all the claims of the law Rom. 3:24-25; 5:9. Justification is on the basis of faith and not by human merit or works 3:28-30; 4:5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16. Having now been justified dikaio,w dikaioo by His blood ai|ma haima v9. The verb been justified dikaio,w dikaioo dikaiwqe,ntej verb participle aorist passive nominative masculine plural [UBS] dikaio,w put into a right relationship (with God); acquit, declare and treat as righteous; show or prove to be right; set free (Ac 13.38; Ro 6.7); dÅ to.n qeo,n acknowledge God's justice or obey God's righteous demands (Lk 7.29). Our justification is in the aorist because it is a completed action in the past performed by Christ once for all on the cross. Christianity is unique because of its teaching of justification by grace (Ro 3:24). Justification is God's declaration that the demands of His Law have been fulfilled in the righteousness of His Son. Although the Lord Jesus has paid the price for our justification, it is through our faith that He is received and His righteousness is experienced and enjoyed (Ro 3:25-30). Faith is considered righteousness (Ro 4:3,9), not as the work of man (Ro 4:5), but as the gift and work of God (Jn 6:28-29; Php 1:29).

Ransom: Hosea 13:14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight. ransom hd'P' padah hdP verb qal imperfect 1st person common singular , suffix 3rd person masculine plural hd'P' (p¹dâ) ransom, rescue, deliver. Meaning: to ransom Usage: any means redeem(1), ransom(4), ransomed(7), redeem(24), redeemed(18), redeems(1), redemption price(1), rescued(1), surely redeem(1), way been redeemed(1). Notes: (1) Lit hand (a) Psa 49:15; Eze 37:12, 13 (b) 1Co 15:55 (c) Jer 20:16; 31:35-37. Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." ransom lu,tron lutron lu,tron noun acc neut sing [UBS] lu,tron, ou n means of release, means of redeeming. Friberg: as a price paid for release fr. slavery or captivity ransom; fig. of the cost to Christ in providing deliverance fr. sin price of release, ransom, means of setting free. Unger’s: (Heb. from pada, "release"; koper, "forgiveness"; or ga'al). A price paid to recover a person or thing 1 Cor. 6:19-20. A ransom is that which is substituted for the party Exo. 21:30. The people of Jehovah are redeemed by wonderful miracles Isa. 35:10 and are called "the ransomed of the Lord" Isa.51:11; cf. 35:9; 62:12. There are three Hebrew words behind the concept of ransom: 1.) koper which indicates payment made in substitution for another’s life, 2.) ga’al which is associated with family relationships like the kinsman redeemer, 3.) pada which demonstrates God’s gracious work in salvation. Overall there is a sense of liberation being experienced through the payment of a price.

Redemption: Luke 1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption lu,trwsij lutrosis for His people. The noun redemption lu,trwsij lutrosis lu,trwsin noun acc fem sing [UBS] lu,trwsij, ewj f redemption, liberation, setting free Meaning: a ransoming, a redemption Usage: redemption(3).Notes: (a) 1Ki 1:48; Psa 41:13; 72:18; 106:48 (b) Luk 1:71; 2:38; Heb 9:12. Friberg: strictly, a loosing; (1) act. providing a ransom, releasing fr. slavery or captivity; (2) fig. and pass. in the NT deliverance, freedom, liberation. Romans 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus. Paul teaches us that for God to justify us first we had to be set free from the slavery of sin and death. Though closely allied to salvation, redemption is more specific, for it denotes the means by which salvation is achieved, namely by the payment of a ransom.. In ancient Israel both property and life could be redeemed by making the appropriate payment. The kinsman-redeemer could redeem both the property and freedom of a near relative as well as be a blood avenger. Redemption defines the way the death of Christ, as the unblemished offering to God, pays the price demanded by a Holy God for delivering the believer from the bondage and burden of sin. This payment results in the sinner being set free from both condemnation and slavery to sin.

Regeneration: [New DNA from Above] John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." ("being born again"). The spiritual change wrought in man by the Holy Spirit, by which he becomes the possessor of a new life. John 3:7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' Jesus offers a sick religious world a cure in the form of a command in 3:7. This new birth must come from above just as Christ did: gennhqh/nai verb inf aor pass [UBS] genna,w be father of; bear, give birth to (perhaps conceive); pass. be born; lead to, cause (2 Tm 2.23). The passive proves once we activate our faith God does His work by providing this new eternal safe position. Friberg: (1) lit. (a) of men beget, become the father of (MT 1.2); pass. be born of (GA 4.23); (b) of women bear, give birth to (LU 1.13); (2) fig. (a) of God's part in Jesus' resurrection (AC 13.33) and his messianic exaltation to the position of highest honor (HE 1.5) (officially) become father, publicly acknowledge; (b) pass. of the spiritual new birth be born, be regenerated (JN 3.3); (c) of the influence of a leader upon his disciples become a father (1C 4.15); (d) as producing a result give rise to, cause (2T 2.23). Regeneration is to be distinguished from justification, because justification is a change in our legal relation to God, whereas regeneration is a change in our moral and spiritual nature as we enter God’s family. The Scriptures principally by such terms as "born again," "born of God," "born of the Spirit" (see John 3:3-13; 1 John 3:9; 4:7; 5:1; 1 Pet. 1:23). There are also other forms of expression of deep significance with reference to the same great fact (see Ezek. 36:25-26; Eph. 4:22-24; 2 Cor. 5:17; Col. 3:9-10). The work of regeneration is specially ascribed in the Scriptures to the Holy Spirit (see John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5). This is in full accord with the whole tenor of special revelation in representing the agency of the Spirit in the economy of salvation.

Reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5:18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Paul used katalla,ssw katallasso katalla,xantoj verb part aor act gen masc sing [UBS] katalla,ssw (aor. pass. kathlla,ghn, ptc. katallagei,j) put (someone) into friendship with God; reconcile (of man and wife). Notes: (a) 1Co 11:12 (b) Rom 5:10; Col 1:20 (c) 1Co 3:5. Friberg: as restoring relationship betw. individuals or betw. God and man reconcile, change from enmity to friendship (2C 5.18); pass. be or become reconciled (RO 5.10). 2 Corinthians 5:19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. By the death of Christ Adam and Eve’s fall brought amazing curses on the part of creation associated with human dominion Gen 1:26. The restoration of the entire fallen cosmos was brought about on the cross. Is a change of personal relations between human beings or between man and God. Enmity and estrangement are replaced by peace and fellowship. God is acting to restore the ruptured relationship between himself and the rebellious. Reconciliation is a process that reaches even God’s enemies. God has so changed the situation between himself and man that he reconciled the world. There is a wide range of topics effected by reconciliation. The fact of the hostility and wrath between God and man was only reconciled by the death of God’s son. Reconciliation had to be both Godward and manward. God has chosen to reconcile man before man chooses to be reconciled when man was still far away from God in rebellion.

Sanctification: Romans 6:19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification” a`giasmo,j hagiasmos a`giasmo,n noun acc masc sing [UBS] a`giasmo,j, ou/ m consecration, dedication, sanctification, holiness Meaning: consecration, sanctification Usage: sanctification(8), sanctifying work(1), sanctity(1). Notes: (1) Lit to sanctification (a) Rom 3:5 (b) Rom 6:13 This is the work of the Holy Spirit in all genuine believers. This is how the New Covenant is better than the Old. The Old required parents to teach their children the Law by memorizing the Shema Deu 6:4. The New has God directly writing it on their hearts beginning the moment we come to Christ in faith. Romans 6:22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. Friberg: (1) as the process of making holy, dedicating, sanctifying; (a) as the operation of the Spirit making holy, causing to belong completely to God, sanctifying work (1P 1.2); (b) as the careful moral behavior which expresses one's dedication to God a pure way of life, upright behavior, holy living; opp. avkaqarsi,a (1TH 4.3, 4, 7); (2) as the moral goal of the purifying process holiness, right behavior (RO 6.22). The NT presents the doctrine of sanctification in three aspects: positional, experiential, and ultimate. Positional sanctification is the possession of everyone "in Christ." Positional sanctification Acts 20:32; 1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11; Heb. 10:10,14; Jude 3. Experiential. The basis of experiential sanctification, or actual holiness of life. Ultimate. This is glorification or complete conformity to Christ at His coming 1 John 3:1-3; Rom. 8:29-30; Jude 24-25. Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

Glorification: Isaiah 6:3 And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah used dAbK' kabod noun common masculine singular construct dwObK' (k¹bôd) I, glorious, occurs only as the feminine singular k®bûddâ (Ezek 23:41; Psa 45:14). The LXX used do,xhj noun genitive feminine singular common [UBS] do,xa, hj f glory, splendor, grandeur (in gen. often glorious); power, kingdom; praise, honor; pride ( do,xa kai. cara, pride and joy 1 Th 2.20); brightness, brilliance; revealed presence of God, God himself; heaven (1 Tm 3.16); glorious heavenly being (2 Pe 2.10; Jd 8); do.j do,xan tw/| qew/| promise before God to tell the truth (Jn 9.24) Meaning: abundance, honor, glory Usage: bosom(1), glorious(8), glory(147), honor(33), honorable(1), honored(1), riches(1), soul(2), splendid(1), splendor(2), wealth(3). Notes: (1) Lit fullness of the whole earth is His glory (a) Rev 4:8 (b) Num 14:21; Psa 72:19 This is the language Paul brings into his NT theology Rom 8:30 He also kai, kai glorified sundoxa,zw sundoxazo v30. The verb is in the aorist active grammar evdo,xasen. Paul used this verb even though the fact of our glorification is still in the future. Paul is using glorification from the standpoint of the way God views it. It was a completed action the moment we were justified v30. In Rom 8:17 Paul uses The verb be glorified sundoxa,zw sundoxazo is in the rare aorist passive grammar sundoxazo sundoxasqw/men. Paul used this grammar to define our glorification much like he did in Eph 2:6. Even though our human flesh is still here we have reality in our new position that is also in heaven. Friberg: (1) as giving or sharing a high status glorify, make great (RO 8.30); (2) as enhancing the reputation of God or man praise, honor, magnify (MK 2.12); (3) as putting into a position of power and great honor, esp. in the future life glorify (JN 7.39); (4) pass. (a) of things greatly valued and excellent be wonderful, glorious (1P 1.8); (b) of pers. receiving great honor be glorified, praised (LU 4.15). Paul uses this grammar to describe our ultimate glorification to encourage his struggling readers who were at that very moment being persecuted to a large measure. Many who saw Christians die for their faith were asking how secure their salvation really was. When Paul used the completed action of the aorist this settled it along with the divine active voice. Our assurance of ultimate victory rests solely in the divine promises of God. This is specially encouraging to those who face years of suffering with difficult life circumstances. We know from earlier passages how the whole earth is suffering with anxiety, pain, distress and disaster. This amazing group of passages that close Rom 8 encourage every believer that God has sent the Holy Spirit for just such an hour. It is the work of the Spirit to bring comfort in suffering and assurances in moments of doubt. The Christians who stagger at these promises fail to let the Spirit energize His purposes in their lives. The promises of God say to all who hurt a life of devotion, prayer, Bible study and Christian fellowship will best enable the Spirit to work in our lives.