WHAT IS JUSTIFICATION?

1. What justification means

• Justification means being declared right with God.
• It is like receiving a pardon—complete forgiveness.
• When someone is justified, God looks at them as if they had never sinned.
• Their record in heaven now shows “forgiven” and “righteous.”

Justification is not something we earn. It is a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ.

2. How justification works

• Because of sin, people are separated from God.
• We cannot make ourselves righteous by our own efforts or good deeds.
• But when we believe in Jesus and accept His sacrifice, God credits us with Christ’s righteousness.

This means:

• Our sins are wiped clean.
• Christ’s perfect life is placed into our record.
• We stand before God clean and accepted.

This is what the Bible means when it says righteousness was “counted,” “reckoned,” or “imputed.”

• Imputed – credited to our account as if it were ours.
• Reckoned – considered or declared by God as true.
• Counted – treated as though we had done right, even though we didn’t earn it.

3. What justification shows about God and us

• Justification is God’s work, not man’s achievement.
• It shows God’s mercy and grace, not human effort.
• It leaves no room for pride.
• True faith produces humility and dependence on God, not self-confidence.

As one writer explained, justification “lays the glory of man in the dust.”
It reminds us that salvation is completely God’s doing, and we give all glory back to Him.

4. The example of Abraham (Romans 4:1-25)

• Paul uses Abraham’s story to show how justification works.
• Abraham was not made right with God because of his good works or rituals.
• He believed God’s promise, and that faith was counted as righteousness.
• Abraham trusted God even when His promise seemed impossible—like having a child in old age.

Paul teaches that everyone who believes like Abraham is justified in the same way, by faith, not by law.

5. Faith in Jesus brings justification today

• What happened to Abraham happens to us when we believe in Jesus.
• When we put our trust in Christ’s death and resurrection:
  • Our sins are forgiven.
  • His righteousness is imputed to us.
  • We are accepted by God and given peace with Him.

Jesus’ death paid for our sins, and His resurrection guarantees our justification.

6. What justification gives us

Justification brings:

1. Pardon – our sins are forgiven.
2. Righteousness imputed – Christ’s perfect life covers us.
3. Title to heaven – we are accepted as God’s children.
4. Peace and humility – we depend fully on God, not ourselves.
5. A new standing – we are seen as pure, innocent, and free from guilt.

7. Summary
Justification is God’s declaration that we are forgiven and made righteous through Jesus Christ. It happens by faith, not by works, and is entirely God’s gift rather than our own achievement. This gracious act produces humility, thankfulness, and trust in God, reminding us that our salvation depends on His mercy alone. Through justification, we are made ready to begin a new life of obedience and love, living in harmony with God’s will.

References:

Ellen G. White. Review and Herald, September 16, 1902; August 21, 1888.

Ellen G. White. Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 1070.

Ellen G. White. Messages to Young People, p. 35.

Ellen G. White. Fundamentals of Christian Education, p. 135.

Ellen G. White. Christ’s Object Lessons, Chap. 18.