Justification

Job asked, "...how can a person be justified before God?" Job 9:2 (HCSB).  Could there be any question of greater importance?  I'm a champion at justifying myself by comparing myself to others.  How many times have I said, "I'm not perfect but at least I don't act like so-and-so!"  But God doesn't compare my righteousness with that of others, He compares it to His own.  The Bible says that it is God to whom I must one day give an account.  Hebrews 4:13  So the question is not "Am I more righteous than my neighbor?" but rather "How can I be righteous enough for God?" The Bible clearly says that I am a sinner and in need of righteousness.  Rom. 3:23 Rom. 3:10  Furthermore, God is holy and has no fellowship with sinners.  The Bible describes this holiness as being like light and sin being like darkness.

Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.  If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.  1 John 1:5-6 (HCSB)

Justification means "to be declared righteous".  How can a sinful man be declared righteous by a holy Judge?  The answer is the theological term imputation which means "to put something on another's account".  The Bible tells us that, because of Christ's sacrificial death in our place, God imputed our sin debt to Jesus. 1 Peter 2:24 Colossians 2:14  While this is wonderful news, justification cannot be complete without a second imputation.  Not only does God impute our sin to Jesus' account, He also imputes His own righteousness to our account when we place our faith in the Savior.  

…and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.  Philippians 3:9 (HCSB)

He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  2 Corinthians 5:21 (HCSB)

It is important to recognize that God's righteousness is imputed to sinners based upon faith alone. There are no works that man can do to earn a righteous standing before God.  Isaiah 64:6

If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to brag about—but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say?

Abraham believed God,
and it was credited to him for righteousness.

Now to the one who works, pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed. But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness.  Romans 4:2-5 (HCSB)

I am praising God for His incredible mercy and grace He displays by justifying sinners like me. Because He has declared me to be righteous, then I have great security in my standing before Him.

What then are we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?He did not even spare His own Son
but offered Him up for us all;
how will He not also with Him grant us everything?
Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?
God is the One who justifies.
Who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is the One who died,
but even more, has been raised;
He also is at the right hand of God
and intercedes for us.  Romans 8:31-34 (HCSB)