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"But he willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"
(Luke 10: 29).
"Ye are they which justify yourselves before men" (Luke 16: 15).
Righteousness and justification have been called `forensic' terms, a word derived from
the Roman Forum, where the law-courts were held. This law-court atmosphere pervades
the teaching on the subject of both of O.T and N.T.
(1)
God is looked upon as a Judge (Rom. 8: 33).
(2)
The person to be justified is `guilty', exposed to `judgment' and without `plea'
(Rom. 1: 32; 3: 19).
(3)
There are three accusers (a) The Law (John 5: 45); (b) Conscience (Rom. 2: 15);
(c) Satan (Zech. 3: 2; Rev. 12: 10).
(4)
The charge has been drawn up in legal handwriting (Col. 2: 14).
It is, however, important to remember that while this atmosphere of the law-court is a
fact, the procedure and circumstances of our justification are alike unknown to the law of
Moses or to any human court.
"When a man is tried before an earthly tribunal he must either be condemned or
acquitted; if he be condemned, he may be pardoned, but he cannot be justified, if he be
acquitted, he may be justified, but he cannot stand in the need of pardon" (Scott, Essays).
In the gospel, our justification is always connected with forgiveness, and implies that
we are guilty. God is said to `justify the ungodly', which, in any other court, is both
impossible and illegal.
Continuing therefore our list of `forensic' terms, we note that:
(5)
The gospel provides the guilty man with an all-sufficient plea (Rom. 3: 23-25).
(6)
The Lord Himself is the Advocate (I John 2: 1, 2), and occupies the place of the
accuser at `the right hand' (Rom. 8: 34; Zech. 3: 1).
(7)
The sentence passed upon all believers is one of complete remission, justification
and acceptance, together with a title to life and inheritance (Rom. 8: 1, 33,
34; II Cor. 5: 21).
Justification includes the following:
(1)
The remission of sins, viewed as a debt.
(2)
The pardon by a sovereign of a condemned criminal, whose offence is blotted out
from his book.
(3)
The "covering by cancellation" which is the essence of the meaning of O.T. word
Atonement (see articles in various issues of The Berean Expositor and in the
doctrinal Alphabetical Analysis).
(4)
The imputation of a righteousness of God through the faith of, and through faith in
Jesus Christ.
Dewar, in his Elements, says:
"Our justification is not by a righteousness performed, but a righteousness received."
"Justification changes our state; sanctification changes our nature."