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Chapter 340

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JUSTIFICATION

340.010.000 Torrey: p315, T:I
Topic 10: What does Justify mean?

340.010.010 Torrey: p , T:I, P:1
POINT 10:

NOTE: -- The way to decide this is by an examination of the Biblical use of the word and the words derived from it. The question is not "What is the etymological significance of the word?" for words are frequently used in a meaning widely different from their etymological significance. The question is "What is the significance of the word as determined by its usage in the Bible?" The way to determine this is by taking a Concordance and Bible, and looking up every passage in which the word is used. The following passages are sufficient to illustrate the Biblical usage. In the passages taken from the Old Testament, the Septuagint uses the same Greek verb that is translated "justify" in the New Testament.

Deuteronomy 25:1 When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty.

Exodus 23:7 [7] Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.

Isaiah 5:22-23 [22] Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, [23] who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.

Luke 16:15 He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

Romans 2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

Romans 3:23-24 [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Luke 18:14 [14] I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Romans 4:2-8 [2] If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about -- but not before God. [3] What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." [4] Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. [5] However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. [6] David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: [7] "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. [8] Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

In Biblical usage, to "justify" does not mean "to make righteous." It means to "reckon", "declare", or "show to be righteous." A man is justified before God when God reckons him righteous.

NOTE -- Etymologically, the word translated "justify" means "to make righteous," but Thayer, in his Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, says: "This meaning is extremely rare, if not altogether doubtful." It certainly is not the New Testament usage of the word.

340.020.000 Torrey: p316, T:II
Topic 20: How are Men Justified.

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POINT 10: Men not justified by works of the law. No man is justified by works of the law.

Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Galatians 3:10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

Romans 3:23-24 [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Because in order to be justified by works of the law we must continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. This no man has done, but all men have sinned. The moment the law is broken at any point, justification by works of the law are under the curse. God did not give men the law with the intention of justifying men thereby, but to produce conviction of sin, to stop men's mouths, and to lead them to Christ.

Romans 3:19-20 [19] Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. [20] Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Galatians 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

Yet strangely enough there are many today preaching the law as the way of salvation.

340.020.020 Torrey: p317, T:II, P:2
POINT 20: Men are justified as a free gift by God's grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:23-24 [23] for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Justification is not on the ground of any desert there is in us. It is a gift God bestows without pay. The channel through which it is bestowed is the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

340.020.030 Torrey: p317, T:II, P:3
POINT 30: Men are justified or counted righteous in Christ's blood -- i.e., on the ground of Christ's propitiatory death.

Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Isaiah 53:6 [6] We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The ground of justification is the shed blood of Christ.

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POINT 40: Men are justified on condition of faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:25-26 [25] God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished -- [26] he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Romans 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Acts 13:39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

Faith makes ours the shed-blood, which is the ground of justification, and we are justified when we believe in Him who shed the blood. Provision is made for our justification by the shedding of the blood, we are actually justified when we believe.

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POINT 50: A man is justified by faith apart from works of the law -- i.e., he is justified on condition that he believes even though he has no works to offer as a ground upon which he might claim justification.

Romans 4:5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

When he ceases to work for justification and simply believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, that faith is reckoned for righteousness, and he, the believer, is counted righteous.

The question is not, have you any works to offer, but do you believe in Him who justifies the ungodly? Works have nothing to do with justification except to hinder it when we trust in them. The blood of Christ secures it, faith in Christ appropriates it. We are justified, not by our works, but by His work. We are justified upon the simple and single ground of His blood, and upon the simple and single condition of our faith. It is exceedingly difficult to hold men to this doctrine of justification on faith apart from works of the law. They are constantly seeking to bring in works somewhere.

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POINT 60: The faith that leads to justification is a faith "with the heart."

Romans 10:9-10 [9] That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

In the Bible, the "heart" stands for the entire inner man, thought, feeling and purpose. To believe "with the heart," is to believe with the whole man. It involves the surrender of the thought, the feelings and the will to the truth believed. A heart faith is more than mere opinion. It is a conviction that governs the whole inner man and consequently shapes the outward life.

340.020.070 Torrey: p319, T:II, P:7
POINT 70: The faith that one says he has, but which does not manifest itself in action along the line of the faith professed, will not justify. The faith that justifies is the real faith that leads to action accordant with the truth professed.

James 2:14-24 [14] What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? [15] Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. [16] If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? [17] In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. [18] But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. [19] You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that -- and shudder. [20] You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? [21] Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? [22] You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. [23] And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. [24] You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

We are justified simply upon faith, but it must be a real faith. "We are justified by faith without works, but we are not justified by a faith that is without works." The faith which God sees and upon which He justifies, leads inevitably to works which man can see. God saw the faith of Abraham and counted it to him for righteousness, but the faith God saw was real and led Abraham to works that all could see and which proved his faith. The proof to us of the faith is the works, and we know that he who does not do works does not have the type of faith which justifies.

We must not lose sight of the truth which Paul emphasizes against legalism on the one side -- that we are justified on the simple condition of a real faith in Christ. We must not lose sight of the truth which James emphasizes against antinomianism on the other side -- that it is only the faith that proves its genuineness by works that justifies. To the legalist, who is seeking to do something to merit justification, we must say "stop working and believe in Him who justifies the ungodly. (Romans 4:5) To the antinomian, who is boasting that he has faith and is justified by it, but who does not show his faith by his works, we must say "what does it profit, if a man says he has faith, but does not have works? Can that faith save him? (James 2:14) We are justified by faith alone, but we are only justified by that faith which manifests itself by works.

Reviser's Note: The relationship among faith, works, and justification is a subject of significant debate among Christian theologians. It also has a very practical effect on Christians: persons who stress faith in the purely abstract sense and have no good works as fruits of their faith will not be saved. Conversely, those who do good works to "earn" their way into Heaven also will not be saved, because they do not have faith in the atoning value of Christ's sacrifice.

340.020.072 Torrey: no
POINT 72: The children of God are recognized by the fruit they bear.

Matthew 7:17, 19-20 [17] Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

The foregoing excerpt is somewhat out of context -- the full section explains how to distinguish false prophets from true prophets. Nevertheless, it is equally applicable to the point that God expects believers to do things.

340.020.074 Torrey: no
POINT 74: Only those who do the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven. "Do" requires action; mere "belief" is passive.

Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

340.020.076 Torrey: no
POINT 76: The wise man puts into practice the words of Jesus. "Put into practice" requires action.

Matthew 7:17- [24] Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. [26] But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. [27] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

340.020.080 Torrey: p319, T:II, P:8
POINT 80: Jesus was raised because of our justification.

Romans 4:25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

This does not mean that we were justified by the Resurrection. We were already justified by His death. Because we were thus reckoned righteous, God raised Jesus from the dead. The Resurrection is the proof that God has accepted the sacrifice for us which He made. Jesus rose as our representative. In raising Him, God declared Him accepted and us accepted in Him.

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POINT 90: We are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God -- i.e., on the ground of what Jesus is and did, and on the condition of our union with Him, and also on the condition of our union with the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 6:11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

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Topic 30: The Extent of Justification.

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POINT 10: In Christ everyone who believes is justified from all things.

Acts 13:39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

The whole account against the believer is wiped out.

God has absolutely nothing which He reckons against the believer in Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

Romans 8:1, 33-34 [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

340.030.020 Torrey: p320, T:III, P:2
POINT 20: The believer is made the righteousness of God in Christ. He has a righteousness not of his own, but a "righteousness which is of God upon faith."

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Philippians 3:8-9 [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ -- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Romans 3:21-22 [21] But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. [22] This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

There has been an absolute interchange of positions between Christ and the justified believer. Christ took our place, the place of the curse.

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

Jesus was made sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) God reckoned Him a sinner and dealt with Him as a sinner. Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

And when we are justified we step into His place -- the place of acceptance. We are made the righteousness of God in Him.

To be justified is more than to be forgiven. Forgiveness is negative, the putting away of sin. Justification is positive, the reckoning of positive and perfect righteousness to one. Jesus Christ is so united to the believer that God reckons our sins to Him. The believer is so united to Christ that God reckons His righteousness to us. God sees us in Him and reckons us as righteous as He is. When Christ's work in us is completed we will be in actual fact what we are already in God's reckoning.

1 John 3:2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

But our present standing before God is absolutely perfect, though our present state may be far below this.

John 17:23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

"Near, so very near to God,
Nearer I cannot be.
For in the person of His Son
I'm just as near as He.
"Dear, so very dear to God,
Dearer, I cannot be;
For in the person of His Son
I'm just as dear as He."

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Topic 40: The Time of Justification.

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POINT 10: In Christ every believer is justified from all things.

Acts 13:39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

The moment a man believes in Christ, that moment he becomes united to Christ, and God reckons the righteousness of God to Him.

340.050.000 Torrey: p322, T:V
Topic 50: The Results of Justification.

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POINT 10: Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

The enmity between the sinner and God is put away by the cross.

Ephesians 2:14-17 [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, [15] by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, [16] and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. [17] He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

Colossians 1:19-20 [19] For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

The moment the sinner believes in Christ is justified and has peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He may not yet know he has "peace with God," and so will not have "the peace of God." "Peace with God" has to do with our standing; "the peace of God" has to do with our state.

340.050.020 Torrey: p322, T:V, P:2
POINT 20: No one can lay anything to the charge of the justified man. It is God, the great Judge, who justifies; no one can condemn.

Romans 8:33-34 [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died -- more than that, who was raised to life -- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

The believer in Christ is made secure against all condemnation by the death, resurrection, ascension and intercession of Christ. When the death of Christ ceases to satisfy God regarding sin, and when the intercession of Christ ceases to prevail with God, then the justified man can be condemned and not till then.

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POINT 30: Being justified by God's grace, we are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Titus 3:5-7 [5] he saved us, ... [7] so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

340.050.040 Torrey: p323, T:V, P:4
POINT 40: Being justified in Christ's blood we shall be saved from the coming wrath of God.

Romans 5:9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!

All who are justified through faith in Jesus Christ will have no part in that long-restrained wrath of God that is soon to burst upon an apostate world.

John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Judgment regarding sin is past for the believer. His sin has been already judged and punished in the death of Christ.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

The only judgment that awaits the believer is a judgment for rewards according as his works have been good or worthless.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 [11] For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. [12] If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, [13] his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. [14] If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. [15] If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

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POINT 50: The one God justifies He will also glorify. God has already glorified in His own thought and purpose those whom He has justified.

Romans 8:30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

340.050.060 Torrey: p323, T:V, P:6
POINT 60: Those who are justified shall reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:16-17 [16] Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. [17] For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

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