DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION

Delta Report ^ | 6/27/77 | R. B. Thieme, Jr.

[Cvengr]

A. ETYMOLOGY.

1. The noun DIKAIOSUNE means anything pertaining to the integrity of God, His righteousness or justice. When used for man it refers to imputed perfect righteousness.

2. The adjective DIKAIOS means "just," or "righteous." When used of God it refers to His integrity. When used of man it refers to his salvation adjustment to the justice of God, i.e.,"a justified one."

3. The verb DIKAIOO means:

a. To be made righteous.

b. To have a relationship with the integrity of God, therefore, to justify, to vindicate, Rom 3:22.

4. The phrase DIKAIOSUNE THEOU, "the righteousness of God," refers to various aspects of the integrity or thinking of God.

5. The word DIKAIOMA means "righteousness." Rom 5:18.

B. Definition of DIKAIOSUNE THEOU.

1. The "perfect righteousness of God" becomes the function of blessing from the justice of God to man. It begins at salvation.

2. This function of divine blessing from the justice of God at salvation is called DIKAIOSUNE THEOU or the integrity of God, or DIKAIOO or justification, a judicial function of the justice of God.

3. Justification means an act of vindication. This is a judicial act of vindication, because we are born under condemnation, being spiritually dead.

4. Therefore, justification is an official judicial act which occurs every time anyone believes in Christ. The justice of God acts on our behalf pronouncing us justified, which means, having a relationship with God forever, having the perfect righteousness of God imputed to us.

5. Justification means that God recognizes that He has given us His perfect righteousness. Therefore, this is technically called forensic justification. Justification is the judicial act by God, whereby He recognizes we have His perfect righteousness.

6. The mechanics at salvation adjustment to the justice of God include three logistical steps.

a. Personal faith in Christ. The object of faith has all the merit. We are nothing till we have something of the integrity of God through maximum Bible doctrine in the soul.

b. The justice of God provides perfect righteousness to all who believe.

c. God judicially pronounces us justified, officially righteous.

7. All of these steps occur simultaneously at the moment of faith. But there is a logistical sequence even in simultaneous things.

8. Mankind can only be justified by the justice of God. This only happens when we possess what justice possesses: perfect righteousness.

9. The justice of God guards the essence of God. Perfect righteousness guards justice. Justice cannot go wrong, because perfect righteousness is behind it. At salvation we receive God's perfect righteousness, and His justice must recognize that very same perfect righteousness which backs Him.

10. God's perfect righteousness is the principle of His integrity. His justice is the function of His integrity. Always behind the function of God's justice is the principle of God's perfect righteousness. If God gives us perfect righteousness, the principle, at the point of faith, and He does, what can God's justice do with us now?

11. If you sin, you haven't changed your status with God. You are still justified. You still have perfect righteousness, and therefore eternal salvation. So you are justified forever. The justice of God can only judge sin with divine discipline. But if we rebound first, the justice of God can only forgive us.

12. Until perfect righteousness is imputed there can be no justification. We can never be justified until we first receive perfect righteousness. No perfect righteousness imputed means no justification.

13. All human categories of righteousness are excluded. God doesn't think much of your personality or self-righteousness. He isn't impressed with anything but His own perfect righteousness. God loves His perfect righteousness with an eternal love. Perfect righteousness is the only thing we have that counts with God.

14. Justification is the possession of divine perfect righteousness imputed at salvation. Justification frees the justice of God to pronounce the fact we have His perfect righteousness. Now He is free to give you eternal life. So the Holy Spirit gives you seven things of the forty things you receive instantly at salvation.

15. Justification is another way of describing salvation relationship with the integrity of God.

16. Justification is not forgiveness. Forgiveness is subtraction, justification is addition by grace. Forgiveness subtracts sin, justification adds the perfect righteousness of God.

17. Justification is the work of the integrity of God. Specifically it is the modus operandi of divine justice after imputation of divine perfect righteousness. At the point of faith in Christ, justification is the judicial act of God whereby the imputation of divine perfect righteousness is recognized as valid for vindication.

18. Justification, then, is the completion of the believer's salvation adjustment to the justice of God. It is the consummation of the salvation work of God logistically.

D. Justification is related to salvation adjustment to the justice of God in Rom 3:28, 5:1; Gal 3:24.

E. Justification is related to the principle of grace, Rom3:24;Tit3:7. When justice functions in the field of blessing, it is always grace. Imputed perfect righteousness comes through grace, not human merit. The integrity of God provides everything integrity demands.

F. Justification is not related to human works, Rom 3:20,28; Gal 2:16.

G. Mechanics of Justification, Gen 15:6; Rom 3:22.

1. From these passages it is obvious that the mechanics of justification involves on the part of man a non-meritorious function, believing, and on the part of God, the total work of Christ on the cross bearing sin, and God the Father judging those sins.

2. And when we believe, God must perform the added work of the imputation of perfect righteousness, so that by recognizing His perfect righteousness in us, He justifies us.

3. Rom 4:4-5, the person who works for salvation receives nothing from God because the justice of God is not free from grace to give him anything. Instead their works are credited to them as debt. Cf. Rom 9:30-32.

H. The judgment of sin frees the justice of God for the blessing of justification.

1. The justice of God guards the perfect righteousness of God by judging sin, so that there is no compromise in God's essence. Rom 4:25, the integrity of God is never free to bless man if there is compromise of God's essence.

2. By judging sin, the justice of God is free to bless man with salvation. If the justice of God cannot bless you at salvation, then there is no God, no blessing from God. Salvation in the Bible means justification, because it reveals the Source, the mechanics and grace. God did all the work by imputing perfect righteousness to us.

3. Christ was "raised up from the dead because of our justification." There was no resurrection until God had done everything necessary to provide justification.

4. Rom 5:8-9. Christ died spiritually for us. Physical death is dying for yourself. Justification is the word that emphasizes the total integrity of God. "Blood" is the word that emphasizes the total work of Christ.

5. Justification is the work of the integrity of God in providing a relationship between man and God. "Blood" refers to redemption, propitiation, and reconciliation as parts of salvation.

6. Justice is never free to bless unless justice can keep the whole Essence of God from compromise.

a. The justice of God is the second half of the integrity of God, the functioning half. Perfect righteousness, the other half, is the principle part of divine essence. You must have the principle from which there is function.

b. The justice of God is never free to bless man if any part of the essence of God is compromised. So the objective is no compromise for the essence of God.

c. The judgment of sin frees the justice of God for the blessing of justification, Rom 4:25. The cross was the place Christ was delivered over for judgment. Justice judged sin. Paul's basic thesis is that the justice of God had to judge our sins on the cross before the justice of God is free to bless us with salvation.

d. We, as believers, have one-half of the integrity of God in the imputation of perfect righteousness. But getting the other half (by reaching maturity) is the hard part.

e. In God's relationship with man, love is not the issue. The cross set-up the issue. Our first contact with the essence of God is with His justice, not His love. And where creatures are concerned, God always places His integrity before His love.

f. God the Father always loved His Son in Hypostatic Union. Yet even though His love for the Son was total and maximum, there was something more important than love: the justice of God. Why? Because justice is the operational part of divine integrity. Therefore, divine love was set aside.

g. Always where God is related to man justice comes before love. In the human realm, great lovers always have integrity behind their love.

h. The total word for our relationship with God is justification, because justification reveals and describes the Source of salvation.

(1) God the Father did the judging.

(2) God the Son received the judgment.

(3) God the Holy Spirit reveals the judgment.

i. Included in salvation are redemption, reconciliation, and propitiation, which are partial words summarizing the full words justification and blood of Christ.

I. Justification is related to ultimate sanctification.

1. Because the justice of God must judge sin before it is free to bless man, and because this work of justification was accomplished through the work of the cross, Christ has been resurrected from the dead and this links justification with the strategic victory of Christ.

2. Resurrection is the link between the victory of the integrity of God opening the way for the justice of God to bless us and the strategic victory of the angelic conflict, Rom 4:25.

3. Hence, justification is related to ultimate sanctification. Rom 8:29-30, "And whom He justified, these he also glorified." The integrity of God saves us and carries us all the way to glory. God's perfect righteousness is a down payment on ultimate sanctification. It is God's integrity guaranteeing you a resurrection body.

J. Maturity adjustment to the justice of God results in vindication by production.

1. We have production when we reach maturity, Mt 11:18-19. John the Baptist was slandered by the Pharisees because of his ascetic lifestyle. Also Christ's capacity for life is slandered. "Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds."

2. The production of John and our Lord set aside any reality of this slander. Production is the means of justifying and therefore neutralizing the slander.

3. Lk 7:33-35, "But wisdom is justified by all her children." A synonym for production. There are different types of production.

4. Jas 2:21-26, the offering of Isaac was the production of an ultra-supergrace believer. Abraham did it as a result of maximum Bible doctrine in the soul. Justification by works is production from maximum Bible doctrine in the soul. Production is the follow through of maximum Bible doctrine in the soul.

[Cvengr]

Children also have not reached the age of accountability and do not understand what the Gospel message is about. I agree that truth from the mouth of babes is accurate.

Children are also very scarred in their thinking and can be some of the most arrogant people around. (Just take a kid’s favorite toy away from them and give it to their fellow kid and watch what happens,...don’t do it,...it simply encourages them to sin.)

In regards to adding to faith,... we always are to grow in faith, by remaining in fellowship, studying His Word and allowing God the Holy Spirit to grow that faith in us, but you are quite correct, anything added to faith alone in Christ alone by the believer voids the efficacious nature of that faith for use by God the Holy Spirit.

It’s like saying God’s Plan isn’t adequate,...we need to help him out so it will work. That simply leads the believer out of fellowship.

[Cvengr]

I’ve found that those preoccupied with works in their association with salvation, haven’t begun to mature in Christ.

Each of us is made uniquely and God has a Plan for each of us. As we grow in the Lord, study Scripture, intake the Word and God the Holy Spirit continues to grow us spiritually and in our soul, we go through experience testing. As we continue to persevere, and mature in Him, we sometimes begin to see where He has placed us to be at the right place and right time to perform works He has prepared us to perform.

Those are the works I understand which also justify us, but that is after initial saving faith, way after we were babes in Christ.

[wmfights]

Children are also very scarred in their thinking and can be some of the most arrogant people around.

Great point. They are mirrors of our depravity. As we age we become more sophisticated in hiding our greed and self-centered thinking and living.

In regards to adding to faith,... we always are to grow in faith, by remaining in fellowship, studying His Word and allowing God the Holy Spirit to grow that faith in us,...

Amen, but I think this is more sanctification. We are maturing and being led by the Holy Spirit. Our desires are changing. The things we find joy in are changing. However, these are all beautiful affects of something that came before. The trigger being the unconditional faith in Jesus Christ.

It’s like saying God’s Plan isn’t adequate,...we need to help him out so it will work. That simply leads the believer out of fellowship.

Where we may, or may not, differ is I think the person caught in this thinking is not yet saved.

[wmfights]

Those are the works I understand which also justify us, but that is after initial saving faith, way after we were babes in Christ.

I will disagree with you about this. The works we perform after being justified do not save us. Our justification is a one time event.

Eph. 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

I hope you don't mind if I pinged some others to this topic.

[Cvengr]

IMHO, the vast majority of believers never advance beyond being babes in Christ, preoccupied by worldly things, and sliding into one counterfeit substitute for the Christian walk or another. We frequently confuse ‘good’ with the Christian walk, instead of placing faith in Christ in all things, never ceasing in prayer. I know I’m guilty of that frequently.

[wmfights]

IMHO, the vast majority of believers never advance beyond being babes in Christ, preoccupied by worldly things, and sliding into one counterfeit substitute for the Christian walk or another.

I agree that there are a lot of folks who fit that definition. I've sure had my share of mistakes. However, I wonder how many are really saved. Over time you will see fruits of the Spirit in a believer. Over time you will see a believer have a desire to read Scripture and their walk with the Lord will become more intimate.

We started out looking at those who think their salvation is contingent on their works. However, we can look at those that responded to an altar call or prayed the sinners prayer and then over time no change is evident in their walk and question whether they really have been justified or not. I think works may reflect the inner change, but we can't forget the thief on the Cross. He was saved (justified) and all he did was believe.

[Cvengr]

Good point.

Gal 2:16
(16) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

[Cvengr]

And again

Rom 3:22-26
(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
(25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
(26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

[wmfights]

GREAT SCRIPTURE!

[suzyjaruki]

As we continue to persevere, and mature in Him, we sometimes begin to see where He has placed us to be at the right place and right time to perform works He has prepared us to perform. Those are the works I understand which also justify us, but that is after initial saving faith, way after we were babes in Christ.

Are you not confusing sanctification with justification? Justification being a sole act of God and sanctification being a cooperative effort.

[suzyjaruki]

As we continue to persevere, and mature in Him, we sometimes begin to see where He has placed us to be at the right place and right time to perform works He has prepared us to perform. Those are the works I understand which also justify us, but that is after initial saving faith, way after we were babes in Christ.

Are you not confusing sanctification with justification? Justification being a sole act of God and sanctification being a cooperative effort.

[JLLH]

“I think it is as simple as just “believing in Christ”. Repentance and regeneration follow real faith. The fallen angels “know” who Jesus Christ is, but they don’t believe in Him unconditionally.”

Agreed on the last sentence, which, if you read my posts is what Boatbums and I discussed and why I chose to break that phrase down into a definition. As for repentance and regeneration, they do not FOLLOW saving faith but happen at the same time and are an integral part of saving faith. One cannot know Christ unless one is regenerated; and repentance is necessary for salvation as well.

[JLLH]

“The person who adds to their faith, even with the best of intentions, is following a different gospel.”

If they are trusting in that OTHER to save them (a system of works, charity, membership in a specific church, sacraments, confessions, walking the aisle without saving faith, etc...), I would agree, but if they trust Christ but sometimes falter and feel that they should surely DO something themselves (as, if we are honest, all of us have wondered or felt at some time for we are all prone to doubt on occasion)....I would consider that while their theology is not “spot on” they are still saved. I think in the latter case is an issue of maturity and growth as others have said, rather than a clear-cut case of not being saved (as the former example would be).

[JLLH]

“It is not my job to judge another’s heart since only God can truly see it.”

Very true, but we are called to be “fruit inspectors” if you will... :))

This is where so many get confused with the concept of justification. They misinterpret “Faith without works is dead” which is an indicator of the type of faith one must have to be saved — not an indicator that works will earn one salvation. As far as “working out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you” — that is a reference to sanctification because only a justified person possesses Christ through the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is a process, not justification which occurs once. The reality from God’s perspective (being outside Time) is that we have been saved, we are being saved and we will be saved — for all times are ever present to Him. From our perspective it occurs once.

Just some thoughts.... Thanks for listening! :))

[boatbums]

The reality from God’s perspective (being outside Time) is that we have been saved, we are being saved and we will be saved — for all times are ever present to Him. From our perspective it occurs once.

Amen! Well said, thanks.

[boatbums]

We love to "sugar coat" things because we don't want to offend. However, I think it's pretty clear the answer is NO!

That is my conclusion as well, though reluctantly. All I can do, besides praying and speaking the truth whenever I get the chance, is to leave it in God's hands. He is speaking to hearts in the way only he can and he will not force anyone to trust in him and be saved. I believe he is ALL good, holy, and righteous and that he desires everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth. I trust him to do what is right.

[fortheDeclaration]

Thank you for posting.

What is the source?

It sounds like it came from an R.B. Thieme work.

[fortheDeclaration]

Disregard my last post, I didn’t see that it had R.B. Thieme posted at the top.

[Cvengr]

Posts 37 and 38 are indicative of a positive response to spiritual communication from God the Holy Spirit. Nice to be in the walk, isn’t it?

[Cvengr]

Are they really saved?...the answer is No!

I think I would frame the query slightly differently. Would a person be saved only by believing he must perform works with faith to gain salvation?

No.

Galatians and James though are both True. We agree?