Page 111 - Biblical Theology Textbook - masters

through Christ. That includes every sin you commit in the future. They are all covered (Heb. 9:25-26;
10:14).

3. The condition for justification is faith in Jesus Christ. There is a condition for justification in the
Bible. That condition is always faith and only faith (Gal. 2:15-16; Eph. 2:8-9; John 3:16, John 6:40,
Acts 16:30-31).

4. Christ’s blood is applied to all who meet the condition. God gives the free gift of justification to
those who believe. It is not a transaction. When we believe God gives us the righteousness of Christ
(Rom. 4:23-5:2).

5. Justification is an event that takes place at the moment one believes. There are many incorrect
beliefs concerning when a person is justified. Often these misconceptions are rooted in a
misunderstanding of the aspects of sanctification and glorification. As we have already read,
justification is referred to as something believers already have. It is not something they hope to
attain. If you believe, you have eternal life. Lewis Sperry Chafer makes this so clear when he says
“This past-tense aspect of it is the essential and unchanging fact of salvation. At the moment of
believing, the saved one is completely delivered from his lost estate, cleansed, forgiven, justified,
born of God, clothed in the merit of Christ, freed from all condemnation, and safe for evermore.”
87

An Important Note Regarding the Biblical Use of The Term Justification.

When we theologically speak of the aspects of salvation this is what Justification means. As we have
seen with the term salvation, sometimes the term in the Bible refers to something other than getting
saved for eternity. Justification in the Bible is no different. Paul uses it in Romans to refer to the
crediting of Christ’s righteousness to the believer at the moment of faith. The moment that crediting
happens they are eternally saved. James on the other hand uses the term justification in reference to
Christians being evaluated by God according to the Law of Liberty (2:12-3:1). It is an evaluation of the
works of a believer according to a standard. To be “justified” according to that standard they should
become doers of the word. This is not the same as theological aspect of salvation that is received
through faith in Jesus Christ.

Justification means different things in different contexts. Failure to recognize this has led to major
confusion and theological error. If it means “saved for eternity” at all times then Paul saying “justified by
faith and not works” in Romans would directly contradict James saying “a person is justified by works
and not by faith alone” in James 2:26. If they are talking about two different judgments, with two
different standards of evaluation, and two different outcomes then there is no contradiction at all.
Remember that you can always use the modified questions to determine what the justification is in the
context you are reading.

Theological Definitions and Biblical Usage of Sanctification.

The theological term sanctification is often described in similar terms to the biblical word translated
sanctification. Charles Ryrie explains that “The word sanctify means ‘to set apart’ (it has the same root
88
as the words saint and holy).” The Bible is clear that believers are made positionally holy and set apart

87 Chafer, Systematic Theology, 6.
88 Ryrie, A survey of Bible Doctrine.

110