What is Justification?

Perhaps some might ask, "Once I say the sinner's prayer, am I once saved always saved?". After all, the bible says in Rom 10:13 that everyone who calls upon the Lord will be Saved, isn't it?

And if we probe deeper, some might even ask, "How much obedience is required in order to be called faithful?" Or rather, "How Carnal can a Christian be before he loses his Salvation?"

While these are frequently asked questions, there are hardly any direct answers to them. 

If we base our benchmark on the amount of good works we perform, we assume that we can earn Salvation by our good works, which is wrong. But on the flip side of the coin, if we think that we are once saved always saved, are we suggesting that a Christian can carry on killing children, raping women and stealing money from old widows without any eternal consequences?

The fundamental problem is, the questions above are sincere, but unfortunately, wrong. No amount of good works can save us, as under the New Covenant, Salvation is given by Grace, and not by debt (Romans 4:5-8). Neither will a true believer continue to live in his former ways. The bible says that once we are saved, we no longer behave like our former selves as sons of disobedience (Eph 2:1-10, Col 3:1-9). 

Hence the right question that one should ask is, 

1. What is the purpose of Justification

2. To whom is Justification given to? 

Once this is established, we will no longer be in confusion. Let's take a look at the basis of Salvation:

1. Salvation was first offered to Israel at Mount Sinai. In Exodus 19:3-9, after witnessing all the miracles in the Red sea and the wilderness, God offered Israel to be HIS Kingdom of priest and holy nation. You have to understand that at this point, Israel MUST accept that offer. 

IF Israel were to say, "Your Laws are too difficult, we are unable to accept!", Then they will NEVER be his chosen people. What then is the purpose of the 10 Commandments? Did God gave the Law JUST TO prove that men are unable to fulfill it? Paul is very clear in Romans 7:7-14 that it is through the Law that we understand the concept of Sin, and we understand our weakness through the Flesh. But the important thing is that, through the Law, we understand God's standard of Holiness. 

God did not set a standard that is unreasonably perfect, but rather it is mankind who is Sinful and thus unable to meet His Holy requirement. Thus the purpose of the Law is to show us how we ought to walk and fellowship with God. However, man can never fulfill His Holy requirement.

2. Since God knew that men can never perfectly obey the Law, so in Exodus 20:22-26, he gave him the Levitical Sacrifices. The alter of sacrifices, under the Old Covenant, is a system of JUSTIFICATION BY WORKS in which a high priest will have to perfectly perform all the rituals in a specific manner. Recipients of Justification will no longer face the spiritual penalty for their sins and thus receives blessings for that year. If the High Priest fails, it will result in curses or even death for that year.

So basically, Justification is an atonement of Sins for those who are unable to walk perfectly in his Laws. 

3. However, Israel fell on 2 accounts :

    a) Due to idolatry, they failed to continue in the Levitical sacrifices, hence they were not covered under the Old Covenant, which is Justification by Works. 1 Kings 11 tells us of the fall of Solomon which triggered Israel to spiral downwards through the succession of good and evil Kings. Prophets like Jeremiah also frequently mentioned how Israel "Played the Harlot" by worshiping other Gods and forsaking the Sacrifices.

    b) Even when they DID continue with the Levitical Sacrifices, they took Justification FOR GRANTED and lived in LAWLESSNESS. In Isaiah chapter 1, God condemned Israel for offering useless Sacrifices (V11-15). His call for Israel's repentance in V16-20 shows God's condition that if they repent from their wicked ways, they will be forgiven.

THIS is the purpose of Justification, repentance :

Isaiah 1:16-20

16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.[a]
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
    you will eat the good things of the land;
20 but if you resist and rebel,
    you will be devoured by the sword.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Unfortunately, Israel did not heed the voice of God through the Prophets.

4. As a result, God destroyed Israel first by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17), and then by the Babylonians (2 Kings 24). The remnant of Israel was exiled to Babylon, which carried on to Media-Persia, Greece and subsequently the Roman empire.

5. Throughout this time, God sent prophets after prophets to WARN Israel of their apostasy, urging them to repent from their wicked ways so that they can be forgiven. And he promised a Messiah and a future of peace and security under the Millennium Rule on the condition that Israel "Repent and turn from their wicked ways" (2 Chro 7:14 cross reference to Acts 3:19). The last prophet was John the Baptist during Roman rule, which he too called for Israel's repentance (Matt 3:7-10).

6. After the last ministry of the prophets under John the Baptist, Jesus came to establish the New Covenant, which is Justification by Faith instead of works. Hebrews 10:1-18 describes the blood of Jesus as the PERFECT sacrifice as opposed to the blood of bulls and goats. This had replaced the alter of Sacrifices, such that Israel's Justification is no longer dependent on a human high priest, but a heavenly high priest who can never fail. 

Under the New Covenant, the Law is no longer written on STONES, but in the HEART of believers (Heb 10:16, 2 Cor 3:7-11 fulfillment of Jer 31:33). The Law is summarized as Love your God, and Love your Neighbors (Matt 22:37-40, Gal 5:14).

7. This offer for Salvation was rejected by the Jews and subsequently offered to the Gentiles as prophesied in the Old Testament (Acts 13:46-48, Acts 10:44-46, Isaiah 42:6, Isaiah 49:6).

8. So what is the purpose of Justification? It is so that sinful men can repent from their wicked ways, live Godly lives, so that we can be brought back to fellowship with God.


Romans 6:16 says, "when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness." V18 says, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

We are Justified SO THAT we can be SANCTIFIED.

Is this positional righteousness? No, it is ACTUAL Practical Righteousness. Rom 6:22, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

9. Who are recipients of Justification? It is for those who WANTS TO obey God and follow his commandments, but knows that they are inadequate and unable to perfectly fulfill his Holy Laws.

Romans 8:4-6 says, "the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."

10. To whom is Justification NOT meant for? Justification is not meant for those who keep their eyes on the things of the Flesh (Worldly, Carnal, Material values) and willfully continue living in their own selfish agendas.

Romans 8:7 says, "7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God."

If one is not SANCTIFIED (transformed in Christlikeness, increase in good works of righteousness, obedient to his commandments, keeps his mind on heavenly values), then he is NOT JUSTIFIED.

After we define what is Justification, the answer is clear: True believers in the gospel WILL grow in obedience and good works (1 John 2:1-6). That is because true believers WANT to repent and obey God's commandments (Rom 7:22) but they KNOW that they are inherently evil by nature (Rom 7:23-24) and hence they NEED a Savior to take away the penalty of their Sins (Rom 7:25).

Whereas False believers merely WANTS to receive Salvation and material blessings (James 5:1-6), while they REJECT the commandments of God (Mark 7:9-13), REFUSE to deny oneself (Mortal material values, personal agendas and ambition) (Matt 16:24). They FAIL to understand that the purpose of Justification is to bring us back to fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-10), to live in Godliness (Col 3:12-17), to bring forth fruits of righteousness, 30, 60 and 100 folds (Matt 13:23).   

Based on this understanding, we no longer need to ask how much is needed in order to be called faithful. We no longer need to ask how much of our carnal self can we retain in order to remain saved. Those who are truly saved WILL obey and surrender their priorities to him, whereas those who are false will continue to live in carnality, worldliness and their selfish agendas.