Greek - dikaio, to render innocent, to justify, to pronounce righteous.
dikaiosis, the noun form, means acquittal, justification.
Related words:
dikaios, righteous, just.
dikaiosune, righteousness, justice.
(From The Expanded Vines, by W.E. Vine; The New Englishman's Greek Concordance and Lexicon, by Wigram - Green)
Therefore, to be justified by God is to be rendered innocent, to be pronounced righteous, that is, to be made right with Him.
The two books in the New Testament that deal most directly with the matter of justification are Romans and Galatians. Let's see what they have to say.
According to Romans
The problem:
2. The result is that all have sinned and fall short of God's glory (3:23).
4. Mankind as a whole became wrong in their situation with God (3:10).
The solution:
2. His death on the cross was a righteous act in obedience to God (5:18-19).
3. Just as Adam's one offense of disobedience led to the condemnation of all men, Christ's one righteous act of obedience on the cross through which He accomplished redemption, leads to justification of all men (3:24; 4:25; 5:9, 16, 18).
4. Justification restores man's right place and standing with God. We can now be right with God (5:19).
The application:
1. Justification is a free gift given by God in grace through Christ (5:15-17).
2. This free gift is given to and received by all those who truly believe, to those who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (3:22, 26, 28; 5:1, 17).
The result:
1. Being reconciled to God (next week's topic) (5:10-11).
2. Having peace with God (5:1).
3. Having access to God's grace (5:2).
4. Being saved from wrath (5:9).
5. Reigning in life (5:17).
According to Galatians
The main point of justification in the book of Galatians is that it is by faith, and not by works of the law.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified (2:16).
But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith" (3:11).
Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith (3:24).
Note: Both Romans and Galatians use Abraham as an example of justification by faith. Read Romans chapter four and Galatians 3:6-9.
At this point, some of you may be asking why I have not included the verses in James 2:14-26. The topics that I am presently dealing with: redemption, justification, reconciliation, etc., are being considered in respect to the beginning of our salvation, that is, our entrance into the kingdom of God, our transfer out of Adam into Christ, from darkness to light, from the authority of Satan to God. I do not believe that these verses in James are referring to this initial entrance into God's kingdom, but the practical application of our faith, the fruit of the Spirit as the good works that are manifested in a life of faith. Therefore I am leaving this section of the word for another time, another topic.
The biblical evidence is clear and strong. We are made right with God (justified), not based upon anything we have done or can do, but wholly, completely, absolutely, one-hundred percent, based upon what Jesus Christ has done for us. Our faith in Him and His redemptive work on the cross, is our only possibility of justification, of our being made right with God.
I now conclude with these verses from Acts 13:38-39:
Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this Man [Jesus] is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
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