Jesus the Justifier

Justified by faith (Rom 5:1).  The sheer depth and density of such a statement is staggering.  Paul made no small declaration by saying that faith is the means to justification's end.  Because of the breadth of theology administered by the profundity of this simple phrase, their are libraries full of books about it; clearly, this is important.  A good place to begin is to address what Paul means by "justification" and what he means by "faith."

Justification, in its basest form, is a legal matter.  To be considered just necessitates legitimate reasoning and overcoming the burden of proof.  In the case of salvation, the burden of proof is sin.  Luckily, we have an advocate in Jesus, the Justifier before God, the Heavenly judge.  Therefore, declaring us to be justified is wholly dependent on the Lord justifying us before His own eyes.

Moreover, justification refers to justice being meted out.  In this case, justice is paid for by the blood of the spotless lamb, Jesus.  In order for the perfect justice of God to be met, a perfect justifier had to provide the cost justice required.  Jesus is that provider.  By His perfect, sinless life He met the necessary requirements of God's justice.  In His death, Jesus paid the price of justice, served sin's sentence so to speak.  And by His bodily resurrection, He has not only met justification's requirements but has covered the cost of justification for all mankind.

Enter faith.  In order for anyone to have Jesus' justification applied personally to their sin accounts and be found just before a holy God, faith is the necessary requirement.  The reason that it is by faith that justification is administered to humans is logical.  If justification were to be appropriated by works of merit, the amount of justification applied would need to be consistent with the value of the merit's acts.  Therefore, reason stands that because God's requirements of justice are perfect and man is incapable of meriting perfect righteousness, then there needs to be another manner of accruing perfect justification.

Christ acts as our perfecter justifier.  Through faith in Him we are deemed justified.  Justification then becomes our punched-ticket of entrance into the Kingdom of God.  By faith, the justification of Christ is appropriated and applied to our lives.  Faith is the conduit for justification's application to our lives.  The content and object of our faith is Jesus.  Only by faith in Him, His life, death, and resurrection, are we able to be justified before the Lord.  Let us then run to Christ in faith and thus take joy that He justifies us by the blood of Jesus!