Justification by Faith

This term was originally coined from the secular or non-religious language but has widely been borrowed and used in religious contexts. A number of people are of the view that salvation of humanity is dependent on their faith in Jesus, how firmly the people believe in him and all that, but Paul says that salvation must be accomplished through such processes as faithfulness of Christ Jesus, as demonstrated by his sacrifice and willingness to die on the cross. There is perhaps no known doctrine that is more divisive when it comes to Christianity of all generations, denominations, and traditions than the concept of salvation, something known as Soteriology from a theological perspective. Within this reality of salvation lies discussions on the nature salvation, and how it is accomplished, basing the views from the aspects of God, and from the perspective of a man, and how man understands each aspect, and it works in the life of believers of Christ, as individuals and collectively as Christians.

It is important to take note of the fact that in the list of the study of Soteriology is the concept of justification; a process is known to be active through which God declares an individual fit to be called the son of God, or righteous before Him. What was then the issue in question was whether or not, the church became a continuation of Judaism or if it became an independent body altogether. If so, the other worrying concern was whether the Gentile believers would be required to become new members of the new movement if there were any new requirements2. In the circumstance, there was a strong movement amongst the Jewish believers that the Gentiles should first undergo circumcision to become Jews.

This would then be followed by them being taught to honor and obey Jewish laws as a component of being one of the followers of Jesus Christ. This premised by the fact that Jesus was a requirement for the New Covenant to be in place, just as he was, the requirement for the Old Covenant. Moo, perhaps echoing this sentiment, asserts that when human beings respond to the gospel based on faith, God brings forth a declaration of humanity as innocent and through this process; a special relationship between God and Man begins. Thus, justification becomes the entry point of the individual into the Christian experience and life. These definitions are seen to zero into the various descriptions that Apostle Paul attempts to get across to the readership in Rome.

Justification, otherwise known as the judicial work of the Supreme Being’s declaration of righteousness, is accompanied by faith in Christ, meaning that justification and righteousness are only imparted to those who share in the belief of God5. The definition of this term fetches together Paul’s concepts as they weave together in a masterful manner throughout the letter to Church in Rome. What’s more, since humanity has declared righteousness by the blood of Christ, humanity will be saved from God’s wrath. The verse goes ahead to assert that for if humanity were enemies, then everyone was reconciled to the Almighty through the death of His son on the cross, then how much more, after reconciliation, will the humanity be saved by the life of Christ (Romans 5:8-10).

As it is evidential from the presentation by Apostle Paul, the issue in the chapters within the book of Romans, especially chapters three and five emphasized the perfection of Jesus Christ, his atoning sacrifice and his consequent resurrection, implying that the possibility of an individual being declared a righteous one before God, an aspect that is only done through grace by him. Moo adds that through Christ, God actions to manifest Him as saving the righteousness of humanity and making it a possibility of all and sundry who believes in God and the Son to be justified. That is to say, a pronounced innocence before God Himself passes the judgment7. Having a recall of his words in the book of Romans 3:22, Paul maintains that humanity sees the righteousness of God imparted through the expression of faith.

This is especially so among those who share in the doctrine of justification and to those who believe in Jesus Christ among all who believe in him. Paul emphasizes on a few verses and says that for humanity concludes that man is in himself justified by faith aside from the specific tasks of the law, since only one God exists, one who justifies the circumcision by faith as well as those considered to be uncircumcised by faith (Romans 3:28, 30)9. Since justification has largely been grouped into two aspects, that is, on the premise of means and basis, there are other issues that ought to be taken into consideration and includes (1) the time frame for the process of justification, (2) resultant results to the justification process, and (3) one’s assurance on their justification process.

When the time factor is looked at as a matter of priority, then the verdict of the justification of God serves as the mark of entrance into the life of Christianity. By this approach, it becomes apparent that the question of justification as presented by Apostle Paul has been adequately addressed. It also means that God has pronounced His judicial declaration and verdict on humanity. This task concludes that assurance is a product of justification and wholly provided by the same acts of justification, grounded in the fact that such realizations come with God’s love, affection, mercies, and forgiveness. Conclusively, the significance of justification cannot be overstated. One the same note, the concept can be presented in such a manner that it is easily conceptualized.