Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
There need be no confusion about the meaning of justification by faith. It's a simple matter to go to the original language the apostle Paul used when writing his soul-stirring words in Romans: "justification" is the same word he used for "righteousness."
That opens up a world of understanding. When Paul speaks of justification by faith he means righteousness by faith--in other words, right living by faith. Justification by faith is worlds beyond a verbal, legal pronouncement of acquittal from guilt, which makes no change in a person's heart and character.
The legal pronouncement was made when Christ cried out at His crucifixion, "It is finished!" He had completed the work the Father had given Him to do (John 17:4). He had earned His title, "the Savior of the world" (John 4:42); "The Lord [had] laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:6). He had now proven His role to be the new Head of the human race, the second Adam. He had died the second death "for everyone" (Heb. 2:9), and paid the final penalty for every sin of humanity.
That is why Christ in a purely legal sense pronounces the "judicial ... verdict of acquittal" on "all" (Rom. 5:15-18, The Revised English Bible). But justification by faith is conversion, a change of heart, an experience of reconciliation to God. And since no one can be reconciled to God unless he is also reconciled to God's holy law, justification by faith means a new life of obedience to God's law, not motivated by fear but by love (agape).
Love is the most severe taskmaster in the universe, but in the light of the cross of Christ, the most reasonable because it leads to self being crucified with Christ.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: March 19, 2005.
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