Why We Need Justification

The exact reasons that we need to be justified has been a matter of debate since the beginning of recorded history. In the following paragraphs we will systematically walk through the process of justification starting from the very beginning, with the fall of mankind by direct sin against God from Adam and Eve. Romans 1:17-3:20 walks us through the realization that all are sinners.[1] We can see that throughout history the human race is in a constant state of rebellion against God and God’s plan to redeem us and bring us back into fellowship with Him. The reason that we as human beings are separated from God is because of sin, which can be easily defined as, failure to conform or submit to God’s moral law, by our action our attitude, or our very nature. Sin can also be defined through scriptures.[2] 1 John 3:4 states, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” In Romans 3:20 we find that violating God’s law provides us with the knowledge of sin. That passage also states that we can’t work our way to be righteous because the scripture states that none are justified by their works.
The exact definition for justification is a legal term which can be found in a court of law. Justified is a legal verdict that means we are found innocent and we are acquitted of any wrongdoing or crime. This is what is meant by justification by grace. Even though we are guilty of a serious crime, we are acquitted for everything that we have ever done wrong and which was contrary to God’s law.[3]
Not only is it important to cover that we are sinners in the sight of God, keeping in mind that the definition of sin is the act of rebelling against God, we must also look at original sin. In studying the origin of sin we will study Adam the first man and Adam the last man. Adam the first man is the Adam that God created at the beginning of the creation and the last Adam is a reference to Jesus Christ of Nazareth. According to Douglas Moo, when we explore original sin it will at first seem unfair and may provoke the question why am I being held responsible for something that happened thousands of years ago? There are several ways to understand original sin. First, we as human beings can be evil and self-serving in all areas of our life. This is why we steal, lie, cheat and sometimes commit atrocities like abortion or murder. The simple explanation as to why we commit these crimes before God is because we inherited the sin of Adam and as Moo puts it, “we are stained by its consequences.” The next reason Paul walks us through that everyone has sinned and we all die because we have sinned. Moo spoke correctly when he said,[4]
“Our sin is the sin of Adam, in which we share. But the point is this: according to Paul, we really did sin when Adam did. Admittedly, we do not understand perfectly the mechanics of how that takes place. Some theologians think that Adam is our legal representative. Others suggest a more organic relationship: we are all genetically tied to Adam, the ancestor of all humans.”[5]
The last Adam, also called the second Adam, is Jesus Christ. In Romans 5, Paul starts to unravel the nature and effects that Adam’s sin caused. The first Adam brought about death to all mankind, whereas the second Adam, in obedience to His Father, submitted to being hung on a cross to correct the disastrous results of the first Adam’s fall.[6] It is also important to place the first and second Adam in parallel to see the results that each one had on the justification of all mankind. We see the first Adam in the Garden of Eden being tempted by satan and Christ in the desert being tempted by satan. Here are some of the parallels between Adam and Christ. We see paradise versus wilderness, satisfied versus starving. Both are tempted by lust of the eyes and flesh along with pride. We see Adam’s disobedience to obeying God and Christ’s complete obedience and submission to God, and finally banished by angels versus ministered to by angels. Max Anders sums this up perfectly:
“Clearly, the early church (Matthew as well as Luke) saw the temptation experience of Christ as being the Garden of Eden revisited. – But under the harshest of conditions, making Christ victory all the more profound. In his victory, the second Adam regained dominance over satan which the first Adam gave up in Eden.”[7]
The next provision that God gave to the world was the law given through Moses, also known as the Mosaic Law. There is also reference to this law in Romans 9:31 and it is mentioned as the Law of righteousness. According to Moo, the law is placed into a very negative light, serving in salvation history.
“It brings knowledge of sin, it cannot justify, it stirs up wrath, it increases the trespass and it is contrary to grace.”[8]
In the seventh chapter of Romans, Paul makes it very clear that the law made our situation even worse off by turning sin into transgressions. Transgressions can be characterized by a willful disobedience against God and His word. [9] An expectation in studying the Mosaic Law would suggest that God uses this for a greater good for all humanity. However, it is seldom looked at in a negative context and that is the next area of study that we will pursue. To put it bluntly, the law did not bring about life for Israel, instead it brought death. It is through our unification to the second Adam, Jesus Christ, that we are dead to the law. This has empowered those who believe in Jesus as the messiah to bear the good fruit God has intended for humanity. It is through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we are able to accomplish the law and serve all humanity, instead of the failure that Israel experienced.[10] We can also see another parallel being formed between the law and Christ. I would like to use an analogy that is from a book called, “The Way of the Master,” which will illustrate this point correctly. Imagine yourself in a courtroom and you are being charged with a very serious crime. The judge tells you that you have to pay a fine of ten million dollars or you are going to jail for the rest of your life. Of course, we do not have ten million dollars and sadly we don’t know anyone who does. At that moment the judge says, “Bailiff, take him away!” Then someone you don’t even know, stands up and walks to the judge and says, “Your honor, I sold everything I own, my cars, my house and all that I have so I can pay this fine. The judge looks at the check for ten million dollars and states that you are free to go. The letter of the law and the fine has been satisfied. This analogy is precisely what Jesus did for us by sacrificing himself for our sins. Allowing Him to suffer the consequences for the actions that we caused and ultimately fulfilling every letter of the law because we were unable to.[11]

Cite
[1] (Sproul 2000, 28)
[2] (Grudem 1994, 490)
[3] (Borg 2001)
[4] (Moo 2002)
[5] (Moo 2002, 105)
[6] (Moo 2002, 106)
[7] (Anders 2000, 176)
[8] (Moo 2002, 120)
[9] (Moo 2002, 122)
[10] (Schreiner 1998)
[11] (Cameron 2002, 133,134)