Justification

1) This doctrine has to do with

salvation in terms of man's standing
before God. One who has experienced
salvation has a new relationship to God:
he is justified.
2) The doctrine of justification concerns
God's way in salvation of dealing with
man as unrighteous. God, who is righteous
in all His ways, demands of His
human creature a reciprocal righteousness.
But man does not respond
affirmatively; indeed, because of his
sinful nature he cannot and will not. Yet
there is no way to avoid the demand of
God that he walk in righteousness. Hence, this is the original crisis, for no
man can live a life that truly reflects the
righteousness of God. For there comes the vivid realization
that "all our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags."> All that we do, even "our
righteousnesses," is unclean in His
holy and pure presence. they simply have no genuine
righteousness to respond to the righteousness
of God. Their manner of life
merits only God's judgment.
3) The situation, then, is extremely serious
for all people: on the one hand, God
demands righteousness; on the other,
none can give it because of the power of
sin.
4) The only hope from
the human side would seem to be that of
living a life of such a caliber of righteousness
that God would be able to
accept it. But such attempted justification
by human deeds is not possible
because of who God is, what He
requires, and man's sinful condition.
The other possible hope might be that
God, knowing human frailty and disposition
to evil, would simply overlook it
and receive man in spite of his sinfulness
to Himself. But such is even
more impossible, for God as totally
holy, righteous, and pure, cannot act in
such an arbitrary fashion.