17 July

In the legal system of Ancient Israel, a dispute put both parties at risk of the judgment of the court. The court’s process had a redemptive role; the judge was meant to help the party in the right to correct the wrong. At the end of the case, one party would be declared righteousand the other in the wrong. Successful performance of this function meant ‘justice’ had been done. The Hebrew word for righteous is tsaddiq, which some versions of the Bible translate as ‘innocent’ or ‘just’ – one whose status is right. This is the Old Testament background to being ‘justified’.

The child’s definition of justified is ‘just as if I’d’ never sinned. Jesus died for our sins. If you put your faith in him then you are justified. You are acquitted. You are declared righteous in his sight. Sin no longer separates you from God. You can live in a right relationship with him and with others. This is ‘justification’.

The cross is effective throughout all time. Through what Jesus did on the cross, those who had never heard about him but put their trust in God were justified by their faith.

Do you need to understand all this in order to be justified by faith? Not at all. Justification is by faith, so you don’t even need a correct understanding of justification by faith to be justified by faith; you simply need faith. ‘This is why the fulfilment of God’s promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God’s promise arrives as pure gift’ (v.16, MSG).

God is not interested in how ‘religious’ you are. He is far more concerned about integrity, justice and righteousness. Without that religiosity is sheer hypocrisy. He says:

‘I can’t stand your religious meetings.
   I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
   your pretentious slogans and goals.
I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes,
   your public relations and image making.
I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
   When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
   I want justice – oceans of it.
I want fairness – rivers of it.
   That’s what I want. That’s all I want’ (vv.21–24, MSG).

A central outworking of justification by faith is that God’s people respond by acting with righteousness and justice. John Calvin once said, ‘It is faith alone that justifies, but the faith that justifies can never be alone.’ Our natural response to what God has done for us should be to act in line with his will.