18 Oct 2010
Theological Digression: Justification
Editor’s note: This is something I wrote years ago, when I was studying the doctrine of justification.
“Paul explains that for the one who believes in the Lord, like Abram, God credits him with righteousness but does not credit his sins against him because he is forgiven. Justification does not mean that the believer is righteous; it means that God credits him with righteousness, so that in the records of heaven (as it were) he is declared righteous.”
This is where the Catholic church missed the boat. They believe that our justification is tied to our righteousness: we are justified because we lead perfect lives, and those who fail lose their justification. This is why many accuse Catholics of salvation-by-works, and the accusation is valid. Being justified due to leading a sinless life is a very different thing than what Paul talked about in Romans. We are justified because God credits us with righteousness despite our sins: it has nothing to do with the good deeds we’ve done and everything to do with God’s declaring us righteous.
If we believe that we are saved because of the lives we are leading then who are we really trusting for our salvation? How can we be said to be trusting Christ when we are depending on our own conduct?
I am righteous because God chose to credit me with the righteousness of Christ. That’s all there is to it.