Paul spends a great deal of time on justification by faith. Justification does not change the person but it changes the person’s status. (1) Justification is an action that God takes on the elect person, relevant to that person. It is a judicial announcement of that person’s relationship to God. “It is Christ’s Obedience, both active and passive, that is imputed to the believer. To make any action (including the action of faith) the basis of justification is to take away from the righteousness of Christ, which is the true basis of Christian justification.” (1) Justification is a once for all action on God’s part. Someone that was justified cannot become unjustified because Christ’s work on the cross had forgiven all the sins of the person that was justified. Unlike justification, sanctification is the constant process or progressive work of the justified individual.
Throughout Romans, Paul makes clear the fact that every part of salvation belongs to God. God is the one who initiates and completes it. Here, we see, in what is called the golden chain of redemption, that each part of salvation is owned by God; “And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” Romans 8:30 The freedom of God’s grace is the greatest joy that can be known. To know in both mind and hear that God predestine, called justified, and glorify all of His people from the darkness and drawing them to Him is an awesome thing. If that does not humble anyone than I don’t know what would. Nothing that man does can earn grace, merit it, purchase it, or force it. It is free or it wouldn’t be grace. (2)
We see that without God’s intervention, no man would want to come to God Man would be happy living in his sinful desires. Paul places a focus on justification as an act of God that man has no part in. It is a one-time act, there is no need for it to happen again.. Once a Judge clears someone of a crime they are no longer tied to those crimes. The same is with God, once man is justified he is cleared of those crimes against God.
References
(1) White, J.R. (2001) The God who justifies. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House.
(2) White, J.R. (2009) The Potter’s Freedom 2nd Edition. USA: Calvary Press Publishing.
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