That sounds fine. I would add the need to be found righteous to the definition.
As long as that righteousness in which we are found is that of Christ's and not our own. We have no righteousness of our own.
That is why we cannot stand before God on our own. The crediting of righteousness
by faith is predicated upon the justification
by Christ which precedes and gifting of faith and the expression thereof.
I agree that the other definitions added "fluff" (commentary).
Yep. And in doing so it lost track of the point (the defining of justification).
Now, that being said, I might entertain other definitions but I'm not seeing how they can get away from the legal aspects of the term...... and the NT writers' departure from the Law as the means of approaching the jurisprudence of God. The jurisprudence of God is redemptive and rehabilitative, not vindictive and vengeful. That is one of the places where the Jewish theology of the NT era strayed from what we might justly (pun intended
) call "original intent." This is one of the reasons Paul has to comment that vengeance is God's job, not ours. Our job is love. Having our debt paid in full, our job is to owe no one anything any longer..... except love. That is the law of God among the redeemed. I say I'm open to considering alternatives (assuming they are actual definitions) because ever since
@Carbon broached the matter of sanctification, I've found that topic is unsettled, even among the Reform-minded. The unsettledness is unsettling
. How can we speak of something we cannot define (or refuse to define with unity).
As far as justification goes, those who have not been selected for salvation, those who have always stood in a state of condemnation for not believing in God's son, those who have been faithlessly unfaithful get the other end of that law:
just recompense for their deeds. The exact same Law that enshrined love and mercy also enshrined restitution and recompense. Absent mercy the alternative is eternal imprisonment until the dead die dead and that prison is a fiery pit so lethal even death is destroyed
. They will try and plead their case, but they have no case. They stand charred and covered in soot
without a foundation.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15
For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
No foundation upon which to stand, let alone build. Our foundation provided the case for us (Romans 8).
John 3:18-20
He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the verdict, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
I've been giving Calvin's "
Institutes...." another read, and he makes a point that those mired in sin... sin. Sinners sin and sin more and more, and more, and thereby accumulate a growing propensity to do everything possible to sin
and deny God. They have no justification (my words, not Calvin's). Trying to be justified by the Law only labels and highlights their sin, which is the exact opposite to whatever "justification" (excuse) they might offer in their defense to avoid destruction. Can you imagine the realization they do not flee
to God in love for love but stand (trembling) defensively hoping to avoid wrath? Huge dichotomy! Assuming that dawning occurs, it must be like the blast of a nuclear explosion. One moment you're there and the next your shadow is etched where you once stood
.
No wonder the Jews wanted to stone Paul everywhere he went.
Romans 8:28-39
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, "For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Judge justified our presence in His throne room.
Instead of bringing charges, the Prosecutor intercedes on our behalf.
The Plaintiff took our place as the accused.
The Defense Attorney died for us.
The lot of them paid our debt in full and then poured gifts out in abundance.
NOTHING can take that away from those already dead in Christ.
