WHAT WE BELIEVE: Justified by Faith, Not Works

“…a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ…” Galatians 2:16

Justification is an important word in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Not only that, it’s an important word in every Christian’s life, whether or not they know exactly what it means.

The concept is complex and not easily explained. However, at least three things can be said about it.

First, Paul’s understanding of justification is grounded in the Old Testament concept of tzedek or “righteousness.” Specifically, justification is legal recognition that someone is righteous. In other words, when a judge in a law-court setting pronounces a person to be in the right.

Second, righteousness is not simply about ethics (that is, behavior that is characterized as good and right). More than that, it is about conformity to the divine order God established in creation. Thus, righteousness is more about meeting a standard God has placed on creation than about doing good deeds and avoiding wrong ones.

Third—and most amazing—Paul communicates that someone has met God’s standard and is declared to be righteous by faith in Jesus and not by works of the law. Paul loves to use Abraham as an example of this. Before the law was even instituted, God declared Abraham to be righteous. And it wasn’t because of any good work, but because of his faith in God’s promise that would ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus.

Being declared right in the eyes of God, being justified, only comes through faith in his Son. What—or who—do you look to for your justification?