I decided to read through What the Bible Teaches, by R.A. Torrey again. It’s a great book – you can download a free PDF here – so we’re doing a little Bible study every Thursday. The collection is here. Subscribe over there to make sure you don’t miss anything, but come back and add your voice in the Comments! >>>

This is kind of a long chapter, but the topic is so good, and it’s one that doesn’t get taught much in churches, so I’m gonna outline the whole beautiful thing.

What does Justify mean?

To “justify” in Biblical usage, signifies not “to make righteous,” but to “reckon,” “declare,” or “show to be righteous.” A man is justified before God when God reckons him righteous.

That’s so fantastic.

How are men Justified?

1. No one is justified by works of the law.
2. We are justified as a free gift by God’s grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
3. We are justified in Christ’s blood – i.e., on the ground of His propitiatory death.
4. We are justified on condition of faith in Jesus.
5. I am justified by faith apart from works.
6. The faith that leads to justification is a faith with my whole self.
7. Faith that justifies is real faith that leads to action accordant with the truth professed.
8. Jesus was raised because of our justification.
9. We are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

The extent of Justification

1. In Christ, everyone who believes is justified from all things.
2. The believer is made the righteousness of God in Christ. He has a righteousness not of his own, but a “righteousness which is of God upon faith.”

The time of Justification

“The moment a man believes in Christ, that moment he becomes united to Christ, and God reckons the righteousness of God to Him.”

The results of Justification

1. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.
2. No one can lay anything to the charge of the justified person.
3. Being justified by God’s grace, we are made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
4. Being justified in Christ’s blood, we will be saved from the coming wrath of God.
5. The one God justifies He will also glorify.
6. Those who are justified will reign in life through Jesus Christ.

I think we do a terrible job, personally, of teaching justification, especially to new believers. How many meet the Lord, and have a great salvation experience, mess up after they’ve passionately promised never to sin again, and fall into terrible condemnation? How many don’t know that they have peace with God? How many don’t really believe that they can’t earn this justification?

Did you learn this when you were first saved? Is any of this still new? How do we do better at teaching the doctrine of justification to the Church?