Biblical Concept: Justification and Righteousness
Outline:
God and Justification and Righteousness
Christ and Justification and Righteousness
Eternal Salvation and Justification and Righteousness
Mosaic Law and Justification and Righteousness
Christian Way of Life and Justification and Righteousness
_______
Vocabulary: Depending on the sentence and context, “just”
or “righteous” are common meanings for the dike
vocabulary. Meaning: Conceptually,
“justification” and “righteousness” have significant overlap.
di,kh - Noun
(root word): penalty,
punishment, justice (personified as a goddess, see Acts 28:4).
dikaio,w - Verb:
justify, vindicate, treat as just.
di,kaioj - Adjective:
Applied to model
citizens in the Graeco-Roman world. Upright,
just, righteous.
dikai,wj - Adverb: justly, uprightly, rightly.
dikaiosu,nh - Noun:
righteousness,
uprightness.
dikai,wma - Noun:
regulation,
requirement, commandment, righteous deed.
dikai,wsij - Noun:
justification,
vindication, acquittal.
dikasth,j - Noun:
judge.
(The underlines and final parentheses are mine.)
God and Justification and Righteousness: Introductory statements.
NAS Romans
3:4 May it never be! Rather, let God
be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written,
"That Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, And mightest prevail
when Thou art judged."
NAS Romans
3:24 being justified as a gift by
His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
NAS Romans
8:30 and whom He predestined, these
He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom
He justified, these He also glorified.
NAS Romans
8:33 Who will bring a charge against
God's elect? God is the one who justifies;
NAS John
17:25 "O righteous Father,
although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have
known that Thou didst send Me;
NAS 2 Thessalonians 1:6 For after all it is only just for God to repay with
affliction those who afflict you,
NAS 1
Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of
the Lord are upon the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But
the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
NAS Revelation
19:2 because His judgments are
true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting
the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His
bond-servants on her."
NAS John
16:8 "And He, when He comes, will
convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment;
10
and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no
longer behold Me;
NAS Acts
17:31 because He has fixed a day
in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He
has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the
dead."
Meanings: God is Personally just and righteous. God acts according to justice and righteousness. God is the only One Who can bestow justice and righteousness.
Christ and Justification and Righteousness: The Divine exhibition of justice and
righteousness.
NAS Romans
3:25 whom God displayed publicly as a
propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate
His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the
sins previously committed;
NAS Romans
4:9 Much more then, having now been justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
NAS Romans
4:25 He who was delivered up
because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.
NAS Romans
5:18 So then as through one
transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one
act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
NAS Romans
5:19 For as through the one man's
disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of
the One the many will be made righteous.
NAS 2
Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew
no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness
of God in Him. (Jesus Christ =
worship worthy.)
NAS Philippians
1:11 having been filled with the fruit
of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the
glory and praise of God.
NAS 1
Peter 3:18 For Christ also died
for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that
He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive
in the spirit; (Jesus Christ = worship
worthy.)
NAS 2
Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant
and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same
kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
(##by Christ##)
NAS John
5:30 "I can do nothing on My own
initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do
not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
NAS Hebrews
1:9 "Thou hast loved
righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed
Thee With the oil of gladness above Thy companions."
NAS 1
Corinthians 1:30 But by His doing you
are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness
and sanctification, and redemption,
(###sanctified###)
NAS 1
Timothy 3:16 And by common confession
great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated
in the Spirit, Beheld by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the
world, Taken up in glory.
NAS Acts
3:14 "But you disowned the Holy
and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
NAS Revelation
15:3 And they sang the song of Moses
the bond-servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and
marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are
Thy ways, Thou King of the nations.
NAS Revelation
15:4 "Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; For all the nations will come
and worship before Thee, For Thy righteous acts have been revealed."
NAS Revelation
16:5 And I heard the angel of the
waters saying, "Righteous art Thou, who art and who wast, O Holy
One, because Thou didst judge these things;
NAS Revelation 16:7 And I heard the
altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous
are Thy judgments."
NAS Revelation
19:11 And I saw heaven opened; and
behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and
True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
Meanings: Jesus Christ = justice and righteousness. Jesus Christ died for justice and righteousness. Jesus Christ is the Grantor of justice and righteousness. Jesus Christ = justice and righteousness = worship worthy.
Eternal Salvation and Justification and
Righteousness: Divine provisions and human
implications.
NAS Romans
3:10 as it is written, "There is
none righteous, not even one;
NAS Romans
3:22 even the righteousness
of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there
is no distinction;
NAS Romans
3:30 since indeed God who will
justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through
faith is one.
NAS Romans
4:3 For what does the Scripture say?
"And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as
righteousness."
5 But
to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the
ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,
6
just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons
righteousness apart from works:
9 Is
this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we
say, "Faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness."
11
and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the
faith which he had while uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all
who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned
to them,
13
For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the
world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.
22
Therefore also it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
NAS Romans
5:1 Therefore having been
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ,
NAS Romans
5:17 For if by the transgression of
the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance
of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life
through the One, Jesus Christ.
21
that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through
righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
NAS Romans
8:10 And if Christ is in you, though
the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of
righteousness.
NAS Romans
10:10 for with the heart man
believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he
confesses, resulting in salvation. (“Salvation”
= Divine temporal deliverance in this context.)
NAS Galatians
3:6 Even so Abraham believed God,
and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
NAS Galatians
3:8 And the Scripture, foreseeing
that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel
beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in
you."
NAS Galatians
5:5 For we through the Spirit, by
faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.
NAS Titus
3:7 that being justified by His
grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal
life.
NAS Matthew
25:46 "And these will go away
into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
NAS Acts
24:15 having a hope in God, which
these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection
of both the righteous and the wicked.
NAS 2
Timothy 4:8 in the future
there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to
all who have loved His appearing.
NAS Titus
3:5 He saved us, not on the
basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His
mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
NAS Hebrews
12:23 to the general assembly and
church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of
all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
NAS 1
Peter 4:18 And if it is with
difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man
and the sinner? (Jesus Christ = worship
worthy.)
NAS 1
Corinthians 6:11 And such were some
of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the
Spirit of our God.
NAS Matthew
13:43 "Then the righteous
will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has
ears, let him hear.
NAS 2
Peter 3:13 But according to His
promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which
righteousness dwells.
Conclusions: No human has ever been born righteous,
save Jesus Christ. Only nonmeritorious
faith in Jesus Christ places the human into a status of eternal life. No human can perform good enough works to
earn eternal life. Compare the Biblical
Concept: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
for eternal life.
Mosaic Law and Justification and Righteousness:
NAS Acts
13:39 and through Him everyone
who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed
through the Law of Moses.
NAS Romans
2:13 for not the hearers of the Law
are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.
NAS Romans
3:20 because by the works of the
Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the
knowledge of sin.
NAS Romans
3:21 But now apart from the Law the
righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law
and the Prophets,
NAS Romans
3:28 For we maintain that a man is
justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
NAS Romans
7:12 So then, the Law is holy, and
the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
NAS Romans
9:30 What shall we say then? That
Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even
the righteousness which is by faith;
31 but
NAS Romans
10:3 For not knowing about God's
righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not
subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5
For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on
law shall live by that righteousness.
6
But the righteousness based on faith speaks thus, "Do not say in your
heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down),
NAS 2
Corinthians 3:9 For if the ministry
of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound
in glory.
NAS Galatians
2:16 nevertheless knowing that a man
is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ
Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified
by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works
of the Law shall no flesh be justified.
NAS Galatians
2:21 "I do not nullify the grace
of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died
needlessly."
NAS Galatians
3:11 Now that no one is justified
by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall live
by faith."
NAS Galatians 3:21
Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law
had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed
have been based on law.
NAS Galatians
3:24 Therefore the Law has become
our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.
NAS Galatians
5:4 You have been severed from
Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen
from grace.
NAS Philippians
3:9 and may be found in Him, not
having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that
which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from
God on the basis of faith,
Meanings: Mosaic Law leads to Christ. Keeping the Mosaic Law for justification and righteousness leading to eternal salvation is false.
Christian Way of Life and Justification and
Righteousness:
NAS 1
Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our
sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to
righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (Cost and Christian way of life.)
NAS Luke
1:6 And they were both righteous in
the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements
of the Lord. (Successful Jewish way of life.
Note Deuteronomy 30:10-20.)
NAS Luke
2:25 And behold, there was a man in
Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking
for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. (Successful
Jewish way of life.)
NAS Luke
14:14 and you will be blessed, since
they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at
the resurrection of the righteous."
(Reward and Christian way of life righteousness.)
NAS Romans
1:17 For in it the righteousness
of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous
man shall live by faith."
NAS Romans
6:13 and do not go on presenting the
members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but
present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God.
16
Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves
for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting
in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (Christian way of life righteousness.)
18
and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
19 I
am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as
you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness,
resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves
to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. (Christian way of life righteousness.)
(Attitude of improvement.)
20
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
NAS 2
Corinthians 6:7 in the word of truth,
in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand
and the left,
14 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what
partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light
with darkness?
NAS Galatians
3:11 Now that no one is justified
by the Law before God is evident; for, "The righteous man shall
live by faith."
NAS Ephesians
4:24 and put on the new self,
which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness
and holiness of the truth.
NAS Ephesians
6:14 Stand firm therefore,
having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of
righteousness,
NAS Philippians
4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is
true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and
if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. (Spiritual focus and attitude of
improvement.)
NAS 2
Thessalonians 1:5 This is a
plain indication of God's righteous judgment so that you may be
considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.
NAS 1
Timothy 6:11 But flee from these
things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, perseverance and gentleness.
(Spiritual focus and attitude of improvement.)
NAS 2
Timothy 2:22 Now flee from
youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace,
with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (Spiritual focus and attitude of improvement.)
NAS 2
Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is
inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for
training in righteousness;
(Righteousness takes training.)
NAS Titus
1:8 but hospitable, loving what is
good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, (Elder qualities.)
NAS Hebrews
5:13 For everyone who partakes only
of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a
babe. (Righteousness takes growth.)
NAS Hebrews
10:38 But My righteous one shall
live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. (Righteous requires standing firm.)
NAS 1
John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. (Christian way of
life righteousness requires confession and cleansing.)
NAS 1
John 2:1 My little children, I am
writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; (Thanks.)
NAS 1
John 2:29 If you know that He is
righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is
born of Him. (The Christian way of life
requires the practice of righteousness.)
NAS 1
John 3:7 Little children, let no one
deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as
He is righteous;
10
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone
who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does
not love his brother.
NAS Titus
2:12 instructing us to deny
ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously
and godly in the present age, (Christian
way of life righteousness requires improvement.)
NAS Matthew
6:1 "Beware of practicing
your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no
reward with your Father who is in heaven.
NAS Matthew
6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all
these things shall be added to you.
NAS John
7:24 "Do not judge according to
appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
NAS 1
Peter 3:14 But even if you should
suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not
fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,
NAS Acts
24:25 And as he was discussing
righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became
frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find
time, I will summon you."
NAS Romans
14:17 for the kingdom of God
is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit.
NAS James
1:20 for the anger of man does not
achieve the righteousness of God.
NAS James
2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified
by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (James cites Abraham’s faith-works as an
example for our Christian way of life.)
23 and the Scripture was
fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to
him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. (Faith-works and the Christian way of life.)
24 You see that a man is justified by works, and not by
faith alone. (Faith-works and the
Christian way of life.)
25 And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also
justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by
another way? (Faith-works and the
Christian way of life.)
NAS James
3:18 And the seed whose fruit is
righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
NAS James
5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to
one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective
prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
NAS Revelation
19:8 And it was given to her to
clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is
the righteous acts of the saints.
Meanings: The spiritual efforts of Jesus Christ are the reason any human can live a life pleasing to God--the Christian way of life. Having become a Christian by faith in Christ, the Christian continues, by faith, to learn to function in the realm of the righteousness of Christ--Christian way of life righteousness. Christian way of life justification and righteousness can bring suffering. Christian way of life justification and righteousness requires: prayer, standing firm, Biblical training, confession of personal sins, faith-works, faith to faith, obedience, and weapons of righteousness.
NAS Acts 28:4
And when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying
to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has
been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live." (“Justice”
= di,kh = the Goddess of justice, perhaps, in the minds of the pagan
speakers.)
NAS Luke
10:29 But wishing to justify
himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
NAS Matthew
9:13 "But go and learn what this
means, 'I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,' for I did not come to call
the righteous, but sinners."
NAS Matthew
1:19 And Joseph her husband,
being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put
her away secretly.
NAS Matthew
13:49 "So it will be at the end
of the age; the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked from among
the righteous,
NAS Matthew
23:28 "Even so you too outwardly
appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and
lawlessness.
NAS Matthew
27:19 And while he was sitting on the
judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that
righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of
Him."
NAS Mark
6:20 for Herod was afraid of John,
knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And
when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to
him.
NAS Matthew
5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
10
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
20
"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of
heaven.
NAS Acts
13:10 and said, "You who are
full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all
righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the
Lord? (Paul to magician Elymas.)
NAS 2
Corinthians 11:15 Therefore it is not
surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of
righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds. (Satan’s angels.)
NAS Hebrews
12:11 All discipline for the
moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained
by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.
NAS Luke
16:15 And He said to them, "You
are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your
hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the
sight of God.
NAS Luke
18:9 And He also told this parable to
certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed
others with contempt: (The Parable
of the Pharisee and Tax Collector.)
NAS Luke
18:14 "I tell you, this man
went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who
exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be
exalted." (The Parable of the
Pharisee and Tax Collector.)
NAS Matthew
21:32 "For John came to you
in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the
tax-gatherers and harlots did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even
feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.
(Jesus to chief priests and elders.)
NAS 2
Peter 2:21 For it would be better for
them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to
turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. (Christian way of life righteousness
failure.)