Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

I was taught to focus on the issue of justification over salvation. The reasoning was simple. Justification is a single issue. It involves only one thing and is therefore more easily understood. Salvation is a continuing process. It has to be revisited continually within our experience because we sin from time to time. Sin and salvation are tied together, justification is not.

The easy way of trying to understand justification is most often referred to as “just as if” you never did it. It is usually identified as sin but we continue to sin, so therefore we confuse ourselves on the issues of justification being “just as if you never did” because we know we will sin again.

In order to understand properly the issues of justification and salvation as they pertain to us in our Christian walk, then we need to start with the single issue, once and done, justification.

Justification is a legal term. We are most familiar with it in our justice system as it is rendered in the form of “justifiable homicide”. The defendant did the homicide but the circumstances were justified. Punishment is diverted, the defendant is granted an acquittal. In the court of heaven, God must deal with the issues of sin. His justice must be satisfied, for He is a just God.

When Jesus Christ offered up His life for the sins of all mankind, He took those sins to the court of heaven and declared, “I have been executed for these crimes. The sentence of death has been carried out.” God accepted His Son’s execution as justice against the offense of sin, all sin, and declared “case closed, the sentence of death against sin has been carried out. I am satisfied.”

God no longer has a problem with sin. God has dealt with sin. We are the ones who have a problem with sin, hence our need for salvation. But justice has been serve. Sin can no longer be brought before the court of heaven.

Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

If you place your faith in Christ you have justified sin, that case is closed.