Christian beliefs hold that everyone born into this world has been sinful since infancy. As a result, only in the context of God’s grace can Christian salvation be understood as a path to be saved from the sinful nature of humans. The Bible’s revelation of salvation includes a wide range of components. The Bible presents a variety of representations of salvation that will rescue a person’s soul from the grip of original sin and give him access to the divine realm. Among these concepts, justification requires particular emphasis since it is the tool by which a Christian’s deep devotion will produce the desired outcome.
The definition of the term ‘justified’ in the Bible is to be proclaimed righteous. According to Biblical doctrine, justification is an instantaneous formal act by God in which he declares a person to be just in his eyes, thinking that our sins have been forgiven and that Christ’s righteousness belongs to humanity. Justification is described in legal terminology and frequently related to a tribunal. The righteousness of God was made clear through the Old Testament Law. However, between Protestants and Catholics, there is a significant difference in the doctrine of justification (Simut, 2019). In the sixteenth century, justification by faith alone was a contentious belief during the Protestant Reformation, of which Martin Luther was a key figure (Etzel & Small, 2016). In his research of the New Testament, he came across the doctrine of justification by faith and held that God rewarded a person with Christ’s righteousness (Etzel & Small, 2016). At the same time, according to Catholic doctrine, justification should be viewed as a progressive process. Through the sacraments, Christ’s righteousness is gradually transferred to the Christian. The Bible also reveals the Christian’s ability to gain knowledge about his sins through God. It demonstrates how refusing to acknowledge sin results in purposeful rejections of divine salvation and disgrace to oneself. This doctrine’s historical context reveals that outstanding theologians have attempted to define the boundaries of justification through various approaches.
Consequently, from what has been mentioned, justification is a type of salvation for the human soul facing the Lord. In this regard, it’s crucial to highlight that a person’s justification does not only rid him of the blame for the sin he committed. On the other hand, a person is acknowledged as righteous when judgment purifies the soul. One of the most important verses in the Bible that explains the importance of righteousness is seen in 2 Corinthians 5 (Etzel & Gutierrez, 2015). According to the apostle Paul, the innocent Jesus embraced the sins of humanity so that people, as sinners, could become righteous in Christ (Etzel & Small, 2016). In other words, if a person’s sins done while they were living were not cruel, then their faith and love for God can make reparations for those sins. Therefore, the sins and faults individuals commit after being justified serve as a solemn reminder that one will constantly be tempted to dishonor God. It is present until a person is in heaven with the Lord and free from the very influence of sin.
The assurance that sins committed do not exclude a person from loving acceptance in God’s family is provided by justification. However, to express gratitude to the Lord for rescuing one’s soul, there should never be a day that goes by when a person does not see something in their life that may be changed. The justification theory explains how Jesus’ death gives individuals a proper standing before God (Etzel & Gutierrez, 2015). This is significant for the Christian life since it indicates that God accepts people based on their works, not their personal merits. Given that God’s acceptance of humanity is founded on Jesus’ work, this might offer people the assurance they need to live without the anxiety of failing. The doctrine of faith-based justification alone affects all Christians in practical ways that go beyond philosophical argument and theological discourse (Simut, 2019). If people correctly comprehend this teaching, they will have confidence, protection against the common threat of sin, a heart of modesty, and the ability to live a life of ongoing gratitude. One should never contemplate justification in isolation from the Christian’s bond with Christ. From practical vocation to justification, connection with Christ is essential to the Christians’ entire salvation and cannot be separated from the other essentials. The basis for applying justification is the imputation of Jesus’s righteousness, not unity with Christ.
In conclusion, the Bible places much emphasis on the issue of the salvation of the soul. The concept of salvation explains how to prevent losing their souls in the Final Judgment. The practice of justification, a component of salvation, imparts righteousness to the dead. However, this does not exempt someone from facing judgment. Holy texts reference justification frequently, and Catholic doctrine researchers and theologians have worked hard to interpret the significance of this image. Like Christ, the righteous soul is free from sin and brimming with Christian love and faith. In this condition, one can anticipate entering the heavenly kingdom, regardless of the original sinfulness of human nature.
References
Etzel, G. & Gutierrez, B. (2015). Theology applied. A living faith. WORD search.
Etzel, G. & Small, R. N. (2016). Everyday theology. Exploring the Christian faith. B&H Academic.
Simut, C. C. (2019). Richard Hooker and his early doctrine of justification: A study of his discourse of justification. Routledge.