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Abundant Life in the Son: A Study of Salvation

of God’s love in forgiving people and treating them as if they had never
sinned. It is this aspect of salvation—justification—that we will study in
this chapter. It demonstrates God’s wisdom in making a way for those
who are unworthy of forgiveness to be forgiven and treated as if they
had not sinned against Him.

The Nature and Meaning of Justification

Justification demonstrates the grace and mercy of God and has to do
with our standing before Him. In the chain of the salvation experience,
regeneration and justification must be studied together because they
take place at the same time. When God by His Spirit regenerates a
person, He also justifies, declaring him or her righteous and free from
the penalty for sins. Moreover, He treats that person as if he or she had
never sinned. This is a superb picture of love and grace that should
cause each of us to respond in loving devotion to God.

Its Nature

The questions of Job—“But how can a mortal be righteous before
God?” (Job 9:2)—and of the Philippian jailer—“Sirs, what must I do to
be saved?” (Acts 16:30)—raise one of life’s greatest questions: How can
a sinner get right with God and be assured of His approval? Romans
answers this question and presents the plan of salvation in a thorough
manner. The theme of Romans can be summed up as follows: The
gospel is God’s power for people’s
salvation because it explains
how sinners can be changed in

The gospel is God’s position and condition so that
they will be right with God (see
power for people’s Romans 1:16–17).

salvation because it
The Scriptures also teach that
explains how sinners God’s righteousness does two

can be changed in things: it judges and it saves
(1 John 1:9; Romans 3:24–26). His
position and condition righteousness demands judgment

and be right with God. for sin. However, God provides
a way for guilty sinners to be
declared not guilty and no longer

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