Justification: Dikaiosis – Dikaioma

by David E Lister

The act of pronouncing “righteous” signifying the establishment of a person as just by acquittal from guilt. A concrete expression of righteousness. It is a declaration that a person or thing is righteous.

Dikaioo: To deem to be right, in the sense if a person he is declared to be righteous

Legal term that a person’s guilt is found out and a penalty paid and the person is now righteous before the bar of justice. Mercy and justice are in balance.

Acts 13:39 “And by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”

Romans 3:28 & 5:1 “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith with out the deeds of the law. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

How could a man who is a sinner be just before a righteous and holy God. Man commits sin and is there fore guilty and deserving of the penalty of the Law. How do all religions answer this, works! How does Christianity by counting on God through faith and Jesus Christ as his righteousness.

God’s standard: Rom. 3:23; Gen 8:21; Ps 51:5, 58:3; Eccls. 9:3; Jer. 17:9 we deserve death because all good works by themselves are “like filthy rags” in the sight of God (Rom 6:23; Isa 64:6)

God makes the way.

It is faith not works that justifies a person before God. See Acts 16 If Paul was a Mormon he would have said “Believe in Joe Smith was a prophet of God and that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. Join the true church, don’t drink coffee or tea, pay a full tithe, receive the Melchizedek priesthood, be baptized for your dead relatives, perform you endowments, and make sure you are married for time and eternity. Do these, along with following the whole law and thou shalt be saved.”

Instead Paul say, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house.” V31

A question for the Mormon is which salvation is Paul referring to? General or individual? If general why did he not say Believe and thou will be resurrected. Individual he would have said Believe and thou will be exalted after adhering to all the above quote.

The bible is full of examples of how one by belief alone and not by works one is justified, John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life.”

“Salvation” according to Mormonism
Acts 16:31: “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
And thous shalt be saved, and thy house.

Which definition of saved did Paul mean in this passage?

General Ressurrection

“Believe .. and thou shalt be resurrected

Individual Exaltation

“Believe. and thou shalt be exalted.

But this definition can’t be correct because

General resurrection comes To all mankind “by grace alone” – Without obedience to gospel law to the end of life

Exaltation comes only to those “with gospel obedience” and continued good works

John 6:47 “Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believith on me hath everlasting life.”

Eph 2:8,9 Titus 3:5,6 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved is, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost ; which he shed on us abundantly though Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Redemption is deliverance from sin in its guilt, defilement, power and liability through Christ’s sacrifice. Does God keep a record of our sin. Psalm 130:3, Isa 43:25, Jer. 31:34, Heb 8:12

Galatians 3:13 clearly states, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us.” Also 1 Peter 1:18, 19

Grace God’s Riches or (Righteousness) At Christ expense. Grace is unmerited favor form God provided to those who believe (Rom 12:3, 6) again there is nothing we can do to achieve this. Romans 5:2 and 20 says

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

Imputation Iogizomai: To reckon, take into account or to put down to a person’s account

Ellogao: To lay to one charge’s to charge to one’s account

Think that you have a bank account and one morning you check your account and you see that a million dollars had be charge or imputed or put in your account. You call up and say there must be a mistake. The manager checks the facts and says no, this money was imputed by a rich man.

Paul states in Romans 4:6-7 God imputes righteousness apart from works. Going on in 20-24 he said Abraham didn’t stagger at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him as righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him, but also for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Forgiveness: The complete putting away of sin and it’s consequences with no string attached. It occurs at the time the believer trust Christ for it. Ephesians 4:32 “God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” John states in 1 john 2:12 that the believers “sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.”

See Heb 13:12 the blood of goats and bulls .

Sanctification hagiaasmos separation to God The relationship we enter into by faith with God While justification takes place instantaneous moment of belief, sanctification means to be set apart and is synonymous with holiness.

1 Cor 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Heb 10:10 and 14 read “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

Sanctification is the new work that Jesus begins in us by conforming us to his image. The works of the flesh are pushed down and the fruits of the spirit become evident. The process of sanctification process is what is being describe in Phil. 2:12. In Eph 2:10 We are created unto good works. In the two previous verses he stress faith alone! Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Repeats it in Gal 2:16, 21

While James 2:14-26 show how important works are it is just faith that is needed for eternal life. We do not have a license to sin Rom 6:15, this passage in James does not teach we receive eternal by our works. Rather he is showing that good works accompany a true faith. An apple tree by nature has to produce apples a true Christian produces because his nature within him compels him to.

While Jesus rebuke the Pharisees in Matt 23:27. 33 it did not rebuke the good works but the nature within.

Glorification doxazo: Not only does salvation have a past tense (justification/sanctification) it has a present tense (sanctification) but it implies a future tense as well. A future hope. Romans 8:30 Paul talks about this in 1 Thes 3:13 that this event will take place when we see Jesus and it shows that our work is not complete till we are in His presence of the Redeemer. Phil. 3:12-14

Grace and Works in Mormonism:

• The grace of God provides for resurrection from the dead
• Works are necessary for a person to achieve exaltation, or godhood.
• Salvation by grace alone is a pernicious doctrine.
• Perfection is an achievable goal

Grace and works in Christianity:

• Grace is provided free to those who believe
• Works are the result of saving faith
• Salvation by grace alone is a biblical concept
• Nobody is able to live up to the whole law, which is why grace is needed