Bible glossary

What Does ‘Justification’ Mean in the Bible?

Justification is God declaring a guilty person righteous and accepted, not because they earned it but because of Christ, received through faith.

Justification is a courtroom word. It is the verdict of a judge: not guilty, fully accepted. The astonishing claim of the Bible is that God justifies the ungodly, declaring people right with Him who could never win that verdict on the strength of their own lives.

This is possible because the guilt was really dealt with, not ignored. Christ bore the sentence, so God can be both just and the One who accepts sinners. Justification is received by faith, as a gift, and it brings peace: the case is closed.

Key verses

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:24

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Romans 4:5