Justification, Pt 1: What is it, and how do we enter it?

Justification, Pt 2: While we abide in Him . . .

Justification, Pt 3: If we don't abide in Him . . .

What is justification?

Justification is right-standing with God. We can enter justification by coming to God on His terms. Of course, faith that God exists and responds to us is necessary for us to choose to come to God, otherwise it would be impossible to choose to come to Him:
■ “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6)

So, what are God’s terms? The apostle Paul explains:
■ “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30)

Follow directions, and we'll receive His promised mercy:
■ “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Prov 28:13)

And we’ll have “remission of sins that are past” (Rom 3:25). Our past sins will be blotted out, and we’ll have redemption from the death penalty we had earned for those sins:
■ “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19, NKJV).

And we’ll enter “the presence of the Lord” by receiving the gift of the holy spirit, given “to them that obey Him” and “repent”:
■ “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” (Acts 5:32)
■ “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)

That is how we enter justification.

And while we abide in Jesus in repentance, following the holy spirit, we remain in justification: “in His goodness” or grace (Rom 11:22) —not under condemnation:
■ “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom8:1)

And Jesus will lead us out of slavery to sin, preparing us: for eternal life as the Father’s sons and daughters, and to inherit the Kingdom of God. He is the potter, we are the clay . . . but He cannot work with us unless we are workable —in repentance. Jesus says:
■ “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Jesus, in Rev 3:19)

And Jesus remains our advocate with the Father, covering —present tense— new sins by His blood:
■ “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1)
■ “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

And we’ll have “the hope of salvation”: the promised gift of eternal life, to be received at Jesus’ “revelation” —His return:
■ “But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (Paul, in 1 Thess 5:8,9).
■ “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life” (1 John 2:25).
■ “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13; also 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 and 1 Thess 4:13-17).

If we no longer abide in Jesus in repentance, no longer following the holy spirit, what happens? We fall away from justification. We’ll no longer be “in his goodness” or grace. There will be no sacrifice to cover our new sins; the ongoing redemption we had will cease. And we’ll forfeit that “hope of salvation.” Jesus warned:
■ “If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (Jesus, in John 15:6)

Paul warned:
■ “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell [the Israelites], severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Rom 11:22)
■ “If we suffer [endure], we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Tim 2:12)

■ “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (Heb 10:26,27)

■ “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” (Heb 4:1)

Who receives saving grace? Believers: those who —like Abraham— act on their faith and obey God. Otherwise, faith is dead.