Justification

(Video Version)

If you have not read our study What is Faith?, please go back and read it before continuing on with this study, as there is material covered in it that is vital to understanding Justification.

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Defining Justified

The Greek word translated “justified” is Strong’s g1344 δικαιόω dik-ah-yo’-o: from G1342; to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent:—free, justify(-ier), be righteous.

The Greek word translated “righteous” is Strong’s g1342 δίκαιος dik’-ah-yos: from G1349; equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively):—just, meet, right(-eous).

The term “justified” is a legal term, it implies being declared innocent in a court of law. In scripture, it is referring specifically to the court of Law that Yeshua will be presiding over on Judgment Day.

In order to have a judgment in a court of Law, you must have a law that is the standard to which a person is compared. That’s pretty straight forward. Justification is the act of declaring us innocent of crimes against the Law (sin), which means that we will be compared to the standard of perfect obedience to the Law (as demonstrated by Yeshua Messiah). As covered in our study What is Faith?, Faith requires repentance and obedience to the Law. That repentance and subsequent obedience is why Yeshua will forgive us for our crimes against the Law of YHWH (sin), forgiveness means declaring us innocent.

Justified means to be found innocent of crimes against the Law of YHWH.

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Justified by Faith

Luke 24:45-47 Then He opened up their mind to understand the Scriptures¹, and said to them, So it has been written¹, and so it was necessary that the Christ should suffer, and to rise from the dead on the third day; and repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached on His Name to all the nations², beginning at Jerusalem.

Yeshua opened the minds of the disciples to the Scriptures that had been written¹. The only Scriptures that had been written at this point in time was the “Old Testament”. Yeshua put the Law and the Prophets into the minds of the disciples so that they would fully understand the Gospel and could then begin preaching the Gospel to the world².

This is our model as well, first we begin learning the Law and the Prophets¹, then we recognize our sin and repent², and then Yeshua is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Forgiveness is our justification.

Romans 2:10-13 But glory and honor and peace will be to everyone that works out good¹, both to the Jew first, and to the Greek. For there is no respect of persons with God². For as many as sinned without Law will also perish without Law³. And as many as sinned within Law will be judged through Law⁴. For not the hearers of the Law are just with God, but the doers of the Law shall be justified⁵.

Paul’s letter to the Romans contains many of the cherry-picked verses that mainstream Christian leaders use as excuses for disregarding YHWH’s commandments. Here, in that same letter, we find him explaining that obedience to YHWH’s commandments is required for justification. Either Paul is mentally unstable, flipping back and forth on this point, or mainstream is misunderstanding him. When taken as part of the whole Word of YHWH, which has no contradictions, Paul supports obedience to YHWH’s Torah. Let’s break this passage down to help clarify the message of justification he has for us.

1. The only good work is obedience to the Torah and disobedience is the work of evil.
2. YHWH does not have one set of rules for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. All require faith for justification, and all are required to obey the whole Law of YHWH.
3. Sinning without the Law means disobedience to the Law without professing to believe it or know it. Those who profess to believe in Yeshua Messiah know of the Law and are not in this group.
4. People who have known the Law and willfully sin against it, will suffer the second death. This is what is called, in Hebrews 10:26-29, trampling on the Son of God, counting the Blood of the covenant a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of Grace.
5. Just hearing and knowing the Law is not good enough, we must obey the Law of YHWH (all of it) in order to be eligible for justification!

Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the ones who do the will of My Father in Heaven¹. Many will say to Me in that day², Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your Name, and in Your Name cast out demons, and in Your Name do many works of power? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, those working lawlessness!²

1. Not everyone who professes to believe in Yeshua Messiah will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the ones who obey YHWH’s commandments.
2. On Judgment Day, Yeshua will call disobedient all those who disobeyed the Law of YHWH, and send them away from Himself and into the Lake of Fire. When the Scroll of Life is opened, their names will not be on it, therefore, Yeshua will declare that He never knew them!

James 2:20 But are you willing to know, oh vain man, that faith apart from works is dead?

Faith is the confidence—displayed through our obedience to Torah—that YHWH will fulfill all of His promises; and justified means to be found innocent of crimes against the Law of YHWH. Therefore, justified by faith means:

Yeshua Messiah will judge you innocent of crimes against the Law because you proved your confidence in Him through your effort to live in obedience to the Law.

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Justified by Grace

Titus 3:7 that being justified by His grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The Greek word translated “grace” is Strong’s g5485 χάρις khar’-ece: graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is everlasting life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Greek word translated “free gift” is Strong’s g5486 χάρισμα khar’-is-mah: from G5483; a (divine) gratuity, i.e. deliverance (from danger or passion); (specially), a (spiritual) endowment, i.e. (subjectively) religious qualification, or (objectively) miraculous faculty:—(free) gift.

Strong’s g5483 χαρίζομαι khar-id’-zom-ahee: to grant as a favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue:—deliver, (frankly) forgive, (freely) give, grant.

All of these Greek words are forms of the same root and all share the same meaning of: grace, favour, or free gift. The “free gift” Paul talked about in Romans 6:23 is the same “grace” that he referred to in Titus 3:7. That free gift is the Blood of the Lamb, which is what washes us clean of our sins. Therefore, Paul isn’t giving a different way to be justified when he says, “justified by grace”, because grace is the free gift of forgiveness by Yeshua Messiah.

As we said in our study What is Faith?: When we repent, Yeshua Messiah forgives us (His grace) for our sins; which is possible because He has already paid the price for them with His blood. His forgiveness (grace) justifies us, making us Salvation-ready.

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Judgment

Definition

One Greek word translated “judgment” is Strong’s g1349 δίκη dee’-kay: right (as self-evident), i.e. justice (the principle, a decision, or its execution):—judgment, punish, vengeance.

Another Greek word translated “judgment” is Strong’s g2920 κρίσις kree’-sis: decision (subjectively or objectively, for or against); by extension, a tribunal; by implication, justice (especially, divine law):—accusation, condemnation, damnation, judgment.

And the related Greek word translated “judge” is Strong’s g2919 κρίνω kree’-no: properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish:—avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.

In order to have a judgment, which is done in a court of Law, you must have a law that is the standard to which a person is compared. On Judgment Day that standard will be the Torah.

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Scroll of Life

Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled¹; and a place was not found for them. And I saw the dead, the small and the great, standing before God². And scrolls were opened. And another Scroll was opened, which is the Scroll of Life. And the dead were judged^g2919 out of the things written in the scrolls, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead in it. And death and Hades gave up the dead in them. And they were each judged^g2919 according to their works. And death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found having been written in the Scroll of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.

John says that this event is happening after the thousand-year reign of Yeshua Messiah, on the Day of Judgment. We know this because it is after heaven and earth are gone¹. This is the second resurrection when all of those who have died the first death are raised to stand before YHWH Elohim². The scrolls (or books) that contain the records of the works of those who believe in Yeshua Messiah are opened. The Scroll (or book) of Life, where the names of all those who have been saved are listed, is also opened.

Exodus 32:32-33 And now if You will, lift up their sin. And if not, I pray, blot me out from your book which You have written. And YHWH said to Moses, Whosoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him from My Book.

Psalm 69:28 Blot them out of the Book of Life; yea, let them not be written with the righteous.

Malachi 3:16 Then they that feared YHWH spake often one to another: and YHWH hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared YHWH, and that thought upon His Name. (RSB)

Revelation 3:5-6 The one overcoming, this one shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not at all blot his name out of the Book of Life; and I will acknowledge his name before My Father, and before His angels. The one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 13:8 And all those dwelling in the earth will worship it, those whose names had not been written in the Scroll of Life of the Lamb having been slain, from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 17:8 The beast which you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss, and goes to perdition. And those dwelling on the earth will marvel, the ones whose names have not been written on the Scroll of Life from the foundation of the world, seeing the beast, that it was a thing, and is not, yet now is.

Revelation 21:27 And all profaning may not at all enter into it (New Jerusalem), or any making an abomination or a lie; but only the ones having been written in the Scroll of Life of the Lamb.

The judgment between life and death is being referred to in the following verses:

John 3:18 The one believing into Him is not judged^g2919; but the one not believing has already been judged^g2919; for he has not believed into the Name of the only-begotten Son of God.

John 3:19-21 And this is the judgment^g2920, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than the Light; for their works were evil. For everyone practicing wickedness hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, that his works may not be exposed. But the one doing the Truth comes to the Light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been worked in God.

John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, The one who hears My Word, and believes the One who has sent Me, has everlasting life, and does not come into judgment^g2920, but has passed out of death into life.

John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all those in the tombs will hear His voice. And they will come out, the ones having done good into the resurrection of life; and the ones having practiced evil into a resurrection of judgment^g2920.

1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we discerned ourselves, we would not be judged^g2919.

1 Timothy 5:24-25 The sins of some men are plain before, going before to judgment^g2920; but indeed some follow after. Likewise, also the good works are plain beforehand, and those otherwise cannot be hidden.

Hebrews 10:26-29 For if we are willfully sinning after receiving the full knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more sacrifice concerning sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment^g2920 and zealous fire being about to consume the adversaries. If anyone did not regard the Law of Moses, that one dies without pity on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment do you think he will be thought worthy to receive having trampled on the Son of God, and having counted the blood of the covenant in which he was sanctified common, and having insulted the Spirit of Grace?

Those who are raised to eternal life will, however, face a judgment of their works. This judgment is the one being referred to in Revelation 20:12b And the dead were judged out of the things written in the scrolls, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead in it. And death and Hades gave up the dead in them. And they were each judged according to their works. This judgment will determine who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven and who is the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Psalm 149:9 to execute on them the judgment written; this is an honor for all His saints. Praise YHWH!

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with all that is hidden, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

Matthew 5:19 Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven. (RSB)

Matthew 12:36 But I say to you, that every idle word, whatsoever men may speak, they shall give an account of it in Judgment^g2920 Day. For by your words you will be justified^g1344, and by your words you will be condemned.

Matthew 18:4 Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. (RSB)

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we all must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, so that each one may receive the things done through the body, according to what he did, whether good or bad.

James 3:1 My brothers, do not be many teachers, knowing that we will receive greater judgment^g2917.

1 Peter 4:17 Because the time has come to begin the judgment^g2917 from the house of God; and if firstly from us, what will be the end of the ones disobeying the gospel of God?

1 John 4:14-17 And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and the one abiding in love abides in God, and God in him. By this love has been perfected with us, that we have confidence in the day of judgment^g2920, that as He is, we are also in this world.

On the Day of Judgment, everyone still in the grave will be raised to stand before YHWH Elohim. Those who did not have faith in Yeshua Messiah will not be found written in the Scroll of Life and will be thrown into the Lake of Fire. All those found written in the Scroll of Life will stand before YHWH to be judged based on their obedience to His Law. This judgment will determine the hierarchy for eternity in the New Jerusalem.

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Once Saved Always Saved

Those who teach and believe the false doctrine of “once saved always saved” do not understand what faith is or how it must be alive in order to justify. (Please read our study What is Faith? for more on this!) The very idea that a person just has to say a magical prayer and they’ll be welcomed into the Kingdom of Elohim, despite changing nothing in their lives or despite backsliding into sin, is ludicrous. This is the very definition of counting the Blood of the Lamb a common thing and trampling on Yeshua Messiah!

Every time we break the Torah (sin), we are asking Yeshua to go to the cross for us; to continue willfully living in sin is expecting Him to go to the cross! Who could believe that a person who treats Yeshua’s sacrifice in such a disrespectful way, as if it is meaningless, would still receive forgiveness for the sins they have so cavalierly committed? Only a person not knowing the Word of YHWH!

Let’s explore YHWH’s Word and see what He says happens when a believer backslides into sin.

John 15:6 Unless one remains in Me, he is cast out as the branch, and is dried up; and they gather and throw them into a fire, and they are burned.

Yeshua said “remains in Me”, which means He is talking about people who are in Him. To be in Him means to be a believer, to be saved. Therefore, Yeshua is warning believers not to fall away because they will lose their justification and burn in the Lake of Fire.

Hebrews 3:12-14 Watch, brothers, lest perhaps shall be in any one of you a heart of evil unbelief in falling away from the living God. But exhort yourselves each day, as long as it is being called today, that not any of you be hardened by the deceit of sin. For we have become sharers of Christ, if truly we hold the beginning of the assurance firm to the end;

The author of Hebrews is addressing the Brethren, meaning believers in Yeshua. He is warning believers not to “fall away”, you can’t “fall away” from something you never had in the first place. The author is saying that if we fall back into sin (disobedience to Torah), which also means to fall away from the Living God, and lose the faith we had in the beginning, we will not be sharers of Christ. We will lose our Salvation.

Hebrews 10:26-27 For if we are willfully sinning after receiving the full knowledge of the Truth, there remains no more sacrifice concerning sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment and zealous fire being about to consume the adversaries.

To receive the full knowledge of the Truth means to believe in Yeshua Messiah and understand the Law and the Prophets. If we willfully sin, from that saved state, we lose our Salvation.

James 5:19-20 If anyone among you goes astray from the Truth, brothers, and anyone turns him back, know that the one turning a sinner from the error of his way will save the soul from death and will hide a multitude of sins.

James is addressing the “brethren”, which means believers in Yeshua Messiah. He says that if anyone who is a believer goes astray from the Truth (this would cause a loss of Salvation), but another believer brings them back to following Yeshua Messiah, the lost will be saved after all.

2 Peter 2:20-22 For if by a full knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, they have escaped the defilements of the world, and again being entangled they have been overcome by these, then their last things are worse than the first. For it was better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than fully knowing to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But the word of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog turning to his own vomit; also The washed sow to wallowing in mud.

The “full knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” means believing in Yeshua Messiah and knowing to obey the full Law of YHWH. If a person in that state, then begins willfully sinning again, they lose their Salvation. Peter is saying it would be better to believe in Yeshua Messiah and be ignorant of the need to obey the Torah. We are judged on what we know, so people who genuinely don’t know better, who have been led astray by the mainstream Christian leadership, will be written in the Scroll of Life, but will still have to stand before YHWH and account for their works. However, the people who have received the knowledge of the Law and the Prophets and know they need to obey the Torah, but then backslide into a life of sin, they will be blotted out of the Scroll of Life.

Revelation 3:1-6 And to the angel of the church in Sardis, write: These things says the One having the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have the name that you live, and are dead. Be watching, and establish the things left, which are about to die. For I have not found your works being fulfilled before God. Then remember how you received and heard, and keep, and repent. If, then, you do not watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not at all know what hour I come upon you. You also have a few names in Sardis which did not defile their robes, and they shall walk with Me in white because they are worthy. The one overcoming, this one shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not at all blot his name out of the Book of Life; and I will acknowledge his name before My Father, and before His angels. The one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Yeshua says that He knows the works of this assembly and that even though they have the reputation of being alive, they are dead. Works means obedience, and obedience is what makes our faith alive. Most of the people in this assembly have the reputation of obeying Yeshua, but they do not truly live in obedience to the Law of YHWH, and therefore, their faith is dead. Yeshua warns them to repent of their disobedience and begin living in obedience to Torah; if they do this, on the Day of Judgment, He will tell YHWH that He knows them. Remember from the Gospel of Matthew, Yeshua warned that He would tell the lawless people that He never knew them, which means He will not acknowledge them before YHWH.

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in Your Name, and in Your Name cast out demons, and in Your Name do many works of power? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, those working lawlessness!

Justification is not a one-and-done system. It is a lifelong commitment. The Blood of our Messiah deserves nothing less.

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Salvation

Psalm 25:5 Lead me in Your Truth, and teach me; for You are the God of my Salvation; on You I wait all the day long.

Psalm 62:1 Only to God is my soul silent; from Him comes my Salvation.

Hebrews 9:27-28 And as it is reserved to men once to die, and after this Judgment; so being once offered to bear the sins of many, Christ shall appear a second time without sin to those expecting Him for Salvation.

Salvation means to be saved from the Lake of Fire on Judgment Day. Salvation requires justification because there will be no one unrighteous in the New Jerusalem. We must have our unrighteousness washed away by the Blood of the Lamb of YHWH. His blood washes us clean when our faith in Him is alive.

Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God which brings Salvation appeared to all men, instructing us that having denied ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live discreetly and righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself on our behalf, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify a special people for Himself, zealous of good works.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow as to the promise, as some deem slowness, but is long-suffering toward us, not having purposed any of us to perish, but all of us to come to repentance.

Matthew 7:13-14 Go in through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to death. And many are the ones who go through it. For narrow is the gate, and constricted is the way that leads into life, and few are the ones who find it.

Scripture tells us that the only way to Salvation is through faith in Yeshua Messiah. Look around you and see how many people are following the same method of worship as you. If you are with a branch of Christianity with a billion other people, then you can be assured that you are not walking the path to the narrow gate. If you are able to live according to your faith with little-to-no effort or inconvenience, then you can be assured that you are not walking the path to the narrow gate. Scripture tells us that the narrow gate is constricted and few people find it.

As of 2022, there are an estimated 1.345 billion members of the Catholic Church, and up to a billion members of mainstream Protestantism. These churches profess faith in Jesus Christ, but they do not teach or adhere to the commandments of YHWH.

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, those keeping the commandments of God, and having the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are the ones keeping the commands of God, and the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 22:12-14 And, behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each as his work is. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last. Blessed are the ones doing His commands, that their authority will be over the tree of life, and by the gates they may enter into the city.

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John 14:1-3 Do not let your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. But if it were not so, I would have told you, I am going to prepare a place for you! And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again, and will receive you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.