To be justified by faith means God judicially declares the believing sinner just as if he had never sinned.
Les Feldick teaches that justification is a judicial act of God. When a person believes the gospel, God looks down from His position as judge and declares that guilty sinner just as if they had never sinned. This is not earned by cleaning up one's life; it comes freely by God's grace through faith in Christ's shed blood.
Romans 3:24 — Paul states plainly that justification is a free act of God's grace through redemption in Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:25 — This verse connects justification to faith in Christ's blood as the basis of God's declared righteousness.
Romans 3:26 — It shows that God is both just and the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus.
Romans 5:8 — Paul reminds us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, showing justification is not based on our own goodness.
Romans 5:9 — This verse explicitly says we are now justified by Christ's blood.
Paul uses courtroom language in Romans. He writes that believers are "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24). God set forth Christ as a propitiation through faith in His blood, declaring His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past (Romans 3:25). Through this declaration, God is both "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). Scripture also connects justification to Christ's sacrificial death: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Paul then concludes, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9). In Scripture, justification is not something a person earns by good behavior. It is a free act of God's grace through redemption in Christ, received through faith in His blood.
Les Feldick repeatedly defines justification as "that judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner just as if he had never sinned" (Clips 1, 3, 5, 7). He pictures Romans as a courtroom scene: God the judge sits on the bench, looks down at the guilty sinner who believes, and says, "You are just as if you have never sinned" (Clips 4, 5). God does this freely, "without a cause," and not because the sinner deserved it (Clips 3, 5). Les teaches that justification does not require cleaning up your life first. He tells of a woman who said she would become a Christian if she could quit drinking, and he responds that this is not the way it is done — you become a believer and then God helps you quit (Clip 0). He also explains that justification is through faith in Christ's blood, quoting Paul's words that God is "just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Clip 6). Les connects the whole problem to Adam: every one of us was in Adam, and in justification God sees the believer as He saw Adam before the fall (Clips 3, 7). Understanding that we are declared justified by an act of God should have a psychological impact that affects daily behavior (Clip 2).
Yes. Les Feldick defines justification as a judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner just as if he had never sinned. He says God sees the justified believer as He saw Adam before he fell. Even though we still fall and sin, God tells us we are justified and sees us in that original standing before sin entered.
No. Les tells the story of a woman who said she would become a Christian if she could quit drinking. He says that is not the way it is done. You become a believer, and then God helps you quit the problem. Justification is not something you deserve; God justifies freely without a cause when you believe.
Les quotes Paul's words that God set forth Christ as a propitiation through faith in His blood to declare His righteousness, so that God might be just and the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus. Paul also says we are now justified by His blood. The blood is the basis, and faith is the means by which God's declaration is applied.
God Finds Us as Sinners
Les shows from Romans 5 that God finds us "while we were yet sinners," and that we don't clean up our lives first; we become believers and then God helps with the problem.
The Judicial Definition
Les defines justification as God the judge judicially declaring the sinner just as if he had never sinned.
Justification Affects Behavior
Les explains that the moment we believe the work of the cross, God declares us just as if we never sinned, and that awareness should affect our daily behavior.
God Sees the Believer Like Adam Before the Fall
Les says justification means God sees the believer as He saw Adam before he fell, and that God justifies freely without a cause.
The Judge on the Bench
Les pictures God as judge on the bench declaring the guilty believer just as if he had never sinned; justification and forgiveness roll together.
Justified Freely by Grace
Les says justification is a judicial act of God, pictured in Romans as a courtroom scene, where the believing sinner is justified freely by grace.
Faith in His Blood
Les quotes the Scripture that justification comes through faith in His blood, so that God is just and the justifier of those who believe.
Sin Began in Adam
Les repeats the definition of justification and explains that the whole sin problem began in Adam because every one of us was in Adam.
Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Paul directly tells us that justification is a free gift of grace through the redemption Christ purchased.
Romans 3:25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
This verse shows that justification is through faith in the blood Jesus shed.
Romans 3:26: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Paul explains how God can be both perfectly just and the One who justifies sinful people who believe in Jesus.
Romans 5:8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
This verse stresses that God's justification is not based on our merit or clean living.
Romans 5:9: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Paul explicitly ties our present justification to the blood of Christ.
No. Les Feldick says that is not the way it is done. He uses the example of a woman who said she would become a Christian if she could quit drinking. His point is that you become a believer and then God helps you quit the problem.
Yes. Les defines justification as a judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner just as if he had never sinned. He says God sees the justified believer as He saw Adam before the fall, even though we still sin.
According to Paul, we are "justified by his blood." Les quotes Romans 3:25-26 showing that through faith in His blood, God declares His righteousness so that He is just and the justifier of those who believe in Jesus.
Watch the Teaching: What Does "Justified by Faith" Really Mean? Romans 5