Now, that word Justification. That probably is more talked about in connection with Paul than any other word. And it is a very curious thing, Paul only uses the word three times in all his letters, and even then he uses two different Greek words. While the noun is rare, the verb occurs frequently, "to justify," as we translate it, and as a boy I often wondered what "to justify" meant. Well, in classical times it never meant to make right, to make good, to make just; but it was another law term, meaning "to acquit,"—nothing else, and I do not believe Paul ever tried to use it in any other sense.
The old picture of the Day of Judgment was well known in Hebrew religion, and the picture here is of man the accused before God, and God acquits him. The three places where the noun is found are as follows:
Romans, 4:25:
"He was raised for our acquittal."
Romans, 5:16:
"The judgment coming from one sin was condemnation, but the free gift even after many sins was acquittal."
Romans, 5:18:
"One sin brought condemnation, but one act of righteousness brought acquittal."
The meaning of the word in the first passage is not necessarily "acquittal," but all doubt is resolved by the two passages quoted from the fifth chapter where Paul is most explicit. The first eleven verses of Chapter 5 are really a commentary on the fourth chapter. For instance "raised for our acquittal" does not mean that the fact of the resurrection effects the acquittal. It means that Christ was raised to life that we might share in that life and thereby be acquitted. This is made clear by Chapter 5, verse 10:
"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more shall we be saved in his life."
In painting his picture of the accused person, Paul uses the term "condemnation" as well as "acquittal," as the following passages show:
Romans 8:1
"There is therefore1 no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Verse 33:
"Who shall bring a charge? It is God who acquits.
Who shall condemn?"
This acquittal of Paul's is through faith. But it is not a reward for faith. You will understand that if the latter were true, then faith would be a form of works. It would be something that we do to win acquittal. But that is not Paul's view. When we think that, with him, faith is not something to be done, was not a form of belief, but was a peculiarly close blood-relationship with Christ, then we see what faith in Christ or in his blood means.