Justification – Being Taught that We may Teach

Table of Contents

Introduction

What is justification?

This is God’s legal declaration that a person is innocent and that the law no longer has nothing against him/her.

Where do we find this in Scripture?

This truth is most clearly taught us by the apostle Paul but is found throughout the entire Bible.

Old Testament

Is this truth taught in the Old Testament?

In the life of God’s people in the Old Testament, nothing played a larger role in their daily life than God’s law. This was God’s gift to His people, and they were constantly in pursuit of that status of righteous which meant that they were in compliance with its every precept and thus with God Himself. Because of this, they also had a strong sense of justice. When God discloses to Abraham His plan to wipe out Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham pleads with God for the city’s rescue. He especially appeals to God’s justice:

Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Genesis 18:22-25)

When Joseph’s brothers are caught stealing his cup, they return to Joseph and fall prostrate before him. Judah speaks:

“What can we say to my lord? What can we speak? And how can we justify ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; behold, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.” (Genesis 44:16)

Joseph, however, is a just man and is not willing to punish them all for the sin of one:

“Far be it from me to do this. The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace to your father.” (Genesis 44:17)

In God’s law to Israel, He forbids telling lies when on the witness stand (Exodus 23:1), being swayed by popular opinion when called to bear witness (Exodus 23:2), being biased either for or against the poor (Exodus 23:3, 6) or aliens (Exodus 23:9 Deuteronomy 27:19), and taking bribes. (Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 27:25) In a word:

Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty. (Exodus 23:7)

Solomon echoes this teaching:

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. (Proverbs 17:15)

Schrenk writes that the Jewish scholars in the synagogue distinguished between those who were completely righteous, the average righteous person, and the penitent. The first have kept the law perfectly. The average have more demerits than merits, and the penitent have an equal amount of demerits and merits. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were placed in the first category. See article on δίκη, δίκαιος, δικαιοσύνη in TDNT p185. Smith (p71):

The ideas of right and wrong among the Hebrews are forensic ideas; that is, the Hebrew always thinks of the right and the wrong as if they were to be settled before a judge. Righteousness is to the Hebrew not so much a moral quality as a legal status. The word ‘righteous’ (çaddîq) means simply ‘in the right,’ and the word ‘wicked’ (rāshā‘) means ‘in the wrong’.

Explain each of the major terms which are used in this context.

First, is the concept of justice which is when a judge, either God or a human judge, gives a person their due. (Deuteronomy 1:16-17; Proverbs 31:9) A judge who does justice is a just judge. (Genesis 18:25; Revelation 19:11)

Second, is the language of the verdict which a judge delivers. Condemnation is a guilty verdict; justification is a not-guilty verdict. (Deuteronomy 25:1; 1 Kings 8:32; Proverbs 17:15)

Third, is the language used to refer to the status of any individual. The term righteousness is the legal status of a person who is right with the law. (Genesis 30:33; Deuteronomy 6:25; 9:4-6; 24:13; 2 Samuel 22:21, 25; 1 Kings 3:6; Job 27:6) The law has nothing against him. The term guilt refers to the legal status of a person who is not right with the law. (Genesis 26:10) They have violated the law in some respect. Those persons who have righteousness are called righteous; those persons who have guilt are called guilty. The righteous are entitled to all the rights and privileges of free persons; the guilty are entitled to punishment. (Leviticus 5:17)

What is meant when God is called righteous or when He acts in righteousness?

This is closely related to God’s justice (Psalm 9:8) but the term often goes beyond this. Often this word is used in the context of God’s relationship to Israel especially as this relationship is governed by the covenant which God had made with them. In this sense, righteousness comes to mean faithfulness. God is righteous because He always remembers the covenant terms which He made with His people and is always true to these terms. (Numbers 23:19; Joshua 21:45; 23:14; 1 Kings 8:56; Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 89:34; Isaiah 55:11)

Paul

Galatians 4

What is Paul’s teaching in Galatians 4 regarding Hagar and Sarah?

We find this teaching in Galatians 4:21 where Paul asks the Galatian people to consider Abraham’s two sons, and especially each son’s mother.

Why is this important for our understanding of Justification?

Because Paul compares two ways of relating to God with Sarah and Hagar.

What are these two ways?

Paul teaches us these two ways by using the picture of the two sons of Abraham. Ishmael was a slave, while Isaac was a free man. The reason for this is because Ishmael’s mother was a slave and Isaac’s mother a free-woman. The assumption here is that the children of a free person are free people, and likewise the children of a slave are born slaves and remain such. Now these two women represent two ways of relating to God.

What are these two ways of relating to God?

The first way is mentioned by Paul: “Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?” (Galatians 4:21)

What does it mean to be “under law?”

Being under law means being a child of Hagar and thus born into slavery. Paul says that Hagar is a picture of the covenant that God made with Israel at Mount Sinai, and Hagar’s children represent those who relate to God based on the terms of this covenant. In this context, Paul understands this covenant to be a covenant of works. Being under law then, means relating to God on the terms of the covenant of works. Now the terms of this covenant are that God only gives His favor to those who earn it. It is a merit-based covenant.

What is the other way of relating to God?

This is to be a child of Sarah and thus a free-person. Paul writes: But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. (Galatians 4:23) We might paraphrase this as:

Ishmael was born to Hagar as a human attempt to bring to pass what God had promised Abraham. Isaac, however, was born to Sarah as a result of God’s action only.

We know that Isaac was born as a result of God’s action since Sarah was far too old to have a child when she gave birth to Isaac. (Genesis 18:11, 12) Isaac’s birth was purely a miracle of God’s doing.

What does this teach us then, about this second way of relating to God?

It shows us that there is another way of relating to God by which we do not earn God’s favor, but we receive it as a free gift of God’s grace. The Westminster Confession writes in chapter 7 about God’s covenants with men. In the first place, the Confession describes Hagar and God’s covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai:

The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience.

Then it describes Sarah and God’s covenant with His people in Christ:

Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant [Hagar or Mount Sinai], the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace; wherein He freely offereth unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ; requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life His Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe.

What advice does Paul give the Galatian people in regard to these two ways of relating to God?

Paul exhorts the Galatians to cast out the slave-woman and to have nothing to do with her. (Galatians 4:30) By this he means that we should give up any attempt to please God by our own actions and fly to the second covenant which is based on what Jesus has done for us and not on our own merits. Only in this way, are we made right with God and can hope to live a life that is glorifying to Him. If we try to serve God under the terms of the first covenant, then we make ourselves slaves.

Romans 4

What does Paul teach us in this chapter about justification?

Here Paul uses the analogy of financial transactions to explain the doctrine of justification:

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. (8) “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.” (Romans 4:1-8)

Paul is quoting the Old Testament here.

Yes, in chapter 3, he has taught that justification is not by a person’s strict and careful observance of God’s law but by faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:28) This opens the door of salvation to all people, including the gentiles who know nothing of the Mosaic law. (Romans 3:29-30) Now in proof of this, Paul brings forward Abraham and David. How were these men justified? For this reason, he quotes the Old Testament.

Start with Abraham. How was he justified?

Paul answers this question from Genesis 15:

Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

Clearly Abraham was not justified by a careful obedience to all the laws which God gave to His people. These laws were not even in existence yet. Abraham was justified by believing in God which shows that justification is by faith.

Paul says that righteousness was credited to Abraham. What is meant by this word “credited”?

This word was commonly used in the context of accounting.

How about David?

David’s justification is given us in Psalm 32.

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! (Psalm 32:1-2)

Romans 5

What does Paul teach us here about justification?

In this chapter, Paul explains the work of Christ by placing it in parallel with the work of Adam.

What was the work of Adam?

This is Paul’s doctrine of original sin (more):

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned–for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. (Romans 5:12-14 more)

What comparison does Paul make between the work of Adam and the work of Christ?

Paul gives three contrasts between these two and then one similarity:

The first two contrasts are between the effects of Adam’s act with the effects of what Christ did.
- In Romans 5:15, Adam’s act brought death to all his; Christ’s act brought life to all His.
- In Romans 5:16, Adam’s sin brought a guilty verdict or condemnation while Christ’s righteousness brings a not-guilty verdict justification.
The third contrast pertains to who is holding the power or who is king. Adam sinned; and as a result, death now sits on the throne. Everyone is ruled by this terrible tyrant, and the world is full of cemeteries. Christ, however, came to earth and throws out this cruel tyrant and gives believers their life back. (Romans 5:17)
The one similarity is between God’s method of transmitting the guilt of Adam to all his and the righteousness of Christ to all His. (Romans 5:18-19)

What does this teach us about justification?

Because Paul clearly wants us to understand our justification in Christ in parallel with our condemnation in Adam. Understanding the one helps us to understand the other.

Explain this.

Sure but first a few preliminaries: First, note how Romans 5:12-21 is full of legal terminology. Clearly, the metaphor Paul has in mind is the law court. Slade (p58): “The terms here used are all forensic.”

v13 imputed
v15 transgression
v16 judgment, condemnation, justification
v17 righteousness,
v19 disobedience, “made sinners,” “made righteous”

Second, note how Paul piles up term upon term to make the point that our justification is free and unearned.

But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12-19)

Why do you speak of righteousness as a gift?

This terminology is Paul’s. (Romans 5:17) It is a genitive of apposition and is one of the major themes of this letter.

Paul had mentioned this gift earlier when he spoke of a righteousness from God which was revealed in the gospel and held forth in the preaching of this gospel. (Romans 1:17)
He repeats this idea when he insists that this righteousness is apart from the law (Romans 3:21) and received by faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:22)
Then he shows how Abraham and David both had righteousness credited to them when they put their trust in God. (Romans 4:3-6)
This righteousness was not received by law-keeping but by faith in Jesus. (Romans 4:13)

Whose righteousness is this which Paul says we receive as a gift?

It is the perfect obedience of Jesus. This is Paul’s teaching in these verses:

The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:16-17)

First, Paul speaks of the gift. He identifies this gift as the gift of righteousness. At this point, he does not specify whose righteousness this is. In other verses, he speaks of this righteousness as from God. (Romans 1:17; 3:21)

Second, this gift of righteousness is given in the face of many transgressions. Adam was condemned for one sin; Christians are justified even though they have many transgressions on their legal record. Clearly, the Not Guilty verdict which those in Christ receive is not because of their own, personal righteousness. The opposite is true.

Third, Paul teaches us that this new legal status or the gift of righteousness is through the One Man, Jesus Christ. How so?

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19)

How are believers justified through the One Man, Jesus Christ? Well, says Paul, we receive Christ’s righteousness in the same way that we received Adam’s guilt. Adam’s covenant breaking, his one transgression, was imputed to all who are in Adam even though they had not personally broken the covenant. In the same way, Christ’s perfect legal record, His one act of righteousness, was imputed to all who are in Christ bringing them justification and eternal life even though they themselves were not personally and perfectly righteous.

Fourth, Paul clarifies that this one act of righteousness, is, in fact, Christ’s own personal and perfect obedience to God’s law. To preserve the parallel between Adam and Christ, we say that Adam violated the terms of the covenant of works while Christ perfectly observed them. This is what theologians have called the active obedience of Christ.

Why do you say that verses 18 and 19 are focused on the way or the method of receiving Adam’s guilt and Christ’s righteousness?

The interpretive key for these verses is found in the conjunction ὡς (as) and the adverb οὕτως (even so) in v18. In v 19, similarly ὥσπερ (as) and οὕτως (even so). The as ὡς makes clear that Paul intends us to see a comparison between Adam and Christ. The adverb οὕτως specifically focuses our attention on the how or the manner of this transmission.

Philippians 3

What is Paul’s teaching in this chapter?

Paul writes the following:

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:1-11)

Note Paul’s extreme irritation with the Judaizers.

Who were the Judaizers?

These were Jews who had converted to Christianity. Their error was that they believed one still had to perform the rituals of the Jewish religion in order to be saved. Galatians is a letter written by Paul to expose this error.

What does Paul say about the Judaizers in these verses?

He warns the Christians in Philippi against these errors by calling the Judaizing error “putting confidence in the flesh.” Then Paul goes on to show off his own list of “fleshly” or mere human accomplishments:

circumcised on the eighth day,
an ethnic Jew from the tribe of Benjamin,
trained as a Pharisee,
zealous in seeking out and arresting the enemies of Judaism, and
a blameless keeper of all God’s laws.

After listing these, however, Paul gives his opinion of their value. He calls them “loss.” In comparison to Christ, they are just so much garbage.

Why does Paul value Christ so highly?

Because when Paul was brought into a saving union with Jesus Christ, he became a sharer in Christ’s righteousness. Consider each of these phrases and what they teach us about the righteousness which Paul received:

Paul came to have this legal status when he was brought into a union with Jesus Christ. By this union, Paul had what Christ had.	…and may be found in Him… καὶ εὑρεθῶ ἐν αὐτῷ
This legal status was not something he had worked out by his own action.	…not having a righteousness of my own… μὴ ἔχων ἐμὴν δικαιοσύνην
This legal status was not obtained by a careful observance of all the laws which God gave to Israel.	…derived from the Law… τὴν ἐκ νόμου
He received this legal status when he put his trust in Jesus.	…but that which is through faith… ἀλλὰ τὴν διὰ πίστεως Χριστοῦ τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει
The faith which saved Paul was a faith which had Jesus Christ as its object.	…in Christ… Χριστοῦ
This legal status was a gift from God the Father.	…the righteousness which comes from God… τὴν ἐκ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην
This legal status was made his when he put his trust in Jesus.	on the basis of faith ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει

What do these verses teach us about justification?

These verses make it clear that our own inner character, as important as this is, is no part of our justification before God. Paul makes it clear that the righteousness which constituted his legal status before God was not his own, nor was it by obedience to God’s laws. On the contrary, this righteousness was something he had as a result of his union with Christ.

Confessional Statements:

Lutheran:

What do the Lutheran creeds say about justification?

Article 4 of the Augsburg confession states:

Also our churches teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ’s sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4.

Anglican:

What do the Anglican creeds say about justification?

Article 11 of the Thirty Nine articles states (p31):

WE are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by faith only is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort; as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.

Reformed:

What do the Reformed creeds say about justification?

Chapter 11, paragraph 1 of the Westminster Confession states:

Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth: not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on him and his righteousness, by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.

Wesleyan:

What do the Wesleyan creeds say about justification?

§230 of the Wesleyan articles of religion states:

We believe that justification is the judicial act of God whereby a person is accounted righteous, granted full pardon of all sin, delivered from guilt, completely released from the penalty of sins committed, by the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by faith alone, not on the basis of works.

Eastern Orthodoxy:

What is the official statement of Eastern Orthodoxy as it pertains to justification?

This doctrine does not receive much attention in Eastern Orthodoxy, and I could not find any official statement on this doctrine. In the Confession of Dositheus, we find this statement:

Decree 9 (p122): We believe that no one can be saved without faith. By faith we mean the right notion that is in us concerning God and divine things, which, working by love, that is to say, by [keeping] the Divine commandments, justifies us with Christ; and without this [faith] it is impossible to please God.

What is the Confession of Dositheus?

You can read more here.

Are there any more statements from Eastern Orthodox theologians?

Yes, we find this statement in the Catechism of the Eastern Orthodox church (p37):

How does the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross deliver us from sin, the curse, and death?

That we may the more readily believe this mystery, the Word of God teaches us of it, so much as we may be able to receive, by the comparison of Jesus Christ with Adam. Adam is by nature the head of all mankind, which is one with him by natural descent from him. Jesus Christ, in whom the Godhead is united with manhood, graciously made himself the new almighty Head of men, whom he unites to himself through faith. Therefore as in Adam we had fallen under sin, the curse, and death, so we are delivered from sin, the curse, and death in Jesus Christ. His voluntary suffering and death on the cross for us, being of infinite value and merit, as the death of one sinless, God and man in one person, is both a perfect satisfaction to the justice of God, which had condemned us for sin to death, and a fund of infinite merit, which has obtained him the right, without prejudice to justice, to give us sinners pardon of our sins, and grace to have victory over sin and death.

Schaff calls (p445) this “the most authoritative doctrinal standard of the orthodox Græco-Russian Church.” In the Catechism of Bulgaris (p98), we find this paragraph:

The ninth is Justifying Grace, which is “a gift freely given us, by which we are made worthy of blessedness, and are united with GOD so far as may be in the present life.” So Paul (Rom. 3:24): “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption in CHRIST JESUS;” and Eph. 1:6: “Unto the praise of the glory of His grace, wherewith He endued us in the Beloved: in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound toward us.”

Roman Catholicism:

What is the official Roman Catholic statement of this doctrine?

The catechism of the catholic church states:

§1989 The first work of the grace of the Holy Spirit is conversion, effecting justification in accordance with Jesus’ proclamation at the beginning of the Gospel: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Moved by grace, man turns toward God and away from sin, thus accepting forgiveness and righteousness from on high. “Justification is not only the remission of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior man.

§1990 Justification detaches man from sin which contradicts the love of God, and purifies his heart of sin. Justification follows upon God’s merciful initiative of offering forgiveness. It reconciles man with God. It frees from the enslavement to sin, and it heals.

§1991 Justification is at the same time the acceptance of God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Righteousness (or “justice”) here means the rectitude of divine love. With justification, faith, hope, and charity are poured into our hearts, and obedience to the divine will is granted us.

§1992 Justification has been merited for us by the Passion of Christ who offered himself on the cross as a living victim, holy and pleasing to God, and whose blood has become the instrument of atonement for the sins of all men. Justification is conferred in Baptism, the sacrament of faith. It conforms us to the righteousness of God, who makes us inwardly just by the power of his mercy. Its purpose is the glory of God and of Christ, and the gift of eternal life:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.

§1993 Justification establishes cooperation between God’s grace and man’s freedom. On man’s part it is expressed by the assent of faith to the Word of God, which invites him to conversion, and in the cooperation of charity with the prompting of the Holy Spirit who precedes and preserves his assent:

When God touches man’s heart through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, man himself is not inactive while receiving that inspiration, since he could reject it; and yet, without God’s grace, he cannot by his own free will move himself toward justice in God’s sight.

§1994 Justification is the most excellent work of God’s love made manifest in Christ Jesus and granted by the Holy Spirit. It is the opinion of St. Augustine that “the justification of the wicked is a greater work than the creation of heaven and earth,” because “heaven and earth will pass away but the salvation and justification of the elect . . . will not pass away.”43 He holds also that the justification of sinners surpasses the creation of the angels in justice, in that it bears witness to a greater mercy.

§1995 The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life. By giving birth to the “inner man,”44 justification entails the sanctification of his whole being:

Just as you once yielded your members to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now yield your members to righteousness for sanctification…. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the return you get is sanctification and its end, eternal life.