Justification — Meaning in the Bible
Being declared righteous, in the right before God. Paul teaches that people are justified by faith in Christ, not by works of the law; James shows that real faith is seen in what it does.
What it means
To justify is to declare someone in the right, the opposite of condemning them, as a judge would. Paul applies this to God's verdict: those who believe are justified freely by his grace. Deuteronomy 25:1Romans 3:23–26Romans 5:1
Paul points to Abraham, whose faith "was credited to him for righteousness". James also speaks of Abraham and argues that faith without works is dead; the two passages address different questions and are read together by most interpreters. Romans 4:1–5Galatians 2:16James 2:20–24
Key passages
- Romans 3:21–26 — Justified freely by grace through redemption in Christ.
- Romans 4:1–8 — Abraham believed God, and it was credited as righteousness.
- Romans 5:1 — Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.
- Galatians 2:15–16 — Not justified by works of the law but through faith.
- James 2:14–26 — Faith without works is dead.
- Luke 18:9–14 — The tax collector went home justified.
Original language
δικαιόω dikaioō
Greek · Strong’s G1344 · gloss: “to justify”
The Greek verb "to justify", related to the words for righteous and righteousness. Romans 3:24Luke 18:14
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Study further
- Luke 18:9–14 Begin with Jesus' parable.
- Romans 3:21–31 Paul's main explanation.
- Romans 4:1–25 Abraham's example.
- James 2:14–26 James on faith and works.