"And whom He predestined, these He also called; and whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.''
Romans 8:30

Last week we looked into Romans 8:28-30, at those God foreknew and predestined in His plan for man. Let's look at justification as we continue to look into verse 30.

Romans 3:10-18 tells us that all mankind is guilty of sin. Read this portion of Scripture to see the universality and the enormity of sin. I will share some other verses from both the Old and the New Testaments concerning this as follows:
"The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Genesis 6:5

"They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one." Psalm 14:3 and 53:3

"All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way..." Isaiah 53:6

"For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment..." Isaiah 64:6

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

The Apostle Paul states very clearly the consequence of sin in Romans 6:23a, "The wages of sin is death..."
Being sinful we in our own selves had no way of saving ourselves! We were helpless, doomed to destruction and hell!

Then gloriously we have Romans 5:6,
"For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
And in Vs 9-10,
"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of  His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
For only in Christ, the righteous sinless Son of God, could the sin debt be paid.

"For we hold that a man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart from good deeds (works of he Law)..." Romans 3:28 The Amplified Bible .
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8 Romans 5:1 tells us, "Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Justification is a legal term that says 'Not Guilty!' In fact, it removes all charges laid against the one who is justified as if no crime was ever committed. Therefore, who can lay a charge against God's elect?
Romans 8:33-34 makes it clear. No one.
"Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us."

I repeat: having been justified by faith we are -- acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God through Christ Jesus our Lord! God imputed our sins to Jesus and He imputed Jesus' righteousness to us. That is love and mercy beyond comprehension!
"He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (My parentheses)

I would encourage all to read/study Romans chapters 3-5 (and other parts of Scripture as the Holy Spirit leads) for a deeper understanding of God's gracious act of justification to us who were foreknown, predestined and called. To grasp the enormity of this would cause us to worship in a manner that is fitting our most gracious loving glorious God!

With grateful hearts filled with love we say, "Thank You most Holy God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit!"  Amen