Grace,
Justification is a legal term, It means you have paid your debt, or the penalty imposed by the judge. If the penalty or debt is 10 years behind bars, then the person is not “justified” until the ten years are served. Or the person could be “redeemed” or have his freedom purchased by someone else paying his debt for him
We owe God a debt, that debt is perfection. We have failed to live up to that obligation. So we have a penalty imposed on us, The penalty or debt is death, Which means for every sin we have ever commited, a death penalty is imposed. And for ever sin you will commit from today until the day you die, A death penalty will be imposed.
Which means, You will carry out that debt for eternity. Or you are in need of being redeemed, by someone else paying your debt.
Thats called the cross.
You are not justified from your debt for one sin by any good work you do. Your good works will nto make up or pay for the debt you owe The penalty is death, ONLY death can pay that debt, Which means ONLY God being put on the cross. Suffering the DEBT we owe God can satisfy the justice system God has imposed on the human race. Its called Grace, Through Christ death, he who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf so that we may become the righteousness of God (justified) in or through him.
Justification thus, can only come through faith, Not work, Because again, You can do millions of good deeds, obey Gods commands a million times, and even stop sin, You still will not have paid enough to satisfy the debt for one sin you have commited, let alone the inumerable other sins you have commited since birth.
Salvation by works is impossible. You can not maintain your salvation, Even if God only forgave your sins up to the point your saved, Your still responsible for the debt of every sin you commit after. And again, That penalty is death, If you alreay used up the grace God gave you, Your on your own, and there can be no salvation
Either God saved you by paying for ALL your sin (past present and future) or he paid for your sin up to a certain point, and you better never sin again, Because if you do. Your doomed!
God paid for every sin, past present and future, for every person ever! Now see Romans 3:25 " that are past". Of course the individual is responsible for the debt of every sin they commit, ever. Just as you come to Christ for the forgiveness of past sin (there is no such thing as future sin confession) the first time, you must come again IF you should have new sin.
OSAS version (words in parenthesis)
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin (where are you going with this john...we're saved...why are you talking about sin?), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (well...OK...but you know this is a non-issue since we are saved and cant be lost, right John?)
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins ( maybe we should but its really not an issue since we are OSAS and obviously with that mindset, we are not very apt to even acknowledge sin), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (WHAT! that's impossible. Forgiveness is long past. I came to Jesus ___ years ago....all my sins at that time -past present and future- were forgiven back then. There is no such thing as confession for current sin or forgiveness now for a OSAS person...such an idea has no compatibility with OSAS thank you very much) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (oh, we get it your talking about those who would accept Jesus in the future, not us His people...ahhh, right?? you know we are OSAS right?? so that kind of talk about unrighteousness can never be applicable to us )
1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned (we don't like to talk about that in past tense terms as the words imply. We prefer the rendering to be " "If we say there is power in the gospel for true victory or overcoming". Otherwise the rest of the verse wont fit our OSAS understanding since continuing sinning is a foundational premise of OSAS even though continued sinning is irrelevant regarding OSAS), we make him a liar and his word is not in us (don't exactly know what "his word in us" means but if we can change the first part of the verse as we indicated, that works for us)
1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you , that ye sin not (seems John doesn't realize a grace saved Christian cant stop sinning). And IF (oh John you must mean WHEN, not IF) any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (We need an advocate?? we need an intercessor??? Jesus as high priest?????....but...but..we are already saved and cant be lost..we don't need an intercessor regarding anything to do with salvation).
1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments (there you go again john, this keeping God's commandments stuff is not going to sit well with the folks...we know knowing God is eternal life, we believe you there, but please don't associate "knowing God" with commandment keeping).
1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments (John how many times do we have to correct you about this nonsense of actually keeping the commandments of God) is a liar (now your really going to far John, stop that talk), and the truth is not in him (John you really have to get with Sa....er OSAS agenda and shut up about such things).
1 John 2:5 But whoso keepeth his word (John we appreciate you saying "word" rather than "commandments" here as we can play around with that, at least with those who don't realize keeping Gods word is = to keeping his commandments), in him truly is the love of God perfected (perfect, perfected???? John, never ever use that word perfect around us in association with a human being...we don't care how often its so used in the bible regarding the goal of the gospel for Gods people, that word is anathema to our program)
1 John 2: 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (nope, even though the bible says Jesus is our example, we all know that Paul wasn't exactly correct when he said Romans 8: 1 & 2 and Romans 12: 1 & 2, so John, we would appreciate it if you wouldn't say the same thing).
1John 3:3 " ...every man that hath this hope (hope??? we are OSAS, hope is for those who havn't risen to our level) in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure (Look John, its one thing to talk like your head is in the clouds about being pure, but to go to the ridiculous extreme of purity as Christ is pure, get real)
1 john 3:6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not (John your like a broken record. How can you use words like "sinneth not" when everyone who understands the OSAS gospel knows that there is no such thing as sinning not. There is no such thing as victory over sin or overcoming whether in Christ or not in Christ): whosoever sinneth (what do you mean "whosover...its everyone) hath not seen him neither known him (well John, you are incorrigible, good night, and don't call us, we'll call you)