Doctrine of Justification
Part of the disagreement over justification stems from the meaning of the word justification itself.
The English word justification is derived from the Latin term justificare, which literally means "to make righteous". The early Latin fathers, who studied the Scriptures by means of the Vulgate (the 4th century Latin translation of the Bible by Jerome) rather than the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) and the Greek New Testament, developed their doctrine of justification based on their understanding of the legal system of the Roman Empire.
I don't think we need an "understanding of the legal system" as Paul spelled it out pretty clearly:
[Rom 5:1 LSB] Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Yeshua Christ,
In time, the doctrine of justification came to address the question of how an unrighteous person, a fallen sinner, can be made righteous. In the development of the doctrine of justification in Rome, the idea emerged that justification occurs after sanctification. That is, in order to be declared just, we first must be sanctified to the point that we exhibit a righteousness that is acceptable to God.
What does Scripture tell us?
[Rom 3:9-12 LSB] What then? Are we better? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; [10] as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; [11] THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; [12] ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME WORTHLESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
[Rom 3:28 LSB] For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
Abraham was justified by faith before works:
[Rom 4:1-3 LSB] What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? [2] For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God! [3] For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
[Rom 4:5 LSB] But to the one who does not work, but believes upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
[Rom 11:6 LSB] But if it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
[Gal 2:16 LSB] nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Yeshua Christ, even we have believed in Christ Yeshua, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
[Gal 3:10-11 LSB] For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO DO THEM.” [11] Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for “THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
[Eph 2:8-9 LSB] For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9] not of works, so that no one may boast.
[Tit 3:5 LSB] He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
[Isa 64:6 LSB] For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, carry us away.
The Greek meaning of the concept of justification, which was the Greek word dikaioo, which means "to declare righteous" rather than "to make righteous". So, in Protestantism, justification was understood to come before the process of sanctification.
From the Roman perspective, justification is a function of the sacerdotal operations of the church; that is, justification takes place primarily through the use of the sacraments, beginning with the sacrament of baptism.
Rome says that the sacrament of baptism, among others, functions ex opere operato, which literally means "through the working of the work".
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