{
 "id": "basics-def-justification",
 "question": "What is justification?",
 "answer": "Justification is the act of God declaring someone to be legally righteous. This declaration is not based on anything a person does, but is based on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is received by faith. Righteousness is a gift.\n\nGod made His Son to become sin for us so that He could make us the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). Because we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1–2).\n\nJustification is one of five actions undertaken by God in eternity past on behalf of those who would become His children in time (Rom. 8:29–30). It is a work produced by God, as indicated by the aorist, active, indicative verb used to describe it.",
 "url": "/faq/what-is-justification/",
 "unit": null,
 "lesson": null,
 "lesson_title": null,
 "question_type": null,
 "tier": 2,
 "faq_class": "definition",
 "aeo_questions": [
  "What is the act by which God declares someone to be legally righteous based on Jesus Christ's righteousness received by faith?",
  "Can I earn peace with God through my own good deeds or must I accept God's free gift of righteousness?",
  "What role does faith play in God's declaration that someone is legally righteous, and what is the source of this righteousness?"
 ],
 "topic_anchor": "Justification",
 "derivation": "generated",
 "source_authority": "authoritative",
 "author": "Gene Cunningham",
 "book": "The Basics",
 "source": {
  "doc_id": "btbm-01-TheBasics-8-10-24",
  "ref": "The Basics -- Subject Index entry 'Justification' (printed pp. 15, 17, 175, 180)",
  "book_page": [
   15,
   180
  ],
  "grounding_pages": [
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   175,
   180
  ]
 },
 "scripture": [
  {
   "display": "Rom. 8:29–30",
   "osis": null,
   "book_pages": []
  },
  {
   "display": "2 Cor. 5:21",
   "osis": null,
   "book_pages": []
  },
  {
   "display": "Rom. 5:1–2",
   "osis": null,
   "book_pages": []
  }
 ],
 "topics": [
  "Justification",
  "Peace",
  "Righteousness",
  "Righteousness of God"
 ],
 "topics_context": [
  "Power and Holy Spirit",
  "Faith and salvation",
  "gifts of God",
  "essence of God",
  "Church",
  "Evangelism"
 ],
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