Justified In All Things

Justification is a multi-topical subject. A person can be justified in one topic but not another.

A person could be justified by the law of Moses in some ways, for instance keeping the law could prove a person believed Moses was sent by God. This in and of itself was not enough to save eternally.

The law of Moses could not justify in every area.

Notice Acts says that forgiveness of sins requires believing the things concerning Christ. So that a knowledge of Moses alone could not bring forgiveness.

Act 13:38  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

Act 13:39  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

The object of belief here is that which is preached by Christ.

Christ's incarnation, virgin birth, teaching, death, resurrection, ascension,  law of faith, baptism, and messianic kingdom.

The preaching here is the entire Gospel and by that the plan of salvation. We are justified when we believe and complete the law of Christ, the Gospel. Babies cannot be justified under this rule. It requires belief of the person. Plus the word belief in Greek requires submission.

Even if a baby is baptized, they cannot be justified through the process. This is a weakness of infant baptism theology. They claim the babe is saved by baptism without justification. New Testament baptism leads to forgiveness because we are justified. They have it backwards.

James tells us salvation and justification is through doing and not hearing only.

James' context is Christ's Gospel. Notice he says it is able to save those who do vs hear only. This is speaking of the New Testament because the Law of Moses was not meant to fully justify. The salvation James is speaking of is full salvation.

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Jas 1:21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

James writes this to those already of faith, they are already Christians. Jas 1:18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.  It is with this in mind he lets us know we must continue doing the word of Christ, otherwise we no longer bear our new image.

Also keep in mind this was a period of hearing the Gospel, most of the New Testament scriptures were not written yet. A person could be held accountable for not obeying when spoken by an authoritative source, then later held accountable for not living the scriptures message.

Jas 1:23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:

Jas 1:24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

Christian justification requires doing the word after initial faith. Just remember, here in James it is doing the word of Christ vs the law of Moses. We must accept the rich and poor of all nations who have become Christians.

The Law of Moses simply can't justify in the areas Christ can.

The modern approach is to teach man couldn't be accountable because the people back then were illiterate, most couldn't read, but James says we can be accountable after simply hearing during the days before most scripture was penned.