Romans 3:23-25 English Standard Version (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

There are many words here that are worthy of explanation like redemption, propitiation, grace and righteousness but the one that determines our eternal salvation is justified. If we are not justified we are guilty of our sins and God will not overlook them. This takes us back to the beginning of the Passover ritual. Lamb’s blood was upon the doorpost of the people who were not taken the night death passed thru Egypt.

In legal terms, for the court of heaven, can you provide justification for all the sins you ever committed or will commit? If just one sin cannot be justified in that court, you are bound up and cast into the lake of fire with Satan. Here is a hint, sin cannot be justified.

Justification is also a bookkeeping term. Justification is achieved in bookkeeping by applying credit against a debt. Debt is written in red and once the debt is paid, the ledger is said to be in the black.

Romans 4:24b-25 English Standard Version (ESV)

24 … It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Our sins for which Christ died put us in the red. If we believe by faith in His resurrection for our justification, our debt is paid and we move to the right side of the ledger.

Some like to simplify the term by saying “it is just as if it never happened”. While true, it does not by itself explain the mechanism by which God justifies us. He does not justify our sins, He justifies us.