In the New Testament, words for salvation include: propitiation, vitally important for understanding the nature of the atonement yet only mentioned four times; Reconciliation is found just five times (all Pauline); and Redemption is not very common. But when we come to justification, we have 81 occurrences of the adjective, 100+ of the noun, 39 of the verb, and 5 of the adverb. Justification could be called the central idea in the doctrine of salvation.

John Calvin (1509-1564), “Justification is the main hinge on which salvation turns.”

Martin Luther (1483-1546), “When the article of justification has fallen, everything has fallen … This is the chief article from which all other doctrines have flowed … It alone begets, nourishes, builds, preserves, and defends the church of God; and without it the church of God cannot exist for one hour. Justification is the master and prince, the lord, the ruler, and the judge over all kinds of doctrines.”

Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556), “Justification is the strong rock and foundation of Christian religion. Whosoever denies this doctrine is not to be counted for a true Christian man but an adversary of Christ.”

John Stott, “Justification is not a synonym for amnesty, which is pardon without principle, a forgiveness which overlooks – even forgets – wrongdoing and declines to bring it to justice. No. Justification is an act of justice… When God justifies sinners, He is not declaring bad people to be good, or saying that they are not sinners after all; He is pronouncing them legally righteous, free from any liability to the broken law, because He Himself in His Son has borne the penalty of their law-breaking. We are justified by His blood.”