Justification

  John continues to speak of sin, truth and lies in chapter two of his first letter.  He has already spoken of confessing our sins (1:9) to Jesus who is faithful and just.  Then he goes on to say that Jesus is the Righteous One, the atoning sacrifice.  He is the one who serves as our defense lawyer before the Father.  In fact, he is the only one who can represent us before the Father because it was his sacrifice of his own life that leads to our justification.  It is his justification, his righteousness which is applied to our sin before the Father.  And so, we are declared "not guilty" because he took our guilt, our sin, our shame upon himself.  He is our defense (2:1-2).
  He is a better defense attorney than Johnny Cochran.  He argues in a court far above the Supreme Court.  And he always wins.
  For Reflection:  Justification is the forgiveness of sins (cf. Rom 3:23-25; Acts 13:39; Lk 18:14), liberation from the dominating power of sin and death (Rom 5:12-21) and from the curse of the law (Gal 3:10-14). It is acceptance into communion with God: already now, but then fully in God's coming kingdom (Rom 5:1f). It unites with Christ and with his death and resurrection (Rom 6:5). It occurs in the reception of the Holy Spirit in baptism and incorporation into the one body (Rom 8:1f, 9f; I Cor 12:12f). All this is from God alone, for Christ's sake, by grace, through faith in "the gospel of God's Son" (Rom 1:1-3). (Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by Faith, 11, www.vatican.va)
  Let us pray.  Jesus, you are the only begotten Son of the Father.  You are the Righteous One, the Just One.  You are the one who intercedes for us.  You are the light.  You are the truth. You are the atonement.

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