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A reason or circumstance, that justifies an action or attitude

Justification (theology)

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The Harrowing of Hell as depicted by Fra Angelico

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Justification is the chief article of faith describing God's act of declaring or making a sinner righteous through Christ's atoning sacrifice. The extent, means, and scope of justification are areas of significant debate. Broadly speaking, Catholic and Orthodox Christians distinguish between initial justification, which in their view occurs at baptism, and final justification, accomplished after a lifetime of striving to do God's will.

Protestants believe that justification is a singular act in which God declares an unrighteous individual to be righteous because of the Crucifixion of Jesus. Justification is granted to all who have faith, but even that is viewed as a gift from God by Lutherans and Calvinists, who use Eph 2:8, as well as Acts 16:14 and Phil 1:29 to support that belief. Justification is seen by Protestants as being the theological fault line that divided Catholic from Protestant during the Reformation.[1

vindication, something that justifies