There are three ways God could deal with sin. He could simply issue a verdict condemning all sinners and be done with it, leaving us hopeless. Or, He could compromise His righteousness, lower the standard, and take us just as we are. God could say, “Let bygones be bygones,” and skip over our sin—but then He would not be righteous and just. However, God took a third option, providing the means to forgive sinners and declare them righteous in His sight. THE CONCEPT OF JUSTIFICATION The biblical term