Justification is a legal declaration of the Christian's non-guilty status before God. God declares us to be not guilty based on Jesus' perfect fulfillment of the law in the Christian's place. Not only does God declare us to be not guilty but positively righteous having Jesus' active obedience given to us as a gift. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthains 5:21).