Justified before God apart from our faith/ believing !
This is a truth that carnal religion cant receive, because its a stranger to the Grace of God to sinners through Jesus Christ. However the Elect of God, those Chosen in Christ before the foundation, both old test and new test believers, were Justified before God, before faith, while ungodly in themselves, by the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. First of all, Christ came into the world on their behalf to fulfill all the Righteousness of the Law for them. Paul writes on that here Rom 8:3-4
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
In this He fulfilled the Law Matt 5:17
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Matt 3:15
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Now Christ the Surety Head of His Sheep, Church, Gods Elect has perfectly obeyed every command of Gods Perfect Holy Law, in deed, thoughts and speech, in that unto them, its counted as if they did it themselves, because its imputed to their credit as an free gift of Righteousness Rom 5:17
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ)
Its an gift by imputation, God considers it so, thinks it so, deems it so, pronounces it so Solely upon the Active Law keeping Obedience to His Law by Christ in their place and stead ! 24