Acts 24:14-15

Danby House

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Paul has been taken under heavy guard from Jerusalem to Governor Felix at Caesarea.

He is accused by Ananias, the High Priest, and by an orator named Tertullus.

When Paul has a chance to defend himself he preaches the gospel to Governor Felix.

He speaks of the just and the unjust. He is speaking about justification.

Being cleansed of my sin and made holy is achieved through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.  This is justification.

I am a sinner, I have accepted this, and I am unrighteous in the sight of God. What is the solution to this problem? Nothing I can do by myself can undo the sin I have committed, and it is inevitable that I will continue to sin while in this body. How can I become righteous? The only way is if the righteousness of God could be imputed to me, so that when God looks at me he won’t see my sin, he will see his righteousness. The process of justification is how I can be declared or pronounced righteous. This is more than forgiveness. I can forgive someone who wrongs me, but I can’t declare them to be righteous.

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:24-26)

Just

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Unjust

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)