What does it mean to be justified in Christian theology?

In Reformed theology, justification is a foundational doctrine that signifies God's declaration of a sinner as righteous. This occurs not because of any merit on our part, but through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross (Romans 8:33). As Romans 4:5 explains, 'But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.' This means that our right standing before God is based exclusively on Christ's righteousness, which is credited to us through faith, providing a profound assurance of our salvation and acceptance before God.