Jesus' Resurrection Ensures our Justification

In only one passage does Paul explicitly connect Christ's resurrection with our justification (or our receiving a declaration that we are not guilty but righteous before God).  Paul says that Jesus "was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (Rom 4:25).  When Christ was raised from the dead, it was God's declaration of approval of Christ's work of redemption.  Because Christ "humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2:8), "God highly exalted him..." (Phil 2:9).  By raising Christ from the dead, God the Father was in effect saying that he approved of Christ's work of suffering and dying for our sins, that his work was completed and that Christ no longer had any need to remain dead.  There was no penalty left to pay for sin, no more wrath of God to bear, no more guilt or liability to punishment - all had been completely paid for, and no guilt remained.  In the resurrection, God was saying to Christ, "I approve of what you have done, and you find favour in my sight."

Grudem, Systematic Theology, p615