Friends, Here is a small resource of quotes from works of the Church Fathers, helping us to understand what it means to be "justified", or made just, before the sight of God Almighty: http://anglicanum.wordpress.com/sola-fide/ They firmly held that our righteousness comes from being seen by God in Christ through faith. We are not just or right before the Lord because of good works, or mercenary actions. Please read these Fathers before discussing.
It seems there's a common misconception grown up amongst Christians that "sola fide", "faith alone", refers to the mode by which we attain salvation and "go to Heaven". The reality couldn't be further from the Truth! Justification By Faith Alone (justificatio sola fide) is the doctrine that we human beings - so sinful, so unjust to each other and to God - need to be "justified" before we can approach God. Since we are unrighteous after our Fall, we can only attain to His forgiveness through faith in Him. He gave us an object of that faith: Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God. Believing sincerely in Him purchases that which we are too impoverished to buy ourselves. Salvation is another matter... and is of love superimposed on strong faith...
It is all by grace, so no man can boast, but we oughtn't divorce salvation from justification as if it were an altogether different thing. Rather, we simply distinguish the logical steps in the process of salvation: God regenerates us, justifies us, sanctifies us and glorifies us. Faith is what justifies us before God and the justified are no longer condemned or in fear of condemnation. But those who are justified will surely be sanctified during this life and glorified in Heaven. Regeneration, justification, sanctification and glorification are distinct but inseparable as such, the same way light and heat are distinct but inseparable in a ray of sun.