So What’s Up with Justification?
Part 2
As an unbeliever or even a new believer in Jesus Christ we hear terms that just don’t make sense to us and why all the excitement over “Justification”. In Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Paul begins to lay before us God’s plan to have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ. The word “Justification” is what is needed to bring a right relationship with God. It is having right standing with God and to be declared righteous in His sight. This is something that is not earned by good works or trying harder to be a good person but only through the work of the Cross of Jesus Christ. Praise God! When I think of my messed up life of failures, weaknesses, selfishness and stupidity that through the work that Christ did on the cross acquitted me and by faith in Christ has placed me in right standing with God.
Justification by faith changes things for us in light of eternality. In Romans 5:1 it states, “We have peace with God”, verse 9 states “since we have been justified by his blood we have been”, saved from God’s wrath, we were reconciled to Him, and we have access to Him. I thank God that through Christ my relationship with our Heavenly Father is absolutely secure. In Ephesians 1:6-7, “to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace”.
We now have access by faith (childlike trust) into this grace wherein we stand, “Good News” through the blood of Christ and the work of the cross. I have freely received the redemptive work of Christ not based on my works or efforts but faith in Jesus Christ. May we all come into this peace that has been purchased with a price on Calvary!
