| “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). |
| “By the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18). |
| It is a wonderful thing to be justified, and especially to be justified before God. In this world, people are sometimes taken to court and accused of a crime, but when the evidence is presented, it is clear that the person who is accused did not commit the crime. Then they are justified by the court, and of course they are greatly relieved. But in the case of you and me, and every individual in this world, we are all guilty before God. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But we can be justified, because the Lord Jesus has satisfied all the claims of a holy God. For those who are saved, He has borne the judgment of God against our sins, and taken our place. Now God can forgive our sins, and “all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:39). |
| God has not had to forget His holiness in order to justify us, for the Lord Jesus has paid our debt for us, “that He (God) might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). Every believer stands justified before God. |
| However, this is only one side of justification. If we are justified FROM all things, this is the negative side. No charge can be laid against us regarding our sins, for God has justified us. But the Bible also speaks of “justification of life.” What does this mean? |
| It means that not only can we not be accused of anything before God regarding our sins, but that also we have been given a new life in Christ. If God had simply justified us FROM all things, but then left us with only our sinful nature, we would keep on sinning, over and over again. But now God has given us a new life that wants to please Him. We do not have to keep on sinning. Yes, we still have the old sinful nature, but we also have a new life that cannot sin. God wants us to let the new nature display itself in our walk in this world, and this is “justification of life.” |
| God has brought us into a wonderful place of privilege, and given us everything to help us please Him. |
