Salvation and Justification

Chuckle: TEACHER: "Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?" HAROLD: "A teacher."

Quote: "Justification is the legal and formal acquittal from guilt by God as Judge, the pronouncement of the sinner as righteousness, who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ." --Vines Dictionary of New Testament Words

"He (Christ) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification" (Romans 4:25 NIV).

Our salvation/redemption from the penalty and power of sin must be seen as the greatest miracle God has ever performed. We have seen previously that our salvation encompasses a new spiritual birth (REGENERATION), being set apart for service holy unto God (SANCTIFICATION), and today we look at another aspect of salvation, JUSTIFICATION. The word "justification" denotes the act of acquittal or absolution from guilt. One of the amazing benefits of salvation is that the justified (not guilty) live in peace with God. By God's forgiveness, they are delivered from the condemnation of sin and given eternal life.

In a court of law, a judge or jury will find the defendant "not guilty" if the evidence presented is inadequate for a conviction. With this ruling, the defendant's record is wiped clean and he is free from any future penalty connected to the alleged offenses. Similarly, God, the Righteous Judge, has declared us not guilty of our sins, freed us from the penalty thereof and declared us righteous because we now have the righteousness of Jesus who has already paid the penalty for those sins. I have heard justification described as, "it's just as if I had never sinned."

I'm reminded of a soldier who went AWOL during World War II. After the war, he appeared before a prosecutor to find out where he would be serving out the rest of his long sentence. Instead he was told that President Truman had given him a full pardon. The prosecutor said, "that means your record is completely clear. Just as if you had never committed the offense."

When we have received forgiveness by placing our faith in Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice, our sins are remembered against us no more. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12 NIV). "He (God) has removed our rebellious acts (sins) as far away as the east is from the west" (Psalm 103:12 NLT).

God justifies the believing sinner on the basis of Christ's death and grants us His free gift of life. To allow His one and only Son to die in our stead and be raised again on the third day was the terrible price He paid for our justification. When we repent, believe in Christ and are justified, we enter into a right relationship with God for all eternity. Praise His Holy Name.

Love, Jerry & Dotse