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Written by Beth Andrews for “Deeper Roots”  @  https://dbethandrews.wordpress.com

Original post @ https://dbethandrews.wordpress.com/2024/06/23/doctrines-of-the-faith-justification/

Doctrines of the Faith: Justification

POSTED ON JUNE 23, 2024 BY BETH ANDREWS

Every human born since Adam is a sinner. That includes me and you. We are all condemned before God (John 3:18). But God in His great love and mercy provided a sacrifice to bear the punishment for our sins – that sacrifice is Jesus. Through His death we are justified in God’s sight.

“Justified” means “to render righteous; to judge as innocent, faultless, and guiltless.” To be justified means that we are approved of and acceptable to God. Justification is a legal term in which a court orders a change in a written record to reflect what it should have said in the first place.

Man was not made to be a sinner. He was made for a relationship with a holy God. He was made to be God’s friend. But sin broke the relationship and declared every person guilty. Paul wrote, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). We all sin because we have inherited the “sin-gene” from the first humans. We all stand before God covered in our transgressions and sin. But thankfully, that is not the end of the story.

Because of Jesus, we can be justified before God. Justification means there is no longer any record of our sins. Paul wrote, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). When Jesus died on the cross His Father dipped a pen in His Son’s blood and wrote “innocent” across the lives of everyone who believes. Justification means “just as if I never sinned.” Justification restores sinners to a right relationship with God.

Since I am justified in Christ Jesus does that mean I will never sin? I wish it did, but I’m still a fallible human. But it means that when I do, God doesn’t count that sin against me – it’s all covered by Jesus’ blood. He doesn’t sigh and start a new list of my sins. Of course, that doesn’t mean I can sin to my wicked heart’s content. Grace is not a “get out of jail free” card. It’s the assurance that I don’t have to work my way back into God’s favor.

If you are still carrying the backpack of sin and shame, you can put it down forever at the foot of the cross. You can be right with God, Beloved – just as if you’d never sinned.

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P.S. (from bruce)  When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !!  If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ??  Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…   https://godsmanforever.com

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…