Day 15 of Knowing Him: An Easter Devotional (view all days)
…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood–to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished–he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. (Romans 3:23-27)
It is hard to overestimate the power of this one word: justified. Over the past twenty centuries Christians have periodically rediscovered this important truth. We keep forgetting it because we are so inclined to think that we can earn God’s favor if we just try hard enough. But, like the love of a good parent, God’s grace is something that we can never earn. God gladly gives it.
Justification is a word from the law courts, and what it means in the New Testament is that God, who is both Father and Judge, has said that we can be acquitted at court because of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Have you seen a defendant in a courtroom receive a verdict of “not guilty,” and then walk straight out of the courtroom, entirely free? It’s decisive because it’s a decision by an authority about a change of status.
This passage teaches that because of Jesus, we can be acquitted in the court of God’s law (even though we are guilty of breaking it), and walk out as free people. We are guilty (3:23). And Jesus voluntarily took the penalty of the world’s sin on his shoulders. There is justice in it all, and God offers justification to people who ought to be penalized (3:26).
Ponder This: What do you have to say to God, having walked out of the courtroom of his justice, a free person?
[This daily devotional will appear through Easter. You may receive via email.]
Thank you is what I would say.
I am thankful to GOD for justification that makes me FREE from the panties of SINS that I have
committed in the past. If were not for GODS JUSTICATION I would still GUILTY for those
sins even those were OFFENSE to GOD but because HE JUSTIFYS me, I am free of them.
THANKS BE TO GOD
John 3:16-17; l John 1:9; Romans 8:28 must also be included.
God, give me clarity to understand that I don’t have to suffer because You had suffered for my sins. God, make me understand I can be joyful if I believe in this mystery – that I am free in your name.
All I can say is Thank you GOD, for my freedom which came by way of your SON JESUS CHRIST.
It continues to be too much for me to comprehend! I find great comfort in the reminders found in the reply of Ignatius Boustin above, “God, give me clarity to understand that I don’t have to suffer because You had suffered for my sins. God, make me understand I can be joyful if I believe in this mystery – that I am free in your name.”!
Justification is a mystery! It is so alien to human workings! Praise be to God that he is in the process of teaching us about devine love!
I sometimes have trouble with the concept of God provided freedom. It is ironic, as a new christian, to see how few people will allow me(us) to live in an experience this freedom. My greatest blocks to a free Christian life are not secular humanists, evolutionists, Satan, or the “world”. It is definitely other Christians, who insist on attaching their own baggage to my beliefs. Or rather, that try. Either way, it is sad and very tireing
I think this is the greatest not guilty verdict ever. Because we are so guilty of SIN so when we accept CHRIST and believe in CHRIST then serve JESUS we can be assured that on that final judgement CHRIST will stand as our attorney when GOD convicts us and JESUS will see HIS merciful blood on us and we will then hear the words well done good and faithful servant. While being guilty we are going to be free GLORY BE TO GOD. GOD bless you guys
I say Thank You from the bottom of my heart and my soul.
I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you, I love you, I love you. You are the center of my life.
This is the best i will forever be greatful
Fully justified in the eyes of the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!! This great truth allow us to love, lead and live as Christ did. Thru his grace we can serve others to bring them to this truth. AMEN!
With you LORD all is great, your will , your way……AMEN
Oh my! Thanks hard question to answer.
I am indebted to God and will do all in my power to praise him and worship him with no reservations! As i walk out of the courtroom free I will be singing praises to the one who set me free and thinking of how not to offend him and what I can do in order to show my gratitude.
amen…how do you shut out when someone close to you constantly accuses you? i try and try to keep reminding him of Romans 8:1 but he seems unable to treat me as if I’m not condemned..
In the end, what really matters is that I know God sees me as justified. But when a person, namely your husband, doesn’t see that way (much of the time I think he thinks I’m not even saved) it’s very hard. But then, Jesus never promised and easy road! He is worthy. I love Him.
Thankyou seems to be a little lax in adjectives of gratitude; none-the-less, it is the only one that is ample enough to. My freedom in the Lord and my verdict of “innocent” is enough though to allow ppl. to know that if God can free me and make me clean as the undriven snow, how much more can He do for others who are no where near as unclean as I was. I desire to allow ppl. to know that there is no wrong that is ” TOO WRONG” for God to sweep from the conciousness of anyone.
Thank You Jesus, Thank You God the Father, and Thank You God the Holy Spirit. All is Nothing without You!
Thank you God for sending Jesus to pay the penalty to die on the cross for all of my sins.
God, thank you for your only begotten Son shed blood on Calvary for me. Please forgive for my sins.
I will be forever grateful to God for His son |Jesus Christ. That by His shed blood we are forgive and justified (as if I had never sinned); Praise God for our atonement through Christ Jesus.
Earl
I whole heartedly agree, grandmother! THANK YOU JESUS!
Oh Jesus how wonderful you are. You knew i cannot be justified by me striving to be good or pleasing to the Father. Nothing would have been good enough. So you submitted to our Father to sacrifice your life for me You who is sinless took the form of man to suffer and die for me, so that, that would be the perfect sacrifice to wash all my sins and transform me as white as snow to live in the heavenlies as adopted sons and daughter of the Father. You are indeed my justification as i now can live as your justified daughter here on earth in the spirit of jesus in me . How awesome you are . I will forever praise you my Lord.
I am totally in awe. Feeling so unworthy but yet sooo loved.
Thank you for opening my eyes and my heart to see all that you are doing for me and my family.
I turned to Romans 4: 23 and was in thought.. I am yours Lord take me just as I am and how can I thank you?? How can I find the human word..Thank you God that you can read my heart!! You can read my feelings and it is a heart connection with you Thank you
There are no appropriate words to say thank you for His torture & pain, His separation from the Father, His being willing to not only carry but to die for my ugly sins. All I can do is praise His name above every name, give Him all honour and glory that is due Him, live for Him alone, being obedient to His call, even if that means surrendering my life. After all, He did it for me. Shouldn’t I be willing to do it for Him if He asks?
Thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord..
Thank you Father, a zillion times thank you.
‘Oh for a thousand tonuges to shout my Redeemer’s praise
Thank you Jesus!!!
Forgiveness is such a difficult achievement in today’s world it only makes me praise God MORE!
He provided me with such a wonderful gift that I pray each day to be worthy of His grace. Each time I come to the crossroad of life where forgiveness of self and others is required, I look to God for strength and again the wish to be worthy of His grace.
Thank You Abba that You saw in us a people worthy of Your cleansing blood. Thank You that You died for all, You are our All in All, our Once and For All Atonement. Thank You for bridging the huge gap between the Father and us. Oh, Lord for Your never ending perfect grace that comes day by day. I am not worthy of You, but I am floored that You continue to stand beside me, covering me in Your unfailing love. Thank You.
Blessings all. I’m curious about this. If we are guilty from the start, why is there need for a trial in court–or a reference to one? In a courtroom, we are presumed innocent until proven guilty. So if a defendant is acquitted, there is NOT a change of status. Also, what does Paul mean when he states that the past sins had gone unpunished? It seems to me that the OT is chock-FULL of stories concerning God’s punishment of sinners. So why the need for Jesus’ death? Can somebody offer me some insight here? Thank you, and God bless.
Punishment in the Old Testament? Do you mean EARTHLY suffering? We are talking about ETERNAL punishment. The suffering and the shedding of the blood of Jesus was needed to pay the cost of our sin. The Bible says that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. As God, Jesus was able to suffer the wrath of His Father to pay the penalty for everyone’s sin and the resurrection of Jesus showed that His sacrifice was acceptable to His Father.
Thanks for the observations, Todd. I see your point. “Acquittal” is not the complete story. We are guilty, so we are not acquitted in the sense of being proven innocent in the first place. Rather, justification is such a complete forgiveness that it is “just as if” we had never sinned. Perhaps the “commuted sentence” is more helpful. We are guilty, but because of the sacrifice of Christ our sentence (of eternal death) is commuted. On your latter point, when Paul says that previous sins were left unpunished he meant the final judgment and punishment. It is true that we experience the penalty of sin all the time–oftentimes in the sense of natural consequences–but the final judgement has yet to happen. In the meantime, Jesus took the penalty of the judgment on himself.
Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
that saved a wretched like me…
The image of the prisoner being set free is really powerful!
Who can stand before God and still remain alive?
Only thru Jesus
Thanks for reminding us of the Grace of God.
It’s a concept that goes beyond our understanding… living in a fallen world like this is, where you have to pay for everything, where even free samples have a price, and even if you pay, you can be cheated… the Grace that God has shown me in bringing me to life thru Jesus I will never forget, … I can remember my time bofore Jesus, and I’m thankful for the day when He saved me, when He showed me He was a real, holy and loving God. But still, how we need to be reminded that His work on the cross paid it all ! and this…in our daily life, and specially when we are reaching others with the Gospel.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the ligh of his wonder and “grace”.
God bless you all
Thank you for setting me free is about all I can say. What Jesus did for us is so much more than words can describe. Gracias, Dios Mio!
What do I have to say to God for my justification? Simple. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I truly don’t deserve it. You are a gracious, generous God.
Thank you Good Father for sending your only begotten son to die for my sins. To be so loved and taken care of is beyond words.