“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
“yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
Into the Text
In salvation, there are three components to the process: justification, sanctification, and glorification. The first is justification. This divine act of justification is God’s declaration that we are righteous, not because of our actions, but because of Jesus’ sacrificial work. It assures us of our standing before God and fills our hearts with peace.
Justification is a gift from God, whereby He credits us with the righteousness of Christ. It occurs one time when we confess our sins and ask Jesus to be the Lord of our lives. When we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we are united with Him, and His righteousness becomes ours (Galatians 2:16).
The truth of justification means we can stop trying to earn our way to heaven or gain God’s favor. We can now live in freedom. Even though we continue to struggle with sin, God sees us as perfectly righteous because of Christ’s righteousness.
We can rest in the assurance of God’s acceptance and love, walking in the peace that comes from being justified by faith. Our faith in Christ removes the burden of guilt and condemnation, replacing it with the embrace of His grace and mercy.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you for justifying me through faith in you. Help me to rest in the assurance of your acceptance and love. Free me from the burden of striving for acceptance, and let me walk in the freedom and joy of being justified by your grace. In your name, Amen.