Romans 5:1 NKJV
[1] Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
What would you do if you had a debt you could not repay? That was the predicament of humanity when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. Because of their disobedience, death came into the world, and this death was on three fronts. Spiritual death, which is a separation of intimacy between man and God, physical death, which is the separation of the soul from the body, and eternal death, which is eternal separation from the presence of God in hell.
Man could not save himself because no matter the amount of good works man did, it could not appease the wrath of God against the sinful nature he had acquired.
Now imagine if someone stepped in and paid the debt that you owed but could not repay. This means that whoever you owed is appeased because they are paid in full and the judge no longer has any grounds to find you guilty. Then you are justified, meaning you are declared not guilty.
Justification is a legal term meaning God acquits the one who believed in Christ of the divine verdict of condemnation, declaring him righteous because Christ paid the debt.
Romans 8:1 NKJV
[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
To be saved from sin and death and to be justified before God is a gift that God himself has offered to humanity. We cannot earn it, no matter how much we try. We can only attain it by believing in Christ and his death and resurrection.
When we believe, justification is instant, and we are made alive in Christ as all our past sins are forgiven. Our intimacy with God is restored. We are assured of eternal life with God instead of eternal separation from him. We also have the promise of glorification when we will receive new bodies and be separated from the presence of sin.
Once justified, we then go through a process of sanctification and that we will look at tomorrow.
Reflections.
What is the biggest debt you have ever owed anyone?
Have you embraced the gift of Salvation and justification that Christ paid for?
Have you given the enemy room to cause you to walk in condemnation? What must you do to overcome that?
