Everyone loves the idea of forgiveness. The concept that God deals with me without regard to the punishment that I deserve for my sins attracts many people to Christianity. However, are you able to explain the basis on which God declares someone to be innocent when in fact they have broken His law many, many times? Wouldn’t that be unjust? If every sin deserves God’s eternal wrath how can God simply ignore our rebellion against Him? The answers to these very important questions can be found in the doctrine of justification.
God is absolutely just and holy. God cannot relate to human beings apart from His perfect law. Only those who keep the 10 commandments perfectly without the smallest mistake can ever be acceptable to God. No one will ever find favour and blessing with God unless they can offer to God 100% righteousness. And yet, we find in Romans that “no one is righteous, no, not one” and “all have sinned”. How then can God forgive? How can God not hold our sin against us? The answer comes in two parts.
First, the bible teaches that Jesus Christ kept God’s moral law perfectly. So, when a sinner comes to Jesus in faith they receive as a free gift his law-keeping perfection. In Christ, a sinner does in fact give God the perfection that He demands. In Christ, the law is kept and God’s justice is satisfied. God declares the sinner to be righteous. A person’s justification does not yo-yo up and down. In Christ, the sinner does not become more unrighteous in God’s sight when they sin and does not become more righteous when they obey. Their legal status never changes because it is based on Jesus’ righteousness not their own. They can be totally confident at all times that God accepts them.
Second, the bible teaches that Christ took the death penalty on himself that the law demanded for the sinner. So, when a sinner comes to Jesus in faith, God can forgive their sin and not pour out His wrath on them because they are united to Christ and Christ has already experienced God’s wrath for them on the cross. This act of justification can never be repealed. From that moment onwards, the sinner never lives under the sentence of condemnation.
Do you feel that God really doesn’t enjoy you because you are too sinful? Do you find it difficult to pray because you think God is angry with you? Do you try and do good works so God will accept you? Remember the doctrine of justification. If you have Jesus Christ, then you have 100% righteousness and God does accept you. If you have Jesus Christ, then you cannot be given the death penalty for your sin. This is why Jesus invites sinners to come to him. This is why I John 5:12 says, “whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life”. Look for life in Christ and not in yourself. Be justified by God’s grace.
–By Allen Beardmore