Morning Devotions: Grace II in the light of Justification

CHANNAH-grace 2; A little bit about justification.

Romans 3:19-31 

Today, for our study in Romans, I want to talk a little bit about Justification. The concept of CHANNAH-grace may be clearer with a basic understanding of what it means to be justified.

Romans 3:23-25 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; nasu

     Most of you have heard the do-dah for the simple meaning of justified, “Just as if I Never Sinned” and that is a helpful little tool. But justification does not declare us innocent of sin (as the do-dah seems to say). It declares us to be in right standing (righteous) before The Almighty because our death penalty for sin has been both paid and accepted (through resurrection). 

     Everyone wants this right standing before the Almighty on judgment day. No one wants to be sentenced to eternal damnation because of a rebellious life. All around the world there are religious people with religious standards, who are trying to conform their life to those standards, hoping that the good they do will outweigh the rebellion of their hearts. Some are better at it than others. But being religious ends up being like a group of people trying to swim from Seattle to Hawaii. Those who are poor swimmers with little endurance will be the first to drown. With great effort and determination, a few will get closer to the goal before they drown. But even a great swimmer, who gets a lot closer to the goal will still drown before he stands on the sands of the big island. It is the same with religion. No matter how good I am at the practice of my religion, I will not reach the goal of eternal life. I simply cannot overcome dying in the process. If I were able to never sin again (and in the flesh this is not possible), there are still past sins that will kill me. We MUST be born again to reach our goal. 

     Repentance is not “turning away from sin” but it is turning toward the King and his Kingdom. It is walking The Way (living) that pleases the Almighty. He brings us to the goal (eternal life) through his beloved son, the lamb of God, Y’shua-Jesus. To use the swimming idea, you still have to put on your swimming suit and get into water over your head, you need to start swimming toward the goal. But it is no longer your determination or endurance that counts. You have entered an environment that you cannot endure, hoping to arrive safe at a destination you long for. Sin is like carrying weights into the water. Each heavy stone is the penalty you swim with for your sin. They will bring you down. Justification would be like having the weights removed. Not just cut loose, Y’shua-Jesus took the stones, the “dead weight” for you, He drowned because of your sin. He paid your death-penalty. Justification is His gift to you. You can pursue the goal, live life without the weight of sin dragging you down. Grace is being in the winner’s circle from the moment you get your feet wet.

     Where are you at in all of this? You must be born again. If you are not, then you are still like the kid trying to swim to Hawaii with pockets full of rocks.

Mrs. Hagerty,
May 11, 2016 (Happy birthday Dennis!)

Romans 3:19-31 Now we know that whatever the Torah says, it speaks to those who are (living) under the covenant, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works-lifestyle of the Covenant under Torah no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Toran comes the knowledge of sin.
 But now apart from the Torah the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Torah and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith (amen) in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation (the place where sin is forgiven) in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just (without personal sin that kills us) and the justifier (able to pay for the sins of others, giving them the gift of right standing before the Almighty) of the one who has faith in Jesus.
 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith (amen-standing on the promises) apart from works of the Torah. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
 31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.