A Weekly Word from your Pastor
Justification
“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.” Romans 5:18
When we surrender to the Lordship of Jesus we become justified. We repent of our sin and decide to walk in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. We decide to die to self and to walk in the newness of life given to us by God.
Justification is the process by which Jesus cleanses us from our sins and makes us righteous before God. We are unable to approach a Holy God in our sin, but the blood of Jesus cleanses us and makes us whole. To be justified is to “just as if we never sinned.”
The question I would purpose to you simply asks, “Have you experienced justification?” Are you a child of God? Have you been washed in the blood of the lamb? If you have experienced justification then you are free from sin. You have been given a new spirit. You have been given the Spirit of the Living God. He lives in you and should be directing your thoughts and actions.
Justification is not the process of making it okay to sin. Justification is not the act of saying, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven.” We are to walk in the Spirit because of our justification. We are to aim to be like Jesus who knew no sin.
When sin reigns in your heart it must be purged. We must see to live Holy lives because He who called you is Holy. We need to seek perfection, because Jesus said, “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” We need to strive to allow justification to live in us every day. We cannot pick and choose the good and evil in our life. We must seek to be justified every moment of our life.
Justification leads to sanctification and we will talk about that word next week. Before we can become like Jesus we must be justified. The eternal judge proclaims us not guilty not because of our ability, but because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
My prayer is that you have experienced justification.
Dear Jesus, help us to accept you in every aspect of our life. Help us to be justified in the blood of the lamb. Help us to proclaim our justification in the way we act and live and think. Help us to allow the Spirit of God to direct our every movement and action. We ask this in your Holy name, Amen.