THE EFFECTS OF JUSTIFICATION

 

By Gary Ray Branscome

 

          To be justified by faith is to be cleansed “of all sin,” by the blood of Jesus Christ (1John 1:7). However, Christians all too often fail to realize the full significance of that cleansing. Therefore, I would like you to try to visualize your sins being washed away by the blood of Christ. Close your eyes if necessary and picture all of your sins being washed away. Picture a cleansing flood coming in, swirling all around you and washing away every filthy stain. Picture that flood flowing right through you, washing away every foul thought and every evil desire so that you begin to shine with a righteous glow. Picture yourself standing before God radiant with holiness. Radiant not because of your works, but because every sin has been washed away. That is true holiness! That is how God sees us when we trust in Christ! That is the perfect righteousness of Christ Himself (Romans 10:4). And, nothing that we do, no set of rules that we keep, could ever improve one bit on that perfection. Therefore, when we stand before God it is as if Christ Himself were standing there in our place, for His righteousness has become our righteousness (Galatians 3:6). He took our sin upon Himself and has given us His righteousness in exchange for it. As it is written, "By one offering He has perfected for ever those who are sanctified" (Hebrews 10:14).

 

Because all of our sins have been washed away, “All things work together for” our “good” (Romans 8:28). And, everything God has promised in His Word is ours. Or as Paul put it, “All the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen,” (2Corinthians 1:20). For that reason, we do not need a different faith for each prayer or each promise of God, they are all ours through faith in Christ.

 

The Bible tells us that without justification we “were dead in trespasses and sins,” and “walked according to the way of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience. Among whom we all likewise formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath,” (Ephesians 2:1-3). However, because forgiveness removes God’s condemnation, when we are justified we rise from being spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins,” to new life in Christ (Ephesians 2:1,6). That new life is, in effect, a new birth, for through it we are born, “Not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). And, being born of God we are “the children of God,” “and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17). [See Gal. 3:26.]

 

          “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). “Who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). And, one of those blessings is the Spirit of God. The words, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” tell us that when we come to faith in Christ the Holy Spirit comes into our heart (Galatians 3:2). However, the words, “God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father,” tell us that Christ Himself dwells in our heart (Galatians 4:6). And, the words, “If a man loves me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him,” tell us that when we trust in Christ both the Father and the Son reside in us (John 14:23).

          Furthermore, the words, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him,” tell us that having received God’s Spirit we are joined to God (1Corinthians 6:17). The words, “We are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones,” tell us that being joined to Christ we are His offspring, His flesh and bone (Ephesians 5:30). And, the words, “Don’t you know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” tell us that our bodies are God’s temple (1Corinthians 3:16).

 

The words, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God,” tell us that the Spirit of God strengthens our faith (Romans 8:16). And, part of that faith is the assurance that Christ is “The resurrection, and the life” (John 11:25). And, that “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

 

          The words, “We have been released from the law, having died to that which once bound us; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter,” tell us that having been justified by faith, cleansed of all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ, the law no longer condemns us. (Romans 7:6). On the contrary, we are free from the law, not so that we can sin, but so that we can serve God in love rather than fear. For faith “produces works through love.” (Galatians 5:6). And, because, “The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set” us “free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). We “have been called to liberty; but do not use your freedom as an excuse to serve the flesh, instead serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13). [See Eph. 2:10]

 

          The words, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another,” tell us that we are not only united with God through our faith in Christ, we are united with all true believers (1John 1:7). For God has not called us to live in seclusion, but we are “called to be saints, together with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Corinthians 1:2) And, “We, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:5).

 

          The words, “Do not call anyone on earth father: for you have one Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 23:9). And, do not seek “to be called Master: for one is your Master, even Christ; and you are all brethren” (Matthew 23:8). Tell us that all who trust in Christ, all who are justified by faith, are brethren. And there is no clergy class that is over everyone else.

          The words, “He [Christ] breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Ghost. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; and if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained,” apply to all who have received the Holy Spirit (John 20:22-23). And, the words, “He [Jesus] said to him, Friend, your sins are forgiven. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to think, Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” tell us that we are to forgive sins by assuring those who repent that they have forgiveness in Christ (Luke 5:20-21).

 

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1Corinthians 2:9).

 

SCRIPTURE ALONE

GRACE ALONE

FAITH ALONE