The Bible has a lot to say about Christians being justified. Have you been justified? If so, by what means are you justified? Who is your justifier? Why did you need a justifier? What qualified your justifier? The Bible says that the “just shall live by faith” Rom 1:17, Gal.3:11 and Heb 10:38. In other words, only those who have been justified are empowered to live by faith and those who do not live by faith are not justified, but thank God for grace.

Lets establish what faith is. Heb 11:1says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Here we learn that faith is substance. The essence or essential character of faith is, that faith must have conviction (firm belief or opinion) + persuasion (a yielding to one‘s firm belief or persuasion)+ corresponding action to be bible believing faith.

Side note, faith does not make this life easier contrarily faith makes this life possible.

Case in point, remember the woman with the flow of blood for twelve years;

Mark 5:25 now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment, for she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." (conviction) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt (persuasion) in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" Mark 5:31 But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. (corresponding action) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole t ruth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."

In verse 28 the woman exercised her conviction (firm belief). In verse 29 she yielded to her persuasion followed by her corresponding action in verse 32. The essential character of her faith involved what she believed and was supported by what she did. So when the Bible exhorts us to live by faith what’s implied is that the faith part (conviction +persuasion +corresponding action ) is ours and then is our justification dependent on Jesus.

In other words the Lord Jesus justifies our faith when we are fully convinced and fully persuaded coupled with consistent corresponding .

The verb translated “to justify” clearly means to declare righteous, or to be in right standing with God through Jesus Christ. Justification and righteousness are synonymous terms.

At the center of our conviction must be the cross, and faith means trusting the crucified Lord. Paul writes ; Rom 4:25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

I believe that the Apostle Paul is saying that Jesus’ death and resurrection meant a complete dealing with sins and a perfectly accomplished justification. We are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24) and by His blood (Rom 5:9)”.It was Gods’ good gift that brought justification, His “ one act of righteous” in Christ that effected it

(Rom 5:16,18).We are saved not because of our own righteousness, but because of the righteousness that is from God and which we receive by faith (Phil 3:9).

The sinless one became sin (by imputation) for the sinner, that the sinner might become (by imputation) sinless in the sinless One. Once you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and believe on His life, death, burial resurrection and ascension you take on His righteousness and He takes on your righteousness, you are no longer a sinner but instead you are supernaturally saved from death (spiritual), hell and the grave.

Christ identified Himself with mankind and died in his place. He died to make man alive; to make man well and healthy; to make man strong and victorious over all his enemies; to make man happy and prosperous; and to take man to Heaven to live forever with Himself and God.

Union with Christ means that we are crucified to the world and the world to us (Gal 2:20; 6:14); that there is nothing in us that the world desires or that we desire of the world; that we are free from sin and Satan and from sickness and failure; and that we are sons of God with power capable of representing God and exercising the full power of attorney according to the gospel.

Jesus qualified as our justifier because he conquered sin, sickness and Satan. He was victor in our place and we are victors in Him. His victory is our victory.

Lastly, the Bible teaches that the just shall live by faith and without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently see Him (Heb 11:6). God through Christ Jesus has made propitiation (to win or win back the favor of) or justification for us. Jesus becomes our righteous justifier when we sincerely ask Him to supernaturally come into our hearts. By admitting, confessing and repenting are we saved. Simply repeat the following prayer and believe God to do according to His Holy word:

Father, in the name of Jesus, I confess right now, and I realize that I am a sinner. I repent of all my sins. I make a 180-degree turn away from all my sins. I change my heart, I change my mind, I change my direction, and I turn toward Jesus Christ. I confess with my mouth that God raised Jesus from the dead for me, and I believe with my heart that Jesus is alive and operates in my life. I thank You, Lord that I am saved. Amen!”

As a public announcement much like water baptism, I challenge you to go and tell at least three people of your justification. Not because we have to ,but we need to, so that others can share in what God has freely given us through Jesus Christ. By sharing with others you immediately become a witness satisfying the “great commission”.

Remember the Bible says that WHOSOEVER (JN3: 15-16) call on the name of Jesus shall be saved. Glory, I am so glad that I am a WHOSOEVER.

My prayer is that day by day you experience His love grace and power more fully; see Him more clearly, love Him more dearly and follow Him more nearly…he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creations (Col.1: 15).

Just Joking!!!!

A wise minister surprised his congregation one sweltering midsummer Sunday morning with this announcement “Friends, I have here in my hands a hundred-dollar sermon that last ten minutes, a fifty-dollar sermon that last twenty minutes, and a twenty-dollar sermon that last a full hour. We will now take up the collection and see which one I will deliver.”

Editors’ Note: