GOD IS JUST AND THE ONE WHO JUSTIFIES

God is Just and the One Who Justifies
By Susan Barnes

"He (God) did this to demonstrate his justice...so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." Romans 3:25

Sometimes we get the false idea that we can in some way make amends for the sins we have committed. However God's holiness is so awesome and the justice of God is so exact that when we break God's standards the just punishment is the death penalty. We have deeply offend God by our sin and Romans 6:23 makes it clear that the wages of sin is death.

Yet God is not only just but also the One who justifies. God has set the punishment and then paid it himself by sending Jesus to die on our behalf. Fortunately there was a penalty that could be paid for our misdeeds that would balance the scales of justice. That penalty was paid once and for all on the cross. Any meagre attempt on our part to repay God only shows our lack of understanding as to how great our debt really was.

Now we are justified because of our faith in Jesus. We are often told that justified means just-as-if-I'd never sinned but it means so much more. We have not only been cleansed but are actually credited with righteousness. "To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness" Romans 4:5.

We are forgiven and considered righteous, truly we are blessed people.