Part 1 of 3
Justification is a legal term: It refers to one's judicial innocence. The Greek word often used is "dikaioō", which means "to render equitabble in charcter or act; to show one to be righteous, innocent, holy, just, meet; approved of or acceptable to God; faultless, guiltless; to absolve or acquit". Simply said, justification is the act of God by which He accepts the penitent, repentant sinner as righteous, upon believing on Christ Jesus for salvation. Yours and my justification is quite a wonderful thing! It's separate from our current sanctification and future glorification (Eph 5:25-27), which are simply the culmination of one another (2 Cor 1:10). Justification is a past tense occurence; it happened when the incoruptable seed of God was planted in your spirit, transforming your very life, and saving you from the threat of God's wrath. Justification occured in your spirit-man (1 Cor 6:17; Heb 12:23), sanctification is occuring in your soul (2 Cor 7:1; Ps 119:109), and glorification will occur in your physical body (1 Cor 15:52-54). Justification is the very core and foundation for one's continued growth in God, the first of several steps toward perfection, and if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Without this great bedrock of divine, graceful acceptance, the Christian life would be absolutely halted! The effects and benefits of the Christian's justification before God encompass an immense and mighty volume of truth. So mighty in fact, that I believe we will continue to mine these glorious caverns for the ages to come! Thankfully, however, God has given us His very words - a sneak peak into these great wonders. So just what does Scripture tell us of our justified state? What many effects and benefits are to become our very own? Let's find out...
The first of these great truths is found in Romans 5:1. Here, Paul says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ..."
Peace seems to be an overused word - a state that men heartily seek after, yet have no innate ability to bring about. The peace they seek is perhaps a rest from national chaos, tranquility of the mind, or the like. However, the peace of God is of a different sort - it passes all human understanding; it's a peace "not as the world giveth" (Jn 14:27; Ps 28:3)! It's both judicial and experiential. It's a spiritual state of being that cannot be justly described by my mere words. God's peace is simply unreasonable.. it often gives itself over to those who, by natural understanding, shouldn't know peace.. and it often acquaints itself with those whom it should naturally repel and repulse. "How can such a man as him know peace?" Friends, pedigree and similar qualifications are utterly insignificant. This peace is not from the world, and the world therefore cannot adjust it (Phil 4:7; 1 Pet 1:8; Jn 16:22). Thank God!
From this verse in Romans 5, the word "peace" means "quietness, prosperity, rest, to set at one again". Real peace is only that which flows from Emmanuel's veins.. Real peace is only that which finds it's source at that bloody, redemptive tree. Such peace is a gift from God - a gracious effect of our spiritual, justified union! Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God! No longer are we His enemies because of sin; no longer are we to be the subjects and recipients of His outpoured wrath! Jesus has taken that cloak upon His own perfect Person, fully acquainting Himself with the woes and punishment of iniquity, in our stead. And the result? Perfect peace with our Maker - a judicial return to our unified state!
Before such peace was poured out, while we were yet judicial sinners, we remained in a state of emnity with God: the bosom of the wicked is a stranger to peace, the two have never truly met: "The wicked are like the troubled sea. For it never can be at rest; Whose waters cast up mire and dirt" (Isa 57:20). But now, being reconciled, we have perfect peace with God. The man that was just before filled with agitation and alarm, that regarded God as his enemy, is now at peace with Him, and with all the world: "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity..." (Eph 2:14-15).
The sinner, in his natural state, is an enemy of God and His peace; He is void of all real harmony, free from the fruits of justification ( Rom 8:7; Eph 2:16; Jas 4:4; Jn 15:18, Jn 15:24; Jn 17:14; Rom 1:30). Before, while under a sense of the guilt of sin, we had nothing but terror and sadness in our own conscience. But now, having our sins wholly forgiven, we are flooded with peace where that awful terror once resided! By the cross, God has reconciled us to Himself (2 Cor 5:18). He has literally refunded our emnity with Him, paid for by the costly blood of Jesus. No longer are we His adversaries.. we now are made His friends. God is now my cheifest friend, and the peaceful bond that we now share is approved and made able by the atoning death of His wondrous Son. And what is our union like? Reader, it is peaceful. It is wholly harmonious; the chords of our melody together are no longer out of tune.. My spirit is now one with His (1 Cor 6:17; Heb 12:23), at peace with His perfect holiness, even partaking of it myself. Now, because of this blessed justified state, I can partake of the life and peace of God (Rom 8:6). Now, thanks to the "gospel of peace" (Rom 10:15), I can partake of the righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17). This is the effect of that blessed and bloody "work of righteousness" (Isa 32:17). This is the fruit of my Lover on His cross; "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Ps 85:10; Col 1:20)! His blood has introduced me to God's peace, God's graces, God's countless goodnesses - a sweet tranquility has visited my heart, a pure shining light! All because the Lord Jesus was obedient unto death.
"The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace" (Ps 29:11).
To Be Continued...
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