Just as if it Never Happened
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification…. One righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
Romans 4:25; 5:18
Have you ever been wronged or betrayed? Of course you have. It’s a devastating part of being human. One particular betrayal comes to my mind from the workplace, and I remember wondering if I would ever get beyond the hurt. When the betrayal comes from someone you loved and trusted, the wound seems beyond healing. With God’s grace and through the power of the Holy Spirit, believers can begin the journey of forgiveness. The memory might fade with time, but it never truly disappears. Not so with God! When Christ died in payment for our sins, an amazing thing happened—something our human mind can’t fully understand.
Once we accept this gift of provision for our sin, we become “justified” in God’s eyes. It’s just-as-if-we-had-never-sinned! Paul explains the concept of justification in his letter to the believers in Rome. He explained that one righteous act, Jesus’ death on the cross, resulted in our justification. Eugene Peterson’s The Message says it this way. Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! (Romans 5:18 MSG)
The Living Bible translation says Christ’s righteousness makes men right with God, so that they can live.
In this dimension of salvation we are made right with God just-as-if all the actions and thoughts that separated us from God never occurred! No wonder we can’t envision that reality. It’s beyond anything we’re able to accomplish in our own relationships with others! But then we see one more small phrase following this powerful statement—life for all people. We can look forward to not only eternal life with him but also real life here and now, life with a cleansed heart, a fresh start, and freedom from guilt.
Thank you, Father, for this amazing status in your eyes, justified, and the ability to face each day with a cleansed heart and freedom from guilt. I stand amazed! Amen
Linda L
