Justification and Sanctification (1) - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:24-26

Justification and Sanctification (1)
The believer is not only forgiven, but he is also justified—that is, accounted righteous.

A forgiven criminal could never feel comfortable in the presence of his judge, nor even of honest men. But, blessed be God's name, we are not only forgiven criminals and sinners, but justified; that is, we are positively accounted righteous. Therefore, we are at peace with God and can feel comfortable in His presence; as it is written, "It shall be imputed [accounted, or reckoned] to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 4:23-25; 5:1-2). This is even more strongly put in the verse, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21). How clearly these verses show us that not only is the believer pardoned, but he is positively counted righteous, and therefore fit for the presence of God Himself. But remember, this is not in virtue of anything he has done, or will do; but simply and solely in virtue of the grace of God and the work of Christ.

Christ took our place and was treated as we deserved, that we might have His place before God and be treated as He deserved. No wonder, then, that the believer can enter with boldness into the holiest, that is, the very presence of God, through the blood of Jesus (Heb. 10:19).