JUSTIFICATION
Scripture Reading - Romans 3:28
For we hold that a man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart from good deeds (works of the Law). [The observance of the Law has nothing to do with justification.] AMP
Many times we meet people that are non-Christians who believe in God. Most religious people have personal convictions about their beliefs concerning the God in Heaven. We all agree that God is wise and immeasurably more powerful than man. However, a common disagreement between true Christianity and many other religions is this subject of “Justification”. During the ministry of Jesus the Jewish believers had a hard time accepting this principle of “Justification by faith”. Since the days of Moses people were trained to obey a set of written rules to qualify for Heaven. This written code of behavior was known as “The Law” to the Jewish believers. This teaching of “The Law” was good and holy however it was designed for people who did not have the Spirit of God abiding within them. This “Law” was made for those who had not been “Born-Again” and that is why it is so widely accepted among other religions. Other religions do not refer to it as “The Law” but it is essentially the same thing. Any written code of conduct that teaches good works (deeds) as a means to get to Heaven is a law unto its teachers and students. The big difference is Christianity teaches being re-created good by the Holy Spirit as opposed to only doing good works. One can never be like God unless they possess the heart of God. Being “Born-Again” by the Blood of Jesus is what makes us “Justified” in the sight of God. It is the exact opposite of doing good works to obtain God’s favor because Jesus did all the work to obtain God’s favor for us. All we need to do is believe that His works was sufficient for our salvation. This is where “faith” comes in because it takes the faith of God to believe in the words of God. The written Word of God contains the key to every believer’s “Justification”. Some will hear God’s Word preached or taught, while others will read it for themselves. However, all those who choose to believe this word of Salvation by confessing Jesus as their personal Lord will be saved. The whole process is quick and really uncomplicated. A wise man once said, “Truth is very simple in its purest form but the misunderstanding of men complicate God’s Will because of human reasoning”. This holds true for many in the world today. The Gospel of Jesus is very simple, “Believe on Him and confess Jesus as Lord and you shall be saved”. This by itself is easy if you have childlike faith but if you don’t want to believe in Jesus because you have another doctrine that you hold as truth it will be more challenging for you to accept Jesus. So remember, it is not Justification by works of men but rather “Justification by faith in Jesus Christ”. Amen.