Justification/Righteousness

The justified person is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Rom. 5:1–10)

It seems often that we take for granted what righteousness/justification means; at least I do. Think about the fact that through Christ's righteousness we can be counted as perfectly obedient to the Law. That is mind blowing. How can we who have been guilty of offending so many points of the Law be counted as perfectly obedient to it?

We only can have this standing before God if we accept His free gift of grace. If we could work for it, then we could boast, but instead He has made it so our only part is that we are recipients. Someone who only receives can't boast in anything except how good the gift is and how gracious the Giver has been. This should not ever lead to pride.

If we were to try to provide our own righteousness we could work a little off today, but while yesterday's debt off, we would incur more wrath today and we would never gain any ground. The only possible solution to our sin "problem" is to have the Perfect Sacrifice for our sin. (I put problem in quotes because it is so much bigger than a problem).

What freedom to know that our debt has been paid, if we will only accept the payment. We can accept that it has been paid on the cross, or we can take our sin and pay for it for all of eternity, in Hell.

Accepting payment has "consequences". We will delight in walking in newness of life, we will not try to gratify the deeds of the flesh, we will produce good works that are in accordance with our new nature and Master and they will all flow out of a heart that loves to serve others. Those are some pretty serious "consequences". For sure, there should be evidence of our new Master's work in our life, not from compulsion, but from the joy that comes from being a door keeper in His house, rather than dwelling in the tents of wickedness.

So, how can we neglect so great a salvation? We must not. We must live as though we are changed into the likeness of the Glorious Son and share that with those around us. Go wage war.