Justification by grace comes in Christ. Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.7 There is power in the blood and in the resurrection, these are the works of Jesus that justify us, you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.8 Again not of our works nor of the law, For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.9 We must understand there was a righteousness by the law, an old covenant with God but in a new covenant this righteousness comes through Christ. When we do not have this knowledge of justification we will not submit to God's righteousness but we will try to establish our own, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.10
Justification by Grace comes through Faith. So faith is by hearing, moreover hearing by the word of Christ.11 This word for hearing is akoḗ – properly, hearing; used of inner (spiritual) hearing that goes with receiving faith from God. This hearing and words of Christ are interconnected, rhḗma is commonly used in the NT for Jesus speaking His dynamic, living word in a believer to inbirth faith. It is different than the word logos, the divine inspiration, utterance. Faith comes by an inner spiritual hearing of the words of Christ, as Jesus is the author of faith, the creator of all things. Justification is by Grace; God's unmerited favor upon us which is received by faith.
Justification by grace is the first step in a Christians' life. Assurance is developed in this stage. Faith has tangible evidence, it is not something we conjure up. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.7 We know that Jesus was the word with God, he was God in the beginning, he came and walked among us, he created all things in the beginning.13 He came in the fullness of God: Grace and Truth.
The Bible speaks of family, we can relate to God the Father and God the Son as such. Think of a
family who is adopting an orphan, think of what is the most important
thing this child should know and believe. What is most important? This child needs
justification, she needs to understand she is accepted and loved,
unconditionally, she needs to understand her identity in being a part of the family, to develop trust in a faithful father. John would call this a babe in Christ, sins having been
forgiven. Understanding this is important, any attempt to mentor or disciple will fail otherwise.14 The enemy wants to destroy the knowledge of God; grace you don't need that, it is an excuse for people to sin, you can't let people sin, spare the rod spoil the child, lay down the law without grace. He wants people to go back to the law for justification or to jump right in to sanctification, start running the race, you do not need to know anything, no rules, no guidelines, no need for endurance and training. He wants you to fail, to disqualify you for breaking the rules. As an employer I have learned not to reprimand new employees during the initial hire and training period, there is always a grace period during this training, not only for establishing guidelines and learning but such is a time for grace, for building trust.
Justification through grace produces righteousness. It produces peace, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.15 And it produces hope, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.16 Justification doesn't produce self-righteousness nor does it come through the law, be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 17 It produces an identity in Christ. His grace is sufficient for me, it is more than sufficient, it is through this grace sin has no more dominion over me.18a To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, that grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God.18
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, it is through the knowledge of Him that we have been granted very great promises so that through them we may become partakers of His nature.19 It is not by the law we conform to his image, like a son would please a father, we do so because we love Him. The deception in legalism is that it says justification allows sin, but this justification is essential in a child's life. I am justified in Christ, as John wrote my sins have been forgiven, I am a child of the Father, it is important that I know my identity. I must go on to be like my Father, to become a young man, so that the word of God abides in me and I overcome the evil one. Sanctification follows justification, in God's timing, it is not for me to judge. It is Faith being applied, the word transforming our minds. Sanctification implies a battle.
Sanctification brings on the crown of life. There is an unfading crown of life, this we will receive when Jesus comes.20 We will receive this crown of glory, this crown of righteousness.21 Endurance is needed and this comes through purification of our souls to obedience to the truth and sincere love for each other.22 An unfading crown implies we can participate in one that is fading. Stephen, full of grace and power, was persecuted for Christ, as he stood before the council, who would later stone him, his face radiated like an angel.5 He was reviled like Christ. Peter writes that if you are reviled, like Jesus, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory and of God rests on you.23 We can experience this fading crown of life, abundantly here on earth, one day we receive it in fullness.
We are Ambassadors of Christ. It is important how we interact in the world, we are aliens here, we will glorify God or not by our diplomacy. I am an Ambassador to the kingdom of Christ, he sends me into other nations, as messengers of peace, not to condemn but as to negotiate salvation, others will see through my diplomacy, my King. If we are persecuted the spirit of glory rests on us, and we are blessed.24 When we glorify God in persecution we put forth his image, this is the ultimate test of our faith, blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.25
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.James 1:12
Show Me Your Glory