The Wednesday Word
How God gets us to Heaven: Part 3
by D.G. Miles McKee
The next matter we want to consider in this short series on justification is,
4) Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
In Romans 4:25 we read that Christ was “delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification.”
Here’s the truth of the matter, we were in spiritual debt, but Christ paid our account in full (Hebrews 9:28). Our condemnation caused Christ to willingly be executed in our place. At Calvary, Christ was condemned, and we were acquitted (justified).
Three days later, the Lord Jesus rose from the dead to demonstrate that Heaven was satisfied with the payment which was made for our sins.
Let’s say a man is in jail for an unpaid debt. As long as the debt is in arrears the man stays in jail. But when the debt is paid, the man goes free.
Similarly … Christ took our place and paid our bill. He redeemed us! The prison of death could no longer hold Jesus. His resurrection demonstrated that our justification had been accomplished.
When we go in and pay a phone bill, we get a receipt to show that the payment has been made.
If the phone company attempt to collect the bill again, we produce the receipt to show we don’t owe that debt. The matter is cleared.
Figuratively speaking, the Lord Jesus walked up to Calvary … God’s desk for the payment of the bill of sin. The account was long overdue and heavy against us and the only way the Lord Jesus could settle the account was by shedding His blood and dying for us.
So, Christ offered Himself (Hebrews 7:27; 9:14). His life was pure and perfect, but the Father, on our behalf, took His spotless lamb and executed Him. Christ hung there on the cross and as He was suspended between heaven and earth paid the entire debt of His people’s sin.
After His death they put Him into a tomb. But death couldn’t hold Him. The grave couldn’t contain Him., and as a cashier would stamp a receipt paid in full, so Christ was raised from the dead as a sign that there was nothing more to pay. His resurrection was the receipt.
I’ve a confession to make … sometimes I don’t feel saved, but I have learned to look away from myself and look to the Finished Work where I see the resurrection is proof that I am.
The final matter we encounter in this short series is that we are,
5) Justified by Faith
Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.” Faith takes a hold of the accomplishments of the gospel and makes them our own. We are not justified on account of our faith but we, by faith, say yes to the wonderful accomplishments of the Lord on our behalf … and the result is … peace.
Our justification is found in Christ not in our faith. By faith we receive that which has already been accomplished by Him. In other words, faith takes a hold of the justification obtained at Calvary. But remember, faith itself is not the quality that justifies us. A justified believer has had their sins taken away, but they were not taken away by faith. They were taken away by the Lamb (John 1:19).
Faith sees and grasps this! In conclusion,
God is the source of our justification.
Grace is the cause of our justification.
Christ’s blood is the ground of our justification.
Christ’s resurrection is the proof of our justification.
We take a hold these truths by faith and faith makes them our own.
And that’s the Gospel Truth!
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