[Thursday's Devotional] - Not guilty

In the previous two devotionals, we have looked at two pictures of how the death of Jesus is good news for us.  The idea of averting the anger of God (propitiation) comes from the Temple, and the idea of redemption comes from the market place.  Today's picture, of justification, comes from the law court.

The idea here is that we are standing before the judge, before God, who knows exactly how we have lived our lives.  We know we have done wrong; the evidence is against us; and we will be sentenced.

But before sentence is pronounced, Jesus steps in.  He speaks on our behalf.  The penalty we deserve he has already paid through dying on the cross.  We are no longer guilty in the eyes of the judge.  We are free to go.

Paul writes [Romans 3: 23 - 24]:

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

We stand before God as forgiven people not because of anything we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us.  He justifies by his grace – his undeserved love.

Because the sinless Saviour died,

My sinful soul is counted free;

For God, the Just, is satisfied

To look on him and pardon me.

Lord Jesus, thank you for paying the penalty for my sins so that I can go free.

David Long