“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1

What is justification?

As we seek to understand the true meaning of today’s verse, a few phrases jump out at us, seemingly demanding clarity in order for us to perceive their rich value. “Justified by faith” is a biblical phrase that left me with some questions in my early days as a Christian. Also, the concept of being at “peace with God,” as this verse also notes, needed some context for me to grasp its full implication.

First, the term “justified” can have some varying connotations which create confusion if we don’t make a distinction between the secular definition and the biblical usage of it. In our secular culture, we can agree that this word implies some kind of defense of an action or outcome. Justification is a form of validating our behavior, usually for the purpose of releasing us from consequences. We often observe how this plays out in a secular courtroom, where the defendant stands guilty before a judge, but hopes that the justification for his actions (such as a self-defense plea, etc) is enough to clear him of any punishment.

However, when God’s Word uses the phrase “justified by faith,” the word takes on a different implication. Justification in the Bible is a declaration of our righteousness by God – a stamp of “innocent” on our record, so to speak – but not because we (the defendant) provided a great case to validate why we sinned against God during our earthly life. Instead, biblical justification comes by placing our faith in Jesus alone. When we face the ultimate Judge in that heavenly courtroom, standing before him as guilty, and we are asked to give a defense for our sinful nature, the only acceptable justification for our actions should be “because He” not “because I.” There is no other defense for the sinful nature we possess that acts as an enemy to God. The only way we escape eternal punishment for our actions against an eternal God is to identify that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was the full, eternal payment for our sins. Our undeserved justification is not only sufficient; it is permanent.

In an authentic salvation moment, our hearts should be so humbled by the reality of our sin that we know any defense of our own we could offer up to a holy and perfect God would be shallow and foolish. When sinners are justified by faith, that means that we are declared by God to be righteous – not by our works or ability to earn it, but by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ alone.

By faith, not works

The difference between being justified by faith and justified by works is a critical distinction on which believers must be clear. If we slip into any form of thought that leans toward a belief that we are justified by our works, we rob Jesus of the indescribable grace he offered us by going to the cross on our behalf. We unintentionally imply that our salvation had more to do with our efforts than Jesus’ blood. It is imperative that we never slip into a mindset that we somehow teamed up with Jesus to save ourselves. Salvation belongs to Lord Jesus alone.

Peace with God

If you do an internet search for quotes about peace, it is evident that humans have broad opinions on what provides peace and how we obtain it. However, among these many ideas, one quality seems to be acknowledged by all – peace seems to be a rare and elusive treasure. We try multiple routes to the point of true peace, but there is only one road that was ever meant to bring us that sought-after feeling of living a guilt-free life of peace. That road is often called the Roman Road. It is the stretch of bible verses in the book of Romans that lays out the path to salvation through Christ. It is the collection of verses we have discussed in these posts thus far. The Roman Road concludes with today’s verse in chapter 5 that identifies the result of a life surrendered to Christ and redeemed by the blood on the cross. The gift of God is peace with Him. The justification we received by simply placing our faith in Christ is the only source of true peace because it reconciles us back to our Creator. It brings us home. We are no longer fearfully awaiting judgement at the moment of our physical death. We don’t have to fear death itself or what comes immediately after. We have peace in knowing that we are justified, meaning our debt has been paid in full, and we are accepted. There is no greater gift than eternal life in Christ Jesus and the peace that comes from that relationship with Him.

I pray that after these first posts, digging into what it means to be a follower of Jesus, you are feeling a deep sense of peace today, as you experience the undeserved grace of God upon your life when you couldn’t do anything to save yourself. I hope you are flooded with peace that shows outwardly on your face, causing others to ask about what makes you so peaceful! I hope you will answer them with an energetic explanation that you are able to live in peace because you live totally forgiven and free. This is your free gift, dear friend. Live in it and bask in the peace that comes from Christ.

*Note from the author: This post is the sixth and final installment of a series explaining the process of salvation through Jesus Christ. If you have questions concerning the Christian faith, I invite you to read through the first five posts on this blog site in the order they were published. I am praying for you!