Justified // Romans 5:1
What do you think of the word, justified? I immediately think of the Timothy Olyphant show entitled, “Justified,” that came on the FX network a number of years ago. Olyphant played a US Marshall who often skirted the law in order to bring criminals to justice. It was an entertaining show in a rather familiar genre. I think it resonates with many when we experience the wheels of justice turning slowly to see the “good guys” do what they can to expedite the process. The problem with that kind of justice, though, is what happens when people seek to take the law into their own hands.
There is something unique about this line of thought that speaks to the heart of the sinner. First of all, we absolutely must remember that we are all sinners in need of forgiveness. That forgiveness is what ushers in God’s saving act. That moment when we realize we are in need of a savior is known as our justification. This is the process by which God makes us right with Him, re-establishing that relationship for which we were created in the first place. All of this is done thanks to what Jesus accomplished on the cross when He died for you and me. He took on all of our sin past, present, and future; paid the sin debt we could never pay on our own; and fulfilled God’s wrath so we can be with Him forever. This, my friends, is precisely what brings us to peace in our relationship with God.
Jesus is the One who brings us that peace and keeps it as well. He was there when God gave the spiritual Law and then became the fulfillment of the Law. He did this now so we can be saved and live in peace with God and each other. His work marshalled in eternity for you and me and He treats us all fairly in ways we never could. So, let’s take our sinfulness in faith to Jesus, accept His offer of salvation through the forgiveness of sin, and then commit — or recommit if necessary — to living in peace with God and each other.
