“OUR JUSTIFIER”

26 “It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Romans 3:26

Some indict God for being merciless, citing His decision to kill His own Son to save His enemies as a barbaric, cold-blooded act. Do they have a point?

In our previous blog, we mentioned that our God is a God of justice. Let’s now wrap things up.

He justifies sinners.

Our last verse comes off a passage where Paul talks about the Gospel, specifically, the good news part. The Apostle announces that God, through faith in Christ, believers are made right with God. Today’s verse highlights both God’s justice and grace.

God is just because He has demanded the full payment for sin. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins. And since justice has been met, God can now justify the ungodly without disregarding their sins or dishonoring His own righteousness. Jesus’ sacrificial death on the Cross proved that God is just and merciful.

The Bible says that we cannot be made righteous on our own. Since we have sinned against an eternally holy God, the penalty should also be eternal punishment. But the problem is, we are not qualified to cover for our own sins. Unless someone pure and holy steps in, we have no chance of being forgiven and restored to a right relationship with God.

But God is rich in mercy, so He sent His eternally Holy Son to become our Substitute. He lived the perfect life demanded of us; He suffered the penalty due us. He died when it should have been us. And based on the merit of His ultimate sacrifice, He can now justify sinners who turn away from their sins and put their trust in Him. The good news is that His sacrifice is powerful enough to save everyone.

Conclusion

God is not just fair; He is just. Fairness has to do with impartial treatment without favoritism. If God is fair, then everyone goes to heaven regardless of their life or no one goes to heaven since no one deserves it. Therefore, God cannot be fair.

Instead, God has to be just. And because He is just, He is able to render justice and extend His grace at the same time.  The question is: do you recognize God’s justness and appreciate Him for it?

Pursue the Savior today!