CHRIST-DAILY
DEVOTIONS
 March 18th

JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN CHRIST

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26).

Paul clarifies that before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law (Gal. 3:23).  We were held in place until the faith would afterwards be revealed.  The law was our tudor or schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, as led by the Holy Spirit, "that we might be justified by faith" (Gal. 3:24).  When faith comes, we are no longer under the tudor or schoolmaster (Gal. 3:25).  We are no longer under the law.  We are Spiritually rebirthed by faith in Christ.  This is what Paul means when he declares, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:26).

The source of genuine justification is the precious blood of Jesus that was shed for the eternal justification of all sin on the cross.  We are once then justified by His blood (Rom. 5:9).  When the justification of Jesus' sacrificial death and shed blood was accepted by the Father, He raised Jesus Christ from the dead.  Paul declares that, "Jesus was raised from the dead because of our justification" (Rom. 4:25b).  As soon as we hear and believe that the Father raised Christ from the dead for our justification, the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us (Rom. 4:22-24).  Christ – the incorruptible Seed was placed in us at our Spirit rebirthing (I Pet. 1:23).  When we received Christ, we received His nature and character to live in us through Him.  We now have the righteousness and justification, through the Person and Spirit of Christ eternally living in us.

Justification is imputed or appropriated to us when we believe.  By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in God's sight (Rom. 3:20).  The righteousness of God is apart from the law (Gal. 3:21).  Our Father chose to appropriate the righteousness of Christ to us through the demonstration of faith in Him (Rom 3:25).  Paul summarizes and declares, "Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (Rom 3:28).   Paul also informs us, "having been justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Rom. 5:1).  Through Christ in us, with His righteousness and justification, we have access by faith into a position of 100% grace with our Father.  To me that is absolute shouting ground!  Amazing grace, how sweet the sound!  Our faith is in the 100% finished work on the cross with His crucified body and shed blood. Our belief and trust is in the 100% satisfaction of our Father with that sacrifice, consummated in His raising Christ from the dead (Eph. 1:20; Rom. 10:9).  Now, our salvation all revolves around the source of His resurrection life in us. We are saved by His life - the Christ-life in us as us (Rom. 5:10).  We are saved and justified by faith in Christ.  We now live by the life and faith of Christ, who lives in us as us! V

Written by Dwight Davis
Christ-Ministries
 

                                               

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