JUSTIFICATION MADE SIMPLE
Salvation is a truth that exists in the mind of God, not merely in the experience of men. When the Bible speaks of justification, it is telling us that God has declared the sinner righteous because of Christ’s work, not because of anything we have done or feel. It is true whether we feel it or understand it or not.
Imagine a courtroom. You are guilty of crimes you cannot erase. The evidence is overwhelming. Yet the judge, in His mercy and wisdom, declares you innocent—not because you were innocent, but because someone else has taken the punishment in your place. That is what Christ has done for us. He bore the wrath we deserved, and God the Father looked at us and saw the righteousness of His Son covering us. This declaration happened before we ever experienced it in our hearts. The forgiveness is real because God says it is real, not because we feel it is real.
Subjective reality—what we experience in our hearts and minds—often fluctuates. We may feel doubt, fear, guilt, or unworthiness. Our emotions rise and fall like waves in a storm. But God’s declaration of justification is anchored in eternity. It does not shift. It does not depend on how we feel. “God has made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). The gift was given, the sentence was pronounced, the verdict is eternal.
This knowledge brings hope beyond measure. We do not have to wait for some internal feeling of worthiness before we can rest in Christ. Our hope is secure because it rests on the objective work of God in Christ, accomplished fully on the cross and sealed in resurrection. Faith is not the act of making ourselves righteous; it is the simple receiving of what God has already declared true. We receive salvation as it is offered—complete, sufficient, unshakable.
Lord, help us to grasp the certainty of Your declaration. Teach us to rest not in what we feel, but in what You have done. Let our hearts trust Your verdict, and may our lives overflow with gratitude for the righteousness You have freely given. Strengthen our faith to cling to the reality of justification, and let Your peace guard our souls as we live in the light of Your eternal truth. Amen.
BDD
