The Blood of Justification

Romans 5:9 “Much more then, being now justification by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (KJV).

What is the meaning of the word, justification? It means to count someone righteous. It means to reckon, to credit, to account, to judge, to treat, to look upon as righteous. It means just as if a person had never sinned. This is beyond all imagination!

How do we know how God justifies a man? The word justify (diakioun) is a legal word taken from the courts. It pictures man on trial before God. Man is seen as having committed the most heinous (shocking evil) of crimes; he has rebelled against God and broken his relationship with God. How can he restore that relationship? Within human courts if a man is acquitted (innocent), he is declared innocent, but this is not true within the Divine Court. When a man appears before God, he is anything but innocent; he is completely guilty and condemned accordingly. [Note from QVLAB]

But when a man sincerely trusts Christ, then God takes that man’s faith and counts it as righteousness. By such God counts the man—judges him, treats him—as if he was innocent. The man is not made innocent; he is guilty. A man knows it and God knows it, but God treats him as innocent. “God justifies the ungodly”—an incredible mercy, a wondrous Grace. [Note from QVLAB]

God justifies us because of His Son Jesus Christ. When we believe in Jesus Christ, God takes our faith and counts it as righteousness. We are not righteous, but God considers our faith as righteousness. God is willing to justify us because He loves us that much. Through the blood of Christ we are made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God. This is awesome. It made me want to love Him even more than ever. There is a song called, “Just As I Am” and it helps me understand what this meant.

1. Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

2. Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,

Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;

Because Thy promise I believe,

O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

[Lyrics: Charlotte Elliott, Sing His Praise]

May the Lord open our eyes of understanding His Grace upon us!  

Dorothy