God’s answer is utterly amazing! It is this: “Man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28.) We cannot earn God’s acceptance by trying to be good and doing good deeds. God’s way of salvation is from beginning to end a free gift in Jesus Christ – it cannot be earned by us.

God’s way is, “…being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Romans 5:1.) Learn, that you must be justified by God before you can be right with Him. And that he justifies sinners in no other way than through faith in Jesus Christ. This is the way to be right with God!

What then is this amazing gift the Bible calls justification? It is a legal act of God as Judge. It is a verdict God pronounces concerning an ungodly, but believing sinner (Romans 4:5.) God’s verdict concerning that sinner is this: “All your sins are pardoned, and I accept you as perfectly righteous in my sight.” God forever changes their legal state and standing before Him. He no longer views them as unrighteous and guilty, but as righteous and at peace with Himself, and He gives them a legal right to eternal life! That is utterly amazing – but it is true!

How can God do this? God is able to justify sinners this way because he first gives them the greatest of all gifts – the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Christ prepared this righteousness when, as Redeemer, he fulfilled the law and died for all those the Father had given him. Now, when God justifies a sinner, He makes this perfect righteousness of Christ over to his account – so that it becomes legally, personally and really his. God calls that legal action imputation. He imputes Christ’s righteousness! Imputed righteousness is the complete and only basis of justification. On this basis alone, God pardons sin and accepts a person as righteous in his sight!

How can “you” be justified? “By faith alone.” You must give up any thought of working your way into God’s favour, and receive and rest on Christ and his righteousness alone for pardon and acceptance with God!

Rev. C.J. Connors