Declared Righteous – by Desmond Ford

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Jun 9, 2016 2576

Justified is the opposite of condemned. Condemned does not mean to make bad. It means to declare bad. Justify does not mean to make righteous. It means to declare righteous.

God calls the repentant sinner perfect the moment he or she believes. That is the essence of the Gospel, the Good News. Though we are not good, God declares us righteous. For Christ’s sake.

We were ruined in Adam without asking for it. We have been redeemed in the Last Adam, Christ, without asking for it.

Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. Romans 5:18 NIV

Justification is the same as acquittal. Justification is not forgiveness. In a practical sense, it includes forgiveness, of course. But the word means much more. It means to be treated as innocent.

The gospel says that God does not see in you and me the likeness of a sinner. God only sees the likeness of his Son. The standing of the Christian is always perfect even though the state of the Christian is never perfect.

Justification is over us all of our lifetime. Don’t think it just happens when you become a Christian. Justification is over you all of your life. Justification always determines your standing before God.

In God’s sight, you lived in Jesus, you died in Jesus, you were buried in Jesus, you rose with Jesus. In God’s sight you are already seated in heavenly places with Jesus (see Eph 2:6). That’s why we read,

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1.

God counts that we are risen with Christ.

– Des Ford. Rom 8:27-32. Adapted from “Christ In All the Gospels 3 – John Tells Us About Jesus ”